Happy 2023! January brings New Year’s resolutions and reappearing library books; this Magazine issue with gorgeous cover art by Jason Griffin and including complete BGHB speeches; our annual at-a-glance Year in Review post (coming soon!); and LibLearnX and the ALA Youth Media Awards. But first: who do you think will...
We were very sorry to hear about the death of Phyllis J. Fogelman, one of the “Great Ladies” of children’s publishing, on December 18, 2022. In a phone call earlier this week with her close friend (and former husband) agent Shelly Fogelman, he reiterated her groundbreaking contributions to the field...
What do you see on the cover of this issue of the Magazine? According to its creator, Jason Griffin, there are many “right” answers. Do you see a house up in the sky and above the clouds, or is it on the ground and behind them? Or is that fog?...
If holiday gift-shopping is still on your to-do list, may we suggest...books! Browse Fanfare 2022, our annual annotated "best books" list for kids and young adults. Favorites in my house include picture books A Spoonful of Frogs ("a chef’s-kiss of comic timing") and, for World Cup come-down, Madani’s Best Game ("a beautiful book about family, love, friendship, immigrant...
It is the most important meal of the day. On November 17, 826 Boston ("a nonprofit writing, tutoring, and publishing organization where students in grades K-12 and beyond can share their stories, amplify their voices, and develop as leaders in school and in life") hosted its Books for Breakfast benefit event at More Than Words...
On November 13, I went to the opening reception of the 33rd Annual Children’s Illustration Celebration at the R. Michelson Galleries, the first in-person reception since pre-COVID. Located in Northampton, Massachusetts, the gallery — per Rich Michelson's opening remarks — has "seen our artists garner eighteen Caldecott Medals and forty-three Caldecott...
This is our second-to-last issue of Notes for 2022; December is our Fanfare issue — our annual “best of” list — and, spoiler alert, it’s going to be great. This issue, too, is a good one, including a selection of picture books about one of our favorite subjects: stories! And...
Last month I had the pleasure to attend a special family-friendly press event at the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston for its exhibit "To Begin Again: Artists and Childhood" (October 6, 2022–February 26, 2023; see also upcoming exhibition tour dates). Curator Ruth Erickson led an exhibition tour that I could have listened to for...