From the SLJ website: “Toni Morrison wrote, “Efforts to censor, starve, regulate, and annihilate us are clear signs that something important has taken place. The thought that leads me to contemplate with dread the erasure of other voices, of unwritten novels, poems whispered or swallowed for fear of being overheard by the wrong people, outlawed languages flourishing underground, essayists’ questions challenging authority never being posed, unstaged plays, canceled films—that thought is a nightmare.”

You are the ones doing the important work—giving children access to the life-changing books that will inspire them to create the unwritten novels, unstaged plays, and essays that challenge authority and the powers that be.”

From the IE website:

By: Antonia Dorn for the International Examiner: “Holding On by Sophia N. Lee is a short read with illustrations full of character and emotion. The story is about lola, who has lived through Filipino love songs and believes that through song and dance you can “hold on” to who you are, your happiness, your memories. It is cute when you’re watching the grandchild dance with Lola and feeling her miss grandma. It’s painful when Lola isn’t remembering well and her grandchild is trying to help her get there by playing her favorite songs and singing. As a reader, you yearn for Lola’s memory back and with heartache, miss younger days where someone so pure and loving was full of joy and happiness.”

By Alison Doherty

It’s been amazing to read the 2023 picture books over the last year. It’s hard to find the words to describe them. They are diverse, informative, hilarious, emotional, relatable, beautiful, and so much more (sometimes all within the same book!). We are so lucky to live in a time when new picture books are invested in and published every week.

Years ago, when I entered an MFA program focused on children’s literature, I had an epiphany. As much as I loved classic children’s books (and I really, really do), if I didn’t seek out and support new picture books, the art would dwindle and die out. And most of the so-called classics were published before I was born. Many were published before my parents were born. Also, these books come from a time when publishing was even more white and male-centric than it is today. Contemporary picture books still have a ways to go before they are truly representative of all children. But they are more diverse now than they’ve ever been in the history of publishing.

Story time with Sophia Lee: Author Sophia Lee will share her new picture book “Lolo’s Sari-sari Store.” It’s about a Filipino girl moving to a new country and learning how to connect with new people and community. 10 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday. Free. North University Community Library, 8820 Judicial Drive, San Diego. sandiego.librarymarket.com/event/special-author-storytime-lolos-sari-sari-store-sophia-lee

Oof, parents, this one might require some tissues. It is a sweet story about a grandmother and grandchild. They hold on to each other through songs and memories, both while they are apart and when the grandmother is quiet and can’t remember as much as she used to. This is a wonderful conversation opener about aging and the challenges it can bring.

School Library Journal has proudly partnered with We Are Kid Lit Collective to share and promote the group's annual summer reading recommendations. In the last couple of weeks, SLJ has published individual posts featuring their recommendations for picture books, transitional books, middle grade, and young adult titles.

From traditional Indigenous stories to the truth behind the Mexican jumping bean, these picture books, selected by the We Are Kid Lit Collective, offer entertaining and memorable reading experiences for kids over the summer break.

My 9 year old daughter had to do a school presentation on Young People Making an Impact. To be honest, the subject matter terrified her. “How can young people make an impact on anything? We’re just kids!” And I get that. I am pretty sure I felt the same way when I was that age. It is so frustrating as a kid, to watch the adults make all the decisions and not feel like you have a say in anything. Sure, sometimes that’s a good thing: no, children should NOT be eating chocolate for every meal every day. But there are many more occasions when I, the adult, am totally ashamed at how absolutely horrible adults can be at things that directly affect future generations. It’s pretty hard to help a 9 year old with a school presentation when you’re wallowing in the pessimism right there with them.

By Cristina DC Pastor

It seems Sophia Lee has so many grandmothers.

Typically, you have two. In the story of how she became Simon & Schuster’s latest heralded children’s book author, her maternal and paternal grandmothersnot to mention the grand aunties, played pivotal roles. They all surrounded her with love from the time she was a sickly little girl and up until she came to New York to attend grad school.