GOOD CHOICE

Oh, the best of the year lists are coming out at a steady clip now. The Goodreads Choice Awards are the latest. They also happen to be pretty fun. There are a bunch of good books are nominated, and you can visit and vote for your favorites easily. I encourage you to do just that. Side note: I like how Mesmerized made the picture book nominees. I really like that book. Click here for picture books. Click here for middle grade.

PARENTS CHOICE

Parents Magazine is getting in on the best books action. They pick one book in a variety of categories. Click here to see them all.

NO KIDDING FROM J.K.

J.K. Rowling is busy these days. A sequel, a prequel, a book for adults, and now we find out she’s writing a new book for kids. I wonder how that treehouse is coming along. Click here to read.

WE NEED DIVERSE BOOK ORDERS

This is pretty great. Scholastic has teamed up with the We Need Diverse Books organization to create a book clubs flyer for kids in grades 4-8. I hope this is distributed far and wide. Working in schools for the past decade or so, I know how many teachers send Scholastic Book Club order forms home with kids. Click here to check out the flyer and read more.

Hilda and the Stone Forest by Luke Pearson. Out May 23, 2016

As a devoted Hilda supporter, I was pleased to see the next book in the saga of the blue-haired girl is coming this spring.

The talk of the children’s literature world this week has been about the book A Fine Dessert. If you’re reading this, chances are it’s been on your mind a lot. It has sparked a larger discussion about diversity in books for kids. One of the best posts I’ve read on the topic comes from Fairrosa Cyber Library:

I said the best lists were coming in quickly now, right?

See PW's 50 Best Books of the year for children and teens https://t.co/2iLAv3Dg0U

— Children's Bookshelf (@PWKidsBookshelf) October 30, 2015

How it was made alert. In August illustrator Sydney Smith (Sidewalk Flowers) demonstrated how he used stencils for his latest book, Grant and Tillie Go Walking, written by Monica Kulling. Fans of cool illustration techniques may want to take note.