Part of We Are Kid Lit Collective's 2022 Summer Reading selections, this YA booklist features a range of authors, formats, and subjects. 

The Louisiana librarian is taking her harassers to court. 

As book censorship efforts in the U.S. reach new heights, are you amplifying your Banned Books Week efforts or scaling back? Be part of our reporting.

The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators has launched its inaugural micro-grants program with a school library grant; author Stephen King testified about the negative impact the merger of Penguin Random House and S. & S. would have on writers, and it's time to vote for a library to get a makeover in this edition of News Bites. 

Those dreaded summer reading lists. For eons, teachers have been handing out assigned reading, mostly comprised of old “classics.” With this survey, SLJ and NCTE invite teachers and librarians to choose the titles you’d like culled from required reading and those books you would urge students to read instead.

Creative and fun ways to use Clubhouse, Flipgrid, Green Screen, and more tools with students and teachers. 

A recent CBS News/YouGov poll showed Americans do not support removing books about race from schools and believe that students should be taught the history of race and racism in the United States.

Battling threats to library funding and positions and educating the community on the value of librarians often becomes like a second job, taking up nights and weekends with conversations, events, and social media posts. 

On the Diverse Books Survey page, users can access related content, newly updated, as well as our Diverse Books Survey report.

While in the minority, the SLJ Diverse Books Survey reveals some librarians are declining to purchase books with diverse characters to avoid a challenge.

These 10 titles can help young children process their emotions as they go through some thrilling firsts associated with the summer holiday, whether it's flying in an airplane or jumping off a diving board.

These 14 dinosaur resources celebrate the unique traits of these creatures and share evolving discoveries and theories about them and their prehistoric habitats.

These four contemporary and historical fiction middle grade titles center LGBTQIA+ characters who fight to live authentically across time, and serve as important reminders that mantras like “protect trans kids” require both words and action.

Romance, humor, and unrequited love are all at play in these recent works.

Mark Twain's books have been a part of U.S. American literary canon since their inception. Here are nine YA books that tackle similar themes, presenting stories full of tenacity. perseverance, and self-awareness. 

Not OK? That's OK. A reading list with diverse characters and authentic representation of mental health.

Hand these school capers to elementary and middle school kids who are excited about the show based on the Lincoln Peirce series.

The 2021 list of best middle grade books counts with 26 novels, including unforgettable works by Joseph Bruchac, Jasmine Warga, and Kate DiCamillo.

From a choose-your-own-path Romeo and Juliet to a Macbeth retelling that channels #MeToo, there's something here for all teen readers and fans of the Bard. 

Romance, humor, and unrequited love are all at play in these recent works.

A lot of returning faces are headed for the graphic novel shelves, but some of them may still be brand-new to your patrons. Our reviews evaluate each title on its own merits, including a verdict advising whether the title functions as a fresh start or is strictly a continuation.

New types of manga have proliferated—and students can’t get enough. This overview of genres, publishers, formats, and more, will help get you up to date.

A booklist, resources, and an interview with Sasha Bouché, editor at HighWater Press.

Librarians call for more funny, fast-paced YA for teens who've outgrown the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" stage.

As adults try to pull books from school library shelves across the country, students are responding with book clubs centered on the challenged titles.

When a student asked for graphic novels about boys dealing with friendship, school, and life issues, he got me thinking.

It's Jewish American Heritage Month, and SLJ spoke with authors about the importance of writing Jewish characters and stories.

Spurred by COVID, 18.3 million have turned to gardening—cultivating the benefits of physical activity, greater connection to nature, homegrown food, and restorative, sustainable practices, aiding the environment.

Teen librarian Karen Jensen talks about parenting an LGBTQ teen in this time of book bans

Reporters and editors—we at SLJ included—want to get the story right, to bear witness, and to provide readers with accurate, relevant information. But the tenor of an increasingly polarized debate, with efforts to limit discussion of racism and LGBTQIA+ topics in the classroom, challenges journalists—much less educators and students—who must navigate a volatile climate.

The  celebrated Newbery Medal-winning author shares thoughts on the new wave of censorship in schools, her deep respect for librarians, and dancing hamburgers in The Giver.

In the main, awards season will celebrate honored books and their creators. Yet such a high-profile occasion presents a unique opportunity to celebrate and honor, too, the right of kids and teens to read and access content.

When a video of a woman speaking out against the book Out of Darkness at a school board meeting went viral, author Ashley Hope Pérez responded with a video of her own.

A Thousand Steps into Night started with a seemingly straightforward idea: A girl is cursed to turn into a monster. But what makes a monster? Maybe there's power in being a monster. Maybe it's worth it.

The post What Makes a Monster? A guest post by Traci Chee appeared first on Teen Librarian Toolbox.