When my son was still a newborn blob of tiny bones wrapped in a blanket of warm skin, my husband rushed out and bought a Curious George book. We had decorated our son’s room in monkeys (which was cuter than it sounds) and my husband’s idea was to take pages from that book, frame them and hang them around our son’s room. This was during what I call the “nonproductive years,” because we had great ideas but were either too physically worn out to do them or could not seem to find the time between formula bottle shakings and projectile …read more

Teen Read Week is a program of the Young Adult Library Services Association, better known as YALSA…the fastets growing division of the ALA (American Library Association).
Every teen and every parents should register for Teen Read Week (you could win great prizes) but you can also learn tons about teen readers and books!
Click here to register for Teen Read Week.
Become a member of YALSA.

I spoke briefly about the Caldecott Medal several days ago when I wrote of Tasha Tudor’s death.
The Caldecott Medal began in 1938 and is given annually by the American Library Association for the most distinguished picture book published in the previous year in the United States. It is announced at the Annual ALA Mid-Winter Convention and awarded at the convention.
The medal was named for Nineteenth-Century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott.

Did you know that it’s National Library Week?  April 13-19, 2008 are the official dates for National Library Week this year.  Why not celebrate by visiting your local library with your children and picking out some new books?
Not only that, but Tuesday, April 15, 2008 is National Library Workers Day.  Why not say a special thank you to your local or school librarian for all the hard work they do?
National Library Day and National Library Workers Day are sponsored by the American Libarary Association.   2008 marks the 50th anniversary of National Library Day and Julie Andrews was named the Honorary …read more

It’s Teen Read Week!
First on the agenda – vote for the Teens’ Top Ten. Teens’ Top Ten is a “teen choice” list, where teens nominate and choose their favorite books of the previous year. To view the nominations for this year, you can download the list here as a pdf.
The 2007 nominees were chosen by book groups in Connecticut, Kansas, New Jersey, New Hampshire, and Utah. The nominating groups change every two years; applications for 2009-2010 will be considered by YALSA’s YA Galley Committee in June 2008.
Books which are eligible for nomination are those published in …read more

This week marks the 26th Annual Banned Book Week (September 29 – October 6). According to the American Library Association (ALA), more than a book a day is challenged as unsuitable for public access in schools and libraries. During Banned Book Week, thousands of libraries and bookstores throughout the nation will celebrate the freedom to read.

And Tango Makes Three, a book about two male penguins parenting an egg topped the ALA’s list of most challenged books in 2006 by parents and administrators, due to homosexual themes. In fact, four of the top ten books were challenged due to homosexual …read more