The author asks some of the top kids' book creators to choose their favorite children's book about the black experience. The title could be for kids of any age--from a picture book or graphic novel to a chapter book or collection of poems. It could be new or old, fiction or nonfiction. This article presents some of "School Library Journal"'s…

This article presents an interview with Terry Pratchett, one of the world's most beloved storytellers. And with sales of more than 65 million books in 37 languages, he's indisputably one of the most successful. The English novelist's many honors include a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth, more than a half dozen honorary doctorates, and the 2008…

One lousy starred review. That was all, initially, that Susan Patron had to show for the 10 years she spent writing "The Higher Power of Lucky," her funny, tender story of a little girl struggling to gain control over her life. One star, from "Kirkus Reviews," for the heart and soul Patron poured into her second novel. Positive notices had…

The author presents 10 best digital resources for 2009. As librarians prepare for the next school year--or as public libraries develop the budget for a new fiscal year--these are the products for children and teens that should be advocated to add to one's digital collection. These include: (1) American Indian Experience; (2) Animoto…

Discusses a Kansas court case that addressed First Amendment rights of students when a book was banned from a school library. Topics include motivation of school board members, students' rights to information versus denial of access to ideas, viewpoint discrimination, and educational suitability. A sidebar presents viewpoints of the book's author.…

Librarians and teachers know that helping kids develop a life-long love of reading is one of the most important things they can do. But let's face it, it's tough to come up with creative ways to get kids excited about books. One of the easiest ways to transform apathetic students into enthusiastic readers is to invite a children's book creator to…

In this article, the author describes how she was able to allow her students to talk with author Cynthia Leitich Smith through Skype, a free Internet telephony service. The author also describes how Skype can be used for recording podcasts and enhancing the reference services of libraries. Here, the author shares ideas on using Skype in libraries.

This article presents an interview with Paolo Bacigalupi, a rising sci-fi star who has walked away with the Hugo Award, the Nebula Award, and, most recently, the Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature--the Young Adult Library Services Association's top prize for prose. That's pretty impressive for a guy who's published…

This article presents an interview with Libba Bray, author of "Going Bovine," the winner of the Michael L. Printz Award as the year's most distinguished title for teens. Since the publication of "A Great and Terrible Beauty" in 2003, Bray has captured the imaginations and loyalties of a host of teen readers. This initial entry in a trilogy--which…

This article features Eliza Dresang, an award-winning author, and her achievements. Dresang was responsible for making a radical shift in how teachers and parents understand modern children literature when she wrote her groundbreaking book, "Radical Change." She found the motivation to write this book after realizing how teachers and parents were…

Mere days before the announcement of the new children's book ambassador, speculation was still running wild. However, when the Library of Congress introduced Katherine Paterson as the new kids' book ambassador on January 5, the choice was greeted with unrivaled enthusiasm. A two-time winner of the Newbery Medal (for "Bridge to…

This article presents an interview with Jon Scieszka, author of "The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales" who is tapped by the "Children's Book Council" and the Library of Congress's "Center for the Book" as the first National Ambassador for Young People's Literature. A former grade-school teacher, Scieszka is also the creator of Guys…

In this article, the author talks about her past experiences and how she immersed herself in African-American literature. While teaching a journalism class in an after-school program at the Decatur Clearpool Beacon School in Brooklyn's Bed-Stuy section, the author realized that most of her students had no sense of African-American history beyond a…

Presents Robert Cormier's speech as winner of the Margaret A. Edwards Award that was given at the 1991 American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference. Highlights include the role of libraries during his youth, his role as library trustee in Leominster (Massachusetts), and libraries' financial difficulties today and in the future. (LRW)

In this article, the author shares his reactions to angry letters to his books, particularly the one titled "Mr. Granite Is from Another Planet." Nearly all the complaints the author receives inform him that it's his responsibility as an author to promote positive messages and moral lessons in his books. However, the author contends that his books…