Looking Like Me written by Walter Dean Myers illustrated by Christopher Myers Published by Egmont, 2009 Walter Dean Myers is a writer and photographer, a flute player and cat lover. Christopher Myers is an artist and writer, a clothes designer, a dancer. Together this father-son duo created the picture book Looking Like Me, a collaboration [ Read the full article… ]

This Friday, November 20th the movie, Precious, based on the book, Push by Sapphire opens nationwide. On December 11th, Disney’s Princess and the Frog opens nationwide. I’ll be going to see at least one of them on opening night, likely the Disney movie because I have a little one. Here’s why you should too: We [ Read the full article… ]

Psst, look to your right. Notice anything different on our side nav bar? No? Look again… The Brown Bookshelf has two new members: Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich, author of the MG/YA debut, Eighth-grade Superzero (Arthur A. Levine, 2010) and Tameka F. Brown, author of debut Picture Book, Around Our Way (Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2010). *applause* [ Read the full article… ]

FIRST COME THE ZEBRA, written and illustrated by Lynne Barasch (Lee & Low Books, 2009). For thousands of years, millions of wildebeest, zebra and gazelle have journeyed through the plains of the Serengeti and the Massai Mara, in search of fresh water and grasses. It’s known as the annual ‘Great Migration.’ One day during the [ Read the full article… ]

First and foremost, this post is meant as a celebration in honor of Teen Read Week. The YALSA Teens Top Ten is out. These books were voted on by teens at libraries nationwide. That’s an exciting thing. The fact that teens still go to libraries for books and not merely to access the internet is [ Read the full article… ]

I can tell time by events going on in the literary world. For example, Halloween falls smack in the middle of The Brown Bookshelf’s call for nominations (September 30th) and YALSA’s Teen Read Week (October 19-24th). So I always know when to go out and buy my candy! Every year, Readergirlz goes full out for [ Read the full article… ]

The Writers Against Racism series is running fast and furious. Our very own Kelly Starling Lyons was Saturday’s feature. If you missed it (like I did!), check it out now. An excerpt: In elementary school, I remember reading just one children’s book featuring African-American characters — Mildred D. Taylor’s Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. [ Read the full article… ]

The Brown Bookshelf’s own Paula Chase-Hyman is featured in Amy Bowllan’s wonderful Writers Against Racism series. Read her interview here. Here’s a peek: “I’ve always lived in color. So, I tend to create worlds that mirror the one I was brought up in. Those worlds aren’t devoid of racism or ignorance, by any means, but [ Read the full article… ]