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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is a world-wide phenomena, a life-changing read, and a children’s book. Harry and his friends are mere 11 year-olds at the start of their first school year. Though their adventures and world get older, darker, and infinitely more complex, the series is still entirely at home in a children’s library. This year, for the first time since the blockbuster release of the seventh book in the series, librarians will be faced with two J.K. Rowling-sized collection issues.

The first is due to a new movie, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. The movie, starring Eddie Redmaye, tells the story of Newt Scamander, famous in Harry Potter’s world for having literally written the book on fantastical creatures. The film was written by Rowling herself. Technically, this is not an adaptation of the textbook (also written by Rowling) of the same name. That slim volume, published in 2001, has almost nothing to do with the upcoming movie. Published as a fundraiser for Comic Relief, the Fantastic Beasts book clocks in at a mere 128 pages. Despite this, we’ve seen holds on our copy balloon into the double digits. Will you be buying more copies of Fantastic Beasts for the name tie-in alone?

The second, and most pressing, conundrum is the question of The Cursed Child. On June 7, 2016, previews begin in London for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, a sequel play based off an original story written by Rowling and two collaborators. When publication of Cursed Child was announced, it was announced as a new Harry Potter book, but Rowling later clarified that the book was actually the script of the play, and not an new prose story.

The issue for children’s librarians comes from the subject matter. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is described thusly:

It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children.

While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.

It sounds amazing, but that is beside the point. Does a book about adult Harry Potter, an overworked government bureaucrat, belong in the children’s library, next to the books about Harry’s childhood? For now, we’re saying yes at my library. Our original order of 10 copies are all already on hold, so we’ve added 20 more. Our final decision won’t be made until we can read the play, and Baker and Taylor has already sent the embargo paperwork.

I was 11 when the first Harry Potter book came out. I attended every midnight release party for the books and saw every movie on opening day. I am SO PUMPED for new Harry Potter. I just hope both of these new stories are for all Harry’s fans, not just the adult ones like me.

The post The Cursed Child Conundrum appeared first on ALSC Blog.

During late March and early April, the ALSC Discussion List was active with comments and concerns around Common Sense Media (CSM) and that organization’s reviews of children’s materials.  I followed this discussion with particular interest for two reasons. First, the organization is located in the city where I work.  Second, when they were just getting started, members of the organization came to our library to meet with us to discuss their values and seek our support.   We declined as we believed that their practice of labeling was in violation of the ALA Bill of Rights and the core values of library services for children.

I do not intend to rehash all of the comments and statements of the online discussion (sigh of relief on your part!).  Hopefully, most of you followed it and certainly many of you actively participated.  I found it to be a robust and lively exchange.  That being said, I believe that there are some points that bear repeating regarding CSM reviews:

• The qualifications of the “expert” reviewers are not always clear with regard to their knowledge of children’s literature and their background in bringing children and books together.

• Reviews contain a not-so-subtle bias that the values of CSM should be shared by everyone.

• Ratings that focus on a checklist of incidents that CSM considers problematic (i.e. violence, sex, language, consumerism, drinking, drugs, smoking) cannot provide a balanced and truly insightful evaluation of a literary work.  There is no context.

• The “Parents Need to Know” ratings are presented to the left of the reviews and are the most immediately visible component.  Even if the review itself does present some balance, a parent in a hurry will find it all too easy to simply look at the rating as a guide to deciding if the book is one they consider appropriate.

Nina Lindsay, Supervising Librarian for Children’s Services at Oakland Public Library, focused on this issue in a way that I found particularly insightful.  With her permission I am going to use her comments:

“…it is indeed the “What Parents Need to Know” section and ratings of CSM that I find inherently problematic, and totally different than, for instance, VOYA’s ratings on popularity and quality.  First of all…”Parents Need to Know”?  That very statement presupposes that what is about to follow is what every parent should value.  Try looking up some reviews of titles with complex stories in them, and picture yourself as a parent who is browsing this site to sanction or veto your child’s reading choices.  Does this section really tell you what you need to know about the book?  The point is it is different for every parent, every family.”

Thanks, Nina!

If you haven’t done so, I would like to encourage you to read a blog post from the Office of Intellectual Freedom (OIF) and a Booklist editorial by Pat Scales.  On March 28th, 2016, Joyce Johnston posted a piece to the OIF blog titled Common Sense Media:  Promoting Family Values or Dictating Them?  The original editorial from Pat Scales, titled Three Bombs, Two Lips, and a Martini Glass was published in Booklist in August of 2010.  It has just been reprinted with updates as a result of the ALSC-L discussions.  Both pieces are succinct and on target.

Are two blog posts and an updated editorial on top of the previous discussion excessive on this issue?  I would answer no.  The discussion about labeling in order to limit what children read is a vital one to our profession.  It is one that we should weigh in on whenever possible.

Finally, I encourage you to think about volunteering to serve on the ALSC Intellectual Freedom Committee.  Several of us currently serving are coming to the end of our appointments at the close of the Annual Conference.  This will provide openings for those who might be interested in participating in this critical committee, and working with great people who share your passion for intellectual freedom!

Toni Bernardi, San Francisco Public Library

Member, ALSC Intellectual Freedom Committee

The post Reviews & Common Sense Media appeared first on ALSC Blog.

The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF) published an article in December 2015 summarizing their top ten graphic novels that they defended that year from potential challenges. The 2015 Caldecott Honor winner, This One Summer, was not only the first graphic novel to be honored by the Caldecott Committee, it was also one of the most frequently challenged graphic novels that the CBLDF found itself defending during 2015.  

Image courtesy of First Second Books

After reading this article, I was curious. How long has it been since a Newbery or Caldecott Honoree has been challenged in connection with its status as an award winner? I wanted to know publication dates related to book challenges, rather than how often something was challenged.

Online searches resulted in popular titles like Maurice Sendak’s 1964 Caldecott Award Winner Where The Wild Things Are and his 1971 Caldecott Honor Winner, In the Night Kitchen.  But it was the Newbery titles that repeatedly filled my search results. Thanks to Books Under Fire: A Hit List of Banned and Challenged Children’s Books by Pat Scales (ALA Editions, 2015), I was able to find answers. The appendix contains lists of all Caldecott and Newbery titles that have been reported as being challenged. 

It’s been over twenty years since a Caldecott title has been the subject of so many challenges. The last notable Caldecott Honoree to be so scrutinized was A Smokey Night by Eve Bunting and illustrated by David Diaz, which won the 1995 Caldecott Medal. It has been challenged for containing “violence and horror.” Prior to that, Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold, which won a 1992 Caldecott Honor was challenged for “racial stereotype & [that] the adults drink beer.”   

These Caldecott titles are all picture books, and the CBLDF did some research and discovered that within the last ten years, “about 82% of the Caldecott winners have been aimed at audiences age 8 and younger.” Since a majority of Caldecott books are picture books, many people believe that all of these winners and honorees should be cataloged as picture books. However, the Caldecott Award is intended for ages 0-14, representing a wide range of book formats.

This One Summer has recently ended up housed in some elementary school libraries, while the publisher, First Second Books, clearly states that its intended audience is ages 12-18. One challenge stemmed from three Seminole County Elementary schools in Florida because a parent complained about profanity and sexual references in the book. The book came under attack in the Seminole County High Schools as well. The CBLDF led the fight to preserve high school student access to the book, and just this week, we learned that the book will remain unrestricted in Seminole County High School libraries.

With all the challenges against this single title, I wondered how the publisher feels when their books become challenged or banned. So I emailed Mark Siegel, the publisher and editor of This One Summer to get his input on all these challenges and news headlines on the book.

Janet Weber: First of all, congratulations on First Second Books‘ 10th Anniversary.  You’ve published a lot of amazing, high quality graphic novels during this time, with many winning high achievements and awards.  What was your reaction when you first learned that This One Summer faced its first challenge?

Mark Siegel: Thank you! My reaction to learning about This One Summer being challenged, as I recall, was NOT total surprise . . . we had a lot of discussions, when we were figuring out how to publish this book, about what the appropriate age level for it was. It definitely has challenging content for any age — following in the tradition of great kids’ books like Goodnight Mr. Tom, Nobody’s Family is Going to Change, and Forever.

But it’s always heartbreaking to hear that one of the books that we publish — a book we believe in and have championed and nurtured — has been challenged, because it means that someone out there thinks that the book has so many problems that no one should be allowed to read it. We know that our books are high quality — and that even if the person challenging the book isn’t the ideal audience, that there are readers in need of the book out there. That’s especially the case when books like This One Summer are challenged based on their content.

JW: How do you, as a publisher learn about titles that have been challenged? Especially of your own titles?

MS: It’s always a different process for each book. Sometimes, we hear from the authors, who tend to get contacted about challenges — sometimes, the school involved will contact us directly. And we’re very lucky to have the Comic Book Legal Defense at our backs in all of these situations. An industry organization that defends works in comics forms from challenges, the CBLDF is always on top of any potential censorship and on the phone with us and the parties involved within twenty-four hours. We really appreciate the work they do, and their support for our titles!

JW: Have any other First Second Books been challenged?

MS: Yes, several. The Korean Color of Earth trilogy, by Kim Dong Hwa, I remember very well. We half expected that, as it treads (however delicately and tastefully) on some sexual issues, in ways that don’t always sit comfortably with western moralities. In other instances, we were taken aback by reactions to very slight partial nudity in George O’Connor’s Journey to Mohawk Country and Sardine in Outer Space. The context and the treatment were so mild that I really didn’t think they could have been considered offensive. Apparently they could.

JW: As a publisher, do you see sales increase when a title has been challenged?

MS: In some instances, yes. I think in cases like This One Summer, there is a very legitimate counter-reaction from people who read and loved the book, and felt the challenge was unfair or misguided.

JW: Is there anything you can do as a publisher to fight for one of your challenged titles?

MS: Our catalog is our soapbox. We publish works by authors we believe in, and stand behind. And we will continue to do so.

We also work to give the teachers and librarians involved resources to fight the challenges themselves — lists of the book’s awards and praise, teacher’s guides, etc. Here we’re also very thankful for the CBLDF for their assistance. They’re a fantastic industry resource who have helped out in every challenge we’ve found our books embroiled in.

If anyone reading this is a teacher or a librarian (or anyone!) dealing with a challenge on one of our titles, we encourage you to get directly in touch with us so we can give you any help you need to keep great graphic novels in your libraries and schools. [email protected] is our e-mail address for this sort of thing.

JW: Is there any advice you can give as a publisher to fight for keeping challenged books in library collections?

MS: I think there are great advocates for good books—allies in all kinds of places. Many of them are librarians, who know and understand their communities, and have a direct line of communication with educators and parents, and patrons. And it’s not to say any challenge is a threat to freedom of speech—on the contrary. Some challenges provoke much needed conversations, and belong with a healthy social dialog. If books never provoked debate, we would really have to worry then!

JW: Thank you so much Mark for sharing your input! It is much appreciated!

Photo Courtesy of Janet Weber

Janet Weber is a member of the ALSC Intellectual Freedom Committee and is a Youth Services Librarian at the Tigard Public Library in Oregon. She teaches the ALSC online continuing education course Children’s Graphic Novels 101.  She’s seen here (center) celebrating This One Summer with Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki at the American Library Association 2015 Annual Conference.  

The post Challenged Caldecotts & This One Summer appeared first on ALSC Blog.

2016 will see the release of a book-to-film adaptation that’s been adapted before: Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book. Interestingly, Hollywood often follows the same pattern as the publishing world, as similar films (think Ants and A Bug’s Life) are often in development at the same time and then released close to each other. In the next two years there are two competing live-action Jungle Books – the upcoming adaptation on April 15, and Jungle Book: Origins in 2017. Both adaptations are using motion-capture technology, with 2017’s film utilizing the talents of motion-capture genius Andy Serkis.

First up is Disney’s live-action version of their own animated film. Featuring the vocal talents of Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley Luptia Nyong’o, Scarlett Johansson, Christopher Walken, and Idris Elba, the film is directed by Disney/Marvel guy Jon Favreau. Disney seems to have dropped the racist caricatures in favor of drop-dead gorgeous, computer-generated imagery. In fact, the film is so beautiful that the director recently said he asked the visual effects team to tone down the images, saying, “So many of the notes I gave were like, “Make the sky less interesting,” or “Make that shot less beautiful.”

Next year we’ll see the second adaptation, about which less is currently known. This movie will feature voice-acting by luminaries such as Benedict Cumberbatch and Christian Bale.

The library world has been talking for some time about problematic texts. Do we keep them in our collections simply because they’re classics, even if they have racist elements? The Jungle Book, like Peter Pan, poses a deeper conundrum due to public attachment to the (completely racist) animated movies. I am interested to see if these movies will drive new interest in Kipling’s story, and what that means for our discussions about problematic classics.

You can watch the 2016 trailer here.

The post Upcoming Adaptation(s): The Jungle Book appeared first on ALSC Blog.

Over the past few months, I’ve been part of a Professional Development day for teachers throughout our local school board. They spend the day working on using picture books for reading and writing lessons, and then I come in for an hour and show them how to look at picture books as art objects. My experience on the Caldecott committee really comes in useful here– I have been sharing the books from our 2015 list, because I know those so well. I’ve been able to find something new in the books, to find a different way of looking at the books.

Teachers examine “Nana in the City” – photo by A. Reynolds

That’s what surprises me most– to find a new way to look at picture books. I have spent so many years as a librarian looking at the art and storytime potential. Now I also look at the teaching potential.  For instance: I just learned about “thought tracking”. Basically, it is taking one character and teasing out that character’s thoughts. It is a way to get kids to think about the author’s intent, a way to get them to think about their own writing. In this case, we discover that the dog in Sam & Dave Dig a Hole is a perfect candidate — the dog is never mentioned, nor does it have any dialogue, and yet is is a major character. When I looked at the art, I realized this immediately. But I did not think of it as a writing exercise. So the teachers are teaching me while I am teaching them.

Sharing picture books with teachers has been, then, a learning experience for me. It is a win-win, because not only do I get to share new picture books and how to look closely at them, I get to share library resources. I have started to include a “for teachers” segment in my blog posts. My handouts incorporate all our library social media & website address. I give them library card applications. I remind them that the library is there for them with thousands of classroom materials. This has been the start of a great partnership, one that we both get something from. How do you share books with your local teachers?

The post Taking picture books to teachers appeared first on ALSC Blog.

The recent controversy over A BIRTHDAY CAKE FOR GEORGE WASHINGTON provoked me to think about how we should react when a book that is already in our collection proves unsettling, hurtful or insulting to some readers.

I don’t want to rehash the discussions around Scholastic’s withdrawal of A BIRTHDAY CAKE. Rather, I’d like us to talk about whether and why we retain books—often considered classics—which are offensive to some in our society.

Of course, there are a multitude of reasons why readers object to certain books, but to focus our discussion, I’ll concentrate on a few books which have been criticized for racial, ethnic, or religious insensitivity (or worse).

Here’s a short list:

Banks, Lynne Reid.  THE INDIAN IN THE CUPBOARD (series)

Bannerman, Helen.  LITTLE BLACK SAMBO

Bishop, Claire.  THE FIVE CHINESE BROTHERS

Brink, Carol Ryrie.  CADDIE WOODLAWN

Clinton, Cathryn.  A STONE IN MY HAND

Harris, Joel Chandler.  TALES OF UNCLE REMUS

Lofting, Hugh.  THE VOYAGES OF DOCTOR DOOLITTLE (series)

Twain, Mark.  HUCKLEBERRY FINN

Wilder, Laura Ingalls.  LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE (series)

Some questions to consider:

Which of those do you own or have you withdrawn from your collections?

Does it make a difference whether you work in a school or public library?

If the books are still in your library, was this the result of a conscious decision? If so, can you explain your reasoning?

If they are still in your collection, where are they shelved?

If you have withdrawn them, can you explain your thinking?

Have you bought titles that might substitute for the challenged books, i.e. Julius Lester’s retellings of the Uncle Remus stories, Margaret Mahy’s THE SEVEN CHINESE BROTHERS or Fred Marcellino’s THE STORY OF LITTLE BABAJI?

If you bought retellings or substitutions, did you retain the older, challenged titles? Why or why not?

Let’s talk!

Submitted by Miriam Lang Budin, ALSC Intellectual Freedom Committee Member

The post Discomforting Books appeared first on ALSC Blog.

On behalf of the Great Websites for Kids Committee, I’d like to share our latest additions.  We’re happy to have some Spanish language sites to include this time, and wish to thank REFORMA for its assistance in providing us a representative.

If you missed our recent press release, the following are the newest sites added to Great Websites for Kids, the online resource featuring hundreds of links to exceptional websites for children.

• Bureau of Labor Statistics K-12  http://www.bls.gov/k12/home.htm      Bureau of Labor Statistics provides resources for students and educators on employment and career outlooks. Enjoy playing a game to understand a concept and use the resource section for school assignments all on one site!
• Bystander Revolution   http://www.bystanderrevolution.org/ Search this site to find ideas about how to deal with bullying from folks who have been bullies, targets and bystanders.  Watch videos by subject and sign up to take your own stand against bullying!
• Ruff Ruffman: Humble Media Genius    http://pbskids.org/fetch/ruff/ Videos to help kids make good decisions about texting, sharing photos, and other media literacy topics.
• Space Racers   http://spaceracers.org/en Kids can explore space through a series of videos, games and printable activities complete with NASA approved science.
• PBS Kids Design Squad  http://pbskids.org/designsquad Kids can safely share their engineering ideas and sketches, and be inspired by how-to videos and real-world projects.
• Virtual Museum of Canada   http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/about-vmc/   This online museum provides as diverse collection of online exhibits pertaining to Canadian hertiage. Virtual exhibits are provided by Canada’s museums, educational institutions and heritage organizations.
• Disney Junior: Disney Latino (Spanish)  http://disneyjunior/disneylatino.com Interactive site with videos, games, princesses stories, and activities of popular Disney characters. It also includes links for smartphones applications. | Página interactiva con vídeos, juegos, cuentos de princesas y actividades de personajes populares de Disney. También incluye enlaces para applicaciones de teléfonos móviles.
• Clic Clic Cuentos Interactivos (Spanish) http://www.cuentosinteractivos.org    Clic Clic Cuentos Interactivos is a fun interactive site that features imaginative problem solving and alternate versions of popular stories. | Clic Clic Cuentos Interactivos es una página interactiva divertida que contiene actividades de resolución de problemas y versiones alternas de cuentos populares.

We hope that you will find these and other Great Websites for Kids to be useful tools for you and your library patrons. Sites are searchable by keyword or eight classifications (Animals, The Arts, History & Biography, Literature & Languages, Mathematics & Computers, Reference Desk, Sciences, and Social Sciences). The committee works diligently to find and evaluate new sites, and to weed out previously added sites that haven’t maintained “great” status.

We can always use your help!

If you know of a great site that you would like to have us consider, please submit your suggestion via this link: http://gws.ala.org/suggest-site. If you find broken links, etc. on the site, please alert us to that as well. Comments and suggestions are always welcome.

Members of the 2015 Great Websites for Kids Committee:

• Lara Crews, co-chair, Forsyth County (North Carolina) Public Library
• Lisa Taylor, co-chair, Ocean County (New Jersey) Library
• Emily E. Bacon, Yorktown (Indiana) Public Library
• Ariel Cummins, New Braunfels (Texas) Public Library
• Jill Eisele, Bellwood (Illinois) Public Library
• Krishna Grady, Darien (Connecticut) Library
• Joanne Kelleher, Kings Park (New York) Central School District
• Elizabeth Saxton, Tiffin, Ohio
• Alia Shields, Cherry Hill (New Jersey) Public Library
• Sujei Lugo (REFORMA Representative)

The post Eight new sites added to Great Websites for Kids appeared first on ALSC Blog.

#alaYMA @ #ALAmw16

It is always a highlight of my midwinter ALA journey to attend the Youth Media Awards Press Conference, and this year was no exception.

The excitement was palpable in the Boston Convention Center ballroom as hundreds of librarians and other children’s literature aficionados excitedly heard the announcements of the Youth Media Awards. As the winners were announced, they were greeted with (sometimes raucous) applause, hoots of delight, and gasps of surprise.

Tremendous thanks go to all the committee members who worked and read so diligently throughout 2015 to bring us this stellar collection of winners!

Here is a complete list of the winners announced this morning:

John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature:

“Last Stop on Market Street,” written by Matt de la Peña, is the 2016 Newbery Medal winner. The book is illustrated by Christian Robinson and published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) LLC.

Three Newbery Honor Books also were named: “The War that Saved My Life,” written by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley and published by Dial Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) LLC; “Roller Girl,” written and illustrated by Victoria Jamieson and published by Dial Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) LLC; and “Echo,” written by Pam Muñoz Ryan and published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.

Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children:

“Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear,” illustrated by Sophie Blackall, is the 2016 Caldecott Medal winner. The book was written by Lindsay Mattick and published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

Four Caldecott Honor Books also were named: “Trombone Shorty,” illustrated by Bryan Collier, written by Troy Andrews and published by Abrams Books for Young Readers, an imprint of ABRAMS; “Waiting,” illustrated and written by Kevin Henkes, published by Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers; “Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer, Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement,” illustrated by Ekua Holmes, written by Carole Boston Weatherford and published by Candlewick Press; and “Last Stop on Market Street,” illustrated by Christian Robinson, written by Matt de le Peña and published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) LLC.

Coretta Scott King (Author) Book Award, recognizing an African American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults:

“Gone Crazy in Alabama,” written by Rita Williams-Garcia, is the King Author Book winner. The book is published by Amistad, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Three King Author Honor Books were selected: “All American Boys,” by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely and published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division; “The Boy in the Black Suit,” by Jason Reynolds and published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division, and “X: A Novel,” by Ilyasah Shabazz with Kekla Magoon and published by Candlewick Press.

Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Book Award:

“Trombone Shorty,” illustrated by Bryan Collier, is the King Illustrator Book winner. The book was written by Troy Andrews and Bill Taylor and published by Abrams Books for Young Readers, an imprint of ABRAMS.

Two King Illustrator Honor Books were selected: “The Book Itch: Freedom, Truth & Harlem’s Greatest Bookstore,” illustrated by R. Gregory Christie, written by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson and published by Carolrhoda Books, a division of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc. and “Last Stop on Market Street,” illustrated by Christian Robinson, written by Matt de la Peña and published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons, an imprint of Penguin Group USA.

Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award:

“Hoodoo,” written by Ronald L. Smith, is the Steptoe author award winner. The book is published by Clarion Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Illustrator Award:

“Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer, Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement,” illustrated by Ekua Holmes, is the Steptoe illustrator award winner. The book is written by Carole Boston Weatherford and published by Candlewick Press.

Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement:

Jerry Pinkney is the winner of the Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement. The award pays tribute to the quality and magnitude of beloved children’s author Virginia Hamilton.

Jerry Pinkney’s illustrations detail a world that resonates with readers long after the pages of a book have been turned. His five decades of work offer compelling artistic insights into the legacy of African American storytelling and experience. Beyond Pinkney’s technical brilliance, his support of differentiated learning through art and of young illustrators sets him apart as both artist and educator. His powerful illustrations have redefined the scope of the sophisticated picture book and its use with multiple levels of learners.

Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults:

“Bone Gap,” written by Laura Ruby, is the 2016 Printz Award winner. The book is published by Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Two Printz Honor Books also were named: “Out of Darkness,” by Ashley Hope Pérez and published by Carolrhoda Lab™, an imprint of Carolrhoda Books, a division of Lerner Publishing Group, and “The Ghosts of Heaven,” by Marcus Sedgwick and published by Roaring Brook Press, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group.

Schneider Family Book Award for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience:

“Emmanuel’s Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah,” written by Laurie Ann Thompson, illustrated by Sean Qualls and published by Schwartz & Wade Books, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House LLC, a Penguin Random House Company, New York, wins the award for children ages 0 to 10.

“Fish in a Tree,” written by Lynda Mullaly Hunt and published by Penguin Group, Nancy Paulsen Books, and “The War that Saved My Life,” by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley and published by Dial Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, are the winners of the middle-school (ages 11-13).

The teen (ages 13-18) award winner is “The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B,” written by Teresa Toten and published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House LLC, a Penguin Random House Company, New York.

Alex Awards for the 10 best adult books that appeal to teen audiences:

“All Involved,” by Ryan Gattis, published by Ecco, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

“Between the World and Me,” by Ta-Nehisi Coates, published by Spiegel & Grau, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.

“Bones & All,” by Camille DeAngelis, published by St. Martin’s Press.

“Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits,” by David Wong, published by Thomas Dunne Books, an imprint of St. Martin’s Press.

“Girl at War,” by Sara Novic, published by Random House, an imprint and division of Penguin Random House LLC.

“Half the World,” by Joe Abercrombie, published by Del Rey, an imprint of Random House, a division of Random House LLC, a Penguin Random House Company.

“Humans of New York: Stories,” by Brandon Stanton, published by St. Martin’s Press.

“Sacred Heart,” by Liz Suburbia, published by Fantagraphics Books Inc.

“Undocumented: A Dominican Boy’s Odyssey from a Homeless Shelter to the Ivy League,” by Dan-el Padilla Peralta, published by Penguin Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.

“The Unraveling of Mercy Louis,” by Keija Parssinen, published by Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Andrew Carnegie Medal for excellence in children’s video:

Weston Woods Studios, Inc., producer of “That Is NOT a Good Idea,” is the Carnegie Medal winner. In an innovative adaptation of this read-aloud favorite, Goose accepts an invitation to accompany Fox on a simple stroll – or is it? Watch along with a comical chorus of goslings as they react to this cautionary tale.

Laura Ingalls Wilder Award honors an author or illustrator whose books, published in the United States, have made, over a period of years, a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children.

The 2016 winner is Jerry Pinkney, whose award-winning works include “The Lion and the Mouse,” recipient of the Caldecott Award in 2010. In addition, Pinkney has received five Caldecott Honor Awards, five Coretta Scott King Illustrator Awards, and four Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honors.     

Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults:

David Levithan is the 2016 Edwards Award winner. His books include: “The Realm of Possibility,” “Boy Meets Boy,” “Love is the Higher Law,” “How They Met, and Other Stories,” “Wide Awake” and “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist,” all published by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.

May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture Award recognizing an author, critic, librarian, historian or teacher of children’s literature, who then presents a lecture at a winning host site.

Jacqueline Woodson will deliver the 2017 May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture. Woodson is the 2014 National Book Award winner for her New York Times bestselling memoir, “Brown Girl Dreaming.” The author of more than two dozen books for young readers, she is a four-time Newbery Honor winner, a recipient of the NAACP Image Award, a two-time Coretta Scott King Award winner and was recently named the Young People’s Poet Laureate by the Poetry Foundation.

Mildred L. Batchelder Award for an outstanding children’s book translated from a foreign language and subsequently published in the United States:

“The Wonderful Fluffy Little Squishy” is the 2016 Batchelder Award winner. Originally published in French in 2014 as “Le merveilleux Dodu-Velu-Petit,” the book was written and illustrated by Beatrice Alemagna, translated by Claudia Zoe Bedrick and published by Enchanted Lion Books.

Three Batchelder Honor Books also were selected: “Adam and Thomas,” published by Seven Stories Press, written by Aharon Appelfeld, iIllustrated by Philippe Dumas and translated from the Hebrew by Jeffrey M. Green; “Grandma Lives in a Perfume Village,” published by NorthSouth Books, an imprint of Nordsüd Verlag AG, written by Fang Suzhen, illustrated by Sonja Danowski and translated from the Chinese by Huang Xiumin; and “Written and Drawn by Henrietta,” published by TOON Books, an imprint of RAW Junior, LLC and written, illustrated and translated from the Spanish by Liniers.

Odyssey Award for best audiobook produced for children and/or young adults, available in English in the United States:

“The War that Saved My Life,” produced by Listening Library, an imprint of the Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group, is the 2016 Odyssey Award winner. The book is written by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley and narrated by Jayne Entwistle.

One Odyssey Honor Recording also was selected: “Echo,” produced by Scholastic Audio/Paul R. Gagne, written by Pam Muñoz Ryan and narrated by Mark Bramhall, David de Vries, MacLeod Andrews and Rebecca Soler.

Pura Belpré (Illustrator) Award honoring a Latino writer and illustrator whose children’s books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience:

“The Drum Dream Girl,” illustrated by Rafael López, is the Belpré Illustrator Award winner.  The book was written by Margarita Engle and published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Three Belpré Illustrator Honor Books for illustration were selected: “My Tata’s Remedies = Los remedios de mi tata,” illustrated by Antonio Castro L., written by Roni Capin Rivera-Ashford and published by Cinco Puntos Press; “Mango, Abuela, and Me,” illustrated by Angela Dominguez, written by Meg Medina and published by Candlewick Press: and “Funny Bones: Posada and His Day of the Dead Calaveras,” illustrated and written by Duncan Tonatiuh and published by Abrams Books for Young Readers, an imprint of ABRAMS.

Pura Belpré (Author) Award:

“Enchanted Air: Two Cultures, Two Wings: A Memoir,” written by Margarita Engle, is the Belpré Author Award winner. The book is published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division.

Two Belpré Author Honor Books were named: “The Smoking Mirror,” written by David Bowles and published by IFWG Publishing, Inc.; and “Mango, Abuela, and Me,” written by Meg Medina, illustrated by Angela Dominguez and published by Candlewick Press.

Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award for most distinguished informational book for children:

“Funny Bones: Posada and His Day of the Dead Calaveras,” written and illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh, is the Sibert Award winner. The book is published by Abrams Books for Young Readers, an imprint of ABRAMS.

Four  Sibert Honor Books were named: “Drowned City: Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans,” written and illustrated by Don Brown and published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; “The Boys Who Challenged Hitler: Knud Pedersen and the Churchill Club,” by Phillip Hoose and published by Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers; “Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom: My Story of the 1965 Selma Voting Rights March,” written by Lynda Blackmon Lowery as told to Elspeth Leacock and Susan Buckley, illustrated by PJ Loughran and published by Dial Books, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) LLC; and “Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer, Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement,” written by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Ekua Holmes and published by Candlewick Press.

Stonewall Book Award – Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children’s & Young Adult Literature Award given annually to English-language children’s and young adult books of exceptional merit relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender experience:

“George,” written by Alex Gino and published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc., and “The Porcupine of Truth,” written by Bill Konigsberg and published by Arthur A. Levine Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc., are the winners of the 2016 Stonewall Children’s and Young Adult Literature Awards respectively.

Two honor books were selected: “Wonders of the Invisible World,” written by Christopher Barzak and published by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House LLC; and “Sex is a Funny Word: A Book about Bodies, Feelings, and YOU,” written by Cory Silverberg and Fiona Smyth, illustrated by Fiona Smyth and published by Seven Stories Press.

Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for the most distinguished beginning reader book:

“Don’t Throw It to Mo!,” written by David A. Adler and illustrated by Sam Ricks is the Seuss Award winner. The book is published by Penguin Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA), LLC.

Three Geisel Honor Books were named: “A Pig, a Fox, and a Box,” written and illustrated by Jonathan Fenske and published by Penguin Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) LLC; “Supertruck,” written and illustrated by Stephen Savage and published by A Neal Porter Book published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings Limited Partnership; and “Waiting,” written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes and published by Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

William C. Morris Award for a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens:

“Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda,” written by Becky Albertalli is the 2016 Morris Award winner. The book is published by Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Publisher.

Four other books were finalists for the award: “Because You’ll Never Meet Me,” written by Leah Thomas and published by Bloomsbury Children’s Books; “Conviction,” written by Kelly Loy Gilbert and published by Hyperion, an imprint of Disney Book Group; “The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly,” written by Stephanie Oakes and published by Dial Books, an imprint of  Penguin Young Readers; and “The Weight of Feathers,” written by Anna-Marie McLemore and published by Thomas Dunne Books, an imprint of St. Martin’s Press.

YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults: 

“Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War,” written by Steve Sheinkin, is the 2016 Excellence winner. The book is published by Roaring Brook Press, an imprint of Macmillan’s Children’s Publishing Group.

Four other books were finalists for the award: “Enchanted Air: Two Cultures, Two Wings: A Memoir,” written by Margarita Engle and published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing; “First Flight Around the World: The Adventures of the American Fliers Who Won the Race,” written by Tim Grove and  published by Abrams Books for Young Readers, an imprint of ABRAMS; “Symphony for the City of the Dead: Dmitri Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad,” written by M.T. Anderson and published by Candlewick Press; and “This Strange Wilderness:  The Life and Art of John James Audubon,” written by Nancy Plain and published by University of Nebraska Press.

The post ALA Youth Media Awards 2016 appeared first on ALSC Blog.

If you have a few free minutes at the conference, stop by the Notable book discussion. You’ll hear thoughtful insights about a range of titles for children. I personally would rather spend extra time there than in the exhibit hall! The work this committee does is so impressive and important. It is an open meeting, so audience members can quietly come and go. The books they are discussing are all on a table in the room, so if something catches your attention in their discussions you can check it out in person. Don’t worry, if you’re #alaleftbehind, you can see what they’re discussing with this online list. Soon we’ll all get to see what titles they pick to be on the 2016 Notable Children’s Books List!

The post You’ll Never Go Wrong with Notables! #alamw16 appeared first on ALSC Blog.

In less than 24 hours, the Youth Media Awards will be announced at #alamw16. Hundreds and hundreds of librarians will be at the press conference. They will be eagerly anticipating the announcement of the 2016 Newbery, Caldecott, Coretta Scott King, Printz, Pura Belpré, Sibert, Geisel, Schneider Family, and more.  The excitement is building in Boston as children’s librarians engage in animated discussions about titles they read and loved over the course of the year.

Are you excited? Will you be participating in the YMA Pajama Party from your home? Do you have a title you are hoping, hoping, hoping will take home a medal? Let us know in the comments below.

Meanwhile, check out some of the results of Mock Elections from around the country.

The post Are you ready for the Youth Media Awards? appeared first on ALSC Blog.

Micki Freeney, the chair of the 2016 Notable Children’s Books Committee, and the entire NCB committee, invite you to join them at their Midwinter discussions, taking place in the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, Room 162AB on:

Friday, January 8, 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, January 9, 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Sunday, January 10, 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Monday, January 11, 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

The complete discussion list is below. Titles with an asterisk indicate that the book was already discussed at the Annual Conference last summer.

PICTURE BOOKS

*3, 2, 1, Go! by Emily Arnold McCully. Holiday House.

8: An Animal Alphabet by Elisha Cooper. Scholastic Inc,/Orchard Books.

A B See by Elizabeth Doyle. Simon & Schuster/Little Simon.

Ask Me by Bernard Waber. Illus. by Suzy Lee. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Ballet Cat: The Totally Secret Secret by Bob Shea. Disney/Hyperion

Bear and Hare Go Fishing by Emily Gravett. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

*The Bear Ate Your Sandwich by Julia Sarcone-Roach. Random House/Alfred A. Knopf.

Beep! Beep! Go to Sleep by Todd Tarpley. Illus. by John Rocco. Little Brown and Company.

Big Bear, Little Chair by Lizi Boyd. Chronicle Books.

Boats for Papa by Jessixa Bagley. Roaring Brook Press/A Neal Porter Book.

*Click! by Jeffrey Ebbeler. Holiday House.

Counting Lions by Katie Cotton. Illus. by Stephen Walton. Candlewick Press.

Crybaby by Karen Beaumont. Illus. by Eugene Yelchin. Macmillan/ Henry Holt and Company.

Double Happiness by Nancy Tupper Ling. Illus. by Alina Chau. Chronicle Books.

Drive: A Look at Roadside Opposites by Kellen Hatanaka. House of Anansi Press/Groundwood Books.

*Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl’s Courage Changed Music by Margarita Engle. Illus. by Rafael López. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Families, Families, Families by Suzanne Lang. Illus. by Max Lang. Random House.

*Fetch by Jorey Hurley. Simon & Schuster/A Paula Wiseman Book.

Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear by Lindsay Mattick. Illus. by Sophie Blackall. Little Brown and Company.

*A Fine Dessert: Four Centuries, Four Families, One Delicious Feast by Emily Jenkins. Illus. by Sophie Blackall. Random House/Schwartz and Wade.

Float by Daniel Miyares. Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers.

The Fly by Petr Horáček. Illus. by the author. Candlewick Press

*Fly! by Karl Newsom Edwards. Random House/Alfred A. Knopf.

Friendshape by Amy Krouse Rosenthal. Illus. by Tom Lichtenheld. Scholastic Press.

*Grandma in Blue with Red Hat by Scott Menchin. Illus. by Harry Bliss. Abrams.

*The Grasshopper and the Ants by Jerry Pinkney. Little Brown and Company.

Have You Seen My Monster? by Steve Light. Candlewick Press.

Hoot Owl, Master of Disguise by Sean Taylor. Illus. by Jean Jullien. Candlewick Press.

*How to Draw a Dragon by Douglas Florian. Beach Lane Books.

Hurry Home, Hedgehog! A Bilingual Book of Sounds by Belle Yang. Candlewick Press.

I (Don’t) Like Snakes by Nicola Davies. Illus. by Luciano Lozano. Candlewick Press.

I Yam a Donkey by Cece Bell. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt/Clarion Books.

*If You Plant a Seed by Kadir Nelson. HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray.

*In by Nikki McClure. Abrams/Appleseed.

In a Village by the Sea by Muon Van. Illus. by April Chu. Creston Books.

*It’s Only Stanley by Jon Agee. Penguin Group/Dial Books for Young Readers.

The King and the Sea: 21 Extremely Short Stories by Heinz Janisch. Illus. by Wolf Erlbruch. Translated by Sally-Ann Spencer. Gecko Press.

Lailah’s Lunchbox: A Ramadan Story by Reem Faruqi. Illus by Lea Lyon. Tilbury House Publishers.

*Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña. Illus. by Christian Robinson. Penguin/Putnam.

Lenny & Lucy by Philip C. Stead. Illus. by Erin E. Stead. Roaring Brook Press.

Leo: A Ghost Story by Mac Barnett. Illus. by Christian Robinson. Chronicle Books.

Lillian’s Right to Vote by Jonah Winter. Illus. by Shane W. Evans. Random House/Schwartz & Wade.

Look! by Jeff Mack. Penguin Group/Philomel Books.

Mama’s Nightingale: A Story of Immigration and Separation by Edwidge Danticat. Illus. by Leslie Staub. Penguin/Dial Books.

Mango, Abuela, and Me by Meg Medina. Illus. by Angela Dominguez. Candlewick Press.

Maya’s Blanket/La Manta de Maya by Monica Brown. Illus. by David Diaz. Translated by Adriana Domingue. Lee & Low Books/Children’s Book Press.

*Meet the Dullards by Sara Pennypacker. Illus. by Daniel Salmieri. HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray.

Miracle on 133rd Street by Sonia Manzano. Illus. by Marjorie Priceman. Simon & Schuster/Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

The Moon Is Going to Addy’s House by Ida Pearle. Illus. Penguin Group/Dial Books for Young Readers.

Moving Blocks by Yosuke Yonezu. Michael Neugebauer Publishing Ltd./Minedition

Mr. Squirrel and the Moon by Sebastian Meschenmoser. Translated by David Henry Wilson. NorthSouth Books.

My Cousin Momo by Zachariah OHora. Dial Books for Young Readers.

*My Pen by Christopher Myers. Disney/Hyperion.

My Two Blankets by Irena Kobald, iIlus. by Freya Blackwood. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

My Wild Family by Laurent Moreau. Chronicle Books.

The New Small Person by Lauren Child. Candlewick Press.

*New Shoes by Susan Lynn Meyer. Illus. by Eric Velasquez. Holiday House.

The Night World by Mordicai Gerstein. Little Brown and Company.

On the Ball by Brian Pinkney. Disney-Hyperion.

One Family by George Shannon. Illus. by Blanca Gómez. Farrar Straus Giroux/Frances Foster Books.

One Word from Sophia by Jim Averbeck. Illus. by Yasmeen Ismail. Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Oskar and the Eight Blessings by Richard Simon and Tanya Simon. Illus. by Mark Siegel. Roaring Brook Press.

Outstanding in the Rain: A Whole Story with Holes by Frank Viva. Little Brown and Company.

*P. Zonka Lays an Egg by Julie Paschkis. Peachtree.

The Plan by Alison Paul. Illus. by Barbara Lehman. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

* Poem in Your Pocket by Margaret McNamara. Illus. by G. Brian Karas. Random House/Schwartz & Wade Books.

Pool by JiHyeon Lee. Chronicle Books.

The Princess and the Pony by Kate Beaton. Scholastic Press/Arthur A. Levine Books.

The Queen’s Hat by Steve Antony. Scholastic Press.

Red by Jan De Kinder. Translated by Laura Watkinson. Eerdmans Books for Young Readers.

*Red: A Crayon’s Story by Michael Hall. Harper Collins/Greenwillow Books.

Roger Is Reading a Book by Koen Van Biesen. Translated by Laura Watkinson. Eerdmans Books for Young Readers.

*Should You Be a River: A Poem about Love by Ed Young. Little Brown and Company.

*Sidewalk Flowers by JonArno Lawson. Illus. by Sydney Smith. House of Anansi Press/Groundwood Books.

*Skunk by Mac Barnett. Illus. by Patrick McDonnell. Roaring Brook Press.

The Snow Rabbit by Camille Garoche, Enchanted Lion Books.

Special Delivery by Philip C. Stead. Illus. by Matthew Cordell. Roaring Brook Press/A Neal Porter Book.

*Spectacular Spots by Susan Stockdale. Peachtree.

Spots in a Box by Helen Ward. Candlewick Press/Templar Books.

Squid Kid the Magnificent by Lynne Berry. Illus. by Luke LaMarca. Disney/Hyperion.

Stella Brings the Family by Miriam B. Schiffer. Illus. by Holly Clifton-Brown. Chronicle Books.

*Stormy Night by Salina Yoon. Bloomsbury.

Strictly No Elephants by Lisa Mantchev. Illus. by Taeeun Yoo. Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books.

*Such a Little Mouse by Alice Schertle. Illus. by Stephanie Yue. Scholastic/Orchard Books.

*Supertruck by Stephen Savage. Roaring Book Press/A Neal Porter Book.

Thank You and Good Night by Patrick McDonnell. Little Brown and Company.

That’s (Not) Mine by Anna Kang. Illus. by Christopher Weyant. Two Lions.

This Is Sadie by Sarah O’Leary. Illus. by Julie Morstad. Random House/Tundra Books.

Tiptoe Tapirs by Hanmin Kim, translated by Sera Lee. Illus. by Hanmin Kim. Holiday House.

*Toad Weather by Sandra Markle. Illus. by Thomas Gonzalez. Peachtree.

Toys Meet Snow: Being the Wintertime Adventures by Emily Jenkins. Illus. by Paul O. Zelinsky. Random House/Schwartz & Wade Books.

Two Mice by Sergio Ruzzier. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt/Clarion Books.

Two White Rabbits by Jairo Buitrago. Illus. by Rafael Yockteng. Translated by Elisa Amado. House of Anansi Press/Groundwood Books.

Wait by Antoinette Portis. Roaring Brook Press/A Neal Porter Book.

Waiting by Kevin Henkes. HarperCollins/Greenwillow Books.

We Dig Worms! by Kevin McCloskey. Toon Books.

*Whale Trails: Before and Now by Lesa Cline-Ransome. Illus. by G. Brian Karas. Henry Holt and Company/Christy Ottaviano Books.

*When Otis Courted Mama by Kathi Appelt. Illus. by Jill McElmurry. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Where’s the Baboon? by Michaël Escoffier. Illus. by Kris Di Giacomo. Enchanted Lion Books.

Where’s Walrus? and Penguin? by Stephen Savage. Scholastic Press.

The Whisper by Pamela Zagarenski. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

The White Book by Silvia Borando, Elisabetta Pica and Lorenzo Clerici. Candlewick Press.

Who Done It? by Oliver Tallec. Chronicle Books.

Whose Tools? by Toni Buzzeo. IIllus. by Jim Datz. Abrams/Appleseed.

Wolfie the Bunny by Ame Dyckman. Illus. by Zachariah OHora. Little Brown and Company.

*A Wonderful Year by Nick Bruel. Roaring Brook Press/A Neal Porter Book.

Yard Sale by Eve Bunting. Illus. by Lauren Castillo. Candlewick Press.

Zen Socks by Jon J. Muth. Scholastic Press.

FICTION (INCLUDING FICTION, VERSE NOVELS AND GRAPHIC NOVELS)

Adventures with Waffles by Maria Parr. Translated by Guy Puzey. Illus. by Kate Forrester. Candlewick Press.

All the Answers by Kate Messner. Bloomsbury.

Another Kind of Hurricane by Tamara Ellis Smith. Random House/Schwartz & Wade Books.

Appleblossom the Possum by Holly Goldberg Sloan. Illus. by Gary A. Rosen. Penguin Group/Dial Books for Young Readers.

*Audacity by Melanie Crowder. Penguin/Philomel Books.

Baba Yaga’s Assistant by Marika McCoola. Illus. by Emily Carroll. Candlewick Press.

The Bamboo Sword by Marge Preus. Abrams/Amulet Books.

*Bayou Magic by Jewell Parker Rhodes. Little Brown and Company.

*Blackbird Fly by Erin Entrada Kelly. Harper Collins/Greenwillow Books.

Blackthorn Key by Kevin Sands. Simon & Schuster/Alladin.

Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman. Henry Holt & Company/Christy Ottaviano Books.

Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley. Illus. by Diana Sudyka. Penguin/Dial Books for Young Readers.

Completely Clementine by Sara Pennypacker. Illus. by Marla Frazee. Disney/Hyperion.

*The Cottage in the Woods by Katherine Coville. Random House/Alfred A. Knopf.

Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate. Macmillan/Feiwel and Friends.

Cuckoo Song by Frances Hardinge. Abrams/Amulet Books.

The Curious World of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly. Henry Holt and Company.

Dear Hank Williams by Kimberly Willis Holt. Henry Holt and Company/Christy Ottaviano Books.

Detective Gordon: The First Case by Ulf Nilsson. Illus. by Gitte Spee. Translated by Julia Marshall. Gecko Press.

Detective’s Assistant by Kate Hannigan. Little Brown and Company.

The Doldrums by Nicholas Gannon. HarperCollins/Greenwillow Books.

*A Dragon’s Guide to the Care and Feeding of Humans by Laurence Yep and Joanne Ryder. Illus. by Mary GrandPré. Random House/Crown Books for Young Readers.

Dream On, Amber by Emma Shevah. Illus. by Helen Crawford-White. Sourcebooks/Jabberwocky.

*Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan. Illus. by Dinara Mirtalipova. Scholastic Press.

*Finding Serendipity by Angelica Banks. Henry Holt and Company.

Finding the Worm by Mark Goldblatt. Random House.

Firefly Hollow by Alison McGhee. Illus. by Christopher Denise. Simon & Schuster/Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

*Fish in a Tree by Linda Mullaly Hunt. Penguin Group/Nancy Paulsen Books.

Flop to the Top! by Eleanor Davis and Drew Weing. Toon Books.

*Footer Davis Probably Is Crazy by Susan Vaught. Simon Schuster/A Paula Wiseman Book.

Full Cicada Moon by Marilyn Hilton. Penguin Group/Dial Books for Young Readers.

Fuzzy Mud by Louis Sachar. Random House Children’s Books/Delacorte Press.

George by Alex Gino. Scholastic Press.

Gone Crazy in Alabama by Rita Williams-Garcia. HarperCollins/Amistad.

Goodbye Stranger by Rebecca Stead. Random House/Wendy Lamb Books.

The Great War: Stories Inspired by Items from the First World War by multiple authors. Illus. by Jim Kay. Candlewick Press.

Hamster Princess: Harriet the Invincible by Ursula Vernon. Penguin Group/Dial Books for Young Readers.

A Handful of Stars by Cynthia Lord. Scholastic Press.

Hiawatha and the Peacemaker by Robbie Robertson. Illus. by David Shannon. Abrams Books for Young Readers.

The Hired Girl by Laura Amy Schlitz. Candlewick Press.

*Honey by Sarah Weeks. Scholastic Press.

*The Imaginary by A. F. Harrold. Illus. by Emily Gravett. Bloomsbury.

Juba! by Walter Dean Myers. HarperCollins/Armistad.

The Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste. Algonquin Young Readers.

The Lightning Queen by Laura Resau. Scholastic Press.

*Listen, Slowly by Thanhhà Lại. HarperCollins.

Listen to the Moon by Michael Morpurgo. Macmillan/Feiwel and Friends.

Lost in NYC: A Subway Adventure by Nadja Spiegelman. Illus. by Segio García Sánchez. TOON Graphics.

Lost in the Sun by Lisa Graff. Penguin Group/Philomel.

The Lunch Witch by Deb Lucke. Papercutz.

Mars Evacuees by Sophia McDougall. HarperCollins Publishers.

The Marvels by Brian Selznick. Scholastic Press,

*Moon Bear by Gill Lewis. Illus. by Alessandro Gottardo. Simon Schuster/Atheneum.

Moonpenny Island by Tricia Springstubb. Illus. by Gilbert Ford. HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray.

Murder Is Bad Manners by Robin Stevens. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

A Nearer Moon by Melanie Crowder. Simon & Schuster/Atheneum Books.

The Nest by Kenneth Oppel. Illus. by Jon Klassen. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Nooks & Crannies by Jessica Lawson. Illus. by Natalie Andrewson. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

The Only Child by Guojing. Random House/Schwartz & Wade.

Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt/Clarion .
Paper Things by Jennifer Richard Jacobson. Candlewick Press.

*The Penderwicks in Spring by Jeanne Birdsall. Random House/Alfred A. Knopf.

Piper Green and the Fairy Tree by Ellen Potter. Illus. by Qin Leng. Knopf Books for Young Reader.

*Princess Academy: The Forgotten Sisters by Shannon Hale. Bloomsbury.

*The Question of Miracles by Elana K. Arnold. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

*Red Butterfly by A. L. Sonnichsen. Illus. by Amy June Bates. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

*Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson. Penguin/Dial Books for Young Readers.

The Seventh Most Important Thing by Shelley Pearsall. Random House/Alfred A. Knopf.

Shadows of Sherwood: A Robyn Hoodlum Adventure by Kekla Magoon. Bloomsbury.

*Stella by Starlight by Sharon M. Draper. Simon & Schuster/Atheneum.

The Story of Diva and Flea by Mo Willems. Illus. by Tony DiTerlizzi. Disney/Hyperion.

Sunny Side Up by Jennifer Holm. Illus. by Matthew Holm. Scholastic Graphix.

The Tale of Rescue by Michael J. Rosen. Illus. by Stan Fellows. Candlewick Press.

The Thing about Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin. Little, Brown and Company.

*This Side of Home by Renée Watson. Bloomsbury.

The Tortoise and the Soldier: A Story of Courage and Friendship in World War I by Michael Foreman. Henry Holt and Company.

Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee. Penguin/G P Putnam’s Sons.

Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer by Kelly Jones. Illus. by Katie Kath. Random House/Alfred A. Knopf.

*The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley. Penguin/Dial Books for Young Readers.

The Way Home Looks Now by Wendy Wan-Long Shang. Scholastic Press.

We Are All Made of Molecules by Susin Nielson. Random House/Wendy Lamb Books.

*Wish Girl by Nikki Loftin. Penguin/Razorbill.

Written and Drawn by Henrietta by Ricardo Siri Liniers. Toon Books.

INFORMATION PICTURE BOOKS

The Amazing Age of John Roy Lynch by Chris Barton. Illus. by Don Tate. Eerdmans Books for Young Readers.

An Ambush of Tigers: A Wild Gathering of Collective Nouns by Betsy R. Rosenthal. Illus. by Jago. Lerner Publishing Group/Millbrook Press.

The Blue Whale by Jenni Desmond. Enchanted Lion Books.

The Book Itch: Freedom, Truth & Harlem’s Greatest Bookstore by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson. lllus. by R. Gregory Christie. Lerner Publishing Group/Carolrhoda Books.

A Chicken Followed Me Home! Questions and Answers about Familiar Fowl by Robin Page. Simon & Schuster/Beach Lane Books.

*Draw What You See: The Life and Art of Benny Andrews by Kathleen Benson. Illus. by Benny Andrews. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt/Clarion Books.

*Earmuffs for Everyone: How Chester Greenwood Became Known as the Inventor of Earmuffs by Meghan McCarthy. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers/A Paula Wiseman Book.

*Egg: Nature’s Perfect Package by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page. Illus. by Steve Jenkins. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

*Emmanuel’s Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah by Laurie Ann Thompson. Illus. by Sean Qualls. Random House/Schwartz and Wade.

*Flowers Are Calling by Rita Gray. Illus. by Kenard Pak. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

The Flying Birds by Eun-sun Han. Illus. by R. Ju-kyoung Kim. TanTan Publishing.

Frederick’s Journey: The Life of Frederick Douglass by Doreen Rappaport. Disney/Jump at the Sun.

Game Changer: John McLendon and the Secret Game by John Coy. Illus. by Randy DuBurke. Lerner Publishing Group/Carolrhoda Books.

*Gingerbread for Liberty: How a German Baker Helped with the American Revolution by Mara Rockliff. Illus. by Vincent X. Kirsch. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Growing Up Pedro: How the Martinez Brothers Made It from the Dominican Republic All the Way to the Major Leagues by Matt Tavares. Candlewick Press.

Hippos Are Huge! by Jonathan London. Illus. by Matthew Trueman. Candlewick Press.

The House That Jane Built: A Story about Jane Addams by Tanya Lee Stone. Illus. by Kathryn Brown. Henry Holt and Company/Christy Ottaviano Books.

How to Swallow a Pig: Step-by-step Advice from the Animal Kingdom by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

I’m Trying to Love Spiders (It Isn’t Easy) by Bethany Barton. Penguin Group/Viking.

*In Mary’s Garden by Tina and Carson Kügler. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

My Story, My Dance: Robert Battle’s Journey to Alvin Ailey by Lesa Cline-Ransome. Illus. by James E. Ransome. Simon & Schuster Books for Young People/A Paula Wiseman Book.

A Nest Is Noisy by Dianna Hutts Aston. Illus. by Sylvia Long. Chronicle Books.

The Nutcracker Comes To America: How Three Ballet-Loving Brothers Created A Holiday Tradition by Chris Barton. Illus. by Cathy Gendron. Lerner Publishing Group/Millbrook Press.

*One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of the Gambia by Miranda Paul. Illus. by Elizabeth Zunan. Lerner/Millbrook Press.

Poet: The Remarkable Story of George Moses Horton by Don Tate. Peachtree Publishers.

Queen of the Diamond: The Lizzie Murphy Story by Emily Arnold McCully. Farrar Strauss Giroux/Margaret Ferguson Books.

*Raindrops Roll by April Pulley Sayre. Simon & Schuster/Beach Lane.

Small Wonders: Jean-Henri Fabre & His World of Insects by Matthew Clark Smith. iIlus. by Giuliano Ferri. Two Lions.

Swan: The Life and Dance of Anna Pavlova by Laurel Snyder. Illus. by Julie Morstad. Chronicle Books.

*Swing Sisters: The Story of the International Sweethearts of Rhythm by Karen Deans. Illus. by Joe Cepeda. Holiday House.

Tree of Wonder: The Many Marvelous Lives of a Rainforest Tree by Kate Messner. Illus. by Simona Mulazzani. Chronicle Books.

*Trombone Shorty by Troy Andrews. Illus. by Bryan Collier. Abram Books.

Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner. Illus. by Christopher Silis Neal. Chronicle Books.

Water Is Water: A Book about the Water Cycle by Miranda Paul. Illus. by Jason Chin. Roaring Book Press/A Neal Porter Book.

Woodpecker Wham! by April Pulley Sayre. Illus. by Steve Jenkins. Henry Holt and Company.

NON-FICTION (INCLUDING INFORMATION PICTURE BOOKS, POETRY AND FOLKLORE)

*28 Days: Moments in Black History That Changed the World by Charles R. Smith Jr. Illus. by Shane Evans. Roaring Brook Press/A Neal Porter Book.

*Big Red Kangaroo by Claire Saxby. Illus. by Graham Byrne. Candlewick Press.

*Bird & Diz by Gary Golio. Illus. by Ed Young. Candlewick Press.

The Boy Who Fell off the Mayflower, or John Howland’s Good Fortune by P.J. Lynch. Candlewick Press.

The Boys Who Challenged Hitler: Knud Pedersen and the Churchill Club by Phillip Hoose. Farrar Straus Giroux.

Breakthrough! How Three People Saved “Blue Babies” and Changed Medicine Forever by Jim Murphy. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt/Clarion Books.

*The Case for Loving: The Fight for Interracial Marriage by Selina Alko. Illus. by Sean Qualls and Selina Alko. Scholastic/Arthur A Levine Books.

Child Soldier: When Boys and Girls Are Used in War by Jessica Dee Humphreys & Michel Chikwanine, Illus. by Claudia Dάvila. Kids Can Press/CitizenKids

Drowned City: Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans by Don Brown. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Emu by Claire Saxby. Illus. by Graham Byrne. Candlewick Press.

*Enormous Smallness: A Story of E. E. Cummings by Matthew Burgess. Illus. by Kris Di Giacomo. Enchanted Lion Books.

Enchanted Air: Two Cultures, Two Wings: A Memoir by Margarita Engle. Simon & Schuster/Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Extraordinary People: A Semi-Comprehensive Guide to Some of the World’s Most Fascinating Individuals by Michael Hearst. Illus. by Aaron Scamihorn. Chronicle Books.

*Fatal Fever: Tracking Down Typhoid Mary by Gail Jarrow. Highlights/Calkins Creek.

*First Flight around the World: The Adventures of the American Fliers Who Won the Race by Tim Grove. Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum/Abram Books.

Funny Bones: Posada and His Day of the Dead Calaveras by Duncan Tonatiuh. Abrams Books for Young Readers.

Gordon Parks: How the Photographer Captured Black and White America by Carole Boston Weatherford. Illus. by Jamey Christoph. Albert Whitman and Company.

Honor Girl by Maggie Thrash. Candlewick Press.

Human Body Theater by Maris Wicks. Roaring Brook Press/First Second.

I Will Always Write Back: How One Letter Changed Two Lives by Caitlin Alifirenka and Martin Ganda, with Liz Welch. Little Brown and Company.

The Inker’s Shadow by Allen Say. Scholastic Press.

The Inventor’s Secret: What Thomas Edison Told Henry Ford by Suzanne Slade. Illus. by Jennifer Black Reinhardt. Charlesbridge Publishing.

Ira’s Shakespeare Dream by Glenda Armand. Illus. by Floyd Cooper. Lee and Low Books.

Iron Rails, Iron Men, and the Race to Link the Nation: The Story of the Transcontinental Railroad by Martin W. Sandler. Illus. by Karen Minot (map illustrations). Candlewick Press.

Lincoln’s Spymaster: Allan Pinkerton, America’s First Private Eye by Samantha Seiple. Scholastic Press.

Mad about Monkeys by Owen Davey. Flying Eye Books.

March: Book Two by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin. Illus. by Nate Powell. Top Shelf Productions.

Mesmerized: How Ben Franklin Solved a Mystery That Baffled All of France by Mara Rockliff. Illus. by Iacopo Bruno. Candlewick Press.

The Most Amazing Creature in the Sea by Brenda Z. Guiberson. Illus. by Gennady Spirin. Henry Holt and Company.

Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War by Steve Sheinkin. Roaring Brook Press.

The Octopus Scientists: Exploring the Mind of a Mollusk by Sy Montgomery. Photos by Keith Ellenbogen.

*Rad American Women A to Z: Rebels, Trailblazers, and Visionaries Who Shaped Our History… and Our Future by Kate Schatz. Illus. by Miriam Klein Stahl. City Lights Books.

Rhythm Ride: A Road Trip through the Motown Sound by Andrea Davis Pinkney. Roaring Brook Press.

Sand Swimmers: The Secret Life of Australia’s Desert Wilderness by Narelle Oliver. Candlewick Press.

Sex Is a Funny Word: A Book about Bodies, Feelings, and YOU by Cory Silverberg. Illus. by Fiona Smyth. Seven Stories Press/Triangle Square.

Spidermania: Friends on the Web by Alexandra Siy. Illus. by Dennis Kunkel. Holiday House.

Steve Jobs: Insanely Great by Jessie Hartland. Random House/Schwartz & Wade Books.

Stonewall: Breaking Out in the Fight for Gay Rights by Ann Bausum. Macmillan/Roaring Brook Press.

Terrible Typhoid Mary: A True Story of the Deadliest Cook in America by Susan Campbell Bartoletti. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Tommy: The Gun that Changed America by Karen Blumenthal. Roaring Brook Press.

A Tower of Giraffes: Animals in Groups by Anna Wright. Charlesbridge Publishing.

*Tricky Vic: The Impossibly True Story of the Man Who Sold the Eiffel Tower by Greg Pizzoli. Penguin Group/Viking.

*Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom: My Story of the 1965 Selma Voting Rights March by Lynda Blackmon Lowery. Illus. by P J Loughran. Penguin/Dial Books.

The Underground Abductor: An Abolitionist Tale by Nathan Hale. Abrams/Amulet Books.

Untamed: The Wild Life of Jane Goodall by Anita Silvey. National Geographic.

Welcome to New Zealand: A Nature Journal by Sandra Morris. Candlewick Press.

A Year without Mom by Dasha Tolstikova. House of Anansi Press/Groundwood Books.

POETRY

Amazing Places. Compiled by Lee Bennett Hopkins. Illus. by Chris Soentpiet & Christy Hale. Lee & Low Books.

Beastly Verse. Compiled and illustrated by JooHee Yoon. Enchanted Lion Books.

*Death of the Hat: A Brief History of Poetry in 50 Objects. Compiled by Paul B. Janeczko. Illus. by Chris Raschka. Candlewick Press.

Flutter & Hum = Aleteo y zumbido: Animal Poems = Poemas de animals. Complied by Julie Paschkis. Illlus. by Julie Paschkis. Henry Holt & Company.

*Lullaby & Kisses Sweet: Poems to Love with Your Baby. Compiled by Lee Bennett Hopkins. Illus. by Alyssa Nassner. Abrams/Appleseed.

My Seneca Village by Marilyn Nelson. Namelos.

National Geographic Book of Nature Poetry: More than 200 Poems With Photographs That Float, Zoom, and Bloom! Compiled by J. Patrick Lewis. National Geographic.

Over the Hills and Far Away: A Treasury of Nursery Rhymes. Compiled by Elizabeth Hammill. Illus. by multiple artists. Candlewick Press.

The Popcorn Astronauts: And Other Biteable Rhymes by Deborah Ruddell. Illus. by Joan Rankin. Simon & Schuster/Margaret K. McElderry Books.

Sail Away by Langston Hughes. Illus. by Ashley Bryan. Simon & Schuster/Atheneum Books.

The Sky Painter: Louis Fuertes, Bird Artist by Margarita Engle. Illus. by Aliona Bereghici. Two Lions.

Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer, Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement by Carole Boston Weatherford. Illus. by Ekua Holmes. Candlewick Press.

**********************************************************************************

You might also be interested in looking at the 2016 Notable Children’s Sound Recordings discussion list which was posted on Tuesday and the 2016 Notable Children’s Videos discussion list which was posted yesterday afternoon.

The post Notable Children’s Books — 2016 Discussion List appeared first on ALSC Blog.

The 2016 (Andrew) Carnegie Notable Children’s Videos Committee, chaired by Liz Deskins, will be discussing more than 30 DVDs published in 2015 and invite you to listen in. This committee is tasked with two functions: first, to select the most distinguished American Video (DVD) for children; and second, to select and annotate a list of notable videos of interest to children. Check out the times and location in the ALA Midwinter Scheduler.

Titles to be discussed will include:

• A Dance for Starlight : One Ballerina’s Dream. Dreamscape
• A House for Hermit Crab. Scholastic
• Benno and the Night of Broken Glass. Dreamscape
• Benny Goodman & Teddy Wilson: Taking the stage as the first black-and white jazz band in history. Dreamscape
• Billy and Goat at the State Fair. Dreamscape
• Boom Snot Twitty: This way that way. Dreamscape
• Go to Sleep, Groundhog. Dreamscape
• Going Places. Dreamscape
• Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs. Scholastic
• Greenhorn: A Story of Friendship & Tragedy in the Aftermath of the Holocaust. TMW Media Group
• Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins. Dreamscape
• I Had a Favorite Dress. Dreamscape
• I’m Brave! Scholastic
• Ivan: the remarkable story of the shopping mall gorilla. Scholastic
• Looking at Lincoln. Dreamscape
• Mogie: the heart of the house. Dreamscape
• Mumbet’s Declaration of Independence. Dreamscape
• Nino Wrestles the World. Dreamscape
• On a Beam of Light: a story of Albert Einstein. Dreamscape
• Once Upon a Star: The Magic Mirror. Dawnsign Press
• Peanut Butter and Jellyfish. Scholastic
• Reason for Hope, Reasons to Live: Preventing youth suicide. Human Relations Media
• Say NO to Negative Peer Pressure. Human Relations Media
• Scaredy Squirrel at Night. Scholastic
• That is Not a Good Idea. Scholastic
• The Basic Hygiene Video. Human Relations Media
• The Legend of Marshmallow Island. Mystic Drumz
• The Moon Book. Dreamscape
• The Rocket’s Red Glare: Celebrating the history of the Star Spangled Banner. Dreamscape
• The Sweet Beat. Jump with Jill
• The Tiny Seed. Scholastic
• The Toxic Life Cycle of a Cigarette. Human Relations Media
• The Watcher. Dreamscape
• The Weatherman and the Shadow Boxer. National Film Board of Canada
• The Whispering Town. Dreamscape
• Thomas Jefferson: Life, liberty, and the pursuit of everything. Dreamscape
• Viva Frida. Dreamscape
• Zoe’s Jungle. Dreamscape

**********************************************************************

 You might also be interested in looking at the 2016 Notable Children’s Sound Recordings discussion list which was posted on Tuesday and the 2016 Notable Children’s Books discussion list which will be posted tomorrow.

The post Notable Children’s Videos – 2016 Discussion List appeared first on ALSC Blog.

Barbara Scotto, the chair of the 2016 Notable Children’s Recordings Committee, and the entire NCR committee, invite you to join them at their Midwinter discussions, taking place in the Renaissance Waterfront, Room Georges, at the following times:

Friday, January 8, 8:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Saturday, January 9, 8:30 am – 5:30 pm
Sunday, January 10, 1:30 pm – 9:00 pm

The complete discussion list is below:

A Dragon’s Guide to the Care and Feeding of Humans, 3 hrs 58 min, cd, $30.00, Listening Library, 9781101891582

A House for a Hermit Crab, 11 min, cd+bk, $12.95, Weston Woods, 9780545875004

A Plague of Bogles, 7 hrs 16 min, cd, $45.00, Listening Library, 9780553556261

All American Boys, 6 hrs 30 min, mp3, $17.99, Simon & Schuster, 9781442398672

All Around This World: Africa, 1 hr 24 min, cd, $18.99, CD Baby/Sugar Mountain

All Fall Down, 8 hrs 34 min, cd, $74.99, Scholastic, 9780545788342

Appleblossom the Possum, 3 hrs 39 min, cd, Listening Library, 9781101892374

Bayou Magic, 4 hrs 45 min, cd, $46.75, Recorded Books, 9781490694269

Best Friend Next Door, 4 hrs 44 min, cd, $25.99, Weston Woods, 9780545857710

Betty Bunny Wants a Goal, 12 min, cd+bk , $29.95, Live Oak Media, 9781430120087

Brother Hugo and the Bear, 14 min, cd, $14.99, Dreamscape, 9781681416236

Bugs in My Hair, 6 min, cd+bk, $12.95, Weston Woods, 9780545790154
Calling All Elephants, 38 min, cd, $14.98, Song Wizard Records

Cartwheeling in Thunderstorms, 6 hrs 30 min, cd, $66.75, Recorded Books, 9781490664330

Circus Mirandus, 6 hrs 19 min, cd, $40.00, Listening Library, 9781101892336

Classic Songs and Traditional Tunes, 41 minutes, $14.98, Andyland Music

Cody and the Fountain of Happiness, cd, 1hr 54 min, $14.99, Brilliance Audio, 9781501215827

Completely Clementine, cd, 3 hrs 15 min, $30.75, Recorded Books, 9781490625225

Crystal, 5 hrs, cd, $51.75, Recorded Books, 9781470392963

Cuddlebug Parade, 37 min, cd, $12.00, Sweetly Spun Parade/D Baby.com, 889211153558

Dante of the Maury River, 7 hrs 7 min, cd, $22.99, Brilliance Audio, 9781501215834

Deep Woods Revival, 35 min, cd, $15.00, Red Yarn Productions

Dork Diaries 9: Tales from a Not-So-Dorky Drama Queen, 3 hrs, $14.99, Simon & Schuster Audio, 9781442370234

Echo, 12 hrs, cd, $79.99, Scholastic Audio, 9780545788373

Evil Spy School, 6 hrs, cd, $29.99. Simon & Schuster Audio, 9781442382626

Finding the Worm, 7 hr 1 min, cd, $40.00, Listening Library, 9780553552447

Firefly Hollow, 4 hrs 45 min, cd, $46,75, Recorded Books, 9781490651101

Fish in a Tree, 5 hrs 45 min, cd, $35.00, Listening Library, 9781101890691

Galactic Hot Dogs 1: Cosmoe Wiener’s Cosmic Getaway 2 hrs, cd, $14.99, Simon & Schuster Audio, 9781442385221

Glory Be, 4 hrs 27 min, download, $24,50, Scholastic Audio, 9780545735292

Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs, 14 min, cd+bk, $12.95, Weston Woods, 9780545842709

Goodbye Stranger, 6 hrs 59 min, cd, $35.00, Listening Library, 9781101916315

Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins, 21 min, $14.99, Dreamscape, 9781681416724

Home, 37 minutes, cd, $19.99, Independent release

Hot Air, 38 min, cd, $16.99, Recess Monkey

Infinity and Me, 12 min, cd+ bk, $29.95, Live Oak Media, 9781430120049

Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla, 12 min, cd+bk,Weston Woods, 9780545879187

Jack: The True Story of Jack in the Beanstalk, 7 hrs 58 min, cd, $45.00. Listening Library, 9780553551259

Jazz for L’il Jumpers, 42 minutes, cd, $10.00, Independent release

Juba, 4 hrs 27 min, download, $15.00, Harper Audio, 9780062188304

Judy Moody and Stink: The Wishbone Wish, 1 hr 3 min, cd, $14.99, Brilliance Audio, 9781501200199

Jump Back, Paul: The Life and Poems of Paul Lawrence Dunbar, 2 hrs 37 min, cd, $24.99, Brilliance Audio. 9781491502211

Kay Thompson’s Eloise Audio Collection, 1 hr 30 min, cd, 14.99, Simon & Schuster Audio, 9781442391741

Look Both Ways in the Barrio Blanco, 6 hrs 12 min, $22.99, Brilliance Audio, 9781501215872

Magic Treehouse Super Edition #1: Danger in the Darkest Hour, 3 hrs 2 min, cd, $19.95, Listening Library, 9780553552652

Mark of the Thief, 8 hrs 28 min, cd, $79.99, Scholastic Audio, 9780545788564

Midnight Thief, 12 hrs, cd, $108,75, Recorded Books, 9781490651545

Mister Max: The Book of Kings, 10 hrs 15 min, cd, $50.00, Listening Library, 9780804122139

Most Dangerous, 7 hrs 52 min, cd, $45.00, Listening Library, 9780553552775

Ms. Rapscott’s Girls, 3 hrs 40 min, cd, $27.00, Listening Library, 9781101890653

Nooks & Crannies, 7 hrs 27 min, cd, $39.99, Dreamscape, 9781681410678

Nursery Rhyme Parade, 37 min, cd, $13.00, Furious Rose Productions

Nuts to You, 2 hrs 45 min, cd, $30.75, Recorded Books, 9781490651224

Old Wolf, 3 hrs 30 min, cd, $19.99, Simon & Schuster Audio, 9781442389953

Once Upon a Timeless Tale, 1 hr 3 min, cd, $19.99, Brilliance Audio, 9781486263769

Orphan Army, 9 hrs 47 min, mp3, $17.99, Simon & Schuster Audio, 9781442 389526

Papa Is a Poet, 18 min, cd+bk, $12.95, Weston Woods, 9780545842570

Paula Danziger’s Amber Brown Is Tickled Pink,1 hr 54 min, cd, $22.95, Live Oak Media, 9781430118923

Pip Bartlett’s Guide to Magical Creatures, 4 hrs 12 min, cd, $49.99, Scholastic Audio, 9780545838337

Pluto: A Wonder Story, 2 hrs 10 min, cd, $14.99, Brilliance Audio, 9781491524138

Ratscalibur, 3 hrs 36 min, $27.00, cd, Listening Library, 9781101915301

Saddlebottom, 1 hr 41 min, cd, $11.99, Brilliance Audio, 97814862473349

Sing-Along History, Vol.1: Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!, 35 min, cd, $10.00, CD Baby/Sugar Mountain

Smek for President!, 6 hrs, cd, $30.00, Listening Library, 9780553395686

Sophie’s Squash, 15 min, cd+bk, $15.75, Recorded Books, 9781490683409

Stella by Starlight, 6 hrs 30 min, cd, $24.99 Simon & Schuster, 9781442380394

Stolen Magic, 7 hrs 37 min, download, $19.99, Harper Audio, 9780067388544

Stradivari’s Gift, 37 min, cd, $12.99, Atlantic Crossing/Naxos of America, 701807997837

Switch, 7 hrs 26 min, cd, $40.00, Listening Library, 9781101925713

That Is Not a Good Idea, 5 min, cd+bk, $12.95, Weston Woods, 9780545875330

The Boy in the Black Suit, 7 hrs 45 min, cd, $77.75, Recorded Books, 9781490658827

The Boys in the Boat, 5 hrs 36 min, cd, $35.00, Listening Library, 9781101924874

The Cottage in the Woods, 12 hrs 46 min, cd, $55.00, Listening Library, 9780553556223

The Curse of the Buttons, 3 hrs 9 min, $24.99, Brilliance Audio, 9781491502143

The Eagles Are Back, 11 min, cd+bk, $29.95, Live Oak Media, 9781430117773

The Enchanted Files: Diary of a Mad Brownie, 4 hrs 58 min, cd, $35.00, Listening Library, 9780553552294

The Friendship Riddle, 7 hrs 45 min, cd, $77.75, Recorded Books, 9781490666778

The Hired Girl, 12 hrs 45 min, cd, $87.75, Recorded Books, 9781490632230

The Honest Truth, 4 hrs12 min, cd, $24.99, Brilliance Audio, 9781491519011

The Hope Chest, 7 hrs 9 min, cd, $55.00, Listening Library, 9781101915769

The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place, Bk. 5: The Unmapped Sea, 9 hrs 40 min, download, $24.99, Harper Audio, 9780062397935

The Jumbies, 5 hrs 15 min, cd, $51.75, Recorded Books, 9781490664651

The League of Beastly Dreadfuls, 6 hrs 41 minutes, cd, $40.00, Listening Library, 9781101891667

The Lightning Queen, 8 hrs, 16 min, cd, $34.99, Scholastic Audio, 978054592117

The Mr. Men Collection, 59 min, cd, $10.00, Listening Library, 9781101891285

The Mr. Men Collection, #3, 53 min, download, $22,00, Listening Library, 9781101891438

The Mr. Men Collection, #4, 57 min, download, $22.00, Listening Library, 978 110 1891452

The Nest, 3 hrs 30 min, cd, $14.99, Simon & Schuster Audio, 9781442391260

The Odds of Getting Even, 8 hrs 15 min, cd, $40.00, Listening Library, 9781101892411

The Terrible Two, 6 hrs 15 min, download, $30.00, Blackstone Audio, 9781481515306

The Unlikely Adventures of Mabel Jones, 3 hrs 46 min, cd, $27.00, Listening Library, 9781101915400

The Wainscott Weasel, 4 hrs 30 min, mp3, $19.99, Simon & Schuster Audio, 9781442383425

The War That Saved My Life, 7 hrs 38 min, cd, $40.00, Listening Library, 9780553556537

The Worst Class Trip Ever, 3 hrs 59 min, cd, $19.99, Brilliance Audio, 9781491585658

These Shallow Graves, 13 hrs 32 min, cd, $60.00, Listening Library, 9781101916261

This is the Rope, 9 min, cd + bk, $12.95, Weston Woods, 9780545790512

This Side of Wild, 3 hrs, cd. $14.99, Simon & Schuster Audio, 9781442389618

Timmy Failure, #3: We Meet Again, 2 hrs 15 min, cd, $25,75, Recorded Books, 9781490620879

Tombquest, Bk.1: Book of the Dead, 4 hr 37 min, cd, $49.99, Scholastic Audio, 9780545788403

Trollhunters, 7 hrs, cd, $66.75, Recorded Books, 9781490694320

Trouble Is a Friend of Mine, 8 hrs 49 min, cd, $49.99, Listening Library, 9781101892497

Under the Egg, 5 hrs 55 min, cd, $35.00, Listening Library, 9781101915509

Upside-Down Magic, 3 hrs 8 min, cd, $39.99, Scholastic Audio, 9780545881715

Vendetta, 6 hrs 45 min, cd, $77.75, Recorded Books, 9781490677477

We Are All Made of Molecules, 5 hrs 45 min, cd, $35,00, Listening Library, 9780553556308

Woof, 7 hrs 4 min, cd, $64.99, Scholastic Audio, 978054583835

***************************************************************************

You might also be interested in looking at the 2016 Notable Children’s Videos discussion list which will be posted tomorrow and the Notable Children’s Books discussion list which will be posted on Thursday.

The post Notable Children’s Sound Recordings — 2016 Discussion List appeared first on ALSC Blog.

Among the standard review and professional journals to which my library subscribes, there are a few that are a little more unusual to find in a public librarian’s inbox. Literacy Today, the journal of the International Literacy Association (ILA), is one of these. I certainly had never encountered it before I started in this job, but I’ve come to look forward to each issue. While ILA members come from a wide range of disciplines, I particularly value the perspectives of classroom teachers that I get from reading Literacy Today.

Source: www.literacyworldwide.org

A recent article on using challenging materials in the classroom resonated with me because of my work on the Intellectual Freedom Committee. More and more, the challenges to reading material for young people that we’re seeing across the country are coming from school libraries and class reading assignments more than from public library collections. As we consider ways in which we as librarians can support our schools in promoting the importance of challenging reads, I found the two differing opinions on navigating book selection in the classroom featured in this article to be truly thought-provoking.

ILA has generously allowed us to provide the article here, so I encourage you to take a few minutes to read and consider it.

Source: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt website

I’m intrigued by the middle school teacher who whets her students’ appetites for challenging materials by using excerpts in class, but encourages them to seek out the full book outside of school in order to avoid parent complaints. It’s evident that this approach to potentially forbidden fruit gets teens excited about reading these titles.

At the same time, I understand the perspective of the high school teacher who worries that teachers deferring to outside pressure are diminishing their roles as professional educators. Additionally, as IF advocates frequently point out, no one can ever predict what someone else will consider “offensive” or “inappropriate.”

What do you think of these two viewpoints? Does the first suggestion offer an acceptable compromise for teachers looking to avoid reconsideration battles? Or does it give in too much to a “potential challenge” that may never come? Do you have other examples of ways in which teachers navigate the selection of classroom reading assignments? Please share your thoughts in the comments, and visit literacyworldwide.org for more information on Literacy Today magazine and the International Literacy Association.

Chelsea Couillard-Smith, Co-Chair ALSC Intellectual Freedom Committee

Two Takes article from Sept/Oct 2015 issue of Literacy Today shared with permission of the International Literacy Association.

The post Two Takes on Challenging Materials appeared first on ALSC Blog.

Every year libraries and schools around the United States offer Mock Election programs in preparation for the annual Youth Media Awards. These discussions are a great opportunity for children’s literature aficionados to gather and talk about a topic they love and to learn more about some of the great, recently published books for kids.

We are developing a page on the ALSC Blog with many of the results from this year’s Mock Elections around the country. Check it out here. You can also find this tab on the homepage of the ALSC Blog.

So far, we have some results from:

• Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana
• Eastern Shore Libraries
• Lane Libraries, the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, and other nearby schools in southwest Ohio
• Massachusetts Library System

We’d love to include your Mock Election. If you are willing to have us post your results, just send off the names of your mock winner and honor titles to [email protected] with other pertinent information you would like to share, including the name of your library, your city/state, a url to your library and/or Mock Election site, the number of participants, and a contact name & email for further information.

We look forward to posting a wide variety of results. Check back often to see what titles libraries and schools are selecting this year in their Youth Media Award Mock Elections. And stay tuned to find out the real winners as they are announced at the Midwinter Conference on January 11, 2016 in Boston.

The post Mock Election Results appeared first on ALSC Blog.

I wonder how many children’s librarians work for forty years without ever facing a challenge to a book in their collection.

I finally had one this summer, when a parent objected to the inclusion of Robie Harris’ much-acclaimed It’s NOT the Stork! on our list of suggested reading for children entering second grade. The parent, whom I’ll call “Dr. Z,” wanted the title struck from the list and also removed from the juvenile nonfiction shelves and placed in our Parenting collection. Dr. Z wrote that its inclusion on the reading list and its placement on open shelves “ignores cultural values of many families.”

As a member of ALSC’s Intellectual Freedom Committee, I felt pretty well-equipped to deal with this matter. Every challenge has individual peculiarities, of course, and I hope it will interest my fellow librarians to learn how it’s playing out here.

Dr. Z’s original complaint was voiced in an email to our Library Director, but I took the lead in responding to her:

1) I explained that the reading lists in question are produced in collaboration between the public children’s librarians and the school media specialists of our school district. There are over one hundred titles on each list and none of them are required reading. In compiling the lists we are careful to include a wide range of books on a variety of subjects, in a range of genres and levels. This is precisely because we feel that will allow individual families to make choices about what their children read. We expect and understand that not every book on the lists will be enjoyed equally by every child in the community. I mentioned that It’s NOT the Stork! had been on the suggested reading list for second graders for three years and that this was the first complaint that we’d received.

 2) I pointed to the starred reviews It’s NOT the Stork! had received in School Library Journal, Booklist, Kirkus Reviews and The Horn Book and that all of these professional review sources suggested that it be used with children in Kindergarten through 3rd grade and that Harris’ book was an American Library Association Notable Book for 2006.

3) I wrote that, since the reading lists are revised annually and titles are dropped and added every year, we librarians would take her concerns into account when drawing up the lists for the summer of 2016.

4) I further noted that because any child under the age of ten must be accompanied by a parent or adult caregiver when using our library, there is ample opportunity for vetting children’s selections, should the adult choose to do so.

In case my answers did not satisfy Dr. Z. and to ensure that she would know that we were taking her concerns seriously, I attached copies of our Materials Selection Policy as well as our Library Materials Reconsideration Policy and Library Materials Reconsideration Form. I also copied the email correspondence to the librarian at the elementary school Dr. Z’s child attends, so that she would be aware of the complaint before the school year began.

Our Library Director contacted ALA’s Office of Intellectual Freedom, to apprise them of the challenge. They offered to help, if necessary, in several ways—including enlisting Robie Harris herself an articulate defender of her own work.

It came as no particular surprise that Dr. Z. did file the Materials Reconsideration Form, again requesting that the book be removed from the reading list and moved from the children’s nonfiction section and into our Parenting collection. In a further email she wrote, “We felt that we deserved some apology for being put in distress for about a month now after a visit to our public library. While you are reasoning about the book’s awards I am left to deal with my son’s hysterical laughing spells…which are giving me insomnia.” Faced with this formal complaint, we proceeded to follow our library’s policies to reconsider the book.

In the meantime, the plot thickened when Dr. Z. informed me that her child’s school principal had promised that the book would be removed from the reading list. Since the school principals aren’t involved in drawing up the lists, I heard this news with some alarm. The school librarian had not contacted me regarding the emails I’d forwarded to her, but given that the original complaint arose at the end of August and that the busy school year had just begun, I understood the delay. But the principal’s promise called for an immediate consultation. We conferred by phone and I learned that Dr. Z. had confronted the principal during Back-to-School Night. In what was probably a defensive move, the principal had, indeed, promised that the book would be removed from the reading list. She knows full well that the lists are compiled by the librarians and was very clear that she doesn’t want to be involved in the process. She’d just made a mistake in the heat of the moment. Her promise did complicate the matter, however.

Back at the Library, we formed a committee of five members: the Library Director, a reference librarian who has two children in the school system, a former Library Board member who is the director of a local preschool, the Youth Services Coordinator of a neighboring library system (our own library system—alas—no longer has a Youth Services Consultant) and me, as Head of Children’s Services. All the members of the committee read the book, the email exchanges, the request for reconsideration, reviews of the book and ALA’s “Library Bill of Rights” and “Access to Library Resources and Services for Minors” in preparation for our meeting.

The committee discussed Dr. Z’s requests in relation to our philosophy and process in composing our suggested reading lists and the composition and function of our Parenting collection. Currently, this collection is comprised of nonfiction for adults concerning parenting issues, but it doesn’t contain any juvenile nonfiction. All of our books on human reproduction—offering a large and varied range of detail and specificity—are shelved with the juvenile nonfiction on open shelves. We talked about the possibility that parents might mistakenly interpret the reading lists as required summer assignments for their children. I assured them that when we visit each class at the end of the school year, as well as any time we help children using the lists during the summer, we stress that the lists are only suggestions and that we are happy to find other books for them if they don’t want to read what’s on the lists. I explained that we try to keep designated shelves stocked with titles from the lists during the summer, but that there are always more titles on the lists than can fit onto those shelves at one time.

The committee decided to advise Dr. Z. that the librarians would take her concerns into consideration when we meet to draw up the reading lists for 2016 and that our copies of It’s NOT the Stork! would remain shelved with children’s nonfiction rather than being relocated to our Parenting collection. Email and postal letters to this effect were sent to Dr. Z. last week. We have yet to hear a response.

How would you have handled this complaint in your own community? Are there reasons you would have approached the matter differently? Would you have come to a different resolution?

The post A Challenge of My Own appeared first on ALSC Blog.

Three years ago two 5th grade boys fist pumped after they watched the live stream of the Newbery award being announced Midwinter.  “Our book won! Our book won!” they screamed on that day and many days to follow.

Since then I can say confidently that I run a successful 10-week Newbery Committee project alongside my fifth grade team.  I had kids wishing so hard for The Crossover to win the Newbery, they had every joint in their body crossed.  Then when the weather forecasters announced we had a snow day on February 2, 2015, tears poured down their cheeks since it meant not being together to find out the real winner. They did manage to find the link to the live stream on their own!

This year I’m still doing Newbery but also ready to branch out.  Last Spring when I asked a first grade teacher if she would collaborate with me on a Caldecott project her face lit up.  Then I went to Annual (I had to see Kwame accept his award) and some very insightful librarian suggested that I should do a Mock Geisel.  Wouldn’t that be perfect for first graders?  YES!  But wait! Who was this masked person? Where are you when I need help?  I don’t even know where to begin.  I tried Twitter twice and luckily that’s how I landed here.  I am ISO of YOU to help me out!  Do you have a book list?  Would you like to work together?  Are you a Geisel junkie?

There are no Mock lists on Goodreads.  Google “Geisel Award” and you get taken to the ALSC Awards page.  So please, let’s connect!  Want to get our students reviewing books together?  I’m here.  Are you an author or illustrator who wants to Skype?  Let’s do it!  Did you just read a perfect contender for the Geisel award?  Please share.  I can’t wait to make this happen.

This January 11, not only do I want to be on the edge of my seat with my fifth graders waiting for the Newbery announcement, I want to be fist pumping my collaborating first grade teacher and our star studded 6 year olds after hearing that “our book won!”

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Photo courtesy of guest blogger

Today’s guest blogger is Stacey Rattner. Stacey — the “crazy leaping librarian” — loves to jump with her elementary school students at Castleton Elementary School in upstate New York.  You can find her thoughts about school, books, food, theatre and more @staceybethr or librarianleaps.blogspot.com or her doings and leaping in the library @C_ESLibrary. 

Please note that as a guest post, the views expressed here do not represent the official position of ALA or ALSC.

If you’d like to write a guest post for the ALSC Blog, please contact Mary Voors, ALSC Blog manager, at [email protected].

The post ISO Mock Geisel Award Help appeared first on ALSC Blog.

What distinguished 2015 picture book is going to join the ranks of Beekle, Amos McGee, Mirette, and those mosquitoes that buzz in peoples in ears and win the 2016 Caldecott Medal? The committee is just anxious to find out as you are! Did you know you can make the suggestions to the Caldecott Selection Committee? Yep, and we take your suggestions seriously. So if you opened a 2015 picture book and gasped at the breathtaking beauty on the page, let us know. If you marveled at the brilliant subversiveness when art plays against the expectations of the text, please share. If you have delighted in an illustrator’s exceptional technique in the service of storytelling or sharing information in a compelling way, do tell.

The 2016 Caldecott Award Committee is asking the ALSC membership to submit titles for consideration. The Caldecott Medal, along with Honors selected by the commitee, is presented annually to the to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children published in 2015.

You can read the complete terms, definitions, and criteria here, but please make sure the picture books you suggest demonstrate:

• Excellence of execution in the artistic technique employed;
• Excellence of pictorial interpretation of story, theme, or concept;
• Appropriateness of style of illustration to the story, theme or concept;
• Delineation of plot, theme, characters, setting, mood or information through the pictures;
• Excellence of presentation in recognition of a child audience.

Please remember only books illustrated by an American from the 2015 publishing year are under consideration for the award. Also please note that publishers, authors, illustrators, or editors may not suggest their own titles.

And on One Fine Day in January, likely a Snowy Day, All the World will find out which book will shine on for Many Moons.

Please send suggestions to Rachel Payne (Caldecott Committee Chair) at [email protected]

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Today’s guest blogger is Rachel Payne, 2016 Caldecott Committee Chair.

The post Call for suggestions – 2016 Caldecott Award appeared first on ALSC Blog.

In your year of reading so far have you encountered a character who came to life on the page?  Has an author transported you to a vivid locale? Is there a book with a plot that has lingered in your mind? Perhaps you’ve read a book presenting information or concepts in an engaging and informative way for a child audience.  Maybe a book has done all of this and more. Did you know you can suggest that book to the 2016 Newbery Committee for consideration?

The 2016 Newbery Award Committee is asking the ALSC membership to submit titles for consideration. The Newbery Medal is presented annually to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children published during the preceding year. Honor books may be named (although on three occasions no honors were named *gasp*).

Distinguished is defined as:

• marked by eminence and distinction: noted for significant achievement
• marked by excellence in quality
• marked by conspicuous excellence or eminence
• individually distinct

Please remember only books by an American author from the 2015 publishing year are under consideration for the award. Also please note that publishers, authors, illustrators, or editors may not suggest their own titles.

Please send suggestions to Ernie Cox (Newbery Committee Chair) at [email protected]

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Today’s guest blogger is Ernie Cox, 2016 Newbery Committee Chair.

The post Call for suggestions – 2016 Newbery appeared first on ALSC Blog.

The Rainbow Book List Committee, a committee of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Round Table (GLBTRT) of the American Library Association, is seeking suggestions from the field for the 2016 Rainbow Book List. Suggestions from the field will be accepted through September 30, 2015.

So what is the committee looking for? Excellent books for children birth through age 18 that reflect the LGBTQ experience for young people.

The Rainbow Book List Committee members are currently reading over 100 titles (and any that you suggest) and nominating the best of the best for inclusion on the list. The committee will meet at Midwinter to discuss all nominated titles and select those that will make the final list.

You can follow along with committee activities at the blog and see what titles have already been nominated. We would love to know about any great LGBTQ books for kids and teens that you’ve read that have been published since July 1, 2014! For more information about the Rainbow Book List Committee click here.

The post Send Us Rainbow Book Suggestions! appeared first on ALSC Blog.

Read any good new informational books for kids lately? The 2016 Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award Committee is delving into this year’s eligible titles and we’d like to know what titles the ALSC membership would recommend for consideration. The Sibert Award is presented annually to the author, author/illustrator, co-authors, or author and illustrator of the most distinguished informational book published during the preceding year. Honor Books may also be named.

Informational books are defined as those written and illustrated to present, organize, and interpret documentable factual material for children from birth through age fourteen. (Traditional literature and general poetry are not eligible, although poetry whose primary intent is to present factual information is.) Authors and illustrators must be U.S. citizens. For complete terms and criteria, please refer to the ALSC Robert F. Sibert Award web site.

The award will be announced at the ALA Midwinter Conference to be held in Boston, MA, January 8-12, 2016. The award will be presented at the ALSC Award Presentation and Membership Meeting during the ALA Annual Conference in Orlando, FL in June, 2016.

The 2016 Sibert Committee invites all ALSC personal members to submit titles for consideration. Please remember that only books from the 2015 publishing year are eligible for the current award. Publishers, authors, illustrators, or editors may not nominate their own titles.

Send all suggestions to Elizabeth Overmyer, Chair, 2016 Sibert Committee to [email protected].

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Today’s Guest Post was written by Elizabeth Overmyer, Chair of the 2016 Sibert Committee.

If you’d like to write a guest post for the ALSC Blog, please contact Mary Voors, ALSC Blog manager, at [email protected].

The post Great informational books for kids appeared first on ALSC Blog.

Winners of the 2015 Pura Belpre awards (image courtesy of ALSC)

The ALSC award acceptance speeches from the 2015 ALA Annual Conference are now available from the ALSC website. Speeches includes the winners of these 2015 awards:

• Batchelder
• Belpré
• Caldecott
• Carnegie
• Geisel
• Newbery
• Sibert
• Wilder

Each of these is available as a downloadable PDF. For a full list of 2015 ALSC Book & Media Award winners please see the ALSC website.

The post 2015 ALSC Book & Media Speeches Now Online appeared first on ALSC Blog.

ALSC personal members are invited to suggest titles for the 2016 Odyssey Award for Excellence in Audiobook Production.  This award is given annually to recognize the best English language audiobook for children and/or young adults in the previous submission year. The committee will consider and vote on titles published between January 1 and October 31 of 2015, as well as titles published between November 1 and December 31 of 2014.  

You may send recommendations with full bibliographic information to Cindy Lombardo at [email protected]

The award will be announced at the press conference during the ALA Midwinter Meeting in January 2016.

For more information about the Odyssey Award, you can visit the ALSC website at http://www.ala.org/alsc/.​

(Published on behalf of the Odyssey Award Committee)

The post What great books have you listened to this year? appeared first on ALSC Blog.

This afternoon, I got the chance to do something I have long wanted to do at an ALA Conference: I sat in on the Children’s Notable Recordings Committee meeting. Anyone is welcome to sit in and listen to the meetings as this committee discuss the nominated children’s recordings.

The entire list of titles that the Committee will be discussing during the Annual Conference can be found online.

Like Notable Books, the Notable Recordings discussion follows the CCBC Discussion Guidelines by introducing the book first, sharking positive comments, and then sharing concerns and criticisms. As the introduction, a committee member had determined a clip from the recording to be played for the entire committee. This might be part of a track on a music CD or a portion of an audiobook. It seems like committee members tried to choose a portion that would reflect strengths of the book (i.e. a particular song they liked, a section of the audiobook that shows off the narrator’s skills at voicing characters, etc.). As an observed, I appreciated the clips as samples of some of the audiobooks being published this year. I want to seek out some of these recordings to listen to the whole thing!

In addition to the story, committee members must consider:

• Narration, including the skills of the narrator and any flaws (such as audible breath sounds)
• Sound effects and music included on audiobooks – are they the appropriate volume? Do they match the tone and illustrations of the book?
• Page turning signals (on picture book audiobooks) – do they leave enough time for a child to take in what’s on the page? Do they leave too much time?
• Liner notes – do they include lyrics? Do they include background information about music from around the world?

These are all items I gleaned from about an hour of sitting in on the discussion. I know there is much more that goes into their consideration of children’s recordings. This is a really meaningful discussion to tune into, especially since many committee members have listened to these recordings multiple times and made copious notes for items to discuss.

If you have any interest in improving your skills at evaluating recordings or want to keep up with what’s new in children’s music and audiobooks, stop in at a Children’s Notable Recordings Committee meeting!

— Abby Johnson, Youth Services Manager
New Albany-Floyd County Public Library
New Albany, IN

The post Listening in at Notable Recordings at #alaac15 appeared first on ALSC Blog.

On behalf of the Great Websites for Kids Committee, I’d like to share some news and enlist your help.

If you missed our recent press release, the following are the newest sites to be added to Great Websites for Kids, the online resource featuring hundreds of links to exceptional websites for children.

• Ask a Biologist – http://askabiologist.asu.edu/ 
• Bug Guide – http://bugguide.net/node/view/15740
• Code Monster – http://www.crunchzilla.com/code-monster
• CSI: Web Adventures – http://forensics.rice.edu/
• I Was Wondering – http://iwaswondering.org/
• Middle Shelf – http://issuu.com/middleshelf/docs/
• San Diego Zoo Kids – http://kids.sandiegozoo.org/
• Smithsonian Tween Tribune – http://tweentribune.com/

We hope that you will find these and other Great Websites for Kids to be useful tools for you and your library patrons. Sites are searchable by eight main classifications (Animals, The Arts, History & Biography, Literature & Languages, Mathematics & Computers, Reference Desk, Sciences, and Social Sciences) or by keyword. The committee works hard all year to find and evaluate new sites, and to weed out previously chosen sites that haven’t maintained “great” status.

We can always use your help!

If you know of a great site that you would like to have us consider for inclusion, please submit your suggestion via this link: http://gws.ala.org/suggest-site. Similarly, if you find broken links, etc. on the site, please alert us to that as well. Comments and suggestions are always welcome.

Members of the 2015 Great Websites for Kids Committee:

• Lara Crews, co-chair, Forsyth County (North Carolina) Public Library
• Lisa Taylor, co-chair, Ocean County (New Jersey) Library
• Emily E. Bacon, Yorktown (Indiana) Public Library
• Ariel Cummins, New Braunfels (Texas) Public Library
• Jill Eisele, Bellwood (Illinois) Public Library
• Krishna Grady, Darien (Connecticut) Library
• Joanne Kelleher, Kings Park (New York) Central School District
• Elizabeth Saxton, Tiffin, Ohio
• Alia Shields, Cherry Hill (New Jersey) Public Library

And now … on to ALA in San Francisco!

The post Great Websites for Kids? Look no further! appeared first on ALSC Blog.