Monday, January 31, 2022

ALL.THE.THINGS. With Jonathan Dolce - February 2022

Pixabay Image
Jonathan Dolce, who blogs at the ALSC blog, is a most generous and prolific gatherer of information and cool - and often, free - links and resources that can spark our creativity in providing service to children and teens.

His columns are brain dumps in the best sense. Dolce provides dozens and dozens of links to program ideas, collection alerts, pop culture and media be-aware's and so much more. He doesn't disappoint in February where he will seriously lift you out of any winter and pandemic programming or idea doldrums.

Check out his latest ALSC blogpost Winterizing  Your Library Programming here.

Friday, January 28, 2022

Charlotte Zolotow Award and Honorees Announced

A message from Merri Lindgren, Chair, 2021-2022 Charlotte Zolotow Award Committee

I'm pleased to announce that the winner of the 2021-2022 Charlotte Zolotow Award is Evelyn Del Rey Is Moving Away written by Meg Medina, illustrated by Sonia Sánchez, and published by Candlewick Press in 2020.


The committee named five Honor Books:

  • Catch That Chicken! written by Atinuke and illustrated by Angela Brooksbank (Candlewick Press, 2020) 
  • The Cot in the Living Room written by Hilda Eunice Burgos and illustrated by Gaby D’Alessandro (Kokila / Penguin Random House, 2021)   
  • I Talk Like a River written by Jordan Scott and illustrated by Sydney Smith (Neal Porter Books / Holiday House, 2020)   
  • Let Me Fix You a Plate: A Tale of Two Kitchens written and illustrated by Elizabeth Lilly (Neal Porter Books / Holiday House, 2021) 
  • My Best Friend written by Julie Fogliano and illustrated by Jillian Tamaki (Atheneum / Simon & Schuster, 2020)   

 

Ten Highly Commended titles were cited:

  • The Camping Trip written and illustrated by Jennifer K. Mann (Candlewick Press, 2020) 
  • Eyes that Kiss in the Corners written by Joanna Ho and illustrated by Dung Ho (Harper / HarperCollins, 2021)   
  • Just Like a Mama written by Alice Faye Duncan and illustrated by Charnelle Pinkney Barlow (A Denene Millner Book / Simon & Schuster, 2020)    
  • Kaia and the Bees written by Maribeth Boelts and illustrated Angela Dominguez (Candlewick Press, 2020)  
  • The Little Wooden Robot and the Log Princess written and illustrated by Tom Gauld (Neal Porter Books / Holiday House, 2021)      
  • My Day with the Panye written by Tami Charles and illustrated by Sara Palacios  (Candlewick Press, 2021) 
  • Soul Food Sunday written by Winsome Bingham and illustrated by C. G. Esperanza (Abrams, 2021) 
  • Sun Flower Lion written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes (Greenwillow / HarperCollins, 2020)   
  • Welcoming Elijah: A Passover Tale with a Tail written by Lesléa Newman and illustrated by Susan Gal (Charlesbridge, 2020) 
  • Where Three Oceans Meet written by Rajani LaRocca and illustrated by Archana Sreenivasan (Abrams, 2021) 

Visit the CCBC website for the Charlotte Zolotow Award announcement and press release

We are planning for a Charlotte Zolotow Award event later this spring. The date and venue (in-person or virtual) have yet to be determined, but we'll share those details as soon as we can.

This annual award was extended to a two-year term in response to the challenges posed by the pandemic. Thank you to the members of the 2021-22 Charlotte Zolotow Award committee for taking on an extra year of hard work with their ever-thoughtful reading and careful evaluation, an openness to all opinions, and unfailing good humor through even more Zoom meetings:   Shannon Furman (School Librarian, Lake View Elementary School, Madison, Wisconsin); Brooke Newberry (Early Literacy Librarian, La Crosse Public Library, La Crosse, Wisconsin); Bridget Nolan (Second Grade Teacher, Paul J. Olson Elementary School, Verona, Wisconsin); and Jeni Schomber (Head of Library Services, Beloit Public Library, Beloit, Wisconsin).

 

Merri Lindgren, Librarian

Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC)

School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison

401 Teacher Education

225 North Mills Street

Madison, WI  53706

608.263.3930

mlindgren@education.wisc.edu

Thursday, January 27, 2022

Virtual Variety: Teen Game Nights!

Please welcome our newest monthly columnist Lindy Liedl from the Rice Lake Public Library. She will be posting on the fourth Thursday of each month. We're happy to have her on board.

Hi, I’m Lindy! I work at Rice Lake Public Library mainly as a teen program host, a content creator for our social media, and I’m always on the lookout for fun ways to connect with our community virtually. I’ll be sharing what we’ve been up to monthly.


In Fall of 2020, our library had a teen reach out to us about a gaming program! They asked if the library could host a virtual gaming event so that she could stay in touch with friends who had moved to another city – and invite other teens to join in too. She suggested Jackbox Party Pack as a game idea, but was open to trying any other games too! A dream come true after losing our teens to age-outs and pandemic times.

How we set up:  If you haven’t played them, Jackbox Party Packs just require one person to purchase the game, then others can take part on any device at the web address “Jackbox.TV” using a private game code. So we purchased the game, set up a recurring Zoom meet and shared the link with our teens. Then, I publicized the weekly event, inviting teens to join in (and to share their game ideas with us). Once we’re all on Zoom, I screen-share the game with everyone, and they chat and participate on their devices from home. Be sure to turn on family-friendly mode in settings before programs.

When posting about the program on social media, I invite teens/parents to email me for the Zoom link. At first, there was concern about screening ages so that no random people can ask for the link, but the emails we’ve gotten have been from parents, or from friends of teens who already take part. There’s always the ability to boot people out of Zoom calls if needed, but we haven’t had any issues yet. If it came to it, we could instead create a Google Form asking teens for their library card numbers, name of schools, and other screening questions before sharing the link, but I think (so far) troublemakers are too lazy to email library staff.

Since then, Game Nights have expanded to three rotating games each week: Minecraft, Among Us, and Jackbox, with 6 kids taking part at most, and a Discord server of 10 teens hanging out and chatting together all week! Going from 0 teens, to 10 teens having a safe space to hang out virtually, and new friends to chat with has been a lot of fun.

Wednesday, January 26, 2022

Summer Workshop from NEWI

See below the details for an upcoming summer library program workshop organized by NEWI (NorthEastern Wisconsin continuing education partnership).

 

Summer Library Program Learning & Fun: Catch the Wave

Tuesday, February 22, 9:00 am central
Register here.

Get ready for summer by spending the morning with our guests, Bryan Wunar and Rebekah Garrety!

Photo from Unsplash.
→ First up @ 9am: Bryan Wunar, President & CEO of Discovery World Science and Technology Center in Milwaukee, will share water-related learning opportunities for children & teens you can offer this summer and year-round. You'll get hands-on experience with activities during the webinar and leave the session with examples you can put into practice now. As a bonus, you'll find out about learning opportunities provided by Discovery World, offered both in person and as virtual programs.


→ Next up @ 10am: Rebekah Garrety, Librarian-in-Residence & Client Success Manager for all of Wisconsin at Zoobean, will help you get ready for summer with the Beanstack Reading Challenge Software & Mobile App. You'll learn best practices, get tips on building challenges, and discover new features.

→ We'll finish up the morning @ 11am by opening up discussion about summer activities.

This webinar will be closed-captioned, recorded, and archived on the NEWI website.

There is no fee to attend, thanks to sponsorship by NEWI: Manitowoc-Calumet Library System, Nicolet Federated Library System, Outagamie Waupaca Library System, and Winnefox Library System.

Tuesday, January 25, 2022

Hit Me With Your Best (Snap)Shot

Inspired by a post on the Programming Librarian Interest Group on Facebook, I decided to hold my first ever Family Portrait Studio program.  

The premise is simple: families sign up for a 15-minute time slot where we'll take as many pictures as they like and, afterward, we'll compile the best shots and send the digital copies for them to utilize as they like.

To allow for some flexibility, we set up a few different stations - - some with backdrops (purchased off Amazon and/or via Nasco. OR! Make use of backdrops you already have from virtual programming!- - and others utilizing the library furniture and features, including the shelves, the fireplace, and the Christmas tree our Friends group puts up annually.  (While many of the families wanted to use the shots for holiday cards, we had a few who didn't celebrate and/or just wanted the chance for a nice family picture.) 

As for the camera, you could use a DSLR if you have one or, if you and your participants are comfortable with it, you could use your phone! (My library's camera is rather old, so the quality of the photos was much better using my phone, to be honest.  And, once they were sent into Google Drive, I was able to erase everything without having to worry about space issues or limitations.)

The public response was fantastic!  We had initially planned on playing photographer for 2 hours, but--due to demand--had to extend it to 4!  (Note to self and everyone else, make sure to factor in break/snack times!  The hanger was real towards the end of it all. ha) 

I asked a coworker to help out and am so very glad I did.  Not only was she able to greet folks and keep track of attendees, but I was also able to upload each session right away for her to create individualized folders and fill them with the best shots of the group.  She also had a brilliant idea of taking some of the favorites and making a "best of" compilation, using the pre-made photo card templates on Canva. *chef's kiss* 
                                                 
One of my favorite parts about this program--aside from how cost-efficient and easy it was to put together--was the variety of participants!  We had families with kids, couples, folks and their pets, and even some solo portraits!  Many of our participants had never gotten photos done, either due to budget limitations or the worry that their littles wouldn't be able to handle a dedicated session with a professional photographer.

Long story short, this will definitely become a regular offering at our library.  Everyone was so appreciative and it was a fun, pandemic-conscious way to celebrate family togetherness.



Monday, January 24, 2022

And the Winners Are....

Today ALA announced the winners and honorees in it's annual Youth Media Awards press conference. And what an amazing line-up. Rich illustration, writing, diversity and literature for children and young adults by stellar authors, illustrators made the announcements quadrupl-y exciting.  

A huge thanks to all the dedicated members of ALSC, YALSA, EMIERT, AILA, APALA, REFORMA, AJL, Rainbow Round Table, and ALA who served on these committees and spent so much time reading, thinking, reflecting and discussing the winners and honorees!

Here is the full list of winners and honorees:

For Immediate Release
Mon, 01/24/2022

Contact:

Macey Morales

Deputy Director

Communications and Marketing Office

American Library Association

mmorales@ala.org

CHICAGO - The American Library Association (ALA) today announced the top books, digital media, video and audio books for children and young adults – including the Caldecott, Coretta Scott King, Newbery and Printz awards – at its LibLearnX: The Library Learning Experience, taking place virtually from Chicago. 

A list of all the 2022 award winners and honor selections follows:

John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children's literature: “The Last Cuentista,” written by Donna Barba Higuera, is the 2022 Newbery Medal winner. The book is published by Levine Querido.

Four Newbery Honor Books also were named: “Red, White, and Whole,” written by Rajani LaRocca and published by Quill Tree Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers; “A Snake Falls to Earth,” written by Darcie Little Badger and published by Levine Querido; “Too Bright to See,” written by Kyle Lukoff and published by Dial Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers, a division of Penguin Random House; and “Watercress,” written by Andrea Wang, illustrated by Jason Chin and published by Neal Porter Books, Holiday House.

Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children: “Watercress,” illustrated by Jason Chin, is the 2022 Caldecott Medal winner. The book was written by Andrea Wang and published by Neal Porter Books, Holiday House. 

Four Caldecott Honor Books also were named: “Have You Ever Seen a Flower?” illustrated and written by Shawn Harris and published by Chronicle Books; “Mel Fell,” illustrated and written by Corey R. Tabor and published by Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers; “Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre,” illustrated by Floyd Cooper, written by Carole Boston Weatherford and published by Carolrhoda Books, an imprint of Lerner Publishing Group; and “Wonder Walkers,” illustrated and written by Micha Archer and published by Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers, a division of Penguin Random House.  

Coretta Scott King (Author) Book Award recognizing an African American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults: “Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre,” written by Carole Boston Weatherford, is the King Author Book winner. The book is illustrated by Floyd Cooper and published Carolrhoda Books, an imprint of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc.  

Three King Author Honor Books were selected: "Home Is Not a Country," written by Safia Elhillo and published by Make Me A World, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House; "Revolution in Our Time," written by Kekla Magoon and published by Candlewick Press; and "The People Remember," written by Ibi Zoboi, illustrated by Loveis Wise and published by Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Book Award:

“Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre,” illustrated by Floyd Cooper, is the King Illustrator Book winner. The book is written by Carole Boston Weatherford and published by Carolrhoda Books, an imprint of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc.

Three King Illustrator Honor Books were selected: "Nina: A Story of Nina Simone," illustrated by Christian Robinson, written by Traci N. Todd and published by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Random House; "We Wait for the Sun," illustrated by Raissa Figueroa, written by Dovey Johnson Roundtree & Katie McCabe and published by Macmillan Children's Publishing Group; and "Soul Food Sunday," illustrated by C.G. Esperanza, written by Winsome Bingham and published by Abrams Books for Young Readers, an imprint of ABRAMS.

Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award: "Me (Moth)," written by Amber McBride, is the Steptoe author award winner. The book is published by Feiwell and Friends, an imprint of Macmillan Publishing Group.

Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Illustrator Award: “The Me I Choose to Be, illustrated by Regis and Kahran Bethencourt, is the Steptoe illustrator award winner. The book is written by Natasha Anastasia Tarpley and published by Little, Brown, and Company.

Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement:

Nikki Grimes 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. Grimes has been widely recognized for her distinguished contribution to children’s and young adult literature, winning numerous major awards. After more than 77 books, she has sealed her legacy by weaving poetry and novels in verse into an impressive body of work. Grimes currently resides in Corona, California, where she continues her powerful writing.

Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults: “Firekeeper’s Daughter,” written by Angeline Boulley, is the 2022 Printz Award winner. The book is published by Henry Holt and Company, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group.

Four Printz Honor Books also were named: “Concrete Rose,” written by Angie Thomas and published by Balzer+Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers; “Last Night at the Telegraph Club,” written by Malinda Lo and published by Dutton Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers, a division of Penguin Random House; “Revolution in Our Time: The Black Panther Party’s Promise to the People,” written by Kekla Magoon and published by Candlewick Press; and “Starfish,” written by Lisa Fipps and published by Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers, a division of Penguin Random House.  

Schneider Family Book Award for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience: “My City Speaks,” written by Darren Lebeuf, illustrated by Ashley Barron and published by Kids Can Press Ltd., wins the award for young children (ages 0 to 8). Two honor books for young children were selected: “A Walk in the Words,” written and illustrated by Hudson Talbott and published by Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers, a division of Penguin Random House; and “A Sky-Blue Bench,” written by Bahram Rahman, illustrated by Peggy Collins and published by Pajama Press, Inc.

“A Bird Will Soar,” written by Alison Green Myers and published by Dutton Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers, a division of Penguin Random House, is the winner for middle grades (ages 9 to 13). Two honor books for middle grades were selected: “Stuntboy, in the Meantime,” written by Jason Reynolds, illustrated by Raúl the Third and published by Caitlyn Dlouhy Books/Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing; and “A Kind of Spark,” written by Elle McNicoll and published by Crown Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC.

“Words in My Hands,” written and illustrated by Asphyxia and published by Annick Press, Ltd., is the winner for teens (ages 14-18). One honor book for teens was selected: “A Face for Picasso: Coming of Age with Crouzon Syndrome,” written by Ariel Henley and published by Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Macmillan Children's Publishing Group.

Alex Awards for the 10 best adult books that appeal to teen audiences: The 2022 Alex Award winners are: “Light from Uncommon Stars,” by Ryka Aoki, published by Tor Books, an imprint of Tom Doherty Associates, a division of Macmillan Publishing Group; “The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot,” by Marianne Cronin, published by Harper Perennial, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers; “The Witch’s Heart,” by Genevieve Gornichec, ACE, published by Berkley, an imprint of Penguin Random House; “The Library of the Dead,” by T.L Huchu, published by Tor Books, an imprint of Tom Doherty Associates, a division of Macmillan Publishing Group; “How Lucky,” by Will Leitch, published by Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers; “Winter’s Orbit,” by Everina Maxwell, published by Tor Books, an imprint of Tom Doherty Associates, a division of Macmillan Publishing Group; “The Rose Code,” by Kate Quinn, published by William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers; “Crossing the Line: A Fearless Team of Brothers and the Sport That Changed Their Lives Forever,” by Kareem Rosser, published by St. Martin’s Press, an imprint of St. Martin’s Publishing, a division of Macmillan Publishing Group; “Lore Olympus, Vol. 1,” by Rachel Smythe, published by Del Rey, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House; and “Malice,” by Heather Walter, published by Del Rey, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House. 

The ALSC Children's Literature Lecture is an annual event featuring an author, critic, librarian, historian, or teacher of children’s literature. Author and illustrator Bryan Collier will deliver the 2023 ALSC Children’s Literature Lecture. Collier’s unique artistic style utilizing watercolors and collage earned him a scholarship to attend Pratt Institute. He has illustrated more than 30 picture books and is the recipient of multiple awards, including numerous Coretta Scott King illustrator awards and honors, four Caldecott honors, and the Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Award.

Children’s Literature Legacy 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 through books that demonstrate integrity and respect for all children’s lives and experiences. The 2022 winner is Grace Lin. Since the publication of her first book, “The Ugly Vegetables,” in 1999, Lin has written and/or illustrated more than 40 books for children, including collaborations with other authors. Her many awards include a 2010 Newbery Honor for “Where the Mountain Meets the Moon,” a 2011 Geisel Honor for “Ling & Ting: Not Exactly the Same,” and a 2019 Caldecott Honor for “A Big Mooncake for Little Star." 

The Excellence in Early Learning Digital Media Award is given to a digital media producer that has created distinguished digital media for an early learning audience. The 2022 winner is “Alma’s Way,” produced by Fred Rogers Productions.

The committee selected two honor titles including "Goodnight, World!" produced by Sesame Workshop and Headspace; and “Tab Time,” produced by Kids at Play and Scale Productions.

Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults: The 2022 winner is A.S. King whose books include: “SW/TCH,” “Still Life with Tornado,” “Ask the Passengers,” “Glory O’Brien’s History of the Future” and "Please Ignore Vera Dietz," among other titles. 

Mildred L. Batchelder Award for an outstanding children’s book originally published in a language other than English in a country other than the United States, and subsequently translated into English for publication in the United States: “Temple Alley Summer” is the 2022 Batchelder Award winner. Originally published in Japanese as “Kimyōji Yokochō no Natsu,” the book was written by Sachiko Kashiwaba, illustrated by Miho Satake, translated by Avery Fischer Udagawa and published by Yonder: Restless Books for Young Readers. 

Five Honor Books also were selected: “Coffee, Rabbit, Snowdrop, Lost,” published by Enchanted Lion Books, written by Betina Birkjær, illustrated by Anna Margrethe Kjærgaard and translated by Sinéad Quirke Køngerskov; “In the Meadow of Fantasies," published by Elsewhere Editions, written by Hadi Mohammadi, illustrated by Nooshin Safakhoo and translated by Sara Khalili; “The Most Beautiful Story,” published by Enchanted Lion Books, written by Brynjulf Jung Tjønn, illustrated by Øyvind Torseter and translated by Kari Dickson; “Sato the Rabbit,” published by Enchanted Lion Books, written and illustrated by Yuki Ainoya and translated by Michael Blaskowsky; and “The Sea-Ringed World: Sacred Stories of the Americas,” published by Levine Querido, written by María García Esperón, illustrated by Amanda Mijangos and translated by David Bowles.  

Odyssey Award for the best audiobooks produced for children and young adults, available in English in the United States: “Boogie Boogie, Y'all,” produced by HarperAudio / Katherine Tegen Books, is the 2022 Odyssey Award winner for children. The book is written and narrated by C. G. Esperanza. “When You Look Like Us,” produced by HarperAudio / Quill Tree Books, is the 2022 Odyssey Award winner for young adults. The book is written by Pamela N. Harris and narrated by Preston Butler III.

Three Honor Audiobooks also were selected: "Emmanuel’s Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah," produced by Listening Library, an imprint of Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group, written by Laurie Ann Thompson and narrated by Adjoa Andoh; "I Talk Like a River," produced by Dreamscape Media, written and narrated by Jordan Scott; and "Perfectly Parvin," produced by Listening Library, an imprint of Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group, written by Olivia Abtahi and narrated by Mitra Jouhari. 

Pura Belpré Awards honoring Latinx writers and illustrators whose children's and young adult books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience: 

“¡Vamos! Let's Cross the Bridge,” illustrated by Raúl Gonzalez, is the 2022 Pura Belpré Youth Illustration Award winner. The book was written by Raúl Gonzalez and published by Versify, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Four Belpré Youth Illustration Honor Books were named: "Boogie Boogie, Y’all," illustrated and written by C. G. Esperanza and published by Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers; "Bright Star," illustrated and written by Yuyi Morales and published by Neal Porter Books, Holiday House; "De aquí como el coquí,” illustrated and written by Nomar Perez, translated by Farah Perez and published by Dial Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers, a division of Penguin Random House; and "May Your Life Be Deliciosa," illustrated by Loris Lora, written by Michael Genhart and published by Cameron Kids, an imprint of Cameron + Company, a division of ABRAMS.

"The Last Cuentista,” written by Donna Barba Higuera, is the 2022 Pura Belpré Children’s Author Award winner. The book is published by Levine Querido. 

Three Belpré Children’s Author Honor Books were named: "Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna," written by Alda P. Dobbs and published by Sourcebooks Young Readers, an imprint of Sourcebooks Kids; "Child of the Flower-Song People: Luz Jiménez, Daughter of the Nahua," written by Gloria Amescua, illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh and published by Abrams Books for Young Readers, an imprint of ABRAMS; and "De aquí como el coquí,” written and illustrated by Nomar Perez, translated by Farah Perez and published by Dial Books for Young Readers, an imprint Penguin Young Readers, a division of Penguin Random House.

"How Moon Fuentez Fell in Love with the Universe,” written by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland, is the Pura Belpré Young Adult Author Award winner. The book is published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division. 

Three Belpré Young Adult Author Honor Book were named: "Fifteen Hundred Miles from the Sun," written by Jonny Garza Villa and published by Skyscape; "Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet," written by Laekan Zea Kemp and published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group; and "Where I Belong," written by Marcia Argueta Mickelson and published by Carolrhoda Lab, an imprint of Lerner Publishing Group.

The Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award for most distinguished informational book for children: “The People’s Painter: How Ben Shahn Fought for Justice with Art,” written by Cynthia Levinson and illustrated by Evan Turk, is the 2022 Sibert Award winner. The book is published by Abrams Books for Young Readers, an imprint of ABRAMS.

Five Sibert Honor Books were named: "The Great Stink: How Joseph Bazalgette Solved London’s Poop Pollution Problem," written by Colleen Paeff, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter and published by Margaret K. McElderry Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division; "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown," written by Steve Sheinkin and published by Roaring Brook Press, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group; "We Are Still Here!: Native American Truths Everyone Should Know," written by Traci Sorell, illustrated by Frané Lessac and published by Charlesbridge; "Summertime Sleepers: Animals That Estivate," written by Melissa Stewart, illustrated by Sarah S. Brannen and published by Charlesbridge; and "Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre," written by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Floyd Cooper and published by Carolrhoda Books, an imprint of Lerner Publishing Group.

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:

“Too Bright to See," written by Kyle Lukoff and published by Dial Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Random House, is the 2022 recipient of the Stonewall Book Awards – Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children’s Literature Award. “Last Night at the Telegraph Club," written by Malinda Lo and published by Dutton Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers, a division of Penguin Random House, is the 2022 recipient of the Stonewall Book Awards – Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Young Adult Literature Award. 

Three Honor Books were selected: “Almost Flying," written by Jake Maia Arlow and published by Dial Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Random House; “The Darkness Outside Us," written by Eliot Schrefer and published by Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers; and "Grandad’s Camper," written and illustrated by Harry Woodgate and published by Little Bee Books.  

Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for the most distinguished beginning reader book: “Fox at Night,” written and illustrated by Corey R. Tabor is the 2022 Geisel Award winner. The book is published by Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Three Geisel Honor Books were named: "Beak & Ally #1: Unlikely Friends," written and illustrated by Norm Feuti and published by HarperAlley, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers; "I Hop," written and illustrated by Joe Cepeda and published by Holiday House; and "Nothing Fits a Dinosaur," written and illustrated by Jonathan Fenske and published by Simon Spotlight, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division.

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

“Firekeeper’s Daughter,” written by Angeline Boulley, is the 2022 Morris Award winner. The book is published by Henry Holt and Company, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group. 

Four other books were finalists for the award: “Ace of Spades,” written by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé and published by Feiwel & Friends, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group; “Vampires, Hearts & Other Dead Things,” written by Margie Fuston and published by Margaret K. McElderry Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division; “Me (Moth),” written by Amber McBride and published by Feiwel & Friends, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group; and “What Beauty There Is,” written by Cory Anderson and published by Roaring Brook Press, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group.

YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults:  “Ambushed!: The Assassination Plot Against President Garfield,” written by Gail Jarrow, is the 2022 Excellence winner. The book is published by Calkins Creek, an imprint of Astra Books for Young Readers. 

Four other books were finalists for the award:  “Black Birds in the Sky: The Story and Legacy of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre,” written by Brandy Colbert and published by Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers; “From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry: The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial that Galvanized the Asian American Movement,” written by Paula Yoo and published by Norton Young Readers, an imprint of W.W. Norton & Company; “In the Shadow of the Fallen Towers: The Seconds, Minutes, Hours, Days, Weeks, Months and Years after the 9/11 Attacks,” written and illustrated by Don Brown and published by Etch, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers ; and “The Woman All Spies Fear: Code Breaker Elizebeth Smith Friedman and Her Hidden Life,” written by Amy Butler Greenfield and published by Random House Studio, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House.

American Indian Youth Literature Awards are announced in even years (e.g. 2022, 2024, 2026) and were established to identify and honor the very best writing and illustrations by and about American Indians and Alaska Natives. Selected titles present American Indians in the fullness of their humanity in the present and past contexts. This year’s winners include: Picture Book: “Herizon,” written by Daniel W. Vandever [Diné], illustrated by Corey Begay [Diné] and published by South of Sunrise Creative; Middle Grade Book: “Healer of the Water Monster,” written by Brian Young [Diné], cover art by Shonto Begay [Diné] and published by Heartdrum, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers; and Young Adult Book: “Apple (Skin to the Core),” written by Eric Gansworth [Onondaga], cover art by Filip Peraić and published by Levine Querido.

2022 American Indian Youth Literature Awards Honor titles include: 

Picture Honor Books: "Diné Bich’eekę Yishłeeh [Diné Bizaad]/Becoming Miss Navajo [English]," by Jolyana Begay-Kroupa [Diné], designed by Corey Begay [Diné] and published by Salina Bookshelf, Inc.; "Classified: The Secret Career of Mary Gold Ross, Cherokee Aerospace Engineer," by Traci Sorell [Cherokee], illustrated by Natasha Donovan [Métis] and published by Millbrook Press; "Learning My Rights with Mousewoman," written and illustrated by Morgan Asoyuf [Ts’msyen] and published by Native Northwest; "I Sang You Down from the Stars," by Tasha Spillet-Sumner [Cree and Trinidadian], illustrated by Michaela Goade [Tlingit & Haida] and published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, a division of Hachette Book Group; and "We Are Still Here! Native American Truths Everyone Should Know," by Traci Sorell [Cherokee], illustrated by Frané Lessac and published by Charlesbridge Publishing, Inc. / Live Oak Media.

Middle Grade Honor Books: "Ella Cara Deloria: Dakota Language Protector," by Diane Wilson [Dakota], illustrated by Tashia Hart [Red Lake Anishinaabe] and published by Minnesota Humanities Center; "Indigenous Peoples’ Day," by Katrina M. Phillips [Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe], illustrated by Tashia Hart [Red Lake Anishinaabe] and published by Pebble, an imprint of Capstone; "Jo Jo Makoons: The Used-to-Be Best Friend," by Dawn Quigley [Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe], illustrated by Tara Audibert [Wolastoqey] and published by Heartdrum, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers; "Peggy Flanagan: Ogimaa Kwe, Lieutenant Governor," by Jessica Engelking [White Earth Band of Ojibwe], illustrated by Tashia Hart [Red Lake Anishinaabe] and published by Minnesota Humanities Center; and “The Sea in Winter,” by Christine Day [Upper Skagit], cover art by Michaela Goade [Tlingit and Haida] and published by Heartdrum, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Young Adult Honor Books: "Elatsoe," by Darcie Little Badger [Lipan Apache Tribe], cover art and illustrations by Rovina Cai and published by Levine Querido; "Firekeeper’s Daughter," by Angeline Boulley [Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians], cover art by Moses Lunham [Ojibway and Chippewa] and published by Henry Holt and Company, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group; "Hunting by Stars," by Cherie Dimaline [Métis Nation of Ontario], cover art by Stephen Gladue [Fishing Lake Métis Settlement] and published by Amulet Books, an imprint of ABRAMS; "Notable Native People: 50 Indigenous Leaders, Dreamers, and Changemakers from Past and Present," by Adrienne Keene [Cherokee Nation], illustrated by Ciara Sana [Chamoru] and published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House; "Soldiers Unknown," by Chag Lowry [Yurok, Maidu and Achumawi], illustrated by Rahsan Ekedal and published by Great Oak Press.

Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature.  The award promotes Asian/Pacific American culture and heritage and is awarded based on literary and artistic merit. The award offers three youth categories including Picture Book, Children’s Literature and Youth Literature.  The award is administered by the Asian Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA), an affiliate of the American Library Association.  This year’s winners include:

The Picture Book winner is “Watercress,” written by Andrea Wang, illustrated by Jason Chin and published by Neal Porter Books. The committee selected one Picture Book honor title: “A Boy Named Isamu: A Story of Isamu Noguchi” written and illustrated by James Yang and published by Viking Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers, a division of Penguin Random House.

The Children’s Literature winner is “Amina’s Song," written by Hena Khan and published by Salaam Reads/Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing. The committee selected one Children’s Literature honor title: “Finding Junie Kim,” written by Ellen Oh and published by HarperCollins.

The Youth Literature winner is “Last Night at the Telegraph Club,” written by Malinda Lo and published by Dutton Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers, a division of Penguin Random House. The committee selected one Youth Literature honor title: “We Are Not Free,” written by Traci Chee and published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

The Sydney Taylor Book Award is presented annually to outstanding books for children and teens that authentically portray the Jewish experience. Presented by the Association of Jewish Libraries since 1968, the award encourages the publication and widespread use of quality Judaic literature. This year’s Gold Medalists include: Picture Book winner: “The Passover Guest,” by Susan Kusel, illustrated by Sean Rubin and published by Neal Porter Books, Holiday House; 

Middle Grades winner: “How to Find What You’re Not Looking For,” by Veera Hiranandani and published by Kokila, an imprint of Penguin Random House; and Young Adult winner: “The City Beautiful,” by Aden Polydoros and published by Inkyard Press. 

Sydney Taylor Book Award Silver Medalists include: Picture Book honors: “Nicky & Vera: A Quiet Hero of the Holocaust and the Children He Rescued,” written and illustrated by Peter Sis and published by Norton Young Readers, an imprint of W.W. Norton & Company; “Dear Mr. Dickens,” by Nancy Churnin, illustrated by Bethany Stancliffe and published by Albert Whitman & Company; and “The Christmas Mitzvah,” by Jeff Gottesfeld, illustrated by Michelle Laurentia Agatha and published by Creston Books; Middle Grades honors: “The Genius Under the Table: Growing up Behind the Iron Curtain,” written and illustrated by Eugene Yelchin and published by Candlewick Press; and “Linked,” by Gordon Korman and published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic; and Young Adult honors: “The Last Words We Said,” by Leah Scheier and published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division; “Whistle: A New Gotham City Hero,” by E. Lockhart, illustrated by Manuel Preitano and published by DC Comics; and “The Summer of Lost Letters,” by Hannah Reynolds and published by Razorbill, an imprint of Penguin Random House. 

The Sydney Taylor Body-of-Work Award recognizes an author or entity who has made a substantial contribution over time to the genre of Jewish children’s literature. This year's winner is Jane Yolen.

Recognized worldwide for the high quality they represent, ALA awards guide parents, educators, librarians and others in selecting the best materials for youth. Selected by judging committees of librarians and other children’s experts, the awards encourage original and creative work.  For more information on the ALA youth media awards and notables, please visit www.ala.org/yma .

WEMTA Conference Registration Open

The WI Educational Media and Technology Association (WEMTA) annual conference is coming up March 6-8 at the Kalahari in Wisconsin Dells. There is a great line-up of sessions, keynotes and authors. There are multiple sessions on interest to public youth librarians as well as school librarians

Each session will be both live at the conference and virtual via Zoom so attendees can participate at the level they are able to and comfortable with. At registration, you pick the live or virtual conference experience.

And you know what? Current WLA members can attend at WEMTA member prices!  Early bird registration has been extended through Friday, February 11. See the registration info link to find out how you can get the WEMTA member rate.

For detailed information, follow the links below:

Are You Seeing Double?

THE PROBLEM

Since the contretemps of late last summer when we lost access to our Google  Feedburner account for the blog, we have used a new subscriber service "Follow.it" to email out our blog post subscriptions.  

What we didn't realize is that, contrary to what their help desk indicated at the time, we would still have Google's subscription service sending out blog posts to your email.  

So, if you had previously subscribed through our Google service and subscribed to the new follow.it subscription service,  you may be receiving both notifications for every post we publish. Ugh, sorry about that.

THE SOLUTION

You can simply unsubscribe to either one of the services so you only receive one post in your email. At the bottom of each email you will see a link to use to unsubscribe:

For the original Google subscription, which comes with the subject heading: YSS Events, News & Info (with the sender "Youth Services Shout-Out: YSS Blog"), you will see this message at the bottom: "You are subscribed to email updates from Youth Services Shout-Out: YSS BlogTo stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now." Click that link and voila, that will delete this subscription.

For the follow.it subscription, which comes with the subject heading Today's YSS Blog Post (with the sender "follow.it"), click the "Unfollow" link at the top of the email next to the day's blog post title:

That should help you stop seeing double. Our apologies for this confusion...and hope this helps!


Friday, January 21, 2022

JBrary's Favorite 2021 Storytime Picture Books


JBrary's blog has been more active this past year and it's with pleasure that we share their most recent post.

Lindsey Krabbenhoft writes: "I hope this list helps you feel reinvigorated to do a magical part of our jobs: sharing stories with families in whatever way makes sense for your community right now. I think of this annual blog post as my love letter to my fellow children’s librarians – I see you and I feel lucky to be part of this community. Cheers to us!"

Click here to read the full blog post plus access previous years' Favorite Storytime Picture Book Lists.


Thursday, January 20, 2022

Throw-It Thursday - Helping Your Shelves Help Others

Ashley Borman, Technical Services Librarian at the Clintonville (WI) Public Library and YSS board member, is back with her monthly column and has some great advice on making sure your collections are updated.

Pixabay Image
The Psychology and Self-Help section in most public libraries is often a well-used area. It is also sometimes overlooked when it is time to weed, especially if things are still being checked out. It is important to stay on top of this area, just like with the medical books, because practices are always changing and some of the items in here may fall under outdated or mis-information.

While many of the items in this section are geared towards adults, this is also the area you will find important books for kids on dealing with stress, anger, and other emotions, as well as sensitive topics such as death and grieving. I recently did a heavy weed of this section in my library and I forgot to take pictures of some of the old and crusty items I threw in the discard pile, so no pictures today, sorry. It is always a good idea to get rid of any materials about psychology and self-help issues that are outdated. If it is more than 10 years old, is a medical/reference type book, and it is still on your shelf, what are you waiting for?! Throw it in the discard pile!

Non-medical/reference self-help items have a bit more leeway. These you can keep longer if they are beneficial to your community. But if you have funds and can afford to update your materials, get some new books on how kids can cope and deal with their emotions and problems they might be having. Books that look newer and appealing are more likely to get used by kids than those old crusty copies from the 1990s-2000s with old fashions portrayed on the cover! By clearing your shelves of the old junk and adding newer items with appealing coves, you can help your patrons find helpful resources.

Happy weeding!

Wednesday, January 19, 2022

Education Series—"Wisconsin Libraries Talk About Race"

Check out below the recent promotional piece from Wisconsin's IDEA Team (Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity in Action) about the chance to participate in an education series called Wisconsin Libraries Talk About Race. 

Photo from Unsplash.com

How can you better position your library (the heart of your community) as a place where diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are celebrated? 

In a 2020 survey, library workers statewide (and from libraries of all sizes) identified “the ability to communicate about topics related to race” as one skill they needed to better lead DEI efforts big and small in their libraries and communities. 

The IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity in Action) Team invites public library staff from throughout Wisconsin to participate in the 2022 LSTA-funded project, Wisconsin Libraries Talk About Race. This project is a continuing education series for Wisconsin library staff members interested in devoting more time to learning about diversity, equity, and inclusion and ways to bring DEI to their libraries and communities. 

There are three ways to participate, based on your learning style and schedule in 2022. 

 

1. Group education  

Participate in one, two, or three one-hour webinars delivered once “live” virtually and recorded for later playback. 

  • February 15th, 10am - Let's Talk About Race At Work [Register HERE]
  • March 9th, 10am - Engaging in Sensitive Conversations & Handling Pushback [Register HERE]
  • April 14th, 1pm - Understanding Why Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Matter in Majority White Spaces [Register HERE]

2. Group discussion

Explore the content of each webinar in discussion forums made up of no more than 10 participants from across the state. Sessions will be offered virtually to allow for maximum accessibility and will be facilitated by trained library staff facilitators. Dates are forthcoming in 2022. 

3. Independent study and exploration 

Independently explore the content provided in each webinar, with materials provided by the People Company. Prompts will be provided for participants, in order to practice essential competencies explored in the webinars. Materials will be accessible through the Wisconsin IDEA Team and are forthcoming in 2022. 


For questions and updates, please visit the Wisconsin Libraries Talk About Race website, or contact a member of the IDEA Team https://www.wislibidea.com/

This project was coordinated by the Wisconsin IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity in Action) Team and made possible by the Wisconsin Department of Instruction (DPI) Public Library Development Team, with funding support from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.