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Have students who devour book after book? Gives students a chance to read and review all types of newly released books.

Reading books together is an incredibly easy and, not to mention, enjoyable way to be present and engaged with kids.

I’m optimistic that, through literature that explores and celebrates diversity, all kids will be able to comfortably go on any adventure with any character to anywhere.

Artists working across boundaries must demonstrate profound respect for and deep knowledge of the Other. This means a thoroughly open-minded attitude—and much labor in terms of research and questioning one’s own assumptions.

There’s something about books that makes them the ideal gift for children.

We continue to have a winter wonderland of books and articles appearing in The Children's Book Review's book trends this month; including our list "Kids Winter Books: Snow, Mittens, Polar Bears and Other Arctic Animals."

The Children’s Book Review | December 8, 2014 We have a winter wonderland of books and articles appearing in The Children’s Book Review‘s book trends this month; including our list “20 of the Best Christmas Books.” We also have some great giveaways trending, so check out the details below for your chance to enter. Did you catch all of the wonderful literacy resources, […]

We adults need to create space for readers and a defined comfort zone for them to enjoy wordless experiences. We must bite our tongues and allow experiences to unfold right in front of our eyes.

This month's little peek into what TCBR readers have been most interested in shows the book trends are following the upcoming season with "20 of the Best Christmas Books," "Kids Thanksgiving Books," and the "Best New Kids Books!"

This month's little peek at the current children's book trends on The Children's Book Review is all about the great new books available and the best selling kids books, as well as some wonderful literacy tips and resources.

You don’t have to be a kid in elementary school to listen to a book read aloud. You don’t have to be the parent of a preschooler to read aloud.

Because I’m an author as well as a writing instructor and a reader, I’m often asked for book recommendations. Sometimes I’m asked to suggest books that are like my books, while other times I might need to think of titles that are good for a certain age range or in a specific genre.

When you see what some of the prizes are, you won't be surprised that in this month's little peek at the current children's book trends on The Children's Book Review there are some really great giveaways; including a chance to win an Amazon Kindle and a $100 Amex gift card!

Cindy Cardona is the Tween Librarian at the South Brunswick Public Library, in South Brunswick, NJ. She spends most of her time trying to figure out how to incorporate food into her library programs, trying to make the Children’s Department a little more colorful, and fighting the good fight to convince people that audiobooks are real books too!

There is evidence that reading can increase levels of all three major categories of intelligence. I believe my discovery of Spider-Man and other comic books turned me into a straight-A student.

Learning to read is a transformative moment in the life of any child. But for one who has been struggling, it's particularly powerful.

Cassie is a Youth Services librarian at a public library in southern New Jersey. She adores her home state and is thrilled to serve its residents through both traditional and innovative programming and collections. Her favorite dewey range is 500-699.999 and you can find her tweeting occasionally at @CassieLovesNJ.

Here is your monthly peek at what is currently trending on The Children's Book Review. This month's top ten hot spots feature some great book giveaways, some of our best selling books lists, and one of our Dedicated Reviews. Did you catch all of these articles? If not, have fun perusing this list of TCBR's book trends.

Jessica Lee is a teacher librarian at Willard Middle School in Berkeley, California. She has also been an English teacher, a public librarian, and a waitress, but her favorite terrible-teen job was selling snacks at Six Flags Magic Mountain. She is the mom of two boys who are also students at her school, fully integrating the work-life experience.

This month's top ten hot spots on The Children's Book Review feature some great book giveaways; including our 6th anniversary Kindle giveaway. Amongst the familiar articles to feature in TCBR's top ten hot spots, the best selling young adult booklists from March and February have been perused by many.

Dana Skwirut is a Youth Services librarian at the Fanwood Memorial Library in Fanwood, NJ, and the Summit Free Public Library in Summit, NJ. She is active in the Tumblarian community and on Twitter, where her sass got her featured in School Library Journal. When she isn’t in Ice Cream story time, she is seeing the world, one tiny road trip at a time.

This month's top ten hot spots showcase our awesome selection of book giveaways up for grabs; including two amazing classics: The Very Hungry Caterpillar and The Velveteen Rabbit. Amongst the familiar articles to feature in TCBR's top ten hot spots, the Newbery Medal book and the Alex Awards (10 best adult books for teens) are still trending … rightly so!

Cathy Potter is a school librarian at Falmouth Elementary School in Falmouth, Maine. She serves on the Chickadee Award committee, the 2014 Sibert Medal committee, and she co-authors The Nonfiction Detectives blog. TCBR is so happy to shine the spotlight on Cathy Potter!

Here’s the scoop on the 10 most popular destinations on The Children’s Book Review ... Read the rest of this post

Librarian Spotlight #1

By Bianca Schulze, The Children’s Book Review
Published: August 17, 2012

April Hayley, MLIS

To kick off TCBR’s new column “On the Shelf,” which shines a spotlight on brilliant children’s librarians, April Hayley, MLIS, graciously  talked to us about becoming a librarian— among other great topics. Do you think you can guess which is the most checked out children’s book at San Anslemo Public Library in California? Read on!

Bianca Schulze: Why did you choose to become a librarian?

April Hayley: I was fortunate enough to discover the magic of reading at a young age, probably before I was out of the cradle. My mother, a librarian, read me stories and sang to me every night before bed and my father made up fairy tales for me. I didn’t discover my calling as a librarian until college one summer, working for the Chicago Public Library (my hometown). My job was to provide library services to children in some of the city’s most neglected and poverty-stricken neighborhoods. Instead of working inside the library, I brought books and literacy activities directly to the young people who needed it most. I visited three playgrounds a day, equipped only with a trunk full of picture books and a quilt to sit on. Once the kids figured out why I was coming around, they always ran over to join me, so eager to read stories, sing songs, and learn something new.Reading opened up new worlds for the kids I met. I could see it as they linked their eyes with mine, and for me that was a powerful, life-changing experience.

Most of the precious children I met that summer had never been exposed to the pleasures of reading, and none of them had ever visited a public library. When I witnessed the joy and curiosity that reading sparked in them, I understood the transformative effect of reading on young minds and I knew I wanted to be a Children’s Librarian. Once I entered graduate school to earn my Masters in Library Science, I had the opportunity to intern in the Children’s Room of the beautiful Mill Valley Library, and I knew I was on the right path; delivering traditional library services within the walls of a suburban public library could be just as fun and rewarding as literacy outreach in the inner city.

BS: Librarians are the ultimate evangelists for reading. How do you encourage students and children to read?

AH: Now that I work at the San Anselmo Library, I am lucky that many of the kids I meet already love to read. There is a culture of reading in San Anselmo that simply does not exist in places whose inhabitants must spend their time dealing with the dispiriting effects of poverty. Of course, I do a lot of work to promote reading for the children, babies, caregivers, and teenagers of our community. I lead several weekly storytimes for toddlers and preschoolers, which are designed to nourish a love of reading that will last a lifetime. It’s important to reach out to new parents and their babies as early as possible to show them how fun reading, sharing nursery rhymes, learning fingerplays, and singing can be. I also lead a book discussion group for elementary school students called the Bookworms, and a poetry club for yo