News to Wake Your Brain Cells – September 10

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

17 children’s books by Latinx authors worth adding to your kid’s bookshelf – PopSugar

41 Canadian picture books to watch for in fall 2021 – CBC

Children who read regularly more likely to do better in school and in life – WTMJ

Lauren Tarshis’s ‘I Survived’ series for kids tackles hard topics like 9/11, war and disasters – OC Register

LIBRARIES

Abolitionist library workers want library access for all. That begins with getting cops out. – In These Times

Boston Public Library hit by cyberattack – NBC 10

New PLA survey illustrates critical digital role played by public libraries – Publishers Weekly

Save Our Libraries: ‘libraries should be communal living rooms for people across Scotland’ – The Scotsman

T-shirt asking, ‘What’s more punk than the public library?’ raises $100K for D.C. branch – The Washington Post

Why have libraries gone fine-free the past few years? – Intellectual Freedom Blog

YA LIT

12 best dystopian books for teens – Cultured Vultures

Confessions of a vintage young adult book reader – Arizona Public Media

News to Wake Your Brain Cells – Sept 3

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

15 must-read September children’s book releases – Book Riot

Children’s books roundup – the best new picture books and novels – The Guardian

“Family bloggers” upset about LGBTQ+ library books get the Facebook equivalent of ratio’d – The Mary Sue

Why one of Sweden’s most famous children’s book series is still so relevant – The Local

LIBRARIES

8 creative ways to use your library card (in addition to checking out books) – Parade

2021 Library Design Showcase – American Libraries

The best libraries in London – Conde Nast Traveller

It’s crunch time for library supporters after $3.5 trillion budget bill passes House – Publishers Weekly

We can’t build back better without libraries – Roll Call

Wisconsin teen library staffer says congressional candidate threatened her over Pride Month display – MetroWeekly

YA LIT

22 Canadian YA books to watch for in fall 2021 – CBC

Fall 2021 YA preview: 11 of the most interesting new books – Forbes

News to Wake Your Brain Cells – August 27

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Jill Murphy, children’s author and illustrator, dies aged 72 – The Guardian

The long history of Golden Books – Book Riot

The most popular children’s books from every country – Mental Floss

These 11 Japanese children’s books are next-level adorable – Romper

YA LIT

Here are 24 young adult mystery and thriller books you’ll consume in one sitting – BuzzFeed

A realistic list of books you can get young adults to actually finish – Book & Film Globe

These 3 YA novels will transform your summer into something fantastic – NPR

News to Wake Your Brain Cells – August 20

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

The picture book fighting back against Russia’s LGBT+ propaganda law – The Guardian

What impact will the pandemic have on early literacy? – EdSource

LIBRARIES

Getting police out of libraries is the aim of the Abolitionist Library Association – Teen Vogue

YA LIT

Author Jason Reynolds opens the doors to his new DC home – 4 Washington

The MG/YA confusion: why do lists for young adults always contain children’s books? – Fuse #8

New and forthcoming YA disability nonfiction – Book Riot

News to Wake Your Brain Cells – August 13

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

16 books for Canadian kids and young adults to read in summer 2021 – CBC

Eloise Greenfield, late children’s book author, inspired generations of Black writers and readers – NBC

Hungary restricts sales of LGBT-themed children’s books – RTE

No more children’s books by celebrities – Gawker

Where are the fat children in picture books? – Book Riot

Who Jason Reynolds writes his best-sellers for – The New Yorker

LIBRARIES

After a Temple librarian died, coworkers said the sick-leave policy ‘ran her into the ground’ – The Philadelphia Inquirer

ALA partners with Communities for Immunity to boost vaccine confidence – ALA News

An inflection point for libraries – Publishers Weekly

YA LIT

10 best teen TV shows based on books – ScreenRant

The best new YA books starring female athletes – Book Riot

News to Wake Your Brain Cells – August 6

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

14 must-read August children’s book releases – Book Riot

Another way libraries can be supportive to new parents – ALSC Blog

Nine picture books that illuminate Black Joy – Greater Good Magazine

LIBRARIES

One of the very fascinating things happening in libraries is the donation of books from the New Zealand National Library to the Internet Archive. As always, I am very pro Internet Archive, an organization proving that libraries have lending rights, even with digital copies. Here are two articles, one on each side from Newsroom:

Controlled digital lending – is it ‘piracy’?

The National Library loses the plot, again

New York Public Library employees’ growing Covid-19 concerns – Book Riot

YA LIT

August’s best YA books are full of magic, romance, and coming-of-age tales – PopSugar

An interview with Printz Award Honoree Traci Chee, author of We Are Not Free – The Hub

Monsters and magic run in the family in these 2 YA novels – NPR

R. L. Stein & Boom! Studios partner for new YA Halloween graphic novel – ScreenRant

Top new YA books in August 2021 – Den of Geek

Young adult fiction: the expanding genre attracts more than just teens to its pages – GBH

News to Wake Your Brain Cells – July 30

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

22 dinosaur books every budding Ross Gellar will love – Motherly

The latest target of Hong Kong’s crackdown: children’s books – The New York Times

Notable 2021 children’s book follow-ups, sequels, and companion books – 100 Scope Notes

Picture books for children – reviews – The Guardian

Target collaborates with children’s book author Christian Robinson – StarTribune

These modern children’s books about princesses are inspiring – Romper

LIBRARIES

Activist who helped desegregate Birmingham library dies – Westport News

Are UK public libraries heading in a new direction? – OUPBlog

Censorship Scholar on book bans and Critical Race Theory – NPR

How do rural libraries serve patrons? – Book Riot

Saving libraries: it’s a critical time for funding legislation – Information Today

YA LIT

17 YA books that will make you shed a tear every time – Yahoo!

21 YA novels with disabled and chronically ill characters – BuzzFeed News

Over 40 complaints made about ‘unsuitable’ books on English curriculum – The Irish Times

News to Wake Your Brain Cells – July 23

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Floyd Cooper, acclaimed children’s illustrator, dead at 65 – AL

LIBRARIES

It checks out — libraries are an “investment that’s well worth it” – Marketplace

YA LIT

15 best young adult books: from historical fiction to romantic comedies – The Independent

‘Future girl’ wins 2021 Readings YA book prize – Books+Publishing

Malcolm X series in the works from activist icon’s daughter Ilyasah Shabazz, Sony’s TriStar – Variety

News to Wake Your Brain Cells – July 16

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

The beguiling legacy of “Alice in Wonderland” – The New Yorker

Newbery Medal winner Kwame Alexander partners with GBH Kids on new children’s animated series – GBH

Pleasure and spaciousness: Poet Naomi Shihab Nye’s advice on writing, discipline, and the two driving forces of creativity – Brain Pickings

LIBRARIES

The first joint intellectual freedom awards – Intellectual Freedom Blog

Right-wingers are taking over library boards to remove books on racism – TruthOut

YA LIT

21 YA romances we’re looking forward to in 2021 – BuzzFeed

Goosebumps author RL Stine: ‘The only lesson in my books is to run’ – The Guardian

The Obamas’ production company is producing an anthology series for Netflix about love during a blackout – Collider

The unexpected adulthood of Gossip Girl creator Cecily von Ziegesar – Town & Country

White gatekeeping in YA harms teen readers – Book Riot