YALSA Shortlist Chat

An online chat to discuss the YALSA Nonfiction finalists was just announced on the yalsa-bk listserv. It will take place next Wednesday (Dec. 8) and is limited to YALSA members. Here is the message sent by Stephanie Kuenn, communications specialist with YALSA:

Join YALSA for our free monthly e-chat on Wednesday December 8 from 8-9pm EST to discuss the recently announced Morris and Nonfiction finalists. Did one of your favorite books get nominated? Were you surprised by any of the choices? Join us in ALA Connect for this lively conversation, moderated by Rob Bittner.

Chat participation is limited to YALSA members. YALSA members should go to http://connect.ala.org/yalsa and use their login for the ALA website, www.ala.org. If you've lost your password, you can recover it through the ALA website.

Once logged in, head to the YALSA area (it's http://connect.ala.org/yalsa or you can navigate there within Connect by choosing "YALSA" from under "My ALA Groups") and then click "Chats."

Discussion & Mock Vote: December 2

Everybody is invited to a YA nonfiction book discussion on Thursday, December 2. It will be held at the Center for Teaching Through Children's Books of National-Louis University in Skokie, IL.

Address:
5202 Old Orchard Road, Suite 300
Skokie, Illinois 60077
Phone: 224.233.2288

Click here for a map.

The event is scheduled for 4:00-6:00pm. From 4:00-4:30 will be time to introduce ourselves, grab some refreshments and get settled. The discussion will take place 4:30-6:00, with a mock vote at the end.

I've made up a short "recommended" reading list for the discussion:

Borrowed Names by Jeannine Atkins
Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World's Strangest Parrot by Sy Montgomery
Sir Charlie: Chaplin, the Funniest Man in the World by Sid Fleischman
They Called Themselves the KKK by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
The War to End All Wars: World War I by Russell Freedman
The Good, the Bad, and the Barbie by Tanya Lee Stone
Janis Joplin: Rise Up Singing by Ann Angel

Everyone who attends is also encouraged to bring their own favorites to discuss. All nonfiction published for young adults between November 2009 and October 31 of this year is eligible for the award. One very interesting title that seems to have just missed this deadline is Sugar Changed the World by Marc Aronson and Marina Budhos - I believe it will be eligible next year.

Please spread the word! If you are unable to attend, but want to participate, then please post comments here. I will share all of your comments during the face-to-face discussion on December 2.

Discussion Scheduled for June 2 Moved to Niles

I haven't posted my thoughts about any new books lately because, unfortunately, I haven't had time to read much during the past couple of weeks. I apologize for that. A couple of good-looking books that I hope to read when I get the chance are Simeon's Story: An Eyewitness Account of the Kidnapping of Emmett Till by Simeon Wright and Smile, a graphic memoir by Raina Telgemeier. Smile has been checked out almost constantly since it first arrived here, and the excerpts I've seen look promising.

The main news I have this week is that a discussion of current nonfiction books for young adults that I had previously scheduled at NSLS headquarters in Wheeling, IL has been moved to the Niles Public Library in Niles, IL. Just in case you haven't heard about the North Suburban Libray System's dire financial trouble, here's an article from the May 19 Daily Herald that sums up the situation.

The discussion will now take place on Wednesday, June 2nd in the library's board room, from 9:30am to approximately noon. Our address is 6960 W. Oakton St. Click here for a map. Attendees are invited to bring and discuss any current nonfiction titles for young adults that they wish. There's a place across the street that makes great cupcakes.