Explore diversity, teens and reading with the Young Adult Library Services Association this November!

YALSA will host the biennial Young Adult Literature Symposium in Albuquerque, New Mexico, November 5-7!

This year’s theme, “Diversity, Literature, and Teens: Beyond Good Intentions,” discusses today’s generation of teens — likely the most diverse generation ever. Does today’s young adult literature reflect the many different faces, beliefs and identities of today’s teens? What impact is this generation having on young adult literature and vice versa? Join YALSA as we explore the depth and breadth of contemporary literature in search of an answer to these questions.
On Friday, attendees can add an optional full-day preconference on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender topics in YA literature to their registration. They can also add optional half-day mini forums on street literature, teen readers’ advisory, or body acceptance in YA literature. On Saturday, registrants can add the optional Bill Morris Memorial Author Luncheon, featuring Vaunda Micheaux Nelson (Coretta Scott King Award winning author of Bad News for Outlaws) or a tour and reception at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center.

The symposium registration includes a Friday welcome reception, educational sessions on Saturday and Sunday, and an authors’ happy hour on Saturday afternoon.

All symposium attendees will receive a continuing education certificate showing the number of contact hours each person received. For example, an attendee who attended the preconference and four sessions will earn a certificate showing they received 12 contact hours.

Early bird registration (through September 10) starts at $195 for YALSA members. You can find a preliminary program, program list, registration and more at www.ala.org/yalitsymposium.

Questions? Contact YALSA at yalsa@ala.org or 1-800-545-2433, ext. 4390.

Two new podcasts are available on the YALitLovers blog. The podcasts are discussion and reviews of current children and teen books, topical discussions and recommendations by Cathie Sue, Emily, Jenny and Adrienne. Currently, there are two podcasts: White Cat by Holly Black and Incarceron by Catherine Fisher.

Upcoming books for review are:

• The Wager by Donna Jo Napoli
• Heist Society by Ally Carter
• One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia

You can subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, or listen to the mp3 online.

This is from YAttitudes, issue 9, no 4: May 2010. Those libraries with active teen book clubs may be interested in applying for the YA Galley and your teens could participate in selecting YALSA’s Teens’ Top Ten and get free books!

Your Teens Could Help Choose YALSA’s Teens’ Top Ten

YALSA is accepting applications for the 2010-2012 round of YA Galley! YA Galley is an ongoing project in which publishers of young adult books provide free copies of their recent titles to teen book discussion groups in libraries. In exchange, teen readers evaluate books for the publishers.

Young adult book discussion group leaders who wish to be considered for YALSA’s YA Galley/Teens’ Top Ten project can learn more online at the Teens’ Top Ten website.  Applications are due June 1, 2010. The YA Galley committee will select 15 groups during the ALA’s Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. this June. Each selected group will serve a two-year term beginning in November 2010.

Beginning in August 2011, these select groups will nominate titles for the 2011 Teens’ Top Ten. Teens across the country will choose their favorite books of the year by voting on these nominations. Learn more at www.ala.org/teenstopten.

The Cooperative Children’s Book Center School of Education University of Wisconsin-Madison has a list of 30 multicultural books teens should read and know. Included on the list:

• Sherman Alexie’s Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
• Sharon Flake’s The Skin I’m In
• Angela Johnson’s First Part Last
• Gene Luen Yang’s American Born Chinese

Take a look!

The third and final Hunger Games book, Mockingjay, cover is out! The release date is August 24th. *dance of joy*

Apply for a 2010 Young Adult Literature Symposium Stipend! YALSA will award two stipends, worth up to $1,000, for travel and registration costs at the 2010 Young Adult Literature Symposium in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Nov. 5-7, 2010.

Applications are due Jan. 4.

Texas Library Associaton Maverick

The Texas Library Association has inaugurated their first Maverick Graphic Novel Reading List.

“Together with YALSA’s annual Great Graphic Novels for Teens list, the Maverick list should serve as a valuable resource for all librarians seeking graphic novels that are both age-appropriate and high quality.”

The list is for grades from 6 – 8, 6 – 12,  9 – 12 and adult titles for young adults. Fiction, non-fiction and manga titles are included. Titles on the list must be published within 2 years prior to the list. The Maverick Reading List is meant to explore the variety of books currently available and encourage reading for pleasure. The books on the list can be published outside of the US but must be widely available.

President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities: Coming Up Taller Awards

President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities

The Coming Up Taller Awards reward outstanding after-school and out-of-school arts and humanities programs for underserved children and youth.

Maximum award: $10,000.

Eligibility: programs initiated by museums, libraries, performing arts organizations, universities, colleges, arts centers, community service organizations, schools, businesses, and eligible government entities.

Deadline: January 29, 2010.
http://www.pcah.gov/cut.htm

Ever been stumped trying to find a read-alike book for a patron? Have you heard about Ebsco’s Novelist and wondered how it could help you?

Ebsco NoveList

Linda Gens, director of the Guthrie Public Library is inviting interested librarians to a free Novelist training session. The training will be presented by an Ebsco representative Friday, December 18^th, 2009. Libraries that subscribe to Ebsco’s Novelist have reader’s advisory, book talks, recommended reads to name a few, resources at their fingertips.

Attendees are required to bring their own laptops. The training session will be from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm.

Ebsco Novelist Training Session
Friday, December 18, 2009
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Guthrie Public Library
201 North Division
Guthrie, OK 73044
405.282.0050

Contact Linda Gens, 405.282.0050 or lgens AT cityofguthrie.com.

What? You expected turkey? So 17th century. New Moon opened last Friday. Some rushed to go see the movie this past weekend, some are waiting for a less packed theater. While others will wait for DVD. (I would argue that waiting to see Jacob sans shirt on a TV screen instead of a wide screen movie theater is just not right.)

No matter how you feel about the books or the movies, you’re going to see it. You know you are.

That’s not the true question though. The true question is: Are you Team Edward or Team Jacob?

New Moon Jacob

By the second book I was deeply and madly in love with Jacob. Read Bartleville’s Public Library Blog post to see why. Team Edward fans can read a slightly dated EW post on the feud.

Still unsure? Take the quiz. Who needs nuance?

Program idea: New Moon Debate – have kids debate open mic style (spoken word, poetry, etc) on the side they choose. Teens can make buttons or bookmarks. Have a contest on the best bookmark. The winner get to have enough made to make available to patrons at the checkout desk.

PubYac and YALSA-BK had tons of great ideas. The celebration of the movies isn’t over. Eclipse will be released June 30, 2010.

See you at the theater.