Congratulations, Lisa on the release of Novels in Verse for Teens: A Guidebook with Activities for Teachers and Librarians (ABC-CLIO, 2020)! What is it about novels in verse that fascinates you?
Thank you so much, Cynthia! I think novels in verse first grabbed my attention when I attended an event a few years ago where author Kwame Alexander performed live rap-like performances for his poems from The Crossover (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt,
By Tara Dairman
Moving 1,000 miles was not the way I anticipated kicking off 2017, but hey, not much about the last year has been predictable. So when my husband received a new job offer in January, we found ourselves relocating from Colorado to Austin, Texas, in a few short weeks.
Austin has a well-established kidlit community,
Continue Reading Guest Post: Tara Dairman on Making Connections in a New State »
Jenn Bishop is the first-time author of The Distance To Home (Knopf, 2016). From the promotional copy:
Last summer, Quinnen was the star pitcher of her baseball team, the Panthers. They were headed for the championship, and her loudest supporter at every game was her best friend and older sister,
Continue Reading New Voice: Jenn Bishop on The Distance to Home »
KS William Allen White Award winner Chris Grabenstein with 6-8 graders
In updating the Awards for Children’s and YA Literature By State for Cynthia Leitich Smith’s author website, I discovered several programs and librarians taking unique or creative approaches to build interest in the books.
Shari Schwarz is the first-time author of Treasure at Lure Lake
(Cedar Fort, 2016). From the promotional copy:
An epic adventure—that’s all Bryce wants this summer.
So when he stumbles upon a treasure map connected to an old family secret,
Continue Reading New Voice: Shari Schwarz on Treasure at Lure Lake »
By Amy Bearce
One thing I learned while earning my Masters of Library Science and my school librarian certificate is that if you try to censor a book, librarians will Take. You. Down.
“Don’t make me get my gloves out.” (Boxing Glove by Janusz Gawron via freeimages.com.)
Censorship and First Amendment rights are hot-button issues for librarians.
Continue Reading Guest Post: Author-Librarian Amy Bearce on Knowing Your Young Readers »
