Booklist Online: More than 130,000 book reviews for librarians, book groups, and book lovers - from the trusted experts at the American Library Association

Typically I start these things by listing a few accomplishments of the so-called “author.” Y’know, like: Anne Elizabeth Moore was co-editor and publisher of Punk Planet, founding editor of The Best American Comics, and is the author of Cambodian Grrrl. But, really, do you think I have all day for typing and hotlinking and whatnot? [...]

A quick roundup of the last week and a half before I don my camouflage coverall, smear my face with dirt, and go hunting for wild turkeys with my bare hands. Just kidding–who am I, Ted Nugent? Good old cranky Robert McCrum–why, he even scowls in his headshot! Last week, took books to task for ballooning [...]

The Chicago Tribune reports on a case of book-phobia that’s not all that far from ALA headquarters: Antioch, Illinois (“Some parents seek to ban ‘The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian’,” by Ruth Fuller). According to the story: Some parents of incoming freshmen at Antioch High School want an assigned summer reading book pulled [...]

After getting a ton of ink in 2008 (much of it electric ink right here at Likely Stories), Sherry Jones’ controversial Jewel of Medina hasn’t made much news this year. Now, however, in a story with a tabloid-worthy headline (“Muhammad child bride novel author condemns UK ‘censorship’,” by Alison Flood) The Guardian reports that Jones “has [...]

In a former life, I interviewed movie stars. I can tell you what Russell Crowe smells like, what Neve Campbell drinks, and what Ben Kingsley would really rather be talking about. But here’s the main revelation: hanging out with movie stars, as it turns out, is kind of a drag. Which is why, these days, [...]

When Judith Krug died on April 11, the children’s and young adult literature communities lost both a tireless supporter and a defender. As the director of the Office of Intellectual Freedom and the founder of Banned Books Week, Judith was on the front lines helping libraries keep books in their collections, everything from Harry Potter to [...]

Greg Landgraf assembled this video, which was played at this morning’s memorial for Judith Krug. Well worth your while.

Arrived at work this morning to find an e-mail from Keith Michael Fiels, ALA’s executive director, announcing the death of Judith Krug, the founder of Banned Books Week and the director of the Office for Intellectual Freedom. There’s a brief note on AP (“Judith Krug, founder of Banned Books Week, dies“); click “read the rest of [...]

And what a week it was. All right, fine: weeks. A few miscellaneous links I can’t delete without sharing . . . . The editorial board of the New York Times makes a good point (“Banning Books in Miami“): The Miami-Dade School Board’s decision is not only unconstitutional, it is counterproductive. If the board wants [...]

An update on David Carnoy’s Knife Music: just before New Year’s, I noticed a review of the book in Kirkus Discoveries. The review praises the pacing and prose, and sums up by calling it a ”gripping thriller debut that is just what the doctor ordered.” A review almost any writer would kill for–and which any writer can apply [...]