iLove Middle Grade!!

Huge congrats to Meg Wolitzer for Entertainment Weekly naming her new book, BELZHAR, the Best YA of 2014!  

(I wish I had time to make something better but I think this is fine as well…)

"You see, the land of Grimm can be a harrowing place. But it is worth exploring. For, in life, it is in the darkest zones one finds the brightest beauty and most luminous wisdom.

And, of course, the most blood."

Happy fall everyone! It’s time for back to school, back to work, and back to the Reblog Book Club!

We’ll be reading a memoir-in-verse called Brown Girl Dreaming by the brilliant and beloved Jacqueline Woodson. She’s the author of a whole lot of books including Each Kindness, If You Come Softly, Visiting Day, The Other Side, and Beneath A Meth Moon. Even in a career as impressive as hers, this book is something very special.

Here are some reasons I (Rachel. Hi!) absolutely love this book: 

It’s not YA or Middle Grade or Adult; it’s one of those stories that you might say is best for ages 9 - 99. I can’t think of anyone I wouldn’t recommend this book to. 

In recounting the personal, specific stories of her own family and upbringing, Jackie has created a piece of art that feels universal—it is about what we learn from our parents, grandparents, sisters, brothers, and friends, about how we define what home means to us and how many different places that might be, about figuring out what we’re good at and what we loved to do and how to incorporate those things into our lives, about the flawed and difficult history of a nation and how each person can grow and learn and thrive and find her place in it. It made me think hard and feel deeply, and I can’t wait to discuss it with all of you.

WALTER DEAN MYERS, PROLIFIC AND BELOVED AUTHOR OF AWARD-WINNING CHILDREN’S BOOKS, DIES AT AGE 76

Some gifs from this year’s Annual ALA conference which was in this hot-hot-hot-hot Las Vegas. 

#1: Rita Williams-Garcia (winner of this year’s CSK award) dancing out her energy in our booth, and pretty much being the best. 

#2: Mo Willems high fiving a ton of librarians right before his signing

#3: Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen (last year’s Caldecott winner) doing a double signing