The Joy of Children's Literature

NPR BOOKS CONFESSES LOVE FOR “TEEN” READS “SUMMER BOOKS” SERIES COMES-OF-AGE WITH YOUNG ADULT FOCUS, YA AUTHORS REVEAL FORMATIVE LITERARY INSPIRATIONS NPRBOOKS.ORG FEATURES ANNUAL “SUMMER BOOKS” ROUND-UPS FROM NPR FAVORITES May 30, 2012; Washington, D.C. – A good novel doesn ’ t just transcend the boundaries of its target market – it knows nothing about target markets. NPR Books takes this to heart with the launch of its annual Summer Books package, focusing this year’s theme on the coming-of-age stories that open our eyes to a world beyond childhood and stick for a lifetime. NPR Books will spotlight Young Adult literature with a new series and its annual listeners’ poll in addition to round-ups of critics’ picks and exclusive excerpts from this season’s most anticipated reads. The centerpiece of Summer Books is “ PG-13: Risky Reads ,” a new series exploring the ageless themes and no-holds barred style that makes the Young Adult genre eternally inspiring. In f...

    Enter by May 15th. Click here for more details.

Last month, I signed up for the Marine Corp Marathon and I've started training. Everyday as I run through my neighborhood, this little bunny runs across my path. At first, I thought it was a fluke, since I live in a large subdivision with lots of concrete. But, each day, this little guy is still there, so now I look forward to seeing him. Today, I took my phone and snapped his picture. Cute, huh? A couple of months ago I posted my thoughts on SHARE: the guilt that comes with feeling that you Should Have Already Read Everything. One of the big ways I find time to read is auidobooks. I am a big fan of audiobooks for lots of reasons. First, they are excellently performed. Have you listened to an auidobook for children/YA lately? I just finished listening to Rotters , written by Daniel Kraus and performed by Kirby Heyborne, which won the 2012 Odyssey Award and is brilliant! Last year, The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex and performed by Bahni Turpin won the award and it, t...

This is the 75th anniversary of the Caldecott Medal! In honor of this special occasion, the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) is offering a free webinar:   Caldecott Uncovered: What You’ve Always Wanted to Know About the Caldecott Medal    Instructor: Rita Auerbach, past Caldecott Committee chair Tuesday, May 8, at 1:00 p.m. Central Time; Thursday, July 12, at 6:00 p.m. Central Time    This webinar will be offered completely free to members and nonmembers both . Don’t miss it! Space is limited; reserve your seat now .

Exactly one month from today, Children's Book Week will begin! Established in 1919, Children's Book Week celebrates books for young people and the joy of reading from coast to coast!  Check out the line-up of Official Book Week events ! Over 40 cities are hosting author and illustrator events during Book Week (May 7-13, 2012), with additional venues to come! Each year, the Children's Book Council enlists illustrators to design a commemorative Children's Book Week Poster and Bookmark. Download the 2012 Book Week bookmark by Lane Smith and order your 2012 Poster by David Wiesner! Children's Choice Book Awards Gala ! In 2008, the Children's Book Council created the Children's Choice Book Awards, the only national child-chosen book awards program, giving young readers a powerful voice in their own reading choices. Each year, the award winners are announced live at the highly-anticipated Children's Choice Book Awards Gala during Book ...

For more information, go to: http://www.loc.gov/today/pr/2012/12-067.html

Bookmobile: From NPR story Do you remember the bookmobile? I do. Last year ( in this post) , I recounted the story of how I loved the library when I was growing up in Louisville, KY. It wasn't long, however, that my mother moved us to a very small town far away from the gorgeous library I loved. The library in the small town was a long way from where we lived and we didn't have a car and there was no public transportation. Not to fear---the bookmobile came by every week! I loved the bookmobile. I remember climbing the steps, smelling the books that filled the tight space, and looking through the small collection to make my selection each week.  Needless to say, the story that appeared yesterday on NPR, The Final Chapter for a Trusty Bookmobile?, brought back all of those memories. Especially since there is a bookmobile that has been abandoned close to my house as well. I think of the bookmobile as the modern day version of librarian's on horseback, as depicted i...