MADreads for Kids

It's fun to see trends in what books are being published, and recently I've noticed a bunch of new and forthcoming children's books about and inspired by bookish people! Authors, illustrators, editors, and especially librarians. 

Bookish people:

Good Books for Bad Children by Beth Kephart, illustrated by Chloe Bristol - A picture book biography of legendary children's book editor, Ursula Nordstrom. 

An American Story, illustrated by Dare Coulter and written by Kwame Alexander, is the winner of the 2024 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award for outstanding illustrations by an African American artist.

In the author's note, Alexander shares that he wrote this book after realizing that his daughter's teacher had a fear of teaching kids about slavery- she had never been taught how.

This American story opens with the question, "How do you tell a story that starts in Africa and ends in horror?"

The American Library Association (ALA) announced the top books, video and audio books for children and young adults, including the Caldecott, Coretta Scott King, Newbery and Printz awards at LibLearnX: The Library Learning Experience in Baltimore today.

A list of 2024 award winners follows:

Just like any toddler or things-that-go enthusiast in your life, our narrator knows that cars and trucks are always cool - and Greenlight used to think she was cool too. She thought she was bright and sparkly, but every time she tries to shine, the traffic speeds off! She is left alone, envious of the attention that Yellowlight and Redlight get as vehicles slow and stop for them.