Bring on the Summer Fun! ALSC’s 2024 Summer Reading Lists have arrived! Compiled by ALSC’s Quicklists Consulting Committee, the lists highlight engaging and award-winning books to keep children reading all summer long. In addition to top-notch reading picks, the committee also recommends a range of apps, podcasts, and websites to help kids discover new and extend current interests. Here’s just a sampling of the digital resources featured: The First Cat in Space Ate Pizza Live Cartoons, providing story-writing inspiration for kids; Chrome Music Lab with hands-on experiments and activities; The ..read more

Not long ago, I asked a group of grade six English learners to do a “source language scavenger hunt,” finding middle grade and YA novels in the school library and recording the language in which each was written. I also had them note the author’s name and, if applicable, the translator’s. This “hunt” had several goals: I hoped it would get the students comfortable ferreting out works of fiction in their library. I also wanted them to consider language among the many markers of authorial identity, since they were performing a diversity audit of their independent reading. I wanted them to see t ..read more

While many are familiar with the Newbery and Caldecott committees, did you know that the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) has over 60 additional opportunities to participate in committee work, task forces, and discussion groups? From creating best of the best book lists to helping coordinate ALSC’s annual budget, there is an ALSC Committee for everyone. Join us on Friday, April 19th, at 2:00 PM EST for ALSC 101 and an exploration of ALSC Committee work.  (ALSC Stock photo) Many topics have been covered in past opportunities to learn about the organizations. This ..read more

As someone who teaches contemporary children’s literature, I have been following the surge of picture books about climate & environment topics for several years. While there has been some great scholarly research about such books (cited below), I have devised a simple framework for grouping these kinds of books. This 4-tiered categorization may help you decided what to read, suggest, or display in various scenarios and for different audiences.  Category 1: Appreciating Nature We need to raise children who appreciate the natural environment. These books are meant to foster a love of l ..read more

The 2025 Children’s Literature Legacy Award Committee is asking the ALSC membership to submit authors and illustrators for consideration.  The Children’s Literature Legacy Award is awarded every year to an author or illustrator whose work, published in the United States, has over a period of years made a substantial contribution to literature for children through books that demonstrate integrity, and respect for all children’s lives and experiences. Here is a link to the ALSC’s Children’s Literature Legacy Award Terms and Criteria page: Children’s Literature Legacy Award terms and cr ..read more

Despite the fate of social media platform TikTok still being in limbo, librarians, authors, and educators continue to embrace it as a place for advocacy. As social media has grown and evolved over the past two decades, one thing is certain: people will always find ways to gather and create community on these virtual platforms. And while many parents and educators lament their children’s time being consumed by smartphones and social media, #BookTok seems to be having a positive impact on people’s reading habits.  Below is just a small sample of the types of community being centered around ..read more

So I’ve been thinking a lot about our “frequent fliers,” those kids who visit our school library often.  Sometimes they come because they read nonstop and they tear through books like tornadoes, and sometimes they are in the library because the library is their safe space. I decided to reach out to the kids who use BOTH our school library and one of our local public libraries and see what appeals to them about their libraries and why they use them both. I created a short google survey and emailed it to our students, just over 650 kids in grade 5 – 8.  I wanted to know what they liked ..read more

I joined the Budget committee about one year ago as Chair and I’ve learned a lot since then. Here are a few things you may not know: The Budget committee provides membership oversight of ALSC’s financesand offers advice on the budget. The first thing you might be wondering is, what even is the Budget Committee and what do you do? We are an important, but often under the radar committee that falls under Priority Group IV — Organizational Support. Since ALSC is a membership organization, the Budget Committee provides membership oversight of ALSC’s finances and offers advice on the budget. The B ..read more

Our next chat, “Do I Self-Censor? How to Avoid This Pitfall,” will be Thursday, April 11th at 12:00 Noon (CT). Read more: Join Us for the Next We Are ALSC Chat – Register TODAY We Are ALSC Chats build community within children’s librarianship. Led by ALSC Committees, these informal chats are open to members and non-members and are designed to be online networking chats for resource sharing and discussion around timely topics in children’s services. Dr. Karin Perry is an Associate Professor of Library Science at Sam Houston State University. She spends most of her time reading Children’s and Y ..read more

Four days, eight hours of travel, and 4,482 miles later, the #PLA2024 conference ends. I was able to attend this conference because I had the honor of being awarded the PLA conference scholarship for library students. With these funds, I could participate in my first-ever PLA conference. As a #PLA2024 conference scholarship awardee, I was given a year of ALA and PLA membership, paid complete conference registration, and $750 to help pay for the conference expenses. For this year, there were more than 100 award winners. Check out my fellow peers with this link. As a conference awardee, I enjoye ..read more