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SB 167 will enable local politicians to “appoint whomever they want to library boards and block major library spending.” This comes as both school and public library boards become more politically charged, and because of a public library’s refusal to give over their facility to another institution–the County Judge Executive of Pikeville threatened to pursue this and succeeded. Republicans in Kentucky noted that because library boards levy taxes, they should be responsible to someone elected by voters....

When the first Gossip Girl book came out in April 2002, I was graduating college. I don’t remember when or why I picked it up, but I remember flying through the book and finding it oddly appealing, sort of like candy that you know will make you sick but it’s so good, you keep eating it. And I proceeded to read each book as it came out. I won’t lie — when Gossip Girl: The Carlyles came out in 2008, I read that, too....

I’ve heard this nursery rhyme my whole life, but I’d never really connected it to a place – despite the fact that I’ve always lived in Oxfordshire, only a stone’s throw away from the small market town of Banbury. It wasn’t until I moved to the town, and saw a statue dedicated to the rhyme, that I thought, huh, yeah, of course – that’s what that was all about....

The High Low Located in the Grand Center Arts District, The High Low is a brand new literary arts center opening soon in St. Louis. It will feature a progressive library, a cafe and writers workspace, a literary arts–focused gallery and a literary arts–focused performance space, a writer’s suite for the center’s Writer-in-Residence program, and eight turnkey offices designed for fledgling arts organizations. Left Bank Books Left Bank Books, located in the Central West End, celebrated 50 years in St....

In my time working in a used bookstore, we went through a lot of Little Golden Books. While some books came in much faster than we could sell them (looking at you, Twilight) and some were always in demand (like Where the Wild Things Are), there were only a few kinds of books that hit that perfect harmony of coming in and being bought at a constant rate, so that we never ran out or were overrun....

Seeing the reality TV starlet surrounded by her eight smiling kids struck the mama chord with me and made me want to buy. My subconscious seemed to be saying, I don’t care how fake the smiles or how crappy the recipes, I am going to buy this book so this single mom of eight (of eight!) can get 50 more cents in her quarterly royalty check. I skipped my typical close reading of the front and back covers, table of contents and introduction....

Not only is this dismissive of rampant purity culture, which exists on all sides of the U.S. political spectrum and along a wide range of faiths, but it overlooks a fascinating era of teen pop culture from a bygone generation. The early 1950s — when (white) teenagers themselves became a capitalist world’s dream by being seen as a wholly unique demographic, thanks to burgeoning wallets, leisure time, and access to transportation — introduced young readers to a whole new category of blush-worthy literature: the teen pulp magazine....

Cultural literacy is important, and books can play a big role in helping young readers develop it. While exposure to and interaction with people from a wide array of cultural backgrounds is certainly also crucial for young people’s development, sometimes sitting down with a good book can provide an engaging point of entry. The books I’m sharing with you today are all aimed at young readers. That means they’re all accessible to readers ages 8–12, although of course the reading level varies by the book (as it does by the reader)....

Hitting shelves August 4, Midnight Sun is Edward’s side of the story. The book promises to take the story somewhere entirely new, as well as somewhere a little bit darker. This isn’t entirely surprising, given that Edward is, indeed, a vampire and likely sees his relationship with Bella a little bit differently. This isn’t the first appearance of Midnight Sun, though. Back in the late 00s at the height of the Twilight fandom, Meyer hinted at the possibility of the book being released....

So I decided to make one. These ten stories appear in eight different short story collections. They’re all about queer and trans characters, but beyond that, they have little in common. Some are realistic and contemporary. Some are historical. Some are set in sci-fi dystopias, and some have magical or fabulist elements. I love all of them with my whole heart. I know a lot of thought and work goes into making an anthology, so I chose these stories (and the order they appear in) carefully....

In fact, it is so loved that it has inspired numerous homages, parodies, and adaptations in the decades since it went off the air. One such story appeared in DC Comics Presents: Teen Titans #1, published in 2011, which featured several stories inspired by the Silver Age of comics. The issue’s main feature is utterly unimpeachable: the Teen Titans have to save President Kennedy, who was kidnapped and replaced by aliens that look kinda like the Beatles, and then things get weird....

Sadly though, this was followed by a feeling of powerlessness for the year following my mother’s death. I lived with an aunt and cousin in Houston. Since we were only supposed to only be there a year, we didn’t get our own library cards. My sister and I relied on my cousin for library loans. This meant going to the library only when it was convenient for her, an unwelcome change from our parents taking us whenever we asked....

As always, this list of new fall 2020 YA books will not be comprehensive, especially as book publication dates shift. With printing challenges due to paper sourcing and COVID-19, this might be the reality for a bit. Use this list less as definitive this season and more as pretty accurate with some potential changes. Then preorder any book that strikes your fancy. This is more important now than ever before....

As always, this list of new spring 2021 YA books will not be comprehensive, especially as book publication dates are still periodically shifting. With printing challenges due to paper sourcing and COVID-19, this might be the reality for a bit. Likewise, I’m curating this roundup early in 2021, prior to taking parental leave, so new books dropping in is a real possibility. Use this list less as definitive this season and more as pretty accurate with some potential changes....

I eat too fast. I tend to hurry through a meal, especially when I’m alone, so that I can get to the next thing in my day. My boyfriend urges me to savor my food. I do feel I enjoy it, savor it. I just do so…quickly. I read the same way. Last year, I read more than 200 books. How? People ask me, incredulously. How do you not burn out?...

Has the Amount You’re Reading Changed? More than half of you, 58.4%, said you’ve been reading more since the pandemic. 18.2% say you’re reading less, and 23.3% say your reading amount hasn’t changed. We didn’t ask why people gave the answers we did, but since so many people had more time between stay-at-home orders and less commuting, along with a need for a bit of escapism, the big increase makes sense....

Flow: The Cultural Story of Menstruation by Elissa Stein and Susan Kim As aforementioned, this book is so kitschy! I mean, that pinup gal on the cover! It includes the history of how society has “dealt with” menstruation, which includes advertisements for feminine care from days of yore. It’s also super simple and clear in answering age-old questions like Hey, why do we have to get our periods anyway? I love how Flow fits into the realm of any other cultural history lessons....

Why Some Audiobooks Have Different or the Same Narrators So you might be wondering why. Well, for newer titles, it’s because some audiobook publishers have audio rights to the same title. For example, a publisher can snap the U.S. audio rights of a title and sell it in the U.S. marketplace. A UK publisher can also have the UK audio rights to the same title. There are some instances though where both versions show up on Audible....

I don’t know where you live, it might be winter out there and cold, but it’s warm all year long where I am. So midweek, I take my paperbacks with me to the patio, sip a warm cup of tea, and write a long FutureMe letter. This year, however, these year-end rituals seem difficult to pull off. I don’t know why, but maybe it’s because of the feeling that everything’s happening too fast, and I don’t have much room to breathe....

“The focus on the policy tonight is rooted in age-appropriateness to ensure it’s aligned with our content and our curriculum,” said Superintendent Dr. Abram Lucabaugh. The ACLU of Pennsylvania, as well as a group of concerned parents, called the move a thinly veiled move toward censorship, and indeed, rather than allowing trained educators and librarians make the call, parents without any background will have a louder voice in the process....