Florida Offers Online Schools for Fulltime K-8 Students By SLJ Staff - 11/16/2008
Starting next fall, thousands of Florida students will be able to roll out of bed and attend school in their very own homes as a result of a new law that requires every school district in the state to set up an online school for fulltime kids in grades K-8. More
Ordinary Heroes: Barbara O'Connor's latest book, 'The Small Adventure of Popeye and Elvis,' is a big treat By Rick Margolis - 11/01/2009
Popeye lives with his grandmother, Velma, who recites the names of the kings and queens of England in chronological order so she won’t go crazy. What else should we know about Popeye’s life? Popeye lives in a small Southern town with nothing to do in the summer, and he’s bored. And then, lo and behold, a shiny silver motor home gets stuck in the mud in front of his house and, ...
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A Touch of Grace By Madeleine Blais - 11/01/2009
From Grace Lin’s blog: June 19, 2007 Relief Even though I have been quiet about it, the last two weeks have been really brutal. Robert has suffered viciously, yet still soldiered on. I felt the least I could do was try to do the same. But the last few days have brought improvement and relief, and as it rains upon us, my creative seeds begin to sprout again… and it looks like I’...
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This Blog's for You: Ten of the best blogs for folks who take kids' lit seriously (but not too seriously) By Elizabeth Bird - 11/01/2009
A magazine article changed my life. Admittedly, that sounds like a bit of hyperbole, but it's true. There I was in New York City, with my shiny new MLIS degree, working at my very first children's librarian post. I was still experiencing that first flush of excitement people have when they start a new job in an occupation they love, and I was reading every article in every children's literature...
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Good & Plenty: It used to be hard to find good graphic novels for the K–4 crowd. My, how times have changed. By Peter Gutiérrez - 09/01/2009
Just a couple of years ago, it was tough to find good graphic novels for the K–4 crowd. Sure, there were some standout selections, such as Andy Runton's Owly, Jimmy Gownley's Amelia Rules!, and Jennifer and Matt Holm'sBabymouse, but they were lonely exceptions in a barren landscape. Things quickly changed when publishers realized that the same set that reads (and buys) picture books might...
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As Goes California: A Flawed Initiative Could Become a Fabulous Opportunity Brian Kenney, Editor-in-Chief - 09/01/2009
Digital textbooks, once the playthings of a few Arizona high schools, are suddenly looking like they might become commonplace. And that could end up being a great thing for school librarians and, more importantly, students. Back in May, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced the Free Digital Textbook Initiative, which would make open-source textbooks—for now just in science a...
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Wrench in the Works: An Interview with Kate Thompson By Rick Margolis - 08/01/2009
Your latest novel is about a 14-year-old punk who steals cars, does drugs, and gets into fights. When Bobby’s family moves from Dublin to the country to start over, they soon discover that their lives may be in peril. What inspired you to write such a gritty story? I had this idea kicking around in my mind for about five or more years.
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Met Any Good Authors Lately? Classroom author visits can happen via Skype (here's a list of those who do it for free) By Kate Messner - 08/01/2009
At 7:25 am on the last day of school, five avid fifth-grade readers hustle into the library of Chamberlin School in South Burlington, VT. They shrug off backpacks and pull out advance copies of The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z, my middle-grade novel about a Vermont girl who’s convinced her school leaf collection project is ruining her life.
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Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog Jonathan Hunt, Librarian and teacher, Modesto City Schools November 3, 2009 The Plot Thickens
Laurie wrote--
I am very surprised that The Hunger Games was third on your perso... More
SLJ Covers 2009 A bigger and better view of SLJ's covers from 2009
BookExpo America 2009: SLJ's Day of Dialog School Library Journal held a Day of Dialog in conjunction with the annual BookExpo America on May 28, 2009 at the Brooklyn Public Library. Full story: bit.ly/1a0G7o
2008 National Book Awards Nominees in the young people's literature category graced the red carpet on Awards night Nov. 20, 2008.
The Alvin Ho Collection, Books 1 & 2 (unabr). 4 CDs. 4 hrs. Prod. by Listening Library. Dist. by Listening Library/Books on Tape (library.booksontape.com). 2009. ISBN 978-0-7393-7997-4. $38. Gr 2-4–Alvin Ho, a quirky Asian-American second grader, is articulate at home but so afraid of school that he is unable to speak while he is there.
Clowning around at the second annual Atlantic City Free Public Library Family Fun Festival last weekend. About 2,500 people came out to enjoy the beautiful day and the many festivities, including an array of performances, face painting, poetry readings by local teens, games, and music.
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The Alvin Ho Collection, Books 1 & 2 (unabr). 4 CDs. 4 hrs. Prod. by Listening Library. Dist. by Listening Library/Books on Tape (library.booksontape.com). 2009. ISBN 978-0-7393-7997-4. $38. 
