Great New Books for Children and Teens in Person

Logo from ccbc.education.wisc.edu

 

IFLS Library System, Northern Waters Library Services, and Wisconsin Valley Library Service invites you to: 

Great New Books for Children and Teens

Presented by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC) 

Thursday, April 9 from 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

Celebration Hall  

235 E Main St, Gilman, WI 54433

 

Register by Sunday, March 29: https://forms.gle/byHRgBQjF7LdTKW66

 

CCBC Librarians Merri Lindgren and Tessa Michaelson Schmidt will discuss this year’s best books for ages birth to 18! Highlighted books will be available for hands-on book examination during lunch.

 

This free event is open to library professionals and educators.

 

9:30 - 10 a.m. Registration & Light Refreshments

10 - 11:30 a.m. Great New Books for Birth - Grade 5 *This morning session is worth 1.5 contact hours.

11:30 - 1 p.m. Book Browsing and Complimentary Lunch

1 - 2:30 p.m. Great New Books for Grades 6 - 12 *This afternoon session is worth 1.5 contact hours.

 

Space is limited! Please register by March 29: https://forms.gle/byHRgBQjF7LdTKW66

Questions? Reach out to Emily Rogers at erogers@wvls.org.

CCBC Choices 2026

 

CCBC Choices 2026, recommending 231 books published in 2025 for children and teens from birth through high school age, is now available!

CCBC Choices 2026 is a digital publication. Entries for each book include full bibliographic citation, annotation, age recommendation and cover image, and a link to the book’s entry in the CCBC-Recommended Book Search database, where custom lists can be created. The publication also includes an introductory essay and name/title index. A citation list (bibliographic information only) of CCBC Choices 2026 is also available on the CCBC website.   If you’re interested in hearing about some of these titles, the CCBC librarians will present two webinars hosted by South Central Library System this spring highlighting selections from CCBC Choices 2026. The first is Great New Books for Children (Birth – Grade 5) on March 18, 2026, from 9-10am and the second is Great New Books for Older Children and Teens (Grades 6-12) on April 22, 2026 from 9-10am. See the CCBC events calendar for details about these online opportunities, as well as other outreach events around the state.

 

Tessa Michaelson Schmidt 

Director of the Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC) | she/her

Join the Friends of the CCBC board

 Tammy Pineda from Madison Public Library recently shared an opportunity from the Friends of the CCBC. 

Photo from ccbcfriends.org

Have you heard of the Children's Cooperative Book Center (CCBC) here in Madison?

The CCBC is a special non-circulating library and research center within UW-Madison's School of Education focusing on children's and young adult literature for educators, librarians, students, and the public, known nationally for tracking diversity in publishing and offering curated book recommendations. It serves as a vital resource for examining new books and materials, supporting literacy, and promoting diverse voices in children's literature. 

The Friends of the CCBC are currently looking for some new board members. This would be a really great way to support the important work of the CCBC and to add a neat experience to your resume!

The Friends of the CCBC support the work of the CCBC in many ways, including

• Publication of the annual CCBC Choices digital booklet
• Financial support for the Charlotte Zolotow Award and sale of its seals and notecards
• Support for the Charlotte Zolotow Lecture. Lecturers have included Meg Medina, Angeline Boulley, Grace Lin, Christopher Myers, Kate DiCamillo, Yuyi Morales, Jason Reynolds, Leonard Marcus, Paul Fleischman, Rita Williams Garcia, Jaqueline Woodson and many others
• Gifts to enhance the visual and working environment of the library, including artwork framing, a custom-made exhibit case, furniture, and more
• The Friends also hold one or more book sales per year to raise funds for CCBC events and programs.

The open positions are: 

1. Membership Secretary, two year term from 2026-2028

2. At Large Director, two year term from 2026-2028 

3. Book Sale Chair(s), seeking 1-2 candidates and ideally looking at a 1-2 year commitment. 

Please contact Tammy for more information - TPineda@madisonpubliclibrary.org

Charlotte Zolotow Award winner

Photo from Penguin Random House

I'm pleased to announce that the winner of the 2026 Charlotte Zolotow Award is Angie Kang, for her stunning book Our Lake, which was published in 2025 by Kokila / Penguin Random House.

The committee also named three Honor Books and eight Highly Commended titles. The full list and press release are available on the CCBC website as of this morning. I will also be sending an award announcement email to the Friends listserv.

We are looking forward to the winning author joining us for the award event on the afternoon of Saturday, April 25. The time is yet to be determined; I'll keep you informed as I know more.

Sincere thanks, as always, to the Friends of the CCBC for your generous support of the Charlotte Zolotow Award.

Sincerely,

Madeline Freimuth, CCBC librarian and 2026 CZ Award chair

Tips and Info from DPI's December 3, 2025 Youth Services Newsletter

Jeni Schomber's DPI Youth Services Weekly Reminders and Resources is an email newsletter chockfull of great resources we've come to rely on. If you are a WI youth library staffer and you don't receive this weekly missive in your email inbox, please contact Jeni (jennifer.schomber@dpi.wi.gov) to be placed on the list!

Here is the December 3, 2025 edition:

View as a webpage  /  Share     Hello All,  Check out these library youth services resources and reminders!  CSLP Swag Bag Winners!  Congratulations to Natalie (Slinger Community Library), Annette (Tomahawk Public Library), Kirbie (Deerfield Public Library), and Lara (Stephenson Public Library)!  Each library will receive Unearth A Story swag (pencils, bookmarks, stickers, and more!) courtesy of Collaborative Summer Library Program.  CSLP Newsletter  Check out the latest Collaborative Summer Library Program newsletter full of great information about the 2026 Summer Symposium (Thursday, December 4, 2025 - you can still register to attend!), new items in the CSLP shop, and the Color Our World Annual Survey Report.  Wild Wisconsin Winter Webinar Conference – Registration is open!  Registration is now open for the Wild Wisconsin Winter Web Conference. This is a free two day virtual conference taking place on January 21st and 22nd. It includes two full days of informative sessions and opening speakers based on the tracks of management, collection development, programming, small libraries, and more!    Learn more about the conference and register for individual sessions here.  Friends of the CCBC Book Sale  Friday, December 5, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. and Saturday, December 6, from 8:00 to 11 a.m. The final hour on Saturday is a bag sale!  This sale includes thousands of new and gently used books for children and teens.  All proceeds benefit the Friends of the CCBC, Inc., which supports the work of the Cooperative Children’s Book Center, a library serving pre-service and practicing librarians and teachers across Wisconsin.   Please visit https://ccbcfriends.org/book-sale/ for more information.  Space Science Institute: Science Across America  As America celebrates its 250-year anniversary in 2026, HHMI Tangled Bank Studios and STAR Net are launching a new campaign to help libraries highlight the history of scientific achievement in our country and the local connections to science in our communities.   SCIENCE ACROSS AMERICA, the newest campaign from Spark of Science@ My Library, invites libraries to showcase local scientific advances, engage communities in a discussion about how local science is relevant to their lives with focused Community Dialogues, and host educational and inspirational activities that shine a light on the past, present, and future of science in our lives.   All materials are free to participating libraries. Learn more on the Application Page. We are looking for at least two libraries from every state and territory to participate.   Applications are due by December 27th, 2025.  Jeni Schomber Public Library Consultant  The DPI does not sponsor or endorse external resources or events. They are provided for your consideration only. Contact: jeni.schomber@dpi.wi.gov

Tips and Info from DPI's November 20, 2025 Youth Services Newsletter

  Jeni Schomber's DPI Youth Services Weekly Reminders and Resources is an email newsletter chockfull of great resources we've come to rely on. If you are a WI youth library staffer and you don't receive this weekly missive in your email inbox, please contact Jeni (jennifer.schomber@dpi.wi.gov) to be placed on the list!

Here is the November 20, 2025 edition:

 

Check out these youth services resources and reminders!  CSLP Swag Bag Giveaway – deadline 5 p.m. Friday, November 21, 2025   Enter for a chance to win one of four swag bags full of Unearth a Story merchandise, courtesy of Collaborative Summer Library Program.   Each bag includes (2) pencil packs, (2) mini-sticker packs, (2) bookmark packs, sports bag, water bottle, lanyard, and a Digby squishy.    Randomly selected winners will be notified on Monday, November 24, 2025.    BadgerLink Bulletin: Refreshed Training Materials Refreshed and ready for the new year, check out BadgerLink's Training page for answers to your questions on BadgerLink resources! Find overviews for the public library or K-12 grade levels, videos and info sheets on specific resources, help using common search features and tools, and much more. Friends of the CCBC Book Sale  Friday, December 5, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. and Saturday, December 6, from 8:00 to 11 a.m. The final hour on Saturday is a bag sale!  This sale includes thousands of new and gently used books for children and teens.  All proceeds benefit the Friends of the CCBC, Inc., which supports the work of the Cooperative Children’s Book Center, a library serving pre-service and practicing librarians and teachers across Wisconsin.   Please visit https://ccbcfriends.org/book-sale/ for more information.  Seven Types of Rest Librarians Actually Need and How to Get Them  I recently ran across this article from the Librarian by Day blog written by Bobbi Newman. Bobbi is a practicing librarian, Certified Wellness Practitioner, author, and consultant. Enjoy and find rest!  As I reflect upon the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, I want to express how grateful I am for the work that you do for your libraries and for your communities.   The next Youth Services Weekly Resources and Reminders email communication will be available the week of December 1, 2026.  Jeni Schomber  Public Library Consultant  The DPI does not sponsor or endorse external resources or events. They are provided for your consideration only. Contact: jeni.schomber@dpi.wi.gov

CCBC Book Sale

Save the date for the annual Friends of the CCBC 2025 Book Sale! Friday, December 5 and Saturday, December 6th. Great deals on great books! 

Visit their website for more information!

CCBC Starred Review Days

Logo from CCBC website.

The Cooperative Children's Book Center will be hosting their annual starred review days the week of November 17th. This is a great way to get a hands-on look at books that have gotten at least one starred review in 2025. 

You can register for this free event here.

To learn more about the CCBC visit their website. 

CCBC Starred Review Examination Days

Join us the week of November 17 for Starred Review Days at the Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC).

The CCBC conference room will be set up with all the ©2025 children’s and teen books received to-date that have one or more starred review from a professional journal. Enhance your collection management by spending a few hours or a few days doing hands-on book examination at the CCBC.  

 Starred Review Days Schedule:

• Monday, November 17, 8:30 am -7 pm
• Tuesday, November 18, 8:30 am -7 pm
• Wednesday, November 19, 8:30 am -7 pm
• Thursday, November 20, 8:30 am -7 pm
• Friday, November 21, 8:30 am – 2 pm 

Registration is required.  (The registration form will ask you to indicate which day or days you are coming, and how many people in your party.)

We hope to see you at Starred Review Days or at one of our other fall events.

Tessa Michaelson Schmidt 

Director of the Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC) | she/her401 Teacher Education Building | 225 N. Mills St. | Madison, WI 53706

tessa.schmidt@wisc.edu | (608) 263-3721 | ccbc.education.wisc.edu