The National Coalition Against Censorship and Brooklyn Public Library are launching a new Teen Advocacy Institute over the summer; a read-in is scheduled during ALA Annual to support the push for librarians in Philly schools; the lawsuit against Lucy Calkins is dismissed; and the winners of the Children's History Book Prize and Youth Choice Award are announced; and more in this edition of News Bites.

NCAC, Brooklyn Public Library launch new teen advocacy program

The National Coalition Against Censorship, in collaboration with the Brooklyn Public Library, is launching the Teen Advocacy Institute: Power to the Readers. This free, two-week online summer institute will run from July 24 to August 7, Monday through Thursday, from 1 to 4 pm ET. High school and college-aged students can apply through June 16.

The Institute will offer participants a platform to explore First Amendment rights, develop vital advocacy skills, and connect with leading youth organizers, authors, and free expression allies. Skills that participants will learn include: mastering essential advocacy and organizing tactics; tackling complex free speech challenges in today’s polarized climate; gaining public speaking and debate skills; and practicing civic advocacy through real-world applications.

Read-in to support Philly school librarians during ALA Annual

The Philadelphia Alliance to Restore School Librarians, in partnership with the Pennsylvania School Librarians Association and EveryLibrary, will be holding a read-in on Friday, June 27, from 1-1:45 pm ET at the School District of Philadelphia (SDP) administration building at 440 North Broad Street in Philadelphia.

The read-in is a silent gathering that aims to call attention to the School District of Philadelphia's lack of school librarians and help the push for the district to provide librarians and libraries in all its schools. Attendees should bring their own book and will read silently for 45 minutes. Organizers hope ALA Annual attendees will join the event.

A Two-Placed Heart wins Children's History Book Prize

The New York Historical announced that this year’s Children’s History Book Prize has been awarded to author Doan Phuong Nguyen for A Two-Placed Heart. A $10,000 prize is awarded annually to the best American history book for middle readers ages 9–12, fiction or nonfiction.

Finalists for this year’s Children’s History Book Prize were Witch Hunt: The Cold War, Joe McCarthy, and the Red Scare by Andrea Balis and Elizabeth Levy; One Big Open Sky by Lesa Cline-Ransome; Warrior on the Mound by Sandra Headen; and Light and Air by Mindy Nichols Wendell.

A Two-Placed Heart was selected by a jury of librarians, educators, historians, and families with middle schoolers.

New grant available to teach memoir

The National Council of Teachers of English, Penguin Random House, and the Anne Frank Fonds, which is responsible for the publication of Anne Frank’s seminal work, The Diary of a Young Girl, announced the Anne Frank Award for Teaching Memoir. Middle school, high school, and community college classroom teachers who are NCTE members can apply for this new award to earn funding “to advance the teaching of memoir and support student writing in the classroom.” Through the program, 10 English teachers will receive a $1,000 grant to teach memoir across language arts education—especially texts focused on children's voices and experiences during times of war, such as The Diary of a Young Girl.

The program will emphasize: the importance of reading entire texts and student writing and creation in ELA contexts; the role of memoir in ELA contexts and, through collaborations, across disciplines; and the value of nonfiction and its expansion in ELA settings.

Grant recipients will be selected by a panel comprising teachers appointed by NCTE and a representative from the Anne Frank Fonds and Penguin Random House Education.

Applications are being accepted through August 1. Winners will be announced in September.

Louder Than Hunger receives inaugural Youth Choice Award

The Children's Book Committee (CBC), a division of the Center for Children's Literature at Bank Street College of Education, announced the Youth Choice Award, "honoring a book of outstanding literary merit on sensitive subjects written for a youth audience." Chosen by the members of the CBC’s Young Ambassadors Program, the inaugural Youth Choice Award winner is Louder Than Hunger by John Schu.

Sequel coming to 2024 Newbery winner

Author Dave Eggers will publish a sequel to his 2024 Newbery Medal winner, The Eyes & the Impossible. The Eyes, the Fire & the Avalanche Kingdom will be released November 18. A deluxe wood-bound edition will publish simultaneously from McSweeney’s, an independent nonprofit publishing company founded by Eggers. Caldecott Honoree Shawn Harris returns to illustrate the sequel.

The Eyes & the Impossible was published in May 2023. The title introduced readers to Johannes, a half-dog, half-coyote. At the end of The Eyes & the Impossible, Johannes was seen boarding an outbound ship with a goat named Helene and his seagull friend Bertrand. "The journey brings them to a strange wilderness teeming with wolves, eagles, lynx, and bears—all eager to make a meal of the new arrivals. Meanwhile, the prey of the region—opossums, mice, deer, moose, sheep, rabbits, and crows—have retreated deep within the woods," said the press release on the coming sequel. "They wield a powerful weapon that could challenge the natural order, and it sparks burning questions: Is the natural order the right order? Can it be upended by the most vulnerable?"

Lawsuit against Calkins, Pinnell, and Fountas dismissed

The lawsuit filed against Lucy Calkins, Gay Su Pinnell, Irene Fountas, and their publisher was dismissed. A group of parents had sued, alleging that Calkins, Pinnell, and Fountas, along with their publishers, used "deceptive and fraudulent marketing" and ignored research that was contrary to their literacy claims to sell their reading materials, which led to poorer academic outcomes for those who used the program.

The judge who dismissed the case said ruling on the suit would require the court to judge the quality of the reading program.

Calkins released the following statement: "The court rightly recognized that decisions about how best to teach reading should be made by educators. I'm glad that the lawsuit has been dismissed so we can all turn our attention to the urgent work of teaching America's children to read."

Kalaniot Books to be distributed by Simon & Schuster

Kalaniot Books will be distributed by Simon & Schuster, Inc., as of June 1. The new partnership marks a significant milestone for Kalaniot Books, which was founded with a mission to preserve and celebrate Jewish heritage through storytelling, as it continues to expand its reach in the U.S. and international markets. Through Simon & Schuster’s distribution network, Kalaniot titles will be available to a wider audience of booksellers, educators, librarians, and readers.

Kalaniot’s titles will be available through Simon & Schuster’s sales channels beginning June 1, 2025. Orders and customer service will transition to Simon & Schuster starting on that date.