Tanita S. Davis

Tanita S. Davis is an oddity in the world of children’s and young adult authors – she’s one of the few authors that actually set out to write YA fiction. School Library Journal calls her first novel for young adults, A La Carte (Knopf, 2008) a book “with a lot of heart,” and Kirkus says [ Read the full article… ]

The BBS 2012 Summer Reading List — Young Adult

Finally, here are some young adult titles that we at the BBS have either read or plan on reading this summer. Check them out yourself–and be sure to share this list with all the teens in your world.   NEWER TITLES (2010-2012) Chameleon Author:  Charles R. Smith, Jr. Publisher:  Candlewick Press (2010) Genre:  YA   [ Read the full article… ]

Using Black Children’s Literature to Amplify All Student Voices

Today, we lead a session at NCTE called Using Black Children’s Literature to Amplify All Student Voices. We’d love for you to join us. The program is from 9:30-10:45 a.m. in Room 352C. Our signing at Blue Willow Bookshop booth #321 follows from 11:30 a.m.-noon. You can also catch us at these signings throughout the [ Read the full article… ]

A Declaration in Support of Children

Children’s literature may be the most influential literary genre of all. Picture books, chapter books, middle-grade and young-adult novels all serve the most noble of purposes: to satisfy the need for information, to entertain curious imaginations, to encourage critical thinking skills, to move and inspire. Within their pages, seeds of wisdom and possibility are sown. [ Read the full article… ]

Justice on The Lesson Plan

By Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich   In addition to the excitement and apprehension about tests, read alouds, and recess, there was tension as the school year got underway in many cities and educators wondered if and how to address the police killing of unarmed teen Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri and the civil unrest that followed. Do [ Read the full article… ]

DAY10: B.A. BINNS

B. A. Binns is a Chicago Area author who writes stories about “real boys growing into real men,” and finds writing the perfect follow-up to life as an adoptive parent and a cancer survivor. She has authored three realistic, YA books exploring multicultural themes: PULL (2010), DIE TRYING AND OTHER STORIES (2012) and BEING GOD [ Read the full article… ]

Awards Season

Feel that excitement in the air. It’s that time again. Get ready for the children’s literature awards. The NAACP Image Award nominees were just announced. Congratulations to everyone who made the list!  Here are the children’s and teen literature nominees: Outstanding Literary Work – Children “Child of the Civil Rights Movement” – Paula Young Shelton (Random House Children’s Books) “Negro Speaks [ Read the full article… ]

On the Troll Again

Brown Bookshelf Opens Submissions for 2010 28 Days Later Campaign “Third one’s the charm,” the old saying goes. So The Brown Bookshelf (BBS), a website designed to push awareness of the myriad of African American voices writing for young readers, will open submissions for its third annual 28 Days Later Campaign on September 28, 2009 [ Read the full article… ]