First Amendment Friday: Bend Banners Break Bylaws
In an all too predictable pattern, the Crook County School near Bend, Oregon, has banned Sherman Alexie’s National Book Award winning novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. This, after a single parent read a few pages of the book out of context and then complained to the school board, skipping the required procedure that requires him to meet with the principal...
Read MoreHow Now, Authors Now
Ever get tired of the same old Internet with stale web sites and boring information repeated again and again? Tired of surfing from place to place looking for news about your favorite authors? Now you don’t have to! AuthorsNow! has officially launched. AN, the brainchild of Cynthea Liu, is a collaboration of children’s book authors and illustrators. Created for parents, teachers,...
Read MoreBill Morris Award Finalists Announced
ALA has released the titles for the inaugural William C. Morris Award, which honors a book written for young adults by a first-time, previously unpublished author. Bill Morris was a terrific person and advocate for teens and their books. He was also the first publisher I met when I joined ALAN and the first to let me crash a cocktail party. Here’s to Bill and his legacy! A Curse Dark As...
Read MoreA Year in the Presidency of an ALAN Life
Thanks to everyone for the many emails, notes, and phone calls about the ALAN workshop. You are very kind, and I appreciate all of the compliments. The truth is, I didn’t do it alone. The workshop is the cumulative effect of dozens of people working together: The ALAN Board, a group of consultants, presenters, authors, panel chairs, publishers, NCTE staff, the local San Antonio host...
Read MoreThings Read Better with Bluebonnet on It
Gacked from the HarperCollins newsletter: 2009–2010 Texas Bluebonnet Master List:The Gollywhopper Games Congratulations also to Jody Feldman, whose debut children’s book, The Gollywhopper Games, has been named to the 2009–2010 Texas Bluebonnet Master List! “Nonstop action, appealing pencil illustrations, and increasingly difficult brainteasers will keep readers engaged,”...
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