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Author Terri Farley shares how series can be a comfort to middle grade readers seeking emotional shelter
Exclusive: Random House Graphic is launching Ink Pop, a new line of manga, manhwa, and webtoons for chapter book, middle-grade, and YA readers.
What's the stupidest hill you would die on? For me, there can be no question. It's upside down knitting needles in children's book illustrations, of course! Join me as I praise and kvetch.
Check out This Week's List of new Comics, Manga, and Graphic Novels for readers 12 and under, featuring The Girl in the Midnight Gown from Blue Fox Comics and Ribbon Skirt from Graphix.
Where are the covertly toxic families in children's books? Christina Wyman discusses how, for children who suffer difficult family dynamics, seeing their experiences reflected in books is few and far between.
Writing Lucy was our way of coping with the years Teghan lost: both the years trapped in self-denial about her identity and the years she spent in prison. The book is a badge of honor for those tough years we survived, and it’s a love letter to each other.
We've picked 6! The "Early 6" are titles that we've selected to be part of our Mock Newbery Book List. We'll eventually have about 15 titles on that list, but here's your chance to get started early with reading.
Today we talk with Ada Limón about her upcoming January release and reveal it cover while we're at it. We talk stichics and foxes.
The second volume of Lost in the Future sends the five time-displaced schoolkids to a different era of the future, one that's just as filled with danger as the first one they faced.
I discovered that if told with some heart and soul, history can be as compelling as fine fiction. And before long I found myself on a mission to make history come alive for young people.
A closer look at the best illustrated books of the year.
You want a plot that’s tight? World-building that manages to be both comprehensible and succinct? And heart too, right? You want to actually feel something as a result of the hero’s journey? Welp, here you go.
The quest to find the 2025 Heavy Medal Mock Newbery winner continues as the second round of nominations closed last Saturday. Eleven new titles were nominated for a total of 45 Mock Newbery potentials.
Teen librarian Karen Jensen rounds up some news articles that discuss how the election results may impact libraries and shares ways to support your library today
Anthologies are the literary equivalent to a buffet dinner. They offer a wide selection of different perspectives (both in story telling and in personal background) and writing styles on the same theme.
Send in those nominations for the Undies and Endies Awards!
You know what rules? Dogs. I sure do like them. Here are a few middle grade books featuring dogs, all approved by my rescue chiweenies, Charlie and Spot.
Critiquing how the military preys on low-income families with promises of education and employment does not sound like something that would be in a graphic novel targeted at children aged ten and up, but that is the message at the narrative’s core.
A hotel lobby, a marsh with hidden birds, and a midwestern farm are among the many evocative settings from this year's possible Newbery contenders. Will excellence in "delineation of setting" help to earn the 2025 Newbery Medal?
Tegan Quin, Sara Quin, and Tillie Walden return with the sequel to last year's Junior High, continuing the fictionalized story of Tegan and Sara's origin story.
Teen librarian Karen Jensen shares some of the resources she uses when the RA inspiration well has run dry.
There is a joy to asking questions and learning new things. It’s fun to explore, and to find the answer to a question. It’s exciting to learn that the world works in ways we did or did not expect.
Today, we are premiering Aaron's book trailer for his upcoming board book Winter Light. Before we do, however, I felt inclined to hear from the man himself about why exactly, precisely, minutely, he likes board books as much as he does.
Let's think about our personal legacy, how we're living, and making decisions that affect others. What expectations do we have of our leaders in that regard?
In this week’s Wednesday roundup, we take a look at a tough topic with a tough Newbery crowd- poetry. Are there any major 2025 Newbery poetry contenders?
Shakespeare’s greatness can live on, but we can also give space to new voices - and both can happen at the exact same time with the power of a retelling.
Take your mind off of politics with this utter ridiculous prediction post zeroing in on the potential ALA Youth Media Award winners.
The Donut Prince of New York isn't just about donuts or theater or football. It's about the revolutionary act of accepting yourself in a world that often suggests you shouldn't.
Author Gayle Forman is over on The Yarn podcast, taking us behind the scenes of her new middle grade novel NOT NOTHING
We talk to today with two creators about their latest STEM-related picture book bio. Along the way I am literally gobsmacked by the author's explanation as to why she wrote this book. See what happens!
While we might not have the capacity right now to do the long-term work to relieve the sources of our current stress, we can do a few things to feel a little better in the short term, particularly at work, where we’ve been so careful about what we say.
Check out the list of new comics, manga, and graphic novels for readers 12 and under, featuring Hilda and Twig Hide From the Rain from Nobrow - Flying Eye Books and Last Kids on Earth Volume 1 Graphic Novel from Viking Books for Young Readers.
It's time for the second round of nominations. Pick two titles you think are deserving of the 2025 Newbery. Medal.
Middle grade may not have been in my initial career plans as an author, but now I can’t imagine writing without it.
This is one of those posts where some people might read it and say “Yes, of course, Travis”, while to others, this might be news. I’m just going to move ahead like this is news to you. Remember a while back, when that dude went on Twitter and laid out how he published an A.I. […]
Can you believe Kitten is already 20 this year? On the podcast today, Kate and Betsy dive into this Kevin Henkes contender and much of what it entails.
Mistaken identity and music leads to an adorable meet-cute in this edgy manga.
We're less than three months from the announcement of the 2025 Newbery Medal, and the excellent books just keep coming. Today we highlight recently published titles that should be part of this year's awards discussions.
Anne Shirley is right to be happy we have Octobers, but November through February sort of becomes The Great Blah around here. At least there are always new books to look forward to!
In honor of the day, we have two great picture book creators in brilliant conversation!
Here is a small selection of twenty books which score 8/10 or higher on my personal "Fear Factor" grading used in The YA Horror 400.
Let's see which books are on the NYT Bestseller lists
John Hendrix uses an unusual hybrid format to tell the complex tale of the interior lives of two friends who would become the most famed fantasists of the 20th century: C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.
35 new and upcoming titles to check out.
The age range for Newbery eligibility goes as high as 14-year-olds. Yet most books chosen are aimed at younger readers. Are there any Medal contenders this year that might push the upper limits in terms of reader age and maturity level?
A new kind of Kamala Harris picture book is on the horizon, slated for 2025, and today we're talking with the creators all about it.
To write this story I interviewed social workers and read work by social scientists and scholars of American child welfare. I learned three lessons that I believe are critical for writers, librarians, and other members of the book community.
Jess Hannigan visits The Yarn podcast!
By now a lot of us have seen some of the excellent contenders for the Newbery/Caldecott. Here's the fall prediction list in all its prediction-y glory.
Check out this week's list of new comics, manga, and graphic novels for readers 12 and under, featuring Amelia Aierwood: Basic Witch from Z2 Comics and The Firelight Apprentice from Quill Tree Books.
As we near the end of the year, yes there are new books still getting published- but with titles being nominated it’s time to begin the rereading process. This is when we look at titles again and with a more critical “Newbery-criteria” lens. I’ll be the first to say that sometimes I get suggestion happy […]
"The Latinx Kidlit Book Festival, aims to provide a platform and space to support Latinx youth literature creators and connect them with their readers and other creators and educators."
In which the people who call themselves Teen Librarian Toolbox introduce The 2025 Project!
In my latest book, We Are Not Alone, I wanted to challenge that notion of humor being “inappropriate” in a book about grief and illness head on.
Talking with KAMALA RAISED HER HAND illustrator Supriya Kelkar.
"A ludicrous concept that is funny because it is ludicrous." We talk about a bony boy with a penchant for hiccup cures.
Gayle Forman takes us behind the scenes of how her middle grade novel NOT NOTHING was made.
“Museums hold all the things that people feel are valuable or important.” In the last few years, as I’ve thought more deeply about informal learning spaces, I’ve also challenged the assumption (and the marketing) that all spaces are meant for all people. How can they be, when so much has been built on stolen land, […]
In this month's "Author Spotlight," we look at Newbery "Powerhouses": Those amazing authors who have been awarded Newbery Medal and/or Honors for more than one book. What makes them special...and who might join their ranks someday?
Teen Librarian Karen Jensen shares a RA Tool of the Week she created based on an amazing idea shared by Librarian Kristina Uihlein Holzweiss
It's 1975 and 10-year-old Paul Gilligan has just seen the movie Jaws, giving him an acute case of sharkophobia...and emphasizing how far apart he and his braver, more grown-up best friend are becoming.
Readers can let their imaginations run wild thinking about how different their days would be if they attended a school focused on honing magical skills.
Can you guess the children’s book by its scathing one-star review on Goodreads?
We adults can offer prompts, reading suggestions, and support, but that what’s most important is that young writers own their work, discover their own processes, experience encouragement but not too much intrusion from adults.
Top 2025 Printz Award contenders include poetry, stories featuring characters at both the younger and older ends of the age spectrum, graphic works, and an author who could get her fourth Printz recognition.
When you work to preserve the work of great children's books of the past, so much goes into those efforts. A look at the work of the Kerlan Collection and their many exhibits.
Doc Ock's plans to escape death by transferring his consciousness go awry when he ends up sharing a body with a Japanese schoolgirl in this new manga from the creators of My Hero Academica: Vigilantes.
Powerful, affecting, and ultimately hopeful. Just beautiful.
Annually on heavy Medal, we form a mock award committee, make a final booklist and select a Mock Newbery winner. Here's a look ahead at when and how everything unfolds.
Do we talk about these enough? I don’t know. I feel like I don’t hear about them a lot, but maybe that’s because they’re so miserable. But any time I bring up friendship breakups, people always have a story to tell.
Revealing the cover for Drawing Is . . . by Elizabeth Haidle!
Today, take a trip back in time with me to 2016 when I first reviewed The Wild Robot. A glimpse into an assessment of a modern classic.
The world can be a hard and terrible place, and the world can be a fantastically whole and enlivening place. It’s both, and it’s where we live. We can survive the first, and even grow. We can rejoice in the second, and practice empathy.
Are nerds having a moment? You might say that.
Before all the leaves fall off the trees here in Michigan, I want to share ten books publishing in September, October, and November that I’m looking out for. Picture Books Pig Town Party by Lian Cho HarperCollins | October 29 | Grades K-2 A girl receives an invitation to a mysterious party. Great way to […]
It took all year but Evanston Public Library has released their 101 Great Books for Kids list for 2024. Are your favorites present? Come see!
Check out this week's list of new comics, manga, and graphic novels featuring Swing from Feiwel and Friends and Science Comics Human Spaceflight Rockets and Rivalry from First Second Books.
Many 2024 titles feature ghosts as primary or secondary characters. Let's take a look at these titles and see if we'll have a spooky Newbery winner for 2025.
A powerful story about loss, justice, hope, and persistence. An important addition to library collections.
It’s important to address topics of death and loss in middle grade because children do go through those experiences.
While doing another Chris Van Allburg picture book may seem like a relative no-brainer around the Halloween season, maybe there's a reason we hadn't done this particular title before.
I’ve been reading and listening to quite a few books lately, but not taking the time to review them. I'm taking the time today!
COLBY: ‘Spider in the Well’ is one of my favorite 2024 pictures books. It is just so much fun to read aloud. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Spider in the Well debut author Jess Hannigan. Subscribe below to catch every episode of The Yarn: iTunes Spotify Stitcher
Author Jessica Vitalis discusses poetry and writing novels in verse
Given that October means endless talk about spooky stuff, Halloween ideas, and all things ghostly, I figured why not round up a few booooks featuring ghosts?
Sometimes the best way to evaluate a children's book in Newbery terms is to stick to the words on the page. Here are some examples of how looking at selected passages from a book can illuminate its qualities of excellence and maybe even help us decide if it might be true contender for the Newbery Medal.
I think the best stories are a reflection of life, with all of its messiness, pain, and beauty.
People sometimes ask me how much interaction the author and illustrator have while making a picture book. In my experience, it’s been pretty limited. I focus on the words and I completely trust the illustrator to bring their own vision to the story. That was the case with The Ship in the Window. And that’s […]
Middle-schooler Pablo Ortiz is no hero. But when a vengeful Aztec goddess and her army of monster pours through the magic portal in his locker, he may have no choice but to become one.
Fostering a love of reading in students is one of the most rewarding roles for me as a school librarian. However, in today’s fast-paced, tech-savvy world, it can be challenging to keep young readers engaged. In this post, I will explore a variety of strategies school librarians can use to captivate students’ interest in reading. […]
Kids don’t grow up in a vacuum; they are terrified and confused and experience great loss, too. If we want our children to feel safe and to grow into emotionally intelligent adults, they need to know that death is a part of living.
A look at the trailer for the film adaptation of OUT OF MY MIND.
Why is so little short fiction for older readers published in America today? We talk with two middle grade expert authors on the topic and get some insights into why that might be.
A student with a low power level must find a way to survive his new environment in this action-packed manga.
It's been nine years since a picture book won the Newbery Medal: that was LAST STOP ON MARKET STREET by Matt de la Peña. This year's notable picture books include palindromes, the Korean War, and a kitchen table. Which 2024 picture books are the strongest candidates for the Newbery Medal?
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