Month: November 2017

Selected Lists Transition Update

We are working hard to continue to make the transition of YALSA’s selected lists to the Hub a smooth one. You can read more about the status of that transition in this post from 17-18 YALSA president Sandra Hughes-Hassell on the YALSAblog.

I wanted to give an update on things from the Hub side. You have hopefully noticed quite a few posts in recent weeks with 2018 Amazing Audiobooks and Quick Picks nominees. We’ve been working hard to get through a backlog of posts on these nominees. Both of those blogger teams and their coordinators, Ariel Cummins for #AA2018 and Dana Hutchins for #QP2018, have done amazing work in helping us get these nominees out quicker so librarians can learn about and purchase these titles throughout the year, which was one of the goals of transitioning selected lists to the Hub. Continue reading Selected Lists Transition Update

#QP2018 Nominees Round Up: Graphic Novels and Manga

Scorpia by Anthony Horowitz and Antony Johnston
Candlewick Press
Publication Date: August 15, 2017
ISBN: 9780763692575 

Glossy, full color graphics and an Alex who is drawn like an older teen make this fast-paced action-adventure graphic novel an excellent choice for reluctant readers. Continue reading #QP2018 Nominees Round Up: Graphic Novels and Manga

Booklist: Surviving Middle School

Middle school is the time of greatest change for teens. It is when you go from from 11 to 12-years-old to becoming an actual teenager. It is a time changing friendships and changing bodies, becoming more aware of yourself and of others. It is a time when identity is being explored, but also a time of growing empathy and sense of social justice. Books about the middle school experience are tricky to categorize, some speak to the younger side and some to the older, and choosing books for middle schoolers can be difficult because they are reading everything.

Continue reading Booklist: Surviving Middle School

#QP2018 Nominees Round Up

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books
Publication Date: October 17, 2017
ISBN: 9781481438254

Will Holloman knows the rules.
Crying: Don’t. No matter what. Don’t.
Snitching: Don’t. No matter what. Don’t.
Revenge: If someone you love gets killed,
find the person who killed them,
and kill them. Continue reading #QP2018 Nominees Round Up

#QP2018 Nominees Round Up: More Nonfiction!

Blood, Bullets, and Bones by Bridget Heos
Balzer & Bray
Publication Date: October 4, 2017
ISBN: 9780062387622 

Murder most foul is a perfect fodder for reluctant readers and the cover of this book is the come hither invitation that will prove irresistible to many. Continue reading #QP2018 Nominees Round Up: More Nonfiction!

#QP2018 Nominees Round Up

Warcross by Marie Lu
G.P. Putnam’s Sons / Penguin Random House
Publication Date: September 12, 2017
ISBN: 9780399547966

Bounty hunter by day and hacker by night, Emika Chen launches herself into accidental overnight viral fame by projecting herself into the Warcross Championship, a global virtual reality/video game sensation. Emika’s luck finally seems to be looking up when game creator Hideo Tanaka invites her to join the championship as a spy for him, but the answers she finds may cost her everything.

Continue reading #QP2018 Nominees Round Up

#QP2018 Nominees Roundup

Freya by Matthew Laurence
Imprint
Publication Date: March 14, 2017
ISBN: 9781250088178

Sixteen-year-old Sara Vanadi has been hiding out in a quiet little hospital where she gets three square meals a day and is basically left alone. Her peace is shattered when Garen, an agent of a vicious corporation that is abusing forgotten deities, comes to her with an offer she wants to refuse: work for us or die. Continue reading #QP2018 Nominees Roundup

Women in Comics – The Wonderful World of Sports

Though comic books may not be the first place you consider looking for sports, the way that they combine powerful stories with powerful artwork makes them a great vehicle for telling sports stories. Many creative teams have taken advantages of what the format has to offer to tell exciting stories of athletes, competition, and teamwork. This list highlights just a few of these comics that are perfect for fans of sports and the competitive spirit.

Play Ball CoverSpinning CoverSlam Cover Continue reading Women in Comics – The Wonderful World of Sports

#QP2018 Nominees Round Up: Manga and Graphic Novels

Scooby Apocalypse Vol. 1 by Keith Giffen
DC Comics
Publication Date: February 7, 2017
ISBN: 9781401267902

What if you took the characters from Scooby-Doo, re-imagined them as badasses in the modern day, and pitted them against a mystery where the monsters are real and horrifying? Then you’d get Scooby Apocalypse.  Continue reading #QP2018 Nominees Round Up: Manga and Graphic Novels