This year’s #alsc26 started strong with a delicious dinner and remarks from the amazing Angie Thomas, author of the frequently challenged title The Hate U Give. In conversation with ALSC president Ariana Hussain, Thomas discussed her notable Nic Blake and The Remarkables series, the current state of multicultural children’s books in the U.S., and her recent collaborations with other authors of books for tweens and teens.
Category: Books
The Perfect Books for Phoebe Bridgers’ Lost Weekend
It’s September, a month filled with fun celebrations like Hispanic Heritage Month, the start of a new school year, and the return of fall beverages to coffee shops everywhere. But this year, there is another great reason to celebrate. Phoebe Bridgers starts her new tour, The Lost Tour, to celebrate the release of her latest album, Lost Weekend. If you were lucky enough to get tickets, congratulations! Bridgers’ show is sure to be a treat. This is a great time to let your patrons know about the connection between rock music and librarianship. Here are some young adult novels to read to celebrate this new album and tour.
Call for Suggestions: 2027 Geisel Award
The 2027 Geisel Committee welcomes ALSC membership to suggest titles for consideration for this year’s award.
Back to School Picture Books
Back to School is here! This season brings a wide range of emotions for children. Whether they are excited or nervous, a great read aloud can help them to understand their feelings, connect with new situations, feel comfortable with change, and maybe even laugh about silly school shenanigans. The following books published in 2026 have stood out to me as great choices for this time of year.
Wonder first: what a coral snake taught me about writing children’s books
Why did you become a children’s librarian? I suspect it wasn’t simply to help children find information. I often find myself asking a similar question: why do I write children’s books?
Kid approved! Conferencing with a kid and picking out books at #alaac26
This year, I am traveling with my nine-year-old reader at ALA annual, so on conference day one I picked up my badge and purchased a child’s pass at the registration desk (only available in person), and additional tickets for her to attend some of the events on my schedule. I opted to find a local babysitter for the first day, to give myself time to settle into the conference, and so my daughter could explore the city.
A Sunrise Breakfast at #alaac26
As the sun came up over Chicago, I headed to the Marriott for the Coretta Scott King Book Awards Round Table’s (CSKBART) 57th annual Breakfast and Awards event.
Notable Children’s Books – June 2026 Discussion
Each year the ALSC Notable Children’s Books Committee identifies the best of the best in children’s books. According to the Notables Criteria, “notable” is defined as: Worthy of note or notice, important, distinguished, outstanding. As applied to children’s books, notable should be thought to include books of especially commendable quality, books that exhibit venturesome creativity, and books of fiction, information, poetry and pictures for all age levels (birth through age 14) that reflect and encourage children’s interests in exemplary ways.