Experiment with children’s book author Josephine Cameron and her brother, Alan, as they explore the tinkering projects found in Josephine’s newest novel, A DOG-FRIENDLY TOWN. Learn how to make brushbots and kinetic POP-sicle sticks, and discover ways to invent your own gadgets using parts you can find around the house. All you have to do is follow your curiosity!
Tag: Middle Grade
Activity Kit: Con Quest
Con Quest by Sam Maggs
Cat and Alex are excited to be at the world’s most popular comics convention—and they’re even more excited to compete in the Quest, a huge scavenger hunt run by their favorite nerdy celebrity. The big prize: a chance to meet him!
The twins ditch their older sister Fi and set off to find geeky clues, tackle nerdy challenges, and cross as many items as possible off their Quest list, which includes volunteering at an Artist Alley booth, gathering cosplayers in enough colors to make a double rainbow, and actually finding something healthy to eat in the convention center!
Can the twins work together even when they disagree on how to compete? Will Fi find Cat and Alex before their parents realize they’re missing? Most importantly, can these ultimate fans complete the ultimate Quest?
“An absolute love letter to con culture… The next best thing to actually attending a con.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“An exciting read… A geektastic book for those who love conventions or who want a sneak peek into comic-con culture.” —Booklist
Meet the Creator: Ryan Andrews
Graphic novelist Ryan Andrews spoke with TeachingBooks.Net about the creation process and backstory of his middle-grade graphic novel, This Was Our Pact. Click here to listen to Ryan’s interview!
New on Netgalley: September!
Did you know that you can request eGalleys of our upcoming titles on NetGalley? Check out some of our September titles right now!
See what’s new on NetGalley →Check out TLA’s Summer of Learning, featuring author panels and more resources!
Texas librarians! You can keep learning all summer long with new sessions & resources from the Texas Library Association. TLA launched its first-ever Summer of Learning – an extension of the TLA 2020 Virtual Conference.
Don’t miss author panels with Anna-Marie McLemore, Ngozi Ukazu, Christian McKay Heidicker, Echo Brown, and Karen Blumenthal. These pre-recorded sessions will be available for registrants to watch on demand through August 31. These sessions are free to those who already registered for the TLA Virtual Conference. Register or log-in here.
Plus, mark your calendar for their final live events on August 4, featuring a Q&A with New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu about her new YA fantasy, Skyhunter!
2020 School & Library Webinars & Digital Events
We may be sheltering at home, but we’re still ready and eager to spread the word on what we’re excited about this summer and fall, from our computers to yours. See below for a webinar or event for whichever type of book you’re looking for, and be sure to watch this space as more info and events are added! Scroll to the bottom for archived videos and recordings of past events you can watch on demand!
Upcoming Events:
August 4: Booklist’s Graphic Novel Webinar, 2PM ET (FREE) Join us for this free, one-hour program featuring upcoming graphic novels for adult, teen, and young readers—and get ready to #ReadGraphic all year long! Moderated by Booklist Books for Youth associate editor Ronny Khuri.
August 4: TLA Summer of Learning
Tune in for a new Q&A with featured speaker Marie Lu, author of Skyhunter! Watch more author panels on demand until August 31, including programs featuring Christian McKay Heidicker, Anna-Marie McLemore, Echo Brown, Ngozi Ukazu, and Karen Blumenthal.
August 5: School Library Journal’s SLJ Teen Live, All Day (FREE) Join us and SLJ for this day-long event featuring YA authors talking about their latest titles for teens. Librarians and educators also have the chance to get advice from innovative librarians tackling timely issues relevant to their teen readers.
Watch archived videos from past events →Teacher’s Guide: A Box of Bones
In A Box of Bones by Marina Cohen, twelve-year-old Kallie despises nonsense. She believes there’s a rational explanation for everything, despite the good-natured prodding of her Grandpa Jess, who takes her to frivolous wastes of time like their town’s local Festival of Fools.
There, Kallie meets a faceless man (must be some kind of mask) who gives her a strange wooden puzzle box (must be some kind of gimmick). Intrigued despite herself, Kallie sets to work on unlocking its secrets and…lets something out. From here Kallie’s life begins to entangle with another world, a world where Liah, a young bone carver, journeys with her master to sell wares to a wicked Queen.
The sights, sounds, smells, and spells of Liah’s world are beginning to leak into Kallie’s, and if Kallie can’t decipher the meaning of her own story, “the end” might be far from happy.
Download the teacher’s guide here →Staff Picks: Fall 2020 Middle Grade
The School & Library team shares some of our favorite upcoming middle grade books here. Plus, request digital ARCs of these staff picks on NetGalley!
Meet the Creator: Jen Wang
Creator Jen Wang spoke with TeachingBooks.Net about the creation process and backstory of her Asian Pacific American Literature Children’s Literature Award winner, Stargazing. Click here to listen to Jen’s interview!
The ALA Book Award Celebration
The American Library Association is offering an exciting new free all-day virtual event celebrating the winners of several of its major book awards, including the esteemed Newbery and Caldecott medals, the Coretta Scott King Book Awards, the Printz Award, and the Stonewall youth and adult Book Awards.
Find out more about the celebrations and our ALA Award Winners →