Here are the latest newsletters for my followers to peruse:
August 11, 2025
We hope you'll spread the word about the School & Library Spotlight e-newsletter throughout your communities. Follow us on Bluesky for more great stories, and join our LinkedIn group to be a part of the conversation.
We’d love to hear from teachers and librarians for an upcoming story on first day of school traditions! If you have any creative programs planned for the start of the new year, please email us here with the subject line “First Day of School.”
Amid the ongoing literacy crisis, the demand for decodable books—simple texts focused on phonics and phonemic awareness—has grown across the school, library, and trade markets. We spoke with several publishers who are taking these tools for beginning readers in new directions. MORE
Reading specialist and former classroom teacher Elizabeth Scully shares her experience creating decodable books to help kids fall in love with reading. MORE
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The author of The Crossover and Black Star has launched a national literacy nonprofit, One Word at a Time, to inspire middle grade reading and connect kids with authors. “I want to be able to reach thousands of schools, show the power of poetry, and share my story,” Alexander said. MORE
Riding the wave of interest in middle grade historical fiction, Alan Gratz returns to Nazi Germany with a fast-paced Olympic thriller, War Games, and releases a graphic novel adaptation of a backlist bestseller. MORE
At least nine Florida counties have removed hundreds of books from public school classrooms and libraries ahead of the 2025–2026 school year, PEN America reported, amid concerns over legal action from the state’s Board of Education and Attorney General. MORE
The American Library Association announced July 30 that the Independent Book Publishers Association is now an ALA affiliate. ALA president Sam Helmick (l.) and IBPA CEO Andrea Fleck-Nisbet talked with PW about the significance of the alliance. MORE
Our Fall Preview issue includes A-to-Z listings of publishers' big children's and YA titles, a cover by Caldecott Medalist Kevin Henkes, and more. MORE
See highlights of the books for young readers due out next spring—including highly anticipated debuts, follow-ups to bestselling novels, and collaborations between favorite authors and illustrators—in our exclusive roundup. MORE
Author Chelsea Lin Wallace (l.) and illustrator Thyra Heder discuss their new book, On Our Way with Mr. Jay, about an intrepid school bus driver, kicking off a series of picture books celebrating school heroes. MORE
Summer may be coming to a close but readers can continue to look forward to new books including a series starter about a witch-in-training, a graphic novel about finding where one belongs, a gothic YA mystery about a psychic medium, and more. MORE
Veteran children’s book publisher and author A.J. Wood, creator of the bestselling Ologies series, turns her attention to the mysterious side of STEM with The Wizard’s Guide to Magical Experiments. Wood spoke with us about the intersection of science and sorcery and how she hopes to inspire magic makers of all ages. MORE
J.E. Thomas discussed tackling social-emotional themes through a contemporary sci-fi lens in her newest middle grade novel The AI Incident, about a school’s AI program gone rogue. MORE
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July 28, 2025
We hope you'll spread the word about the School & Library Spotlight e-newsletter throughout your communities. Follow us on Bluesky for more great stories, and join our LinkedIn group to be a part of the conversation.
We’d love to hear from teachers and librarians for an upcoming story on reading incentive programs! If you have any insight to share on rewarding students for their reading efforts, please email us here with the subject line “Reading Incentives.”
Media Source Inc., parent company of School Library Journal, Library Journal, and the Horn Book, has announced a “strategic repositioning across the company” and laid off Rebecca T. Miller (l.), group publisher of the three journals, as well as SLJ editor-in-chief Kathy Ishizuka. MORE
The American Library Association’s newly approved 2025 strategic plan addresses national policy, library legislation, and local connections, reflecting “a more activist approach” to coalition-building and the profession, said Leslie Burger, ALA interim executive director. MORE
A delegation from the American Library Association discussed libraries’ economic and social importance in a July 21 panel at the United Nations 2025 High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in New York City. MORE
Advocacy organization EveryLibrary has shared some of its latest research on library policymaking and patrons, with findings on the importance of coalition-building and removing barriers to borrowing. MORE
In a July 24 amicus brief supporting the plaintiffs challenging Iowa’s book banning law in Penguin Random House v. Robbins, 10 groups contend that censorship threatens not only free speech and young people’s access to education, but also the business of authorship, publishing, and distribution. MORE
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Early Readers Will Speed to 'Pet Shop Racers'Narwhal and Jelly meets The Mouse and the Motorcycle in this action-packed, hilarious graphic novel series starter perfect for early and reluctant readers. Hamster Ham and ferret Shelby meet in the pet shop and become fast friends, until competition gets in the way. Can they become the greatest racecar drivers—and the greatest friends—of all time? MORE
PW spoke with three teachers and librarians who are committed to helping children find books that will change their reading lives. MORE
Berkley Books, an imprint of Penguin, will join forces with Penguin Young Readers to launch Berkley XO, a new imprint for fiction with crossover appeal for both adult and YA readers. MORE
Author-illustrator Alber, who has self-published dozens of children’s books that use humor to ignite kids’ interest in making art and to help them develop life skills, is partnering with Sourcebooks on a multi-pronged publishing deal. MORE
Inklore, an adult comics imprint of the Random House Publishing Group, and Ink Pop, a new line of global comics for kids and teens from Random House Children’s Books, announced that they will partner with Webtoon to bring 14 of its most popular webcomics into print over the next five years. MORE
Carolyn Mackler, author of the Printz Honor–winning The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things, reflects on her new middle grade novel, Right Back at You, which was partially inspired by her own experience being bullied in seventh grade. She has launched the Right Back at You Project, a pen-pal program that encourages children to seek commonality despite differences. MORE
We spoke with Dawn Quigley about her teaching career, what drives her to write stories featuring Indigenous characters, and why she believes there need to be many voices representing Native people. MORE
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