For something to endure forty years, there has to be lots of love and nurturing. It’s safe to say that the Coretta Scott King Literary Award most certainly has been nurtured. This year marks its 40th anniversary honoring African American writers and illustrators for their contributions to children’s literature. I can only imagine what the [ Read the full article… ]

This month, New York Times best-selling author Carole Boston Weatherford launched a blog tour for her award-winning book, Becoming Billie Holiday (Wordsong, 2008). In her fictional verse memoir, beautifully illustrated in sepia tones by Floyd Cooper, Weatherford traces the transformation of Eleanora Fagan from Baltimore child into Harlem crooner Billie Holiday. Weatherford, a Baltimore native, [ Read the full article… ]

Sheila Ruth, an ’06 and ’07 organizer of the Cybil’s Sci-Fi and Fantasy category, has a very extensive and heartfelt blog about how too many lists recommending children’s books are focusing on only the best selling books. This is at the very core of the Brown Bookshelf’s mission – spotlighting those left in the shadows [ Read the full article… ]

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… ]