School Library Journal

Where we post about the stuff we're reading, looking at, and reporting on - by the staff of School Library Journal find us elsewhere SLJ.com Facebook Twitter Vimeo

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Our ninth annual Battle of the Kids’ Books officially commences on Monday, March 13! This March Madness–style virtual tournament pits the best kids’ books of the previous year against one another. Watch as kid lit experts offer their predictions as to how the competition might go down. (via Watch: 2017 Battle of the Kids’ Books Premieres First-Ever “BOBCAST” | School Library Journal)

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Celebrate Black History Month With the Brilliant Black Female Minds of Hidden Figures

In honor of Black History Month, 21st Century Fox and AMC Theatres are joining forces to provide FREE SCREENINGS of Hidden Figures!

If you represent a school, community organization, or a non-profit organization, you can apply for an additional free screening for your group by visiting this website and filling out an application. You have until February 28th to do that, and the winners of those screenings will be announced in March.

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Where do you stand on trigger warnings in children’s literature? (via Trigger Warnings and Emotional Distress | School Library Journal)

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Books highlighting young women who persisted.​ (via “Nevertheless, She Persisted” A Take 5 List, plus 1 — @TLT16 Teen Librarian Toolbox)

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Art Director Mark Tuchman goes Behind the Poster with Artist @calefbrown via School Library Journal). 

SLJ print subscribers received a free poster in the February issue.

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Elissa Malespina, a School Librarian, Speaks Out (via An Open Letter to School Librarians: Silence Is not Golden | Opinion | School Library Journal)

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It’s not uncommon to find ~surprises~ inside returned books — food, mold, and a few soaking wet books. (via 19 Secrets Librarians Will Never Tell You)

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In a 2013 article for the Wall Street Journal, she wrote, “When we read books with children, we share other worlds, and even more importantly, we share ourselves. Reading with children makes an intimate, human connection that teaches that child what it means to be alive as one of many beings on the planet.” In lieu of a funeral service, she asked that people read to a child.

Anna Dewdney, Creator of “Llama Llama” Series, Dies | School Library Journal

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An eighth grade social studies teacher requires her students to read and write an analysis of current events. She told them they couldn’t use Internet news articles. We do provide the local newspaper, but we don’t have the budget for magazine subscriptions. I asked the teacher to alter her assignment, and she blamed the library for not subscribing to the resources she needs.

“Scales on Censorship” | School Library Journal 

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“Straight Talk on Race: Challenging the stereotypes in kids’ books” SLJ’s April 2009 cover by @geneluenyang  #tbt

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Our September 2016 cover, SLJ and Scholastic Announce 2016 School Librarian of the Year Award Winners 

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Netflix adapting ‘Anne of Green Gables’ for new TV series with additional themes

L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables book series is being adapted for television by Netflix and Canadian network CBC.

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We’re not sure whether to be excited or worried about the new Anne of Green Gables adaptation. What say you?

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I’m a librarian in a public library near a university. Many of our patrons are faculty and their families. The parents tend to think their children are “gifted” and complain that storytime isn’t challenging for preschoolers. I recently read Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems. A parent filed a complaint, saying that it was too simple. Now this parent follows me around while I suggest books for children to borrow.

“When Book Sharing Backfires” | Scales on Censorship | School Library Journal 

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See what middle school students had to say about the representation in A Fine Dessert.

“[Slavery] should be taught but it might either be sugarcoated or too gory… and if it were to be sugarcoated then it might be too little of the truth,” wrote an astute seventh grader in a pre-thinking exercise related to a discussion on Emily Jenkins and Sophie Blackall’s controversial children’s book, A Fine Dessert.  Middle School Students Explore Representation in “A Fine Dessert” | In the Classroom

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#SLJTeenLive speaker @tracichee on the power of books and the written word.

In our starred review, we called debut YA author Traci Chee’s The Reader (Putnam; September 13, 2016) “A fresh, diverse fantasy; highly recommended for fans of Cornelia Funke’s Inkheart and female-powered adventures.” SLJ caught up with Chee and talked about her path to publishing, the need for diversity in genre teen fiction, and her writing process. She will be speaking on the Genre-Bending SFF panel at SLJTeen Live! on August 10. You don’t want to miss it!

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After watching his whole neighborhood—OK, the entire world—become obsessed with the augmented reality (AR) game Pokémon Go, teacher librarian Phil Goerner knew he had better do some serious research into AR’s implications and applications.

Elephant in your palm, anyone?

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SLJ spoke with Bascomb about his research process and what he hopes teen readers will take away from this lesser-known World War II account. Bascomb will be speaking at SLJTeen Live on August 10 as part of the “Stranger than Fiction” panel. Register for the free virtual event here!