Category: Children’s Librarianship

Stories, Songs, and Stretches! Online Certification Launching Spring 2019

June 21, 2018 by RoryLitwin

Press Release from Connected Communities and Library Juice Academy Stories, Songs, and Stretches! Online Certification Launching Spring 2019 June 21, 2018 Lexington KY Media contact: Katie Scherrer, www.katiescherreryoga.com Katie Scherrer of Connected Communities and Library Juice Academy are teaming up to release Stories, Songs, and Stretches! This online version of Katie’s certification of the same … Read more Stories, Songs, and Stretches! Online Certification Launching Spring 2019

Betsy Diamant-Cohen Awarded the Vattemare Award for Creativity in Libraries

May 14, 2018 by RoryLitwin

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thurs., May 10, 2018 Contact: Rory Litwin Phone: 916-905-0291 Email: rory@libraryjuicepress.com Betsy Diamant-Cohen Awarded the Vattemare Award for Creativity in Libraries SACRAMENTO – Betsy Diamant-Cohen has been selected as the winner of the 2018 Alexandre Vattermare Award for Creativity in Libraries, in recognition of her work as the creator and Executive Director … Read more Betsy Diamant-Cohen Awarded the Vattemare Award for Creativity in Libraries

CFP: Many Worlds to Walk In: Exploring Diversity in Children’s Literature, Librarianship, and Education

January 20, 2016 by RoryLitwin

Many Worlds to Walk In: Exploring Diversity in Children’s Literature, Librarianship, and Education Call for Paper Proposals Deadline for submission: February 15, 2016 A peer-reviewed graduate student conference on children’s literature, media, and culture University of British Columbia – Vancouver, B.C., Canada Saturday, April 30, 2016 Many Worlds to Walk In: Exploring Diversity in Children’s … Read more CFP: Many Worlds to Walk In: Exploring Diversity in Children’s Literature, Librarianship, and Education

The Stories I Read to the Children: The Life and Writing of Pura Belpré

May 2, 2013 by RoryLitwin

I want to make people aware of an important new book: The Stories I Read to the Children: The Life and Writing of Pura Belpré, the Legendary Storyteller, Children’s Author, and New York Public Librarian. Selected, Edited, and Biographical Introduction by Lisa Sánchez González. This is not a Library Juice Press or Litwin Books publication, … Read more The Stories I Read to the Children: The Life and Writing of Pura Belpré

New: Lenny and Nina are Buried in Books

March 2, 2013 by RoryLitwin

Lenny and Nina are Buried in Books Author: Linda Cooper Illustrator: Jana Vukovic Price: $10.00 Published: March 2013 ISBN: 978-1-936117-88-8 For children 5-7 years old. Lenny and Nina have so many books that they cannot find what they are looking for and Grandma almost can’t find them! Beginning with this somewhat silly, exaggerated situation, this … Read more New: Lenny and Nina are Buried in Books

Allie and the Monster Who Said Blah Blah Blah

May 26, 2012 by RoryLitwin

Allie and the Monster Who Said Blah Blah Blah Author: Rory Litwin Illustrator: Ginny Maki Price: $18.00 ISBN: 978-1-936117-58-1 8.5″ by 8.5″ Published: May 2012 Printed on acid-free paper. For children aged 3 through 6. Allie has a monster problem. A monster is preventing her from sleeping, terrorizing her with his scary “Blah Blah Blahs” … Read more Allie and the Monster Who Said Blah Blah Blah

Rory Litwin interviews SafeLibraries’ Dan Kleinman

September 13, 2011 by RoryLitwin

Dan Kleinman is the man behind the SafeLibraries campaign, which opposes the American Library Association’s intellectual freedom efforts regarding challenged books in school libraries and classrooms. From Dan’s point of view, as many know, ALA is responsible for exposing children to sexually inappropriate materials. Dan agreed to an interview, which we conducted on Facebook chat. … Read more Rory Litwin interviews SafeLibraries’ Dan Kleinman

2011 Amelia Bloomer Project List

January 15, 2011 by RoryLitwin

From Diedre Conklin: The Amelia Bloomer Project, a product of the ALA Social Responsibilities Round Table’s (SRRT) Feminist Taskforce, announced the 2011 Amelia Bloomer List at ALA’s Midwinter Meeting in San Diego. The bibliography consists of well-written and illustrated books with significant feminist content, intended for young readers from birth to 18 years old. This … Read more 2011 Amelia Bloomer Project List

2010 Amelia Bloomer List

February 2, 2010 by RoryLitwin

The Amelia Bloomer List is for the “best feminist books for young readers” published each year. This year’s list has just been announced.

Jane Addams Children’s Book Awards – 2009 Winners

April 30, 2009 by RoryLitwin

The Jane Addams Peace Association has announced the winners of its Children’s Book Awards for this year. This award tends to get lost in the shuffle, I think. From the site: The Jane Addams Children’s Book Awards are given annually to the children’s books published the preceding year that effectively promote the cause of peace, … Read more Jane Addams Children’s Book Awards – 2009 Winners

Left Children’s Lit

February 17, 2009 by RoryLitwin

I missed this when it came out a month ago in the New York Times Book Review: Caleb Crain has a review of Tales for Little Rebels: A Collection of Radical Children’s Literature. I have often wondered about Left Children’s Lit, so I find this book interesting. Crain finds too much amusement in the topic … Read more Left Children’s Lit

Age Appropriateness and IF

February 3, 2009 by RoryLitwin

Intellectual Freedom is a right that has a range of threats to it. Most obviously, governments have banned books and censored the internet. But there are other dimensions to the threats to intellectual freedom. Publishers have refused to publish books for fear of controversy. Criticism of corporations is squelched by pulling out of advertising contracts; … Read more Age Appropriateness and IF

Some good listening

September 26, 2008 by RoryLitwin

Wisconsin Public Radio’s To the Best of Our Knowledge has an hour-long program this week on libraries, books and reading. Interviewed are Maryanne Wolfe, author of “Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain” (which has some pessimistic things to say about the internet); Geraldine Brooks, who talks about the rare … Read more Some good listening

Nancy Kranich on Sarah Palin, would-be censor

September 18, 2008 by RoryLitwin

Former ALA President Nancy Kranich has an editorial in the current issue of The Nation magazine, titled, “What’s Daddy’s Roommate Doing in Wasilla?” Kranich is writing about Sarah Palin’s attempt to censor books from the library in Wasilla when she was governor, and her subsequent attempt to have the library director, Mary Ellen Emmons, fired, … Read more Nancy Kranich on Sarah Palin, would-be censor

One Laptop Per Child Bullcakes

May 30, 2008 by RoryLitwin

Via Kevin Arthur’s Questioning Technology blog, a tidbit on the fiasco known as One Laptop Per Child…

Carmen D’Avino’s “Library” short

April 7, 2008 by RoryLitwin

Carmen D’Avino created a lot of recognizeable animation in the 60s and 70s, some of it for The Electric Company, a PBS show for graduates of Sesame Street that I remember well. Here’s his animated bit about Libraries for The Electric Company:

Rainbow Project – GLBTQ book list for youth

February 4, 2008 by RoryLitwin

RAINBOW PROJECT ANNOUNCES FIRST ANNUAL GLBTQ BOOK LIST FOR YOUTH Philadelphia, PA, January 2008 Co-sponsored by the American Library Association‚Äôs Social Responsibility Round Table and the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Round Table, the Rainbow Project proudly announces its first annual bibliography for young readers from birth through age 18. These 45 fictional and informational … Read more Rainbow Project – GLBTQ book list for youth

2008 Amelia Bloomer List

February 4, 2008 by RoryLitwin

In its seventh year now, the Amelia Bloomer List is a recommended reading list of feminist books for girls, that is, books for girls (ranging from beginning readers to teens) that feature strong, independent female protagonists that girls can identify with. Very useful for school librarians, children’s librarians at YA librarians…

Dr. Toni Samek profiled in U. of Alberta article about teacher-librarian crisis

August 1, 2006 by RoryLitwin

The University of Alberta’s Express News today features an article titled “Librarians are freedom fighters, says author,” about professor Toni Samek and her recent advocacy of school librarianship in Alberta. Samek has written extensively on librarians as activists for intellectual freedom and human rights. Dr. Samek has a book coming out soon on Chandos Press … Read more Dr. Toni Samek profiled in U. of Alberta article about teacher-librarian crisis

Vamos a Cuba update

July 12, 2006 by RoryLitwin

The Dade County, FL, school board’s attempt to ban Vamos a Cuba, the children’s book that local Cuban expatriats complain paints too rosy a picture of life in the socialist country (blogged here on June 14th), is presently being held up as a result of the ACLU’s legal challenge. At the time of the ALA … Read more Vamos a Cuba update