Q & A with Andrew Aydin
By: JLG Marketing | March 24, 2023 |
To honor the anniversary of Selma’s Bloody Sunday, a nonviolent march during the Civil Rights Movement, we sat down and spoke with JLG author, Andrew Aydin. We first met Aydin at ALA in 2022; he was gregarious, genuine, and found a way to connect with each attendee on a personal and professional level. He spoke openly and humbly, sharing his experiences with Congressman John Lewis, a champion for human rights and one of the “Big Six” leaders of the Civil Rights Movement.
Read More
BLOGtalk BOOKtalk - Sorted: Growing Up, Coming Out, and Finding My Place
By: Jennifer Bennett | February 27, 2020 |
Jackson Bird’s book Sorted: Growing Up, Coming Out, and Finding My Place is a welcome addition from a trans man to this literary history that is fresh, modern, thoroughly millennial, and relatable to younger readers.
Read More
Webcast Recap: 12 New Books to Read This Summer
By: Deborah B. Ford | May 23, 2017 | Shelf Life
In our webcast today, Kayleigh and I talked about some of our favorite upcoming books you might want to check out this summer. Whether your to-be-read pile grew or it became prioritized, we are sure your readers will get a kick out of future-telling noodleheads and blue librarians. Read More
Webcast Recap: Enrich Your Summer Reading Program: Tips and Resources K-12
By: Deborah B. Ford | May 09, 2017 | Shelf Life
In our webcast today, my guest Nick Glass, Founder and Executive Director of TeachingBooks.net, and I talked about creative ways to promote summer reading programs, from supporting student choices using recommended booklists to modeling booktalks after Meet-the-Author book readings...and much more. Read More
Egg-Cellent Books for Young Readers
By: Deborah B. Ford | April 26, 2017 | Shelf Life
Spring. Flowers and bunnies. Baseball and hotdogs. National Library Week. National Poetry Month. Earth Day. Tax Day. And book--spring releases are here! From stories about eggs that don't hatch to those that do, you won't want to miss what's coming for young readers. Read More
Webcast Recap: Stars So Far, K-12
By: Deborah B. Ford | April 25, 2017 | Shelf Life
In our webcast today, my guest Shelley Diaz, Reviews Manager and YA Editor at School Library Journal, and I talked about some of our favorite starred books from the spring of 2017. From favorite authors Nikki Grimes and Kevin Henkes to a heart-warming story about foster kids, the stars are shining this season. Read More
Webcast Recap: Get to Know Spring's Hottest Debut Authors and Illustrators Spring 2017, K-12
By: Deborah B. Ford | March 21, 2017 | Shelf Life
In our webcast today, my guest Carl A. Harvey II and I talked about some of our favorite upcoming books written by debut authors and illustrators. From a National Geographic explorer to A. S. King's debut as a middle grade writer, these authors are sure to find their way into the hearts and minds of the young and older reader. Read More
Webcast Recap: Women Who Rock: Celebrating the Past and Present
By: Deborah B. Ford | March 09, 2017 | Shelf Life
Astronomer. Pinkerton detective. Automobile driver. Computer programmer. Women continue to rock our world through their talents, leadership, and wisdom. In our webcast today, I talked about some of our favorite upcoming books by and about women. From hot new biographies to strong female characters, writers, and illustrators, these quick booktalks will lengthen your shopping cart list. Read More
Webcast Recap: 4 Ways to Strengthen Diversity in Your Library Program
By: Deborah B. Ford | February 09, 2017 | Shelf Life
In our webcast today, I shared four ways to strengthen diversity in your library program. As I said, every effort you make towards inclusion and diversity matters to someone. By being aware, keeping up with the literature, shaking up your programming and bringing in outside resources, the impact you can make is so valuable. Read More
Tech Tuesday: Using Video in Social Media
By: Deborah B. Ford | December 20, 2016 | Shelf Life
You can teach an old dog new tricks! Woof! Woof! Yesterday Kayleigh and I played around with video on social media. It was Christmas sweater day, so I brought out my Mrs. Claus outfit. Nostalgic for winter booktalks with my kids, I did my first Facebook Live. How hard was it to shoot live? Read More
Going to Prison
By: Deborah B. Ford | December 13, 2016 | Shelf Life
That's right. I'm going to prison. I've got one more trip to make this year and it's to a correctional institution. The inmates are young men, aged 18-21. Before they are released, they must also complete their GED. I'll be working with their teachers, providing resources for differentiation, lesson plans, and other resources. Offline. Yes. Offline. Read More
Webcast Recap: Silly and Somber: Books for Spring 2017 From the JLG Webinar Series
By: Deborah B. Ford | December 12, 2016 | Shelf Life
While the rest of the world is wagering guesses on ALA Awards, the JLG Team is busy working on 2017. Today Susan Marston and I talked about some of the titles on deck for spring 2017. With an early trend of silly and somber, we chatted about a modern day Lord of the Flies, a graphic novel memoir, and a wordless book with words. Read More
Webcast Recap: New Books by Favorite Authors From the JLG Webinar Series
By: Deborah B. Ford | November 01, 2016 | Shelf Life
On today's webcast I chatted with Sara Pennypacker, Barbara O'Connor, and Candace Fleming. From a giant squid, to a girl who makes the same silent wish every day, and new characters for independent readers, these new books from authors you know and love will fly off the shelves. Read More
Webcast Recap: Falling for New Teen Books 2016
By: Deborah B. Ford | October 17, 2016 | Shelf Life
On today's webcast Leslie Bermel and I talked about the some of the fall forthcoming books for teen readers. From three magical children and their holy dog to a laugh out loud retelling of the story of Jane Grey, you'll find the new releases to be worth the wait. Read More
New Highly Starred Books for 2016
By: Deborah B. Ford | October 03, 2016 | Shelf Life
Now that we approaching the end of the 2016 season, you may be like me and starting to make your Best Lists. I know the journals are putting in the hours and whittling down their lists. Our own Jeanette is constantly adding new stars, lists, and awards of our own titles. You can keep track of JLG title selections at Awards & Lists/Lists & Reviews. If you've been keeping tabs, the following are the most highly starred titles of 2016--so far. Read More
If You Give a Girl a Book...She'll Buy Doughnuts
By: Deborah B. Ford | June 06, 2016 | Shelf Life
I've always known that I'm completely drawn into the world of books. I get lost among the pages and worry over the outcomes. I have conversations with complete strangers about stories I've read, as if they are true examples of how that person might benefit from a fictional experience. (You've read how dangerous it is for me to sit near a device where I was tempted to buy a chatelaine.) And yes, I've called in sick so I could stay home to finish a book--which is ridiculous, since that's my real job! Suffice it to say today I could not resist temptation today. Read More
PPP: 30 Minutes with Kwame Alexander Webcast
By: Deborah B. Ford | May 09, 2016 | Shelf Life
We want to thank Kwame Alexander and his publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for participating in our webcast today. How much fun was that? If you missed the show, sign up to watch it and find out: The inspiration behind Surf's Up; Which book is the most autobiographical; Kwame's newest poetry project; The status of a sequel/prequel to The Crossover; The effect of the Newbery on his life; How do you say his name? Read More
JLG Book Trailer Contest Winners!
By: Deborah B. Ford | May 04, 2016 | Shelf Life
Thank you to everyone who submitted a book trailer for our contest. There were so many great entries. We were impressed with the creativity of the entries and the time and energy put into the finished videos. Librarians across the country have voted, and we have winners. Congratulations! Keep reading to see who won and watch their videos. Read More
Stars So Far: JLG Webinar Series PPP
By: Deborah B. Ford | April 12, 2016 | Shelf Life
On today's webcast Leslie Bermel and I talked about 20 of the JLG selections that are getting the star buzz. With well more than 150 books to choose from, we had a tough time selecting our featured authors and illustrators. (So stay tuned to the summer webcast schedule.) Remember that in addition to providing you with great selections, we are building resources to help you use these titles. Check out the NEW JLG Spring 2016 Booktalks to Go LiveBinder for resources for these and other great JLG titles. JLG BTG titles are added to our Pinterest board and tweeted out by following Deborah B. Ford. Look for book trailers and archived webcasts on our JLG YouTube Playlist. This webcast will be archived and posted on the JLG website at a later date. Your certificate of attendance can be reprinted by watching the archived video for at least ten minutes. Read More
Get to Know Spring's Hottest Debut Authors and Illustrators!
By: Deborah B. Ford | February 23, 2016 | Shelf Life
From a picture book about reading and surfing (What?!) to a middle grade novel about Manzanar, readers will love the new stories from the Debut Class of 2016. Can you guess which new writer or illustrator used to be in publishing? Which one had an award-winning novel? Which author has a collection of deerstalker caps? Which illustrator is an assistant professor of illustration in Detroit? Which author/illustrator works for The New Yorker? Which illustrator was born in India and now teaches second grade? Who is director of biodiversity and wildlife solutions at RESOLVE? Which author is fourteen-years-old? How can you find the answer to these and other burning questions? Read More