Kathy Ishizuka

A back-to-school reading list by the Florida Department of Educationhas drawn sharp criticism for its lack of diverse books, predominance of old titles, and overall lack of relevance to students.

In ourvisual roundup,key topicsin K–12, from tackling climate change to social emotional learning, graced our cover in 2019, as did “betwixt” readers and some charged-up librarians.

It’s September, and we look to another school year, although certainly not an ordinary one. We at SLJseekto provide the content and context to serve our readers in a ­remarkable time.I want to update you on recent efforts.

In the main, awards season will celebrate honored books and their creators. Yet such a high-profile occasion presents a unique opportunity to celebrate and honor, too, the right of kids and teens to read and access content.

Comments matter to us. Be it frank criticism or sharing insight about the topic at hand or those exclamations, positive and negative, about our reviews, reader feedback is ­welcome, taken in, and considered here at SLJ.

It’s summer, time to catch up on your professional reading. Skylar, our picture and reader of the week.

Book honors, they’re coming. The 2022 titles longlisted for the National Book Award help kick things off and mock Newbery deliberations are in high gear. As for Banned Books Week, the not-a-celebration event drew plenty of announcements, commentary, and ongoing attention from our readers.

Efforts to shield children from perceived unpleasantness, however well intentioned, ignore the genuine fear and anxiety that kids must grapple with in their daily lives.

Attention publishers: The Black Caucus of the American Library Association, Inc. (BCALA) is open to books submitted for consideration in the current cycle of its Children & Young Adult Literary Awards.

Driven by conspiracy theories and memes, contemporary antisemitism is spurring new strategies to inform youth, empower allies, and hold social sites to account.

Censorship and the fight for intellectual freedom led our most viewed stories of the year, along with recommendations toward “Refreshing the Canon,” a joint project with NCTE.