Category: Live Blogging

Maybe they should be called “curiosity books” argued Marc Aronson, the inaugural winner of the Sibert Award in 2001. Lesa Cline-Ransome joined in the conversation stating that these books “should make clear what is unclear.” The stories they tell are not just about the past, but about the connections and echoes around us today, added Candace Fleming (winner of the Sibert in 2021, in addition to three Sibert honors in other years). At Saturday’s Big Ideas session, we had the enormous pleasure of listening to these three authors, who are each so gifted in making nonfiction topics come to life for children of all ages, as they discussed their research and writing of both past and forthcoming books. Their passion for their subjects was matched by their respect for their young audiences. One of the points that struck me the most was when Candace Fleming asserted that if a nonfiction…

A meeting like the ALSC National Institute doesn’t happen magically or overnight. It takes months of work from ALSC staff and volunteers. Let’s give them all a round of applause for what they have achieved! It was a wonderful meeting, full of good ideas to take home, playful times, and so many connections. 

Sketch # 5 Our guest contributor today is Erica Siskind. Erica loves her job at the Oakland Public Library, in Oakland, California, and recently celebrated 30 years as a Children’s Librarian at the Rockridge Branch. Erica is most excited about making time and space for kids to write, illustrate, and perform their own stories – encouraging them to finish projects and share them with others, which she knows is the hard part! She’s looking forward to picking up tips about conducting joyful learning programs through play. Sketching helps her focus – so if you see her with her sketchbook and you want to be included, act natural, but hold still for just a minute. Please note that as a guest post, the views expressed here do not represent the official position of ALA or ALSC. If you are interested in submitting a guest post, please read and fill out our Guest Blogging…

Visiting the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library’s Central Library was an #alsc26 highlight. There were mocktails. There were sweet treats! There were opportunities to tour—and learn from—the teen space, children’s room, maker space, and recording studios.  Since we’re heading into Banned Books Week, my favorite experience was a visit to the library’s Mark Twain Room, home of the original handwritten manuscript of the continuously challenged Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The library’s rare books curator shared stories of Twain’s time in the city and the excitement of how a once-forgotten part of the manuscript was found. In anticipation of our visit, she prepared a “Baby’s First Banned Book” exhibit that featured children’s versions of the novel, which included comics and coloring books created in the late 19th and 20th centuries. She noted that, in these titles, “the racist language has been removed and the sharp edges have been softened” and,…