Finish this sentence Thanksgiving is the third  (whoops fourth, thank you to the many readers who emailed me) Thursday in ... That's right November. Thanksgiving is a United States holiday that celebrates... Yeah, I was kind of confused...

Walter Wick, A Drop of Water "The most spectacular photographs ever created on the subject of water appear in this unique science book by Walter Wick. The camera stops the action and magnifies it so...

This was my First Fridays presentation on October 4, 2019. "Canine characters take center stage as we examine the works of significant children's book artists and writers. We will investigate the illustrations and text from...

 About the First Fridays Series First Fridays is a series of intellectually stimulating talks made possible by a generous gift from Governor Elmer L. and Mrs. Eleanor Andersen in honor of former University Librarian Dr....

What does this mean?   What is Banned Book Week? Banned Books Week is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number...

At the 20th Annual Minnesota Children’s Book Festival The Kerlan Friends from the University of Minnesota Children’s Literature Research Collection shared Writing Boxes and writing with children and teens. Writing Boxes: the Reading /Writing Connection by...

Storytelling Storytelling is one of the tools in the children’s librarian box for supporting literacy in our family clientele. For some attendees to story time programs it is the first time reading aloud has been...

Books Around the Table A potluck of ideas from five children's book authors and illustrators is one of my favorite blogs written by children's book makers. I had been meaning to write about them for awhile. To...

Read this Book! Every wonder what to read next?  When I was a young pup librarian the process of recommending a book was called "Readers Reference." Now it is called Readers Advisory. Every once in while,...

The Thing About Bees: a love letter by Shabazz Larkin Every once in a great while, when I am opening the mail, a book, an F&G (advance unbound copy of picture book "Folded and Gathered...

Lee Bennett Hopkins died yesterday. Hopkins’ husband, Charles Egita, announced Lee's passing. My facebook and twitter feed blew up. I kept it together. I had meetings to go to and deadlines to meet but I...

Merbaby's Lullaby   Board books don't get a lot of love in the review media. Yet what could be more important to a child's development as a reader? Recently I saw a neighbor who I hadn't...

Writing Boxes: The Reading/Writing Connection in Libraries Get the download or the finished book here.   What? You wrote a book? "Every library, no matter how small or how large, including public, academic, and others, can and I...

The Sacramento Public Library chosen as site for 2020 Arbuthnot Lecture Neil Gaiman will deliver the 2020 May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture in Sacramento, California in Spring 2020. “The Arbuthnot selection committee considered Gaiman’s body of...

Arbuthnot Site Announcement! The 2020 Arbuthnot Lecture with Neil Gaiman site announcement is at the ALSC Membership Meeting Monday, June 24 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM Location: Washington Convention Center, 144A  Neil Gaiman will deliver the 2020 May Hill Arbuthnot...

Vera B. Williams I have been thinking about Vera B. Williams a lot lately. I have been rereading her books. I have been paging through pictures of her. I had met her a few times. In...

ALA Poetry Blast! If you have never heard a poem spoken, it's like never hearing a song sung. --Ashley Bryan   If you are going to the American Library Association Annual Conference in Washington DC put the Poetry Blast...

Scieszka and Smith's Pig Book turns 30 Revisiting The Childhood Classic 'The True Story Of The 3 Little Pigs!' 30 Years Later From Forbes. Thank you Betsy Bird @Fuse Eight for pointing me to this story. Thirty years...

  Museum of the Moon May 21 - June 9 The Bell Museum’s Year of Apollo celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing continues with a showcase Museum of the Moon, by UK...

What can I do to provide Indigenous Content? Read, read, and read some more. Read books by and about American Indians. Read contemporary picture books and stories. Read critical reviews of books. Read about the...

The Line Tender by Kate Allen publishes today Voice There is something about reading a debut author and loving the book. It's as if you discovered them. And know quite well that is not true. The...

What is a Banned Book? A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. A banning is the removal of those materials. Challenges do not...

This Event Has Been Cancelled The ABC of It: Whose Story is Being Told? Save the Date, May 10th, noon The ABC of It: Whose Story is Being Told? Race, Inclusion, and Representation in Children’s Literature The ABC of...

Theodor Geisel AKA Dr. Seuss In the words of Leonard S. Marcus "Theodor S. Geisel—known as Dr. Seuss to his legions of sticky-fingered young fans—was a favorite picturebook author when a former army buddy turned publishing...

What is The ABC of It? The ABC of It: Why Children’s Books Matter is a physical exhibit at the Elmer L. Andersen Library. For information about the exhibit, hours, and location go here See Things...