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  • Library to Hold Symposium on Health and Literacy

    Washington, D.C. — The Library of Congress Literacy Awards program is focused on literacy in all its forms and how literacy affects personal well-being. The Library will hold a symposium, “Literacy …

  • Dr. Carla Hayden Nominated for Librarian of Congress

    Dr. Hayden has championed literacy through her work at the Chicago Public Library and as the CEO of the Enoch Pratt Free Library. She will be the first woman and the first African American to …

  • Mighty Media Press Partners with Kids Voting Minneapolis to Teach Kids About Democracy

    This year, the publisher is working with Minneapolis public schools to organize reading activities around their latest picture book, Monster Needs Your Vote. The goal is to inspire kids to take …

  • #DrawingDiversity: ‘Mango, Abuela, and Me’ illustrated by Angela Dominguez

    Mango, Abuela, and Me by Meg Medina, illustrated by Angela Dominguez (Candlewick, August 2015). All rights reserved.

  • Teaching Robots Empathy Through Kid Lit

    Scientists from the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a way to use children’s books to train robots in ethical behavior. The new technology is called ‘Quixote’ and it teaches robots to read …

  • Disney Publishing Worldwide Names Mary Ann Naples VP & Publisher of Disney Book Group

    Glendale, CA – Disney Publishing Worldwide (DPW) announced today that Mary Ann Naples has been named vice president & publisher, Disney Book Group (DBG), effective March 14, 2016. A 20-year …

  • The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art Named a 2016 National Medal Finalist

    (Amherst, MA — February 23, 2016) — The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) today announced that The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art is among the 30 finalists …

  • T’ai Freedom Ford on BookUp LGBTQ and the Books That Shaped Her

    As much as she loves teaching and nurturing young writers, Ford also enjoys learning from her students’ unique perspectives. I love that BookUp sees the need to acknowledge young queer …

  • Remembering Harper Lee

    Lee was born in 1926 in Monroeville, Alabama. After moving to New York City, Lee began work on Go Set a Watchman, which would be reworked with her editor at J.B. Lippincott & Company and published …

  • Penguin Young Readers Acquires Picture Book From Pulitzer Prize Winner Berkeley Breathed

    New York, NY — Philomel Books, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers, has acquired THE BILL THE CAT STORY: A BLOOM COUNTY EPIC, the first and only picture book featuring the …

  • Gene Luen Yang Lends Support to Highlight the Transformation of Libraries as 2016 National Library Week Honorary Chair

    CHICAGO — Libraries of all types consistently transform lives through free access to technology, digital literacy, career development, and opportunities for community engagement and lifelong learning.  In celebration of the invaluable …

  • Diversity in the News: February 2016

    The newsletter is a valuable resource for librarians, teachers, booksellers, parents and caregivers, publishing professionals, and children’s literature lovers. Find thought-provoking articles, diverse new releases, and more in this month’s issue and sign …

  • Encouraging Kids to Write

    Suggestions for nurturing young authors include: Create a quiet and comfortable work space Encourage blogging Hold friendly competitions Resist the urge to edit Read more For more great writing tips, …

  • Kate DiCamillo on Her Inner Child

    Looking back on her ambassadorship. DiCamillo is more certain than ever of the power of stories. It made me feel so much more connected…stories matter to kids. They do read. …

  • YALSA’s 2016 Great Books Giveaway Provides More Than $40,000 in Materials to Libraries in Washington, California and Florida

    CHICAGO, IL — The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), named Franklin Pierce School District in Tacoma, Washington; Ontario (California) High School; …

  • Holding a Mock Caldecott

    Michigan-based librarian Holly Storck-Post shares tips for putting together a Mock Caldecott program in your school library. Suggestions include creating a display with nominated titles for in-library reading; sharing an overview of …

  • How to Unlock A Reading Brain: Intervention Program Taps New Neuroscience Research to Help Struggling Readers

    BOSTON, MA – Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) today announced the launch of READ 180 Universal, the next generation intervention program that utilizes leading scientific research in brain and cognitive functioning to …

  • Using Books & Stories to Strengthen Families: A Multicultural Perspective

    The discussion — “Using Books & Stories to Strengthen Families: A Multicultural Perspective” — was moderated by Deborah Taylor, coordinator for school and student services of the Enoch Pratt Free Library, and featured acclaimed …

  • Into the Trenches

    By Julie Bliven,Editor, Charlesbridge

    As an editor, I wish I had more opportunities to see first-hand how young readers interact with the books I’ve worked on. I gauge reader responses from sales figures, reviews, and blog posts. I also solicit blunt commentary from my niece and nephew. But that’s about all I’ve got.

    In the aftermath of the controversy surrounding A Fine Dessert and A Birthday Cake for George Washington, I wondered a lot about how kids might respond to these particular books. And I wondered how the adult reader would discuss these books with kids. What would I say? This got me thinking about the books I’ve edited: How might I discuss issues like race, class, gender, sexuality, and disability in these books? And why do these conversations matter?

    I felt compelled to head into the trenches. Armed with apprehension, I joined the kindergarten classroom of a friend and teacher in the greater Boston area. These were my goals:

    1. Read one multicultural picture book that I’ve edited.
    2. Read one multicultural picture book recommended by the teacher.
    3. Discuss the books, encouraging diverse viewpoints. (This particular class of twenty-one has six students whose first language is not English, and four students of color.)
    4. Check my own biases by asking and answering questions literally and objectively. (For instance, avoid discussing elements in the text—like a soup kitchen or Arabic—using words like “good,” “different,” or “other.”)

    Here’s what happened when we read the books:

    I’m New Here by Anne Sibley O’Brien

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    This was the book I edited. It’s the story of three immigrant children from Guatemala, Korea, and Somalia. They are new to the United States and initially struggle to read and speak English, make friends, and fit in.

    First I asked the kids what they thought the book would be about. One girl called out, “They’re from Ireland!” She explained that people who come to America can be from there.

    Later I asked questions like “Have you ever been new? What does it feel like?” Responses ranged from “Weird!” to “Awesome—you meet new people!” to “Bad, because you don’t know what to say.”

    When we came to this page, a boy yelled out, “I can’t believe he’s sleeping in school!” I didn’t know if this was about the shape of the Asian character’s eyes. I wasn’t sure I knew the “right” way to respond. So I asked more questions. The student interpreted the thought cloud as a dream sequence. Mystery solved! I also talked about the illustrator’s choice of perspective: If we stood over someone who was looking down at his paper, it might appear to us—from above—that his eyelids were closed. And suddenly they were telling me ways they like to draw things.

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    When I discarded my own assumptions and asked more questions, the story and conversation led to illuminating places for all. And isn’t this why these conversations matter?

    Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña, illustrated by Christian Robinson 

    This was the teacher’s recommendation. It’s the story of CJ and his nana’s bus ride after church. They eventually end up at a local soup kitchen, serving others.

    I had to explain that a soup kitchen is a place where food is offered to the hungry, for free. “For FREE!?” an astonished voice asked. Another kid pointed at an illustration and declared, “But that man’s not poor. He has sunglasses. Why is he there?”

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    I asked if we can look at others and tell whether or not they are poor.

    One girl had an answer: “Not if we were all naked.” I was floored by her reflection on physical markers of class. The word “naked,” however, sent the kids into fits of giggles. The girl blushed. But her words opened up a deeper discussion.

    I was amazed by how many interpretations of both books were at play. In my editing bubble, how can I imagine all these nuances—not to mention address them? I can’t. But I can keep talking to kids and reading them books. I can keep talking to adults about books, too. In both scenarios, if I remember to ask open questions and listen carefully, I imagine I’ll be better able to gauge what contributes to a book’s capacity for inspiring honest and sometimes complicated conversations.

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    Julie Bliven is an editor at Charlesbridge. She holds an M.A. in Children’s Literature from Simmons College. If you’re a parent, teacher, or librarian looking for new ways to approach storytime, Julie recommends Reading Picture Books With Children: How to Shake Up Storytime and Get Kids Talking about What They See, by Megan Dowd Lambert.

  • Ubisoft® and Scholastic Collaborate on New Young Adult Book Series ‘Last Descendants’ Based on the Assassin’s Creed® Universe

    SAN FRANCISCO AND NEW YORK — February 18, 2016 —Ubisoft and Scholastic today announced a collaboration on a new young adult book series, Last Descendants, based on the hit video game franchise Assassin’s Creed. Written for readers ages 12 and …

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