#yalsa

[nitewrighter]

Librarian Poll 2: Info Science Boogaloo

Decided to update this poll because it got pretty good circulation, but looking at people's answers I feel like I could get more data! So let's do this again!

Be sure to reblog for more data!!!

[nealshustermanreal]

More photos during the YALSA award ceremony. Grateful and honored to receive the Edwards Award. Thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey!

[all-the-things-2020]

Congratulations, John! I loved this book and I’ll try to hand sell it to as many kiddos as I can as soon as I get my copy into the collection at work (yes, I am that library nerd who donates her books when she’s done with them).

"Starter Villain" an Alex Award Winner

This literally just happened, the above is a screen capture from the actual awards ceremony. For those who don’t know, the Alex Awards are given yearly by the American Library Association to ten books written for adults that they feel are excellent for teen readers as well. And this year Starter Villain is one of those books! I am thrilled. I want my books to be readable to a wide audience, and…

[pepurika]

Congrats on being top 10 in the ALA young adult division's recommendation list for 2024! I hope that means Tiger Tiger winds up in even more libraries!

(www ala org / yalsa / 2024-great-graphic-novels-teens )

HOHOOO THAT'S SO COOL!! also it. just makes me laugh when I basically sit at home and draw my blorbos heehaw and then someone overseas is like yes let's put this on our library recommendations list

like thanks for liking my sea sponge fever dream !!!!

[acesincomics]

Ace Characters in Comics: Shen

Shen, a main character of the comic book series The Last Session, is aromantic and asexual.

The Last Session (2021-2022) is a DnD adventure comic about friends learning to cope with all the changes that come from growing up, created by Jasmine Walls @mythjae-blog, Dozerdraws @littledozerdraws, Micah Myers, and published by Mad Cave Studios @madcavestudios.

The Last Session was nominated for YALSA's 2023 Great Graphic Novels for Teens and was named one of NYPL's 2022 Best Books for Teens.

ROLL FOR INITIATIVE Jay, Lana, Drew, Walter, and Shen began playing Dice & Deathtraps in high school. Now dealing with college and all the twists and turns of their lives, their weekly game has been a wonderful constant. But, as college graduation looms and it feels like their lives are all moving down very different paths, Lana’s thrilled to finally finally complete the party’s unfinished original campaign. But when Jay’s partner Cassandra joins the game, Lana refuses to let her inexperience ruin the best part of her week! But in the end, that may be Lana and the party’s undoing…

Read The Last Session: Mad Cave Studios | Amazon | Drivethru | Global Comix | Bookshop | IndieBound [Available from Libby and Hoopla]

Created by

Jasmine Walls: Website | Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr | Ko-fi

Dozerdraws: Website | Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr | Patreon | Ko-fi

Micah Myers: Website | Twitter | Instagram | Shop

[More ace characters in comics]

[literaticat]

This is maybe a dumb question but is the ALA as an organization only concerned with children’s books? (It seems like the awards are all for kidlit, right?).

I am not a librarian and I haven't got any esoteric knowledge about teh ALA or its history, but I have been to their conference many times (and looked on their website), so I know a little?

The ALA is a professional organization for all (American) libraries/librarians. That means school library, public library, research/academic libraries, etc etc, for all kinds of patrons.

The organization has different divisions for different kinds of libraries. The divisions that primarily concern themselves with children's books are ALSC (Assoc. of Library Services for Children) and YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Assoc.) But there are lots of other divisions for other kinds of libraries!

The ALA Youth Media Awards is the blanket term for the Kids & YA book awards that we all know and love and that people like me are always chit-chatting about on social media. These awards are administered by either ALSC (Caldecott, Newbery and other awards for children's books) or YALSA (Printz, Morris, and other awards for YA books).

The ALA does give out grownup book awards. The Andrew Carnegie Medal is the main one (administered by the Reference and User Services Assoc, if you are interested). It's just not part of the Youth Media Awards, hence, we aren't talking about it when we talk about the YMA. (There are also the Alex awards, administered by YALSA, that is given to grownup books that have strong appeal for YA -- those ones ARE, in fact, part of the Youth Media Awards, but mostly people ignore them. Sorry, winners!)

The reason kid's book people are always talking about the ALA YMA is because they are by FAR the biggest awards for kid's books that exist in this country. The reason you don't hear much about the Andrew Carnegie medal is because there are LOTS of other, much bigger deal, prizes for grownup books. We don't have a Nobel Prize or Pulitzer for kid's books, this is the best we've got!

(I am guessing here, but I would IMAGINE that this very fact is why those awards began in the first place -- because historically, just like today, many grownup book people mostly disdain children's books, think they are easy or dumb or "less than" or whatever -- so those awards likely began to give SOME recognition to an often ignored or maligned segment of the book industry. Whereas grownup books have never been maligned or ignored!)

[bangtanitalianchannel]

[TRAD ITA] 230929 TWEET DELLA BIGHIT MUSIC:

Video Musicale Ufficiale di <3D (con. Jack Harlow)> di Jung Kook (https://youtu.be/mHNCM-YALSA)

#JungKook#JungKook_3D @jackharlow"

Traduzione a cura di Bangtan Italian Channel Subs (©Ele)

[helioscopepdx]

Congrats to our studiomate Jonathan Case! His middle-grade graphic novel LITTLE MONARCHS is a best book of 2022 at NPR, Booklist, School Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews, YALSA, the New York Public Library, the San Francisco Public Library, and the Seattle Public Library.

[engshoujosei]

Love in Focus

3 volumes (singles), Love in Focus Complete Collection (1 omnibus)

Licensed by Kodansha, also on Azuki, Mangamo, and INKR Comics.

A YALSA Great Graphic Novels for Teens pick!

Mako’s always had a passion for photography. When she loses someone dear to her, she clings to her art as a relic of the close relationship she once had…Luckily, her childhood best friend Kei encourages her to come to his high school and join their prestigious photo club. With nothing to lose, Mako grabs her camera and moves into the dorm where Kei and his classmates live. Soon, a fresh take on life, along with a mysterious new muse, begin to come into focus!

Status in Country of Origin

3 Volumes (Complete)

Tags:

Assertive Female Lead

Boarding House

Bold Female Lead

Childhood Friend/s

Classmate/s

Club/s

Dead Family Member/s

High School Student/s

Love Triangle/s

Model/s

Past Plays a Big Role

Photography

Senpai-Kouhai Relationship

Student-Student Relationship

Talented Female Lead

[gdfalksen]

2022 in review:

*The third MAIDEN OF WAR book, SHADOW OF THE FALLEN STAR, released

*THE SECRET LIFE OF KITTY GRANGER won the 2022 Connecticut Book Award for Young Adult Fiction, was a YALSA nominee for best YA fiction of 2022, and named one of the best books of the year

[inkylib]

Planning programming for the American Library Association conference in Chicago next year and it came up that there was an amazing YALSA precon in 2002 on comics. And on that panel, among many amazing creators, was @neil-gaiman.

So we're talking about how cool it would be to try to get some of the same people back for a sort of "look at all the cool comic stuff that's happened over the last 20 years." And I was like, well obviously, we just send him a Tumblr ask to inquire. I was overruled! No one respects my amazing Tumblr related ideas 🤣

[msareviews]

Review - Truly, Devious by Maureen Johnson

A true-crime obsessed teen is accepted into an elite academy where learning is a game, but is the prize worth it? Stevie goes to Ellingham Academy, drawn in by the unsolved murder that happened there in the 1930s. She’s determined to crack this mystery, but when a classmate dies, she finds that investigating murders can be more harrowing than she thought. It’s recommended for grades eight to twelve (NoveList, n.d.). I saw this book on YALSA’s (2019) Best Fiction for Young Adults list and chose it because of its popularity on BookTok. This book gripped me first with its thick and dark atmosphere, then with its realistic characters, and sealed the deal with its exciting twists and turns.  

Reading lists based on aesthetics have really taken off recently, with libraries (Ramsey County Library, 2024) and even Libby (Suhy, 2023) making reading recommendations based on aesthetics popularized by TikTok. While there are perhaps some issues with sorting books into aesthetic categories, when it comes to teens it’s a great way to get them interested in reading and that’s what counts. I would sort Truly, Devious into the Dark Academia aesthetic, and not just for its literal academic setting. The opulence of the academy is tempered by the weight of the mysterious tragedy the school is known for. Additionally, while the literal setting of the novel is this dark, secluded mansion academy, throughout the novel we are mostly inside Stevie’s head, creating this highly cerebral and emotionally driven atmosphere. Johnson’s world building and perspective choices create a book that you want to live in, despite all the murders. 

Johnson also does a wonderful job creating realistic characters whose actions, though often imperfect, always make sense and incur realistic consequences that allow readers to really get to understand these characters. While it would have been easy for these characters to become archetypes – the detective, the nerd, the actor, etc. – but enough is revealed about these characters through their behaviors that they become fleshed out and real. Our protagonist Stevie is a wonderful example of this, using detective skills as a coping mechanism for her anxiety which naturally leads her to go too far and drive people away as she becomes singularly focused on solving the mystery. However, the exception to this is the artist, Ellie. Ellie is peak stereotype, having grown up on a commune, her full name is literally Element, playing a saxophone and dancing at the most inopportune times without any real reason. It makes me feel like she’s got to be based on someone that Maureen Johnson hates, but that might be projection because I hate Ellie. However, Ellie’s role in this novel is small enough that she didn’t take much away from the reading experience. 

The novel’s plot is packed, but clear and engaging. While Stevie becomes obsessed with solving not one but two murders, she’s also trying to get used to a new school with a new social environment while adjusting to living on her own for the first time. There are introductions to new people and places, romantic dilemmas, assignment deadlines, and, of course, murders. Johnson does a wonderful job of establishing a character who is intelligent and capable of juggling all these activities, but who also tends to hyperfocus. It’s a great use of perspective to help balance and focus the plot so the book doesn’t feel too crowded or too fast to process what’s happening. Every event in the plot is believable but also surprising, which is exactly what you want from a mystery novel. The final whodunit twist of this book, however, does not have a satisfying sense of “all the clues make sense now,” but the rest of the plot is so strong that this minor shortfall again doesn’t bother me much. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this novel. I think both teens and adults will have a blast reading through the mystery and getting to know the characters. While this of course would be a hit among mystery fans, I also think it can be used as an example for aspiring writers of how to craft characters and plots that are engaging and believable. As someone who isn’t big into mysteries, I found it accessble and highly entertaining! 

References 

Johnson, M. (2018). Truly, Devious. HarperCollins. 

NoveList. (n.d.). Truly, Devious. https://web.p.ebscohost.com/novp/detail?vid=2&sid=89425a9c-d774-4372-9c8b-6a3114927208%40redis&bdata=JnNpdGU9bm92cC1saXZl#AN=10617196&db=neh.  

Ramsey County Library. (2024). Tik Tok inspired reads. https://www.rclreads.org/explore/?tag=tiktok-inspired-reads.  

Suhy, A. (2023, June 28). The books to read based on your aesthetic. Libby Life. https://www.libbylife.com/2023-06-28-the-books-to-read-based-on-your-aesthetic.  

YALSA. (2019). 2019 best fiction for young adults. American Library Association. https://www.ala.org/yalsa/2019-best-fiction-young-adults.

[libroresumen]

Adonde te lleve el ritmo de Sarah Dass: Cuando el paraíso se convierte en una jaula de oro

¿Alguna vez has sentido que tu lugar seguro se ha convertido en una prisión? Pues eso es exactamente lo que le pasa a Reyna, la protagonista de "Adonde te lleve el ritmo". Esta novela de Sarah Dass nos lleva a las playas de Tobago, donde el amor, la música y el deber familiar chocan como las olas contra la arena.

Un paraíso con sabor agridulce

La Plumería, el hotel de la familia de Reyna, es el escenario principal de esta historia. Y vaya escenario:

Playas de arena blanca ✅

Aguas cristalinas ✅

Sol caribeño ✅

Pero no todo es tan idílico como parece. Para Reyna, este paraíso se ha convertido en una especie de purgatorio. ¿La razón? Bueno, resulta que:

Su madre falleció hace dos años.

Aiden, su primer amor, se fue para perseguir sus sueños musicales.

Mientras sus amigos planean sus futuros, ella se siente atrapada cuidando del negocio familiar.

El regreso del primer amor (con bombo y platillo)

Justo cuando Reyna pensaba que las cosas no podían complicarse más, ¡boom! Aiden regresa. Pero ojo, no vuelve como el chico que se fue, sino como toda una estrella musical:

Es parte de DJ Bacchanal, un grupo nominado a los Grammy. (Nada mal, ¿eh?)

Llega al hotel como invitado VIP. (Qué fancy)

Y para rematar, viene acompañado de dos chicas guapísimas de Los Ángeles. (Porque el drama nunca es suficiente)

Reyna: Entre la roca y... otra roca

Nuestra protagonista está en una situación complicada:

Por un lado: Siente la responsabilidad de mantener el hotel familiar.

Por otro lado: Ve cómo sus amigos persiguen sus sueños mientras ella se queda atrás.

Y para colmo: El regreso de Aiden remueve todo un cóctel de emociones.

Más que un simple romance de verano

Aunque la historia tiene todos los ingredientes para ser un típico romance juvenil, "Adonde te lleve el ritmo" va más allá:

Explora el duelo: Reyna aún está procesando la pérdida de su madre.

Cuestiona el deber familiar: ¿Hasta qué punto debemos sacrificar nuestros sueños por la familia?

Habla de segundas oportunidades: ¿Es posible retomar un amor del pasado?

Toca el tema del crecimiento personal: Vemos a Reyna en un viaje de autodescubrimiento.

El poder de la música

La música no es solo el trasfondo de la historia, sino que juega un papel crucial:

Es lo que separó a Reyna y Aiden.

Es lo que trae a Aiden de vuelta.

Y probablemente (aunque esto es una suposición) será lo que ayude a Reyna a encontrar su propio ritmo en la vida.

Un debut que promete

"Adonde te lleve el ritmo" ha recibido algunos reconocimientos interesantes:

Fue seleccionado como uno de los mejores libros de 2022 por JLG Gold Standard.

Está en la lista YALSA's 2022 Best Fiction for Young Adults de los Estados Unidos.

No está nada mal para ser el primer libro de Sarah Dass, ¿eh?

La gran pregunta

Después de todo esto, la pregunta que queda en el aire es: ¿Logrará Reyna encontrar su propio ritmo en medio de todo este caos? ¿O se quedará atrapada en la melodía del pasado?

Si te has quedado con ganas de más (yo sí), te animo a que busques el resumen completo o el vídeo resumen de Adonde te lleve el ritmo. Quién sabe, tal vez encuentres tu propia banda sonora en sus páginas.

[nealshustermanreal]

I’d like to thank ALA/Yalsa and School Library Journal for recognizing my work. This is, both literally and figuratively, the honor of a lifetime. The validation of my career, and to be in the company of so many great authors who have won this award – wow!

Note: You can also watch my speech through this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WXHxVs_44s

[graphicpolicy]

Fred Van Lente, Chris Panda, and Becca Carey take you to Murder Kingdom

Fred Van Lente, Chris Panda, and Becca Carey take you to Murder Kingdom #comics #comicbooks

Mad Cave Studios has announced Murder Kingdom, the toon-themed terror comic from six-time New York Times bestselling and YALSA award-winning writer Fred Van Lente, French artist Chris Panda, and letterer Becca Carey. Once upon a time, in a strange land called Florida, a masked psycho starts murdering cast members of the Storybook Kingdom theme park in ways identical to the gory original Grimms’…

[dallasgrant]

정국 (Jung Kook) '3D (feat. Jack Harlow)' Official MV September 28, 2023 at 11:00PM via YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHNCM-YALSA