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A Quick Note: At the beginning of this week’s podcast Kate’s microphone went out and only recorded me instead. So Kate starts off strong, then she’s gone, then she comes back after the background information section. As a result, you’ll hear a slightly off recording just in the first five minutes this week, and we […]
A special LIVE episode with all the 2025 Newbery winners!
A middle-aged detective pairs up with a teenage apprentice in this screwball manga.
This is, truly, essential reading.
Contributor Riley Jensen gives steps on how to make a beaded fish keychain.
This utopia [New Gault], with its free meals for students, name tags, and continuous positivity, along with the ways Lu and Sebas work to provide space for each other, makes for such a tender story.
I hope you friendly readers find some good things to add to your TBR lists or your library and classroom collections!
"He is everything in the shape of fun!" High praise for one of our first children's book creators. We discuss Edward Lear, and how he encouraged us to play. NOT to conform.
"He is everything in the shape of fun!" High praise for one of our first children's book creators. We discuss Edward Lear, and how he encouraged us to play. NOT to conform.
The Extraordinary Visions is a steampunk adventure series inspired by the imaginings of Jules Verne.
Authors Chris Baron, Jewell Parker Rhodes, Shana Youngdahl, and Caroline Starr Rose talk about community, hope, courage, and wildfires.
The big guys may have all the money, but they sure as heck don't have books like these.
Quinnelope and her pals set out to prove that unicorns are real in the third volume of this colorful middle-grade series.
A large percent of our disabled population is getting subpar care and the only way we’re ever truly going to see change is by speaking about and voting for health equity.
Proof positive that sometimes the best books for kids come from the unlikeliest of sources about the unlikeliest of people.
Check out this week's list of new comics, manga, and graphic novels for readers 12 and under, featuring What Was Built to be a Ship of Dreams: The Titanic from Penguin Young Readers Group and Jazzy the Witch: Broom Doom from Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers.
Fast Five Interview: Keith Ward, Karl Buechner, and Jeremy Mueller: Three Voices, One Epic Adventure
The authors of The Unraveling: The Counsel of Crows join us talk about their book.
In tackling our first Patricia McKissack title we consider how well this introduces segregation for kids (and whether or not Tricia Ann makes it home again!).
Regardless of what words are used to describe literature that embraces white and BIPOC lives as well as those who have disabilities or are LGBTQIA+, regardless the words that are banned to describe these marginalizations, people who are really doing the work and not just following a trend, will continue to find ways to get it done.
Teen Librarian Karen Jensen discusses the ways in which today's world is pushing teens to the margins, and to the brink
The Riverdale pals hit the amusement park and get pranked by ghosts in our exclusive preview of Betty & Veronica: Summer Fun in the Sun.
Contributor Riley Jensen shares show books and shows that have a similar vibe to the new Netflix movie K-Pop Demon Hunters.
The subtitle is spot on. This is a field trip through one color, and like every good field trip it leaves you seeing your world with new eyes once you’re done. Beautiful and necessary.
Lucy Knisley's Peapod Farm trilogy wraps up with a heartwarming winter tale about family, friendship, and acceptance.
Told in verse, this powerful and compassionate look at bravery, grief, climate change, and activism puts readers right in the heart of the action.
Nanaboozhoo stories, Carl Jung’s ideas on dream psychology, and struggles with depression and anxiety all inform this stunning (and fun) picture book of the ultimate rez dog trickster.
Author Donna Galanti joins us to talk about her new book, LOON COVE SUMMER.
In Rob Justus' new graphic novel for younger readers, lonely super-powered eight-year-old Superman makes some new friends...just in time to help him defeat a milkshake-making robot run amok.
When we ban books or defund music programs, we don't just silence stories; we sever lifelines. We remove safe, creative pathways for young people to explore emotion, identity, and connection.
A video and discussion! Erin discusses how she and Phil work together, how they have "the world's nicest fans", and why she can never show the corners of a room in an Amos book
It was a wild month for suggestions! About 25 people suggested 80 books (TWENTY ONE of those being new titles) as 2026 Mock Newbery contenders
Check out this week's list of new comics, manga, and graphic novels for readers 12 and under, featuring Bizarre Bazaar Volume 1 Mirror Town and Yaiba Samurai Legend Volume 1 from Viz Media.
Author Kalla Harris discusses her YA novel, THE GROUND THAT DEVOURS US, and writing with a chronic illness
I won't lie. This may be my favorite Fuse 8 n' Kate episode in years. We've never done this 1940s classic, and now it's time to determine precisely why.
Contributor Riley Jensen reviews The Dead of Summer by Ryan La Sala, coming September of this year.
Finnish in origin, today's book discusses a rather universal moment: When a trusted and beloved parent chooses a child’s safety over that of an animal’s.
Two young men build a connection through expression and sign language in this heartwarming manga.
TLT Contributor Riley Jensen shares a simple DIY craft that can help you use up some of those random bottles of paint you have lying around
Newly returned from the American Library Association Annual Conference in Philly, I turn my attention to the Creative Company at the swell titles they've planned for the fall.
Newly returned from the American Library Association Annual Conference in Philly, I turn my attention to Creative Editions and the swell titles they've planned for the fall.
In a new steampunk adventure imported from Europe, Mickey and his friends (and even his enemy!) must team-up to save the world from the most unusual sort of catastrophe.
TLT Contributor Riley Jensen walks us through a DIY tutorial for making hand-made pop-up cards.
Corinna Luyken joins us today! We talk aesthetics and vibes and the mental anguish a parent endures when their kid refuses to allow their hair to be brushed (or cut!).
Contributor Riley Jensen shares some YA books that center main characters with disabilities for Disability Pride Month
TADPOLE'S UNKNOWING REVENGE! That's the makeshift title we came up with for this tale of love and hunger.
We're halfway through 2025 and have built a list of 50 potential Mock Newbery 2026 contenders. Now it's time to add July suggestions.
Check out this week's list of new comics, manga, and graphic novels for readers 12 and under, featuring Miss Camper from Graphix and Free Piano (Not Haunted) from Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers.
For many of us, ALA Annual is a place, both physical and social, where we come for a particular experience. To move foreward, we have to consider how did this place get to be what it is? And, what dominant forces are maintained here?
Author E. L. Starling discusses how the movie Interstellar and family discussions about terraforming led to the book BOUND BY STARS
I learned so much about myself while writing this book. As a mother. As a daughter. As a cycle-breaker. As a storyteller. And I’ve come to realize just how quickly perfectionism can sabotage all four of those roles.
I'm burning through my TBR, which feels good, after months of it just growing out of control. Hope you find some good things to add to your own summer TBR!
Someone's raising money for trans and nonbinary youth and creators? Get on this, people!! It's happening today!
The stars of Saturday AM team up to save the multiverse in the action-packed one-shot.
Summer means I can grab the book mail the second it drops on my doorstep and tear into it. It also means I can put it in my TBR and know that I might actually get to it sometime soon.
It's that time again! I may be at the American Library Association conference but a whole host of the books I'm presenting to you today have more than a smidgen of international flair. We have some gorgeous titles on display here, just ready for you.
A boy who wants to be a superhero travels through Hong Kong's Kowloon Walled City wearing a cat mask in a new graphic novel coming this fall from Nakama Press.
What if I wrote about a girl who was devoted to a dream but then lost it all: a girl who, like me, had been a bright, perfectionistic student, and gave everything to an institution that didn’t love her back?
A graphic novel focusing on book bans and discussions of Iran? Can you think of more timely topics? I reveal the cover of Jarrett Dapier's latest and he tells an honestly gripping story of its origins.
Teen Librarian Cindy Shutts "Level Up"s her programming with a diy tutorial for stained glass crafts that feature Pokemon, characters that level up
Living and creating with my partner is one of the great joys of my life. Love is an experience. Love is work. It comes with ease and also requires discipline. Don’t think about it too much. Just do it.
"Thrill and adventure are not just for dads!" We're talking today with debut illustrator Ishita Jain about a Kirkus starred Neal Porter picture book with a lot to say about moms and motorcycles.
This adaptation of Maggie Stiefvater's novel starts slow but builds up momentum as it goes, heading toward a gripping climax.
In this follow-up to Welcome Back, Maple Mehta-Cohen is running for president of the sixth grade against popular Sonia Shah in this contemporary story of friendship, family, and community action.
How do you create the ultimate lupine cynic? This early reader series holds the answer, so we're going to grill the creators to see what makes Lone Wolf tick.
. I hope this book takes young readers to a place of hope, understanding that when we confront the carefully constructed myths about the country, consider who benefits from this and who is harmed, when we are finally able to dismantle this legacy of lies, we can heal and be fully free.
Here's a look at the graphic novels that publishers have been acquiring, and when we can expect to see them.
If you are a teen librarian, please feel free to use any of these techniques to make sure THREAT OF THE SPIDER is at the top of your circulation list!
This book lies to children. Sorta. In this first in a two-part series, we discuss metamorphosis, babushkas, and why I remain the Nonfiction Stickler of my age.
Ahmad provides readers with a unique way to understand the complexities of life, and a compelling reason to figure things out: to get back “home”.
Ming Lee has just started middle-school and struggles to feel like he belongs. Will his attempts to do so run afoul of his father's constant exhortation to not cause trouble?
Another array of beautiful titles from this small Michigan publisher. Imports and homegrown books that are sure to entice kids everywhere (if you take a close look at them).
Today we have a preview of the second issue of The Last Witch: Blood and Betrayal, by by Conor McCreery (Kill Shakespeare) and V.V. Glass (Doctor Who), published by BOOM! Studios under their BOOM! Box imprint. As you may remember from our preview of the first issue, this is a YA story set in medieval […]
What is the best Juneteenth picture book ever made? Today we discuss a serious contender with both the author and illustrator. What better way to celebrate the day?
Teen librarian Karen Jensen does a walk through on using Canva and then a Cricut Joy Xtra to make your own stickers, great for programming or makerspaces
Any interest in a picture book described by its illustrator as "Wizard of Oz set in a graveyard"? I talk with the creators about a book with the sweetest Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse you ever did encounter.
Any interest in a picture book described by its illustrator as "Wizard of Oz set in a graveyard"? I talk with the creators about a book with the sweetest Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse you ever did encounter.
COLBY: I’ve been on summer break for about a week. It has been amazing to read when I’m not exhausted from teaching. I’m in the point of summer reading, where everything I read makes me think of a kid that I had in class this past school year. In our latest episode of The Yarn, […]
Check out this week's list of new comics, manga, and graphic novels for readers 12 and under, featuring Pacheco and the Witch of the Mountain Volume 1 and Yelp Yeti Chaos in Kathmandu from Flying Eye Books.
Papercutz will publish Punk Taco, the award-winning graphic novel by the father and son team of Adam and Makana Wallenta.
An actual teen walks us through a low-tech way to make your own stickers, great for programming or makerspaces
A great, immersive read that will leave readers anxious to see what happens next.
Prediction posts, while rarely accurate, often just give a sense of what's particularly good in publishing these days. Today's post is no exception.
The work we do as librarians has become incredibly political, so please do use opportunities at Annual to engage, get more informed, and to build community.
Today we have an exclusive preview of Ileana Surducan's Eisner-nominated middle-grade graphic novel The Lost Sunday.
Check out these 12 June releases from Penguin Young Readers!
Notorious not because of the content but because of one of the creators, we address a book about violence in L.A. We chose it because of its illustrator, but now L.A. is in the news. We had no idea.
Kwame Alexander's Read Strong America has put together a couple of opportunities for us to commune during the Juneteenth celebrations this week.
With Dan in Green Gables, I’d like to pay homage to a book that helped me through difficult times—and offer some compassion and love to my relatives in the Smoky Mountains by focusing on happy memories of them, and what could have been, if they’d only embraced me.
Out in September 2025, Daniel Miyares brings a glorious, hand-painted graphic novel to the middle grade market. Today I get to excerpt sections of it and talk to him about its origins.
Conversations about books on banned lists will build community and facilitate empathy. Talking about these stories will also exercise critical information literacy skills as we examine how power is articulated.
Sometimes, in order to honor their whole personage, instead of choosing approval or someone else’s desire, girls must choose themselves.
Writing children's books? There's no set deadline to publish your first. We talk with Mel Rosenberg about his first picture book at age 74 and his unique path to publication.
Godzilla and Varan are on course to clash in a small Australian town. Is there anything a quartet of local skaters can do to save their beloved skate park from being smashed...? You would be surprised!
Big or small, we need to be talking about our boobs, especially with young women. Maybe our new battle cry for boobs should be, “We must—we must—we must DISCUSS our busts!”
Teen librarian Karen Jensen shares a template for some RA tools inspired by the always beloved Scholastic Book Fair flyers
Its publisher calls it "Clue meets Knives Out for the younger set" which isn't too far off. I talk with Dianne Salerni about writing mysteries and why you should never bury a treasure with a group of friends.
We're almost halfway through the year and our suggestion list for the Heavy Medal Mock Newbery is up to 53 titles. Check out the full list of potential contenders for the 2026 Newbery Medal.
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