I’ve carried this book around for 7 months trying to tell you about it. I’ve begun 3 different blog posts and let each one dissipate. Finally I cannot take it any longer and I must tell you to go buy A Banquet for Hungry Ghosts for your middle and high school collections. Your horror-loving students [...]

This January while many bloggers were focusing on the ALA Youth Media awards, there arose another issue in the biblioblogosphere: covers with characters that don’t accurately portray the author’s description inside, particularly of POC (persons of color). For those of you who thought we’d dealt with the issue after the cover of Justine Larbalestier’s Liar and [...]

Capstone Publishing has a new website www.capstonePub.com  They’ve sent some press releases but since you are probably as busy as I am, let me share some interesting links. Rather than just focusing on their titles, Capstone seems to be looking at two markets: Librarians and Teachers.  Varied services are offered depending upon your role, but I [...]

January 2nd I announced The Search for the Top 100 Teen Titles. The February 14th deadline is swiftly approaching so I wanted to remind you of the rules and to prompt you to enter your titles. Don’t let your voice be unheard. Here are the rules: Vote for your top ten teen titles of all time [...]

Have I ever mentioned how much I enjoy exhibit halls at ALA midwinter and Annual? I had two full hours on Friday night and managed to come away with over 80 books. Many were advanced reading copies, some I purchased, others were gratefully accepted donations.  I admit I pleaded heavily with Lerner for their only [...]

First they came for the school librarians, but that was a teacher issue at a local level and they have public libraries, right? Then they came for the military library budgets, but we thought the troops were too busy and someone else would donate and deliver books, right? Then they came for the special scientific [...]

ALA President and Treasurer Candidates Forum.  At the forum they announce that there are places to donate to a fund to help in Haiti.  The funds will be matched by the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority.(I think I heard this correctly).  Today there is a donation box in the Registration area.  Sunday and Monday there will [...]

ALA President and Treasurer Candidates Forum.  At the forum they announce that there are places to donate to a fund to help in Haiti.  The funds will be matched by the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority.(I think I heard this correctly).  Today there is a donation box in the Registration area.  Sunday and Monday there will [...]

Took time Thursday to tour the JFK Presidential Library. My school IS the John F Kennedy Middle School, afterall. I wish each of you and our students could visit this as it was an amazing experience. The tour is self-guided and you walk through a series of rooms that have been created to put you in [...]

Whoever tried to tell me that people from the Northeastern US were distant, cold, or unfriendly LIED. The people of Boston are wonderful, friendly, and helpful. Let me give you an illustration:  Allison and I walked to ground transportation at the airport not knowing diddly-squat about how we were going to get to our hotel. [...]