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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Junie B. Jones Tour Bus Promotes Latest Book By Rocco Staino - 10/14/2009
Junie B. Jones, star of Barbara Park’s popular series about a precocious six-year-old, has hit the road again with a 16-city bus tour to celebrate the release of Junie B’s Essential Survival Guide to School (Random House 2009).
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Library of Congress to Unveil Young Readers Center By Rocco Staino - 10/12/2009
John Russell Young, the Librarian of Congress from 1897 to 1899, is finally having his dream come true—an area of the Library of Congress is being set aside for kids.
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Anderson University Inherits Peter Rabbit, Wild Things, and More By Lauren Barack - 10/07/2009
About 6,000 books, many as rare as Beatrix Potter’s own manuscript, comprise the newest treasures available to scholars of children’s literature, thanks to a donation to Indiana's Anderson University.
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Kids Paying More Attention to Nonfiction By Lauren Barack - 09/28/2009
Nonfiction is gaining more popularity with younger readers, according to the Children’s Choices Booklist—an annual list in which students read, critique, and vote for their favorite books.
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Selznick, Kidd, Sandell Perform at NYC’s Joe’s Pub By Rocco Staino - 09/16/2009
Authors Brian Selznick, Laurie Sandell, and Chip Kidd recently tried their hand at something different—they took to the stage at New York City’s Joe’s Pub, where they performed at the Happy Ending Music and Reading Series, which invites storytellers, writers, and musicians to read from their works as long as they're willing to do something embarrassing. More
At the Rainbow’s End By Lauren Barack - 09/03/2009
Unwilling to let the book close on the Emmy Award-winning Reading Rainbow, many in the educational community are signing petitions, donating money, and encouraging viewers to speak up in the hope of getting their beloved program back on the air.
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The Odd Couple: An Interview with Author-Illustrator Jerry Pinkney By Rick Margolis - 09/01/2009
You’ve won five Caldecott Honors and five Coretta Scott King Awards. But a lot of folks are saying this is your best book yet. You often hear authors and artists say, “I respond to and I’m inspired by the child within me.” And a lot of my career was about that. I was reaching down to find that part of me that spoke not only about my childhood but what I thought about chi...
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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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Peace, Love, and Woodstock for This Generation By Rocco Staino - 08/19/2009
The 40th anniversary of Woodstock, the Broadway revival of Hair, and Bob Dylan's U.S. tour, have no doubt sparked a renewed interest in hippie culture, tie dye, and flower power.
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Plans for National Book Festival Heat Up By Rocco Staino - 08/17/2009
Authors Sharon Creech, Judy Blume, Jeff Kinney, and Rick Riordan will join the likes of James Patterson, Nicholas Sparks, Jodi Picoult, and John Irving on Washington, DC’s National Mall next month for the ninth annual National Book Festival.
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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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Upper West Side Story: An Interview with Rebecca Stead By Rick Margolis - 07/01/2009
Twelve-year-old Miranda is receiving mysterious notes, one of which says, “I am coming to save your friend’s life, and my own.” To make matters worse, the sender seems to know exactly what’s going to happen before it occurs. How did you come up with the idea for When You Reach Me? The idea came from an article in the New York Times about a guy who was walking around in D...
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