Established in 2000, RAWSistaz (Reading and Writing Sistaz) Literary Group is committed to the support and promotion of books by, for and about African-Americans. Every year, RAWSistaz presents an annual gathering for the members of their online group in various cities. In addition to being a reunion for the group’s members, The RAWSistaz Affair spotlights [ Read the full article… ]
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What are teens reading? Ask A Librarian
With respect to teen readers, there’s always a fine line. They certainly don’t want to be told what to read and yet, are right on the cusp of realizing that aduls can and do provide pretty decent recommendations. A recent SLJ article provides a peek into what teen readers are into, at the moment, from [ Read the full article… ]
A Balanced Diet is a Must
There’s an old advertising stat that goes something like this: a person must be exposed to a message or image at least nine times before they truly register it. Maybe it’s eight times, maybe it’s ten – the point is, a person must be exposed to a message over and over before they absorb it. [ Read the full article… ]
Bookshelf roundup
Too often we complain about the shortage of books by and about African Americans. But folks, there’s much to celebrate, too! Here are a few of the wonderful books I’ve read recently: Joseph (McElderry Books) by Shelia P. Moses (ages 12 and up) Life is hard for 15-year-old Joseph Flood. His mother is no good. [ Read the full article… ]
We Want Options, Too
Today is an exciting day for author Stephanie Meyer and fans of her Twilight series. If the words Twilight and Stephanie Meyer don’t ring a bell with you, you’ve either been living under a rock or on another planet. Readers, young and older, are caught up in the relationship of Edward and Bella. As an [ Read the full article… ]
Say it’s so, Joe
According to Publisher’s Weekly Children’s Bookshelf, Politics and Prose, an independent bookstore in Washington, DC, has opened a new section for older teens. “We needed a separate physical space with more sophisticated titles for our high school readers,” says bookseller Heidi Powell, who has been actively working on creating a special section for older teens, [ Read the full article… ]
The Audacity to Hope…for respect
I was pleasantly surprised when I woke up and saw this headline on Yahoo: Writer’s Welcome A Literary President- Elect. What? Writers getting some sort of national mention? Are we in some sort of bizarro world now that the elections are over? We very well may be. Writing is the ugly step child of the [ Read the full article… ]
President-Elect Barack Obama
One reason why I love children’s books is their power to move, affirm, delight and inspire. It amazes me the scope of emotions and topics they cover. When I needed help explaining to my daughter what voting and election day were all about, they were there. I turned to books like If I Ran for President by Catherine Stier [ Read the full article… ]