School Library Journal, I heart you!!  You have combined my March Madness obsession with my passion for books to create Battle of the Books. Now, even though you’ve pitted Kadir Nelson against E. Lockhart, which is akin to Marquette playing Georgetown – where oh where would my allegiance lie?! I must say that I’m intrigued. [ Read the full article… ]

On April 18, the Langston Hughes Library of the Children’s Defense Fund Haley Farm in Clinton, TN will host an important event. Walter Dean Myers, award-winning YA and children’s book author, will give the 2009 May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture. Here are more details from the press release: Each year, the Arbuthnot Lecture features an [ Read the full article… ]

You’re last. Those are the immortal words of Rickey Bobby aka Will Ferrell playing yet another lovable dolt in Talladega Nights. He lived by the mantra because his father uttered the words before he disappeared from Rickey’s life. Only to have his father come back many years later and declare the statement stupid since there are plenty [ Read the full article… ]

GalleyCat has a new blog, People of Color that features people of color throughout the publishing industry – agents, editors, authors and anyone else in the business of books. The Brown Bookshelf is today’s featured site!! Spread the word on this site and discover books, people and organizations who share in the interest of diversifying [ Read the full article… ]

Methinks the issue of spreading the word on kiddie lit by people of color is going (has gone?) viral. Jade Lennox posted a list, broken down by sub-genre no less, of YA written by authors of color. Then there’s the Writers of Color 50 Book Challenge, which isn’t exclusively children’s books, but all the better. [ Read the full article… ]

Holy anger management, Batman! I’ve read about some fictional mean girls, in my day, but Rita Williams-Garcia’s Dominique from Jumped takes the crown. It got me thinking about mean girls and the role they play in YA fiction. About four years ago, mean was really in. Gossip Girl hit its zenith and every time I [ Read the full article… ]

LEE & LOW BOOKS, award-winning publisher of children’s books, is pleased to announce the tenth annual NEW VOICES AWARD. The Award will be given for a children’s picture book manuscript by a writer of color. The Award winner receives a cash grant of $1000 and our standard publication contract, including our basic advance and royalties [ Read the full article… ]

It can be argued (feel free to do so in the comments, as a matter-of-fact) that when it comes to YA for African Americans, once you step out of the traditional – literary fiction of the historical and realistic variety, much of what’s being marketed, currently, falls into two new categories – hood or christian. [ Read the full article… ]