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Browse our large selection of Art Supplies & Crafts at Nasco. You will find a unique blend of products for Arts & Crafts, Education, Agriculture, and more!

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Roundup of the Best Children's Books 2020

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Roundup of the Best Children's Books 2020

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As this difficult year draws to an end, critics, reviewers, websites, and awards committees have been highlighting the positive by revealing their roundups of this year's favorite titles. We've assembled a list of the more prominent best-of-the-year lists for children's and YA books published in 2020.

Booklist's 2020 Top of the List: The editors shared their top picks for children and young adults across genres.

NYPL Best Books of 2020 for Kids: NYPL's librarians selected the best 110 books of 2020 for kids.

NYPL Best Books of 2020 for Teens: NYPL's librarians shared their top 50 books for teens this year.

Chicago Public Library: CPL's best of the best in children's and teen books.

Bank Street's Best Children's Books of the Year: The children's book committee at Bank Street College of Education compiled more than 600 titles for its year-end lists, organized by age range.

The Washington Post: Authors and reviewers shared their favorite middle grade, nonfiction and picture books.

25 best books for kids, tweens and teens in 2020.

NPR: The editors and producers of NPR compiled a list of their top books of 2020 in the Book Concierge.

Fiona Noble selected the best picture books; Imogen Carter selected the best middle grade novels, and Kitty Empire determined the best YA novels.

Quill & Quire's 2020 Books of the Year: Books for Young People: Selections from the Canadian magazine's editors of its top titles.

Waterstones: A roundup of the U.K.'s best books in children's fiction this year.

Goodreads Choice Awards 2020: The year's best books in 20 categories, as voted on by Goodreads users.

Amazon's Best Children's Books of 2020: Amazon editors picked the top 20 books of the year for readers of all ages, and the top 20 in each category.

Barnes & Noble's Best Books of 2020: B&N named its best books of 2020 for adults, teens and kids.

The New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Book Award for 2020: The award was canceled due to Covid-19, and will resume in fall 2021.

100 Scope Notes: Travis Jonker shared his list of best children's books of the year.

Book Riot: Book Riot assembled its guide to the must-reads of 2020.

Book Riot Top Children's Books 2020: Kelly Jensen's picks for best middle grade and children's books of 2020.

BuzzFeed: BuzzFeed's Farrah Penn shared her standout YA picks of the year.

Cosmopolitan: The 20 best YA books of 2020.

Tor: Librarian and author Alex Brown compiled a list of best young adult science fiction and fantasy books published in 2020.

Smithsonian: Editor Megan Gambino's top 10 children's books of the year.

Marie Claire: Rachel Epstein shared her best 105 books of the year for teens and adults.

Brightly's Best Board Books of 2020: The Brightly editors revealed their top picks for toddlers ages up to three, kids ages three to five, younger readers ages six to eight, tweens, and teens in five specially curated lists.
Brightly's Most Exciting Picture Books of 2020: Pre-K Brightly's Most Exciting Picture Books of 2020: Young Readers Brightly's Most Exciting Middle Grade Books of 2020 Brightly's Most Exciting Young Adult Books of 2020

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A Roundup of 2020's Best Book Lists for Children and Teens

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As this difficult year draws to an end, critics, reviewers, websites, and awards committees have been highlighting the positive by revealing their roundups of this year's favorite titles. We've assembled a list of the more prominent best-of-the-year lists for children's and YA books published in 2020.

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Mid-Continent Public Library

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This service has been discontinued. Browse some of MCPL's other resources.

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#futurereadylibs
#tlchat
#4csla
#csla
@cslainfo

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January 25, 2019

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Future Ready Librarians™ - Future Ready Schools

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An essential component to becoming Future Ready, is making a digital learning plan before purchasing technology. The Interactive Planning Dashboard offers districts a five-step collaborative planning process. Upon completion, districts have a complete digital learning implementation plan, full of research-based strategies, including stakeholder input, local context, and district team leadership responsibilities.

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Februrary 1

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Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12

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Published 8x's/year

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csla.net

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About the Author

Welcome, friend! I'm Cari White, school librarian turned curriculum writer. 17 years in education, 15 in the school library, taught me how to make the library the happiest place in the school building. I learned to use library centers to involve students in active learning and to decrease behavior problems. I found the best ways to encourage growing readers (spoiler alert: read more books with them!). I figured out how to manage all the moving parts of the school library (books, people, paperwork, tech) without losing my mind.

Now, I create engaging library lessons so that you can focus on your library learners! This website is packed with great free ideas that you can start using today. Thanks for visiting!

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Monthly newsletter

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We'll also keep you informed about announcements and offers from The Horn Book, our sister companies, and, occasionally, trusted partners. Every issue of our newsletters includes a link to manage your profile and preferences. If you prefer not to receive these messages, simply follow that link and let us know.

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Online via ProQuest

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padlet.com/shannonmmiller

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February 28, 2019

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Teacher Tip #112 Teacher Self-Care: Create a Happy Folder In my School Library Media office desk I had a manilla folder where I carefully tucked all the hand written notes from kiddos & parents to read on a rainy day. I also SHAMELESSLY would first tape them to my office door (let the other teachers internally writhe with envy!) Nah, really just to keep me motivated and also show the kiddos I appreciated their heartfelt little notes! But.....before I tucked it away tenderly or taped it to my door, I took a picture of it and uploaded it to Flickr. A digital Happy Folder that pays back dividends of warm fuzzies and motivations for your future self. Because, let's not kid ourselves, being an educator right now is HARD. Start this habit NOW. Don't be like me and wait 10 or 15 years. OK, some of that was because cell phones and digital cameras weren't as handy and as ubiquitous back then. But do your future self a favor, there will be days when you will need it. Make

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Teacher Tip #112 Teacher Self-Care: Create a Happy Folder In my School Library Media office desk I had a manilla folder where I carefully tucked all the hand written notes from kiddos & parents to read on a rainy day. I also SHAMELESSLY would first tape them to my office door (let the other teachers internally writhe with envy!)

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March

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Mid-Continent Public Library

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This service has been discontinued. Browse some of MCPL's other resources.

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Young readers won't realize they're actually absorbing enough information to give them a head start in any school's Greek mythology unit while reading this fun and educational book. Readers first are introduced to Mount Olympus and each of the different characters...

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To all educators, librarians, school personnel - this is for you. We know that sometimes the hardest part of anything can be knowing where to begin, and we want to make sure that you don't feel that way about using comics as educational tools. To help you out, here are some of our favorite resources for comics, plenty of lists and blogs to help you find fantastic comics. They can give you ideas on what to have students read in any topic at any grade level - be it something light-hearted and funny for an elementary classroom or something serious and complex for a high school classroom. Please use any of these resources to find a graphic novel or comic that is a perfect fit for you and your classroom.

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Additional Comics Resources for Librarians and Educators | Pop Culture Classroom

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To all educators, librarians, school personnel - this is for you. We know that sometimes the hardest part of anything can be knowing where to begin, and we want to make sure that you don't feel that way about using comics as educational tools.

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Assoc. of Children's Librarians of Northern CA

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Assoc. of Children's Librarians of Northern CA

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Outstanding/Distinguished Book Lists

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Do you want to find out more about children's librarianship? ACL invites students of children's librarianship and/or children's literature to apply for one of up to three annual membership fellowships. Discover a network of active Bay Area children's librarians who meet monthly to share their passion for children's literature and libraries.

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Curated by Penny Peck

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March 1

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Educators Planning Calendar | Dr. Seuss Educators | Seussville<

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Official site of Dr. Seuss and the Cat in the Hat featuring games, printable activities, the complete illustrated character guide, information about creator Theodor Geisel and his books for kids, parent and teacher resources, and a photo gallery of his artwork.

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Call for Submissions Storybooks, Diversity, and Math for ages 3-6 Charlesbridge and TERC, a non-profit STEM education center in Cambridge, MA, are collaborating on an initiative to develop better math storybooks for children of all backgrounds.* At the core of our efforts are two interrelated goals: To expand the mathematical content in trade picture books

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We Need Diverse Books - weneeddiversebooks.org

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Call for Submissions Storybooks, Diversity, and Math for ages 3-6 Charlesbridge and TERC, a non-profit STEM education center in Cambridge, MA, are collaborating on an initiative to develop better math storybooks for children of all backgrounds.* At the core of our efforts are two interrelated goals: To expand the mathematical content in trade picture books

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Social Emotional Learning (SEL)Books are valuable tools for guiding conversations about SEL topics. Children can examine and learn from characters' actions and experiences and relate them to their own. Of course, book selection is key. When kids see both themselves and others in diverse books, it says, "You matter. Reflect on your experiences." and "Others matter. Listen and learn." Therein lies the heart of SEL. is a hot topic, but it's certainly not new. Skills like empathy, cultivating and maintaining positive relationships, recognizing and managing emotions, problem solving, approaching tasks with grit and perseverance, and taking on others' perspectives have always, and will always, be crucial to kids' success. Research shared by CASEL reports that SEL programs lead to "immediate improvements in mental health, social skills, and academic achievement," and "up to 18 years later, students exposed to SEL in school continue to do better than their peers on a number of indicators: positive social behaviors and attitudes, skills such as empathy and teamwork, and academics." SEL is certainly worthy of time and attention from those who support children's development.
As students grow and change, so do their social emotional learning needs. Linking diverse books to SEL goals and challenges across different ages is a powerful way to support students as they navigate each developmental stage. This blog series explores how diverse books can be used to support social emotional learning at different grade levels. Continue reading

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Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Books are valuable tools for guiding conversations about SEL topics. Children can examine and learn from characters' actions and experiences and relate them to their own. Of course, book selection is key. When kids see both themselves and others in diverse books, it says, "You matter.

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April

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April 4

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April-Promoting Public Libraries

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We have finally made it! Moving day! Well, really, it's more like moving 2 WEEKS when you have over 3,000 books to move and still have classes and teachers needing you as well! The move is pretty...

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A site to help parents learn about great books for their kids ages 4 - 14.

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Heather Marshall-The Book Sommelier Blog

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Heather Marshall-The Book Sommelier Blog

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The Game of Quotes: Getting once reluctant readers whispering "I want to read that!"

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Are your students reluctant to read during SSR time? Level up silent reading time with a Game of Quotes

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As the first picture book on Stonewall, timed for the 50th anniversary, Stonewall: A Building. An Uprising. A Revolution provides teachers, librarians, parents, and children with an entry point into the history of the Gay Rights Movement, to be explored in the context of other books, those written and yet-to-be-written, and digital texts as well.

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The Classroom Bookshelf - A School Library Journal Blog

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As the first picture book on Stonewall, timed for the 50th anniversary, Stonewall: A Building. An Uprising. A Revolution provides teachers, librarians, parents, and children with an entry point into the history of the Gay Rights Movement, to be explored in the context of other books, those written and yet-to-be-written, and digital texts as well.

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Facebook

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Welcome to the Future Ready Librarian Facebook Group, We have created a wonderful, caring, safe and helpful group. Thank you everyone for being part of it. Our group is moderated by leaders of the...

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Children's Picture Books - Best Sellers - The New York Times

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Authoritatively ranked lists of books sold in the United States, sorted by format and genre.

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What's This Site All About, Anyway?

First and foremost this site is about children's book recommentations. As I read them, I post them. My main criterion is classroom friendliness, that is, whether or not I think this book will work in the classroom with independent readers.

I'll categorize them by grade levels, but the truth is I lean heavily toward middle elementary grades. I love picture books and young adult novels, and I will recommend them, but as a child's independent reading strengthens in grades 2 - 5, the emphasis shifts from reading instruction to reading motivation. It's no longer about learning to read, it's about wanting to read.

Once teachers ensure kids aren't illiterate, they need to ensure they aren't alliterate, and getting the best books into their hands is the biggest step.

Books are classroom friendly when students want to read without being told to read. These are books that quickly become ragged from numerous readers. These are the books that get passed around without getting checked back into the class library, so when you ask Sarah if she has a book, she says, "No, I gave it to John, but I know Paul and Melissa wanted to read it too. Check with them."

Books that allow readers to get lost for a while, to forget whatever troubles or stresses they may face, are books I'll recommend. If a child is wielding a sword next to Captain Jack or nervously exploring a cave that's a bit too dark or laughing out loud, there's a good chance the book will make it into Help Readers Love Reading .

I'm a reading teacher who's constantly relying on my students' opinions. I've run student mock-Newbery committees for sixth to eighth graders, middle grade literature clubs for third through fifth graders, and mock-Caldecott committees for 4K to fourth grade. I think I have a pretty good sense of what kids will like, but I'm not scared to admit when I'm wrong.

After all, even if the most well-intentioned adult loves a book, kids won't read it unless they love it.

Can You Give Me A Little More?

There are other criteria that come into play. Here's a couple:

1. Familiar stories. Stories children can easily imagine themselves into or with characters that could be seated next to them.

2. Series books. Not all of them, of course, but quality books with sequels have built in motivation.

3. Funny books. If a book makes a kid laugh out loud, other kids will want to know what's going on. The reader gets attention. The book gets attention.

4. Other books by the same author. If kids like Andrew Clements' school stories, well guess what? He's got plenty others. How many kids read Gary Paulsen and think, "Well, that was fine, but one survival story is enough, thank you very much." Right. Not many.

5. The "You Gotta Hear This!" factor. Any book that gets kids up off their seat to tell you what they just read has it. It could be newly learned information or a shocking revelation or the funniest thing that ever happened.

My goal is to give visitors a big ole' list of books to draw from to encourage their readers to read. I try to keep up with what's new in children's literature and the read books that are generating some buzz.

One exception is the annual awards. I do try to read and post some thoughts on all the books awarded Newbery, Caldecott, and Geisel medals in January, both positive and negative.

If you have any questions, leave a comment or contact me. Thanks for visiting Help Readers Love Reading .

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What's This Site All About, Anyway? First and foremost this site is about children's book recommentations. As I read them, I post them. My main criterion is classroom friendliness, that is, whether or not I think this book will work in the classroom with independent readers.

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"Fear is a very effective weapon," said Fírinne softly. "And the queen uses it to its fullest capacity. Eventually we become anything she wants us to be, just so she'll leave us alone. But I don't want to live like that anymore.

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Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast

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Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast

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April 25th, 2017 &nbsp&nbsp by jules

"For nothing would he do / But scribble poetry ..."
(Click to enlarge spread)

It'sNational Poetry Month, and I'm specifically marking it today-though I hope you celebrate it year-round by reading poetry no matter the month-with the beautiful A Song About Myself: A Poem by John Keats (Candlewick, March 2017). evidently wrote this poem in a letter to his young sister, Fanny, while he was visiting Scotland, and now it's in picture-book form, illustrated by the one, the only Chris Raschka. (Ezra Jack Keats also illustrated this back in '65 as The Naughty Boy, published by Viking Press.)

"When John Keats was just twenty-two," Raschka writes in the book's closing Illustrator's Note, "he decided to get out of London and go for a walk. ... Arrived in the hills of Scotland, he wrote a letter to his sister. ... And at the end of traveling twenty miles through the mountains he wrote ...: 'We have walked through a beautiful country to Kirkcudbright-at which place I will write you a song about myself.' This is where his poem sits in the letter - a poem he did not think much of and which does not really have a title." Raschka adds:

John Keats is remembered as one of the greatest romantic artists of all time .... He can also be remembered as a loving brother, who wanted to make his sister laugh with a funny little rhyme ....

Read the rest of this entry "

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Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast

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April 25th, 2017 &nbsp&nbsp by jules "For nothing would he do / But scribble poetry ..." (Click to enlarge spread) It'sNational Poetry Month , and I'm specifically marking it today-though I hope you celebrate it year-round by reading poetry no matter the month-with the beautiful A Song About Myself: A Poem by John Keats (Candlewick, March 2017).

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Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC)

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Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC)

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A division of the American Library Association

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KidLit TV - Explore the world of children’s literature.

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Welcome to the award-winning KidLit TV! Go on an adventure in a world of stories with us! We’re a trusted resource for parents, teachers, and librarians. KidLit TV is a winner of the Parents’ Choice Gold Award and one of the American Library Association’s Great Websites For Kids. KLTV is available in over 700,000 schools worldwide via our website and video distribution partners. Meet our diverse group of parents, educators, librarians, kid lit creators, and award-winning filmmakers working together to create fun new ways to reinforce an appreciation of reading that children will carry with them for the rest of their lives.

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library furniture shelving california ross mcdonald

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California Library Furniture & Shelving Solutions - Ross McDonald, Inc.

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Need library furniture & shelving in California? Ross McDonald is the supplier for all library furniture and shelving needs. Call (800) 455-1635 for more information.

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Featured Products

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Gressco LTD - School and Library Furniture

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Your library is unique, and you'll find that our Estey ® Library Shelving Systems accommodate your needs unlike any other. Estey Library Shelving is designed to be functional, versatile, and aesthetically beautiful while offering years of quality performance.

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Your library is unique, and you'll find that our Estey ® Library Shelving Systems accommodate your needs unlike any other. Estey Library Shelving is designed to be functional, versatile, and aesthetically beautiful while offering years of quality performance.

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Benches, Chairs, Lounge, Table | Leland International

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Since the beginning, we've been committed to high quality, design-focused furniture.

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6 years after creating our first makerspace, it only makes sense to publish a post that focuses on 6 steps for creating a makerspace.
Step 1: Create a personal philosophy for what making means.
6 years later, I have learned that what makerspaces are should be deeply personal to those who create them. With many still too hung up on what to buy for their spaces, even more paramount to that is taking the time to uncover exactly what making means to you is a key first step in creating a makerspace. Doing so, will help guide all of your makerspace decisions, including what to buy, if anything at all.
Step 2: Plan and create a library makerspace that is grounded in research and evidence-based practices.
Something I am most proud of, is that my first book, Worlds of Making, is focused solely on the research and best-practices for planning and creating makerspaces. This does not discount the expertise of individual educators, but rather means integrating individual expertise with the best available evidence from systematic research. The conscientious use of evidence in making decisions about the learning environments we are trying to create a key to creating spaces that will have the greatest impact on our students, not only for now, but also into the future. The evidence and research by themselves, do not make all of our makerspace decisions, but they help lay a strong foundation and support us through the process of planning and creating a makerspace.
Step 3: Design a library makerspace (both physical and digital) that supports making principles and engenders constructivist learning theories.
My second book, The Kickstart Guide to Making GREAT Makerspaces, identifies key making principles, including the 7 attributes of a 'GREAT' makerspace. As anyone who has read my books knows, I define a makerspace as a unique learning environment that encourages tinkering, play, andopen-ended exploration for all. With this in mind, it is important to remember that what we are really trying to create is a unique learning environment. Unique learning environments require unique pedagogical approaches, and in the case of makerspaces, they engender constructivist learning theories, as outlined in my first book. It is critical to identify ways a makerspace can support constructivist learning theories and how constructivist learning theories can drive our makerspace designs.

Step 4: Propose a range of strategies for assessment of skills in a makerspace, including digital badging.

Makerspaces, as unique learning environments, afford us to the opportunity to seek out unique assessment methods. In a maker environment, it is important to find ways to acknowledge the granular skills students gain as well as 'soft skills'- things such as teamwork and communication skills. We have an opportunity to not only assess in the traditional sense, but to give students credit for skills they gain, allowing them to stack skills and grow and refine them over time.
Step 5: Propose ways to unleash student creativity with innovative tools and maker project ideas.
I firmly believe that one of the most significant roles we have as maker educators is to provide the conditions to inspire our students to want to make and create, as opposed to always forcing them to make. I always say that I feel like the wizard behind the curatin in the Wizard of Oz, working hard to unleash creativity and to keep our space fresh, meaningful, relevant and inspiring to our school community.
Step 6: Evaluate various models for making and creating, including the design thinking process.
Providing models to guide our students through the process of making and creating has distinct benefits, and there certainly are many of them out there, including the design thinking process. Some students may identify with one over the other. Our ultimate goal should be to support our students to ultimately take ownership of their making, and uncover their own process for making and creating.

With these 6 steps in mind, I am happy to announce a new course that I have created for Advancement Courses, called " Makerspaces in the School Library ". This course takes a deeper dive into these 6 steps and more!

In this course, you will learn how to plan, create, manage, and facilitate your own unique, meaningful, and relevant makerspace. You'll develop strategies to design both physical and digital tools for your makerspace; incorporate assessment and digital badging; and choose effective, budget-friendly makerspace products. Through a survey of academic literature and real-life examples, you will examine best practices for establishing makerspaces and gather several ideas for makerspace challenges and prompts to inspire students to create. Using the resources and techniques from this course, you'll be able to nurture your students' creativity and foster a culture of making and creating in your library.

Something we are super proud of too, is that this course features a digital badge that you can earn, for the skills and knowledge that you gain from your learnings. The badge is earned through exemplary work in the course and on its final project-a project that you can put to work in your classroom right away to begin changing the learning experience for all your students! Your badge also represents the hard work you've put into your personal and professional growth as an educator, and you should share this achievement with your peers! The personalized artifact that you create in the course will be the greatest example of your expertise and skills, so make sure to save it so you can share it with others when discussing your badge.

Please be sure to check out Advancement Courses for this course, as well as other high quality professional learning opportunities. You can also follow them on Twitter at @AdvanceTeaching.

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6 Ways to Start Adding a Makerspace to Your School Library - Worlds of Learning

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6 years after creating our first makerspace, it only makes sense to publish a post that focuses on 6 steps for creating a makerspace. Step 1: Create a personal philosophy for what making means. 6 years later, I have learned that what makerspaces are should be deeply personal to those who create them.

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One of our most successful programs is facilitating the installation of our signature STEAM Lab Makerspacea in schools all around the world. Bringing physical activities into the classroom is a valuable tool, helping to bridge the theoretical with reality. And our labs facilitate learning through activities that are both robust and efficient.

But the physical reality of funding and on-boarding an entire lab can be too big a lift for some educators. So we decided to offer a whole book of STEAM activities for anyone interested in getting their student's hands dirty!

The content is built on a foundation of working in STEAM Education for close to a decade in Los Angeles. We're proven nonprofit pioneers in the SoCal Makerspace community and this book contains our best activities, as judged by ruthless Los Angeles students from elementary through high school!

Among our contributors is a LAUSD curriculum developer, so there's definitely a solid educator perspective in our unique mix too.

Included in the book are:

* STEM / STEAM Lesson Plans specific to Elementary, Middle & High School aged students.
* Illustrated step-by-step instructions
* Worksheets specific to the activity included

But don't take our word for it: We've included a lesson plan directly from the book below for your consideration.

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STEAM Lab Playbook - Two Bit Circus Foundation

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One of our most successful programs is facilitating the installation of our signature STEAM Lab Makerspacea in schools all around the world. Bringing physical activities into the classroom is a valuable tool, helping to bridge the theoretical with reality. And our labs facilitate learning through activities that are both robust and efficient.

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3branch - Maker Tables, AV Display, AV Storage, Magazine Display, Study Tables, Children's Activity Tables

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magazine display, magazine storage, periodical display, periodical storage, acrylic display, magbox, AV display, AV storage, browsing bins, browsing trays, magbrowz, display towers, storage towers, modular display tower, magstak, children's activity tables, lego table, train track table, light table, light box study tables, Discovery table, maker table, maker space table, crafting table, creation table, replaceable top, rolling table, mobile table display tables, OPAC stations, conference tables, Skware,

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Recently, I had the unfortunate experience of dealing with criticism. I was told (not to my face) by a visitor to our school that our library makerspace is not a "real makerspace". This same person stated that our woodshop is a "real makerspace" because it has power tools. She suggested that I "do some research" on what makerspaces actually are.

Feeling personally insulted aside, what bothers me most about this statement is the concept that some makerspaces are more valid than others and that a makerspace is solely defined by the tools it contains. I do agree that our woodshop is a makerspace, even though we don't call it that. Our woodshop is awesome, and I'm so glad that we have a space where students can learn how to use saws, drills and other tools to build awesome projects as part of their curriculum. Yes, that is a makerspace.

But is my space any less of a makerspace simply because it doesn't have power tools? Because it doesn't have a 3D printer? Because my students build with LEGOs, K'nex and cardboard?

Defining Makerspaces

All of this got me thinking about how we define "makerspace". So I did what librarians do best: I researched. I gathered together my books on makerspaces, I searched our databases for articles, and I crowdsourced the amazing hive mind of Twitter.

For the record, here's my own definition of a school Makerspace:

A makerspace is a place where students can gather to create, invent, tinker, explore and discover using a variety of tools and materials.

A makerspace can be anything from a repurposed bookcart filled with arts and crafts supplies to a table in a corner set out with LEGOs to a full blown fab lab with 3D printers, laser cutters, and handtools. No two school makerspaces are exactly alike, nor should they be. Makerspaces are as unique as the school cultures they represent. There is no such thing as one form of making being more valid or better than the other. Makers are artists, crafters, knitters, seamstresses, builders, programmers, engineers, hackers, painters, woodworkers, tinkerers, inventors, bakers, graphic designers and more.

A #makerspace is a place where kids gather to create, invent, tinker, explore & discover. Click To Tweet

What the Research Says About Makerspaces

Here's where my research led me:

I like this definition from Samatha Roslund's book Makerspaces. I see three important elements to this definition: Place... people... make things. While different possible foci are mentioned, this definition does not limit a Makerspace to a particular set of tools. It's about a place, about a community. Another similar quote comes from the Educause Learning Initiative article, 7 Things You Should Know About Makerspaces:

"A makerspace is a physical location where people gather to share resources and knowledge, work on projects, network, and build."

Makerspaces are not about the tools; they're about enabling making.

More on Makerspaces

"... [A] space where kids have the opportunity to make - a place where some tools, materials, and enough expertise can get them started. These places, called makerspaces, share some aspects of the shop class, home economics class, the art studio and science labs. In effect, a makerspace is a physical mash-up of different places that allows makers and projects to integrate these different kinds of skills." Dale Dougherty, The Maker Mindset, in Design, Make, Play

"Even if you don't have access to expensive... hardware, every classroom can become a makerspace where kids and teachers learn together through direct experience with an assortment of high and low tech materials." ~ Gary Stager and Sylvia Martinez in Invent to Learn

"A Makerspace is a metaphor for a unique learning environment that encourages tinkering, play and open-ended exploration for all" ~Laura Fleming, author of Worlds of Making

Making, Creativity, and Design

"What do you do in a makerspace? The simple answer is you make things. Things that you are curious about. Things that spring from your imagination... that inspire you and things that you admire. The informal, playful atmosphere allows learning to unfold, rather than conform to a rigid agenda. Making, rather than consuming is the focus. It is craft, engineering, technology and wonder-driven." Thinkers and Tinkerers

"The most important quality of a makerspace is that it encourages creativity. This can be done with a space full of hand tools, materials, and finished projects. The culture in a space should support the idea that anything is possible." 3 Key Qualities for a School Makerspace

"Makerspaces provide hands-on, creative ways to encourage students to design, experiment, build and invent as they deeply engage in science, engineering and tinkering." Jennifer Cooper, Designing a School Makerspace (Edutopia)

"Makerspaces are collaborative learning environments where people come together to share materials and learn new skills... [they] are not necessarily born out of a specific set of materials or spaces, but rather a mindset of community partnership, collaboration, and creation." Library as incubator project

(Emphasis in quotes is mine)

The video above is really long by internet standards. But you should at least watch the first few minutes, where students share what their makerspace means to them.

Read up more on Makerspaces

(Note: post contains affiliate links. Actions taken may result in commissions for Renovated Learning)

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Defining Makerspaces: What the Research Says - Renovated Learning

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Recently, I had the unfortunate experience of dealing with criticism. I was told (not to my face) by a visitor to our school that our library makerspace is not a "real makerspace". This same person stated that our woodshop is a "real makerspace" because it has power tools.

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Introduction to Makerspace | Video | Follett

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Engage students in creativity, critical thought, and independent exploration with our Makerspace bundles.

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Editor's Note: This article, reprinted from the June 2014 issue of Teacher Librarian: The Journal for School Library Professionals, is a thoughtful and insightful examination of the philosophy and pedagogical underpinnings of the maker movement. The authors' analysis and argument are strong, and the benefits they tout are inspiring. The authors will follow up with two more articles on the maker movement which will be published in the next two issues of Teacher Librarian.

To download a PDF version of this article, click here.

Educational makerspaces (EM) and maker education (ME) have the potential to revolutionize the way we approach teaching and learning. The maker movement in education is built upon the foundation of constructionism, which is the philosophy of hands-on learning through building things. Constructionism, in turn, is the application of constructivist learning principles to a hands-on learning environment. Thus maker education is a branch of constructivist philosophy that views learning as a highly personal endeavor requiring the student, rather than the teacher, to initiate the learning process. In this philosophy of learning, teachers act as a guide for inquiry-based approaches to the development of knowledge and thinking processes. Upon reflection, it is natural to believe that the learner should initiate learning, as it is physically impossible for any teacher to mechanically rearrange and reinforce the physical neuronal pathways developed in the brain during the learning process.

In practical terms, educational makerspaces are the ideal environment for maker education. Thus it is necessary to explore maker education to properly understand educational makerspaces. In an ideal constructivist environment, the line between learner and instructor becomes blurred. For instance, consider a student experiencing a roadblock in designing a gear reducer. As the first student struggles in the design, another shares a solution he or she has used or is currently using. Then together the students work to overcome the obstacle; in this case one student is the classical "learner," while the other is the classical "teacher." Yet as the students collaborate to meet the challenge, they are both actively engaged in learning and teaching new concepts to each other. All the while the adult teacher observes from the outside, remaining out of the picture unless further rigor becomes necessary. The primary objective of the teacher in this case is to facilitate the acquisition of concepts by building a specific project. This is the ideal learning environment of an educational makerspace.

Makerspaces outside of the educational environment are adult playgrounds for thinking and whimsical construction. Learning may occur, but it is not the primary objective. Educational makerspaces, on the other hand, harness the same intellectual playground concept for the purpose of inspiring deeper learning through deep questioning. However, to preserve the true aspect of maker education, it is imperative that the process remain learner driven rather than teacher driven. In this case, the teacher is a master strategist considering the army of tools at their disposal-notice that the students are not the army; rather the tools are the army. The teacher then commands and arranges the tools in such a way that the enemy-ignorance and small thinking-is effectively banished and replaced with intense questioning, playful curiosity, and deeper thinking. In this approach the learners are being gently guided by the army of tools-the educational makerspace-to create their own learning for their own reasons. At any random moment, the makerspace may appear to be simply a chaotic melee of students, tools, and strange creations. However, in reality, it is a well-planned design to allow students discover the concepts the teacher intended them to learn all along.

The maker education approach to learning is highly individual yet lives within certain boundaries. It recognizes that no two students will learn the same concepts at the same rate. It even recognizes that some peripheral concepts may not be learned by all students. Yet students faced with a common challenge to design their own unique solutions will naturally come to some common understanding. This occurs because there are laws in the universe that we have found to be quite consistent: gravity, the speed of light, vector math, material science, and a host of others. These rigid boundaries do not bend, even for the most stubborn of students. No matter how hard a student wants the pen to float in mid-air, with the rules of physics, it is doomed to crash to the earth. However, the curious and innovative student may decide that the pen simply needs a little encouragement from a helium balloon or a catapult or quad copter. This type of innovation naturally arises from students being challenged to find a solution to a particular challenge.

The individuality within such an environment comes from the solutions that students create. While the laws of nature preclude certain solutions, there are thousands-if not millions-of workarounds in which the laws can be harnessed by innovative thinking. Thus one of the overriding themes in maker education is individuality. At some level, maker education is a grassroots reaction against one-size-fits-all education designed for mass warehouse-style instruction. Deep inside we know that we are each very unique, and we strain at the ropes of conformity that have been imposed by many aspects of modern education. The effective use of educational makerspaces form the basis for a new paradigm in education which is actually a remaking of former systems, such as the artisan system, in which a master or mentor took an understudy. In our technicolor society, we desperately need to move from the gray hues of our recent educational past to a panoply of vibrant colors and a desire for our students to experience the ecstasy of creating their own stunning masterpieces.

Curiously, the tools that are ushering in the maker education renaissance are so modern that many have still not heard of a 3D printer, used 3D design software, or programmed a mobile application to control their refrigerator. Yet these are the very possibilities educational makerspaces are bringing to the average school. It is precisely here that many institutions are balking because there is a feeling that bringing in such technology requires experts in order to teach it. However, this is not strictly true. Some expertise may be needed to use certain tools common in makerspaces, but in general, educational makerspaces do not need to be overly complicated or formidable.

Of all the aspects required in a makerspace, environment is at the very top of the list. No makerspace survives and thrives without a supportive environment. There is no amount of bright, shiny new technology that can take the place of inspiration, and inspiration is a direct result of the environment created by the space. A simple and relatively unadorned makerspace with an electric atmosphere of learning will invariably succeed where a fully instrumented, equipment-rich space lacking that same spirit is doomed to fail. Thus when considering the installation of a makerspace in school, it is crucial to first consider the environment necessary for success. The aspects of the environment can be broken down into three areas: the feel, the guiding principles, and the spacemakers.

The Feel of an Educational Makerspace

The feeling students perceive in the makerspace is of the utmost importance. For inquiry-based learning to occur, students must be attracted to the space and be inspired to use it. Attracting students to the space is the first big challenge. A makerspace without makers is just a workshop full of lonely tools. How does one attract students hungry to learn? Create an environment that inspires students with the principles highlighted below.

Invite curiosity. Students are naturally drawn to things that pique their curiosity. If you have ever watched young children, it is obvious that the power of curiosity is a deep motivator. Curiosity has the ability to reach deep into the soul and draw out the best and most engaging aspects of our personalities. A gentleman by the name of Sugata Mitra has done some fascinating studies in which he introduces a computer with Internet access to rural Indian villages for the purpose of studying the power of curiosity to motivate independent learning. His results are some of the most compelling evidence for the dynamic effects of curiosity on knowledge acquisition.

Thus one of the most important considerations in the educational makerspace environment is how to invite curiosity.

Inspire wonder. Closely linked to curiosity, wonder is a fast-fading ethic in our culture, yet the awe that comes from the unexplained is a very necessary component in connecting to curiosity. To illustrate this point, consider the last time you were truly awed by some technology or experience. It has likely been days, if not weeks, since a deep sense of transcendence has washed over us. We have been trained by our society to respond with, "Been there, done that," rather than, "Wow!! How did that happen?!" As a researcher, there is no more powerful ally in the search for truth than the wonder that gives rise to the deeply probing question, "Why does it work that way, as opposed to all the other possibilities?" A deep sense of wonder is poignantly missing in many learning environments, and finding ways to create it in an educational makerspace is a crucial ingredient for success.

Encourage playfulness . As educators of teenagers, we rarely consider learning in the very young. Yet in the space of time from birth to three years old, humans develop a complex sensory-motor feedback loop known as "balance," enabling them to walk and run. They develop an auditory library of phonemes and cadences that can be recognized in milliseconds and repeated back with variances to communicate intricate meaning, such as, "More juice please," which results in another human engaging the previously mentioned complex motor-sensory feedback loop to walk to the fridge, grab a bottle of juice, and pour the liquid into a cup without spilling any of it. They also learn to identify regularly appearing optical disturbances, focus them onto the retina of the eye, and interpret them using edge-recognition algorithms, color analysis, and pattern recognition. This level of feedback control loop complexity is currently not even found in the most sophisticated artificial intelligence developed by the military. Thousands if not tens of thousands of scientists have worked on these challenges for over fifty years and still cannot learn as much as a two-year-old who is learning by playing! Playfulness is an extremely important tool in the engagement of learning. Students who play will learn without even knowing it has happened. We may not yet thoroughly understand the power of play, but an effective educational makerspace will engage students through the medium of playfulness because it works.

Celebrate unique solutions. We are all familiar with the power of praise. Not all individuals are highly motivated by affirmation, but to the significant fraction who are, being recognized for a talent or creation is a powerful motivator. Even the individual who is not as highly motivated by being recognized typically appreciates that someone has noticed. Thus a makerspace will be much more likely to thrive in an environment where unique solutions and one-of-a-kind devices are noticed and put on display for all to see. To keep the excitement and confidence of students high, successful educational makerspaces will regularly recognize student contributions and achievements by displaying them, having show-and-tell sessions, or simply by saying, "I think you should go see Shauna. She has a couple of fantastic examples of how to do that!"

The Guiding Principles of an Educational Makerspace

While we should encourage students to explore their unique interests and pursuits, there are still some basic principles that are important to articulate by posting them and talking about them often.

It's OK to fail . In fact, we encourage what most of society calls "failure," because in reality, it is simply the first or second or third step toward success. No amazing innovation is created on the first try. Truly paradigm-shifting technologies and devices are the outgrowth of many iterations. Thus the path to success is paved with failures. There is a famous concept in business that to reach success more quickly, one must find ways to double their failure rate. Educational makerspaces must be failure tolerant, and it would be even better if exploration and productive failure were explicitly encouraged by signs, words, and responses to failure. Big ideas are built on the lessons learned from smaller failures!

Breaking things is not a cardinal sin . In light of the previous paragraph, a truly vibrant makerspace is likely to have the carcasses of broken things lying around. While it is a good idea to discourage indiscriminate destruction, sometimes the advancement of a truly brilliant idea may result in unintended damage. This is normally not fatal. Good training is important for expensive machinery, but consider the power of saying, "Oops! I suppose that was a bad idea. How do you think we can get this running again?" This type of proactive statement empowers a budding engineer or scientist to solve a bigger problem-the broken device-while garnering the confidence of a trusted adult. Contrast this with the words, "I can't believe you did that. You aren't allowed to use this anymore!" One statement encourages learning and growing, while the other has the capability of permanently shutting off a student's willingness to experiment, tinker, and make things. This single topic is much too large to cover in detail in the present article, but suffice it to say, mistake tolerance is critical. Educational makerspaces must be able to tolerate the occasional broken instrument by communicating that mistakes happen, but we fix them and move forward.

Collaborate, collaborate, collaborate! The best companies, engineers, and researchers in the world know the power of teams-today's science is not a solo sport. The challenges are simply too complex for any single individual to create the solution. Thus the only practical way forward is to collaborate with others. Then each member of the team works within their strengths to move the project forward. The same principles hold true in a makerspace. To encourage growth and collaboration, challenges beyond the natural ability of any single individual can be given. Then students can band together in groups to come up with creative solutions that they would never have invented individually. Thus within the framework of a makerspace, the typical mantra of, "Don't cheat from your neighbor," simply becomes irrelevant. Students are encouraged to share knowledge, help each other, and work in teams. The challenges presented should simply be too large for any single individual to solve on their own. Great educational makerspaces embrace the power of collaboration.

The Spacemakers

Every successful makerspace has individuals that start and manage the space. We are going to call them "spacemakers." Spacemakers, like every leader, will be likely to face challenges and obstacles. They must be resourceful, failure tolerant, collaborative, and always learning themselves. In short, they need to be able to live out the principles and ethics of the makerspace in front of the students. It is particularly important that questions be answered with another question-good old-fashioned Socratic wisdom. If spacemakers spout off answers too often, they become "experts," and students will not surpass their knowledge. In contrast, a spacemaker who asks questions need not feel threatened by not knowing the answer because unanswered questions are a sure sign that the makerspace is still serving its purpose. In fact, as students gain confidence, they will begin to be the experts, and the spacemaker can then help them become mentors. This recursive process will ensure lasting success and inquiry by even the most timid of newbies.

In effect, the spacemaker becomes what Liz Wiseman calls a "multiplier." Multipliers bring together groups and are able to extract the fullest potential of individuals. They do this by recognizing talent, liberating potential, challenging others to grow, encouraging productive debates, and investing resources into the space and the makers. These individuals do not feel the need to be the experts but stand on the side to alternately cheer and challenge the makers. Make no mistake, individuals who aspire to starting or managing an educational makerspace must be leaders who practice the philosophy of the multiplier, but if followed, this philosophy will help to create a thriving educational makerspace.

Many concepts of maker education and educational makerspaces have been briefly touched on in this article, but there are three main take-away lessons: (1) maker education inspires deeper learning, (2) educational makerspaces are based on student ownership of their learning, and (3) it is not necessary to be a technical expert to start a makerspace in your school or library. We could review those concepts here, but instead let's summarize some of the benefits of maker education spaces. Maker education fosters curiosity, tinkering, and iterative learning, which in turn leads to better thinking through better questioning. This learning environment fosters enthusiasm for learning, student confidence, and natural collaboration. Ultimately, the outcome of maker education and educational makerspaces leads to determination, independent and creative problem solving, and an authentic preparation for the real world by simulating real-world challenges. In short, an educational makerspace is less of a classroom and more of a motivational speech without words.

Mitra, S., Dangwal, R., Chatterjee, S., Jha, S., Bisht, R., & Kapur, P. Acquisition of computing literacy on shared public computers: Children and the "hole in the wall." Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 21, 407-426. Retrieved April 30, 2014, from http://www.ted.com/talks/sugata_mitra_shows_how_kids_teach_themselves

Gopnik, A. How babies think. Scientific American, 303, 76-81. Retrieved April 30, 2014, from http://www.ted.com/talks/alison_gopnik_what_do_babies_think

Oech, R., & Willett, G. (2008). A whack on the side of the head: How you can be more creative (rev. & updated ed.). New York: Grand Central.

Cameron, J. (2002). The artist's way: A spiritual path to higher creativity (10th anniversary ed.). New York: Tarcher/Putnam.

Rath, T. (2007). Strengths finder 2.0. New York: Gallup.

Wiseman, L., & McKeown, G. (2010). Multipliers: How the best leaders make everyone smarter. New York: HarperBusiness.

R. Steven Kurti is the chief maker at Table Top Inventing(http://www.ttinvent.com). He has been building and making things professionally since his PhD research at Case Western Reserve University. His goal is to inspire a new generation of makers to find their passion and proactively change their world. Steve can be reached at answers@ttinvent.com.

Debby L. Kurti completed an MA in educational technology from Pepperdine University. She focuses on fostering communities of practice among students and educators. Her philosophy of teaching is that learning is not about transmitting knowledge but rather showing the power of ideas. She can be reached at answers@ttinvent.com.

Laura Fleming has been an educator in the state of New Jersey for sixteen years. She has been both a classroom teacher and media specialist in grades K-8 and currently serves as a library media specialist for ninth through twelfth grade in New Milford, NJ. Her goal is to create learning experiences that empower and equip students with necessary skills to effectively produce and consume content across multiple media platforms. She can be reached at larfleming@yahoo.com; her website is http://www.worlds-of-learning.com.

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Editor's Note: This article, reprinted from the June 2014 issue of Teacher Librarian: The Journal for School Library Professionals, is a thoughtful and insightful examination of the philosophy and pedagogical underpinnings of the maker movement. The authors' analysis and argument are strong, and the benefits they tout are inspiring.

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Cassandra Ellis - DCG Middle School Library

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Cassandra Ellis - DCG Middle School Library

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Welcome to the library blog where you can find things about books, authors, technology, and more .

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When it comes to addressing the American Association of School Librarian Standards (AASL), it can feel overwhelming to figure out how to integrate them into your lesson planning. Luckily, we've covered some of the groundwork for you and provided ideas that you can use in the classroom today! Here, we're going to look specifically at AASL ... Continue Reading...

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When it comes to addressing the American Association of School Librarian Standards (AASL), it can feel overwhelming to figure out how to integrate them into your lesson planning. Luckily, we've covered some of the groundwork for you and provided ideas that you can use in the classroom today!

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@vikinglib

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Blog - Alexandria Library Automation Software

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We are doing a GIVEAWAY of the illustrated Harry Potter books. Check out our full blog post for Harry Potter themed library activities and displays!

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A non-profit journalism website reporting on key education issues in California and beyond.

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This guide is intended to help students enrolled in the School of Education find resources related to curriculum development.

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Through "risk-sharing," colleges could be on the hook to help pay back student loans if too many students default. A scholar who studies the ethics of debt examines how risk-sharing could backfire.

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Education - Views & Research - The Conversation

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Curated by professional editors, The Conversation offers informed commentary and debate on the issues affecting our world. Plus a Plain English guide to the latest developments and discoveries from the university and research sector.

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The books in these lists are read and voted on by 12,500 children across the US each year. These Children's Choices can be counted on as books children really enjoy reading.

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National Science Teachers Best of Lists...

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National Science Teachers Best of Lists...

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Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12

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National Council  for the Social Studies Best of Lists...

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National Council  for the Social Studies Best of Lists...

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The books that appear in these annotated book lists were evaluated and selected by a Book Review Committee appointed by National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) and assembled in cooperation with the Children's Book Council (CBC). NCSS and CBC have cooperated on this annual bibliography since 1972.

Books selected for this bibliography are written primarily for children in grades K-8. The selection committee looks for books that emphasize human relations, represent a diversity of groups and are sensitive to a broad range of cultural experiences, present an original theme or a fresh slant on a traditional topic, are easily readable and of high literary quality, and have a pleasing format and, when appropriate, illustrations that enrich the text. Each book is read by several reviewers, and books are included on the list by committee assent; annotations do not necessarily reflect the judgment of the entire committee.
See Notable Trade Books for Young People Lists from years past, which are open access; the current year is NCSS member access.
Publishers' names appear in abbreviated form; complete names and addresses are available in such standard reference works as Literary Market Place (Bowker) and from the Children's Book Council (CBC). Titles are arranged by broad subject categories and subthemes. Although many are appropriate for more than one subject category, they have been placed where their usefulness in social studies education appears greatest. Annotators have also indicated the thematic strand of National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies to which the book relates. Although many titles have multi-strand applications, space restraints dictate including a maximum of three strands per title.

The Notable Trade Books for Young People list is published each year as an insert to the May/June issue of Social Education.

FOR PUBLISHERS WISHING TO SUBMIT A BOOK: CBC receives submissions beginning in June (for books published the previous year). Check for updates at www.cbcbooks.org/notable-social-studies.

Further questions can be addressed to Laura Peraza, Children's Book Council, at 212-966-1990, e-mail laura.peraza@cbcbooks.org. (NCSS helps with the review of books for the list, but CBC manages the process.)
Information on the Notable Tradebooks Selection Committee

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Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People

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The books that appear in these annotated book lists were evaluated and selected by a Book Review Committee appointed by National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) and assembled in cooperation with the Children's Book Council (CBC). NCSS and CBC have cooperated on this annual bibliography since 1972.

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Young Adult Library Service Award (YALSA) for Excellence in Nonfiction 

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Young Adult Library Service Award (YALSA) for Excellence in Nonfiction 

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Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA)

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Suggest a Title Current Winner & Finalists Official Nomination Lists Previous Winners Policies and Procedures Committee Contacts Teen Book Finder App & Database
, a one-stop shop for finding YALSA's selected lists and award winners. Search this free resource by award, list name, year, author, genre and more, as well as print customizable lists. This replaces the individual award and list web pages on YALSA's site that are not searchable and that are organized only by year.

YALSA's Award for Excellence in Nonfiction honors the best nonfiction book published for young adults (ages 12-18) during a Nov. 1 - Oct. 31 publishing year. The winner is announced annually at the ALA Youth Media Awards, with a shortlist of up to five titles named the first week of December.

2020 Winner

Free Lunch, written by Rex Ogle and published by Norton Young Readers, an imprint of W.W. Norton & Company. 9781324003601

An honest and engrossing account of Ogle's sixth-grade year and his family's experience with poverty and its effect on their relationships. Ogle captures the voice and emotion of his sixth-grade self in this powerful story of trauma and resilience.

2020 Finalists

The Great Nijinsky: God of Dance, written and illustrated by Lynn Curlee and published by Charlesbridge Teen. 9781580898003

With striking portraits and bold prose, Curlee details the life of the prodigal dancer Vaslav Nijinsky, who, unencumbered by sexuality and gender norms, rapidly ascended to stardom before tragically succumbing to mental illness. Curlee pushes the boundaries of the traditional young-adult biography with extravagant design and uncompromising frankness.

A Light in the Darkness: Janusz Korczak, His Orphans, and the Holocaust, written by Albert Marrin and published by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, a division of Penguin Random House. 9781524701208

A heart-wrenching look at the history of the Warsaw Ghetto, told by comparing the philosophies of Doctor Janusz Korczak, a pediatrician-turned-orphanage-director who championed children's rights, and Adolf Hitler, a racist fanatic whose policies led to the murder and manipulation of children. This masterfully woven story is meticulously documented and asks tough, resonant questions about good and evil.

A Thousand Sisters: The Heroic Airwomen of the Soviet Union in World War II, written by Elizabeth Wein and published by Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. 9780062453013

A thrilling, richly detailed account of the regiments of female Russian aviators who fought in World War II as pilots, mechanics, and navigators. Through extensive research, descriptive personal stories, and examples of overcoming misogynist social norms, this powerful account shows the bravery and camaraderie needed to change history.

Torpedoed: The True Story of the World War II Sinking of "The Children's Ship", written by Deborah Heiligman and published by Henry Holt, an imprint of Macmillan Children's Publishing Group. 9781627795548

In 1940, the passenger ship City of Benares set sail from Britain, carrying 200 passengers, many of them children hoping to escape the ravages of war. Before they could reach safety, the ship was struck by a torpedo, and a tragic race to save the passengers began. Cinematic language, extensive back matter, archival photos and dramatic illustrations bring this suspenseful and devastating story to life.

2020 Committee

Members of the 2020 Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Award committee are: Chair Rachel Adams, King County Library, Issaquah, WA; Alicia Blowers, St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School, Alexandria, VA; Jennifer Cooper, Potomac Senior High School, Dumfries, VA; Heather Dickerson, Lewis & Clark Library, Helena, MT; Elizabeth E. Nelson, St. Luke's School, New Canaan, CT; Joe Prince, Jerome Library, Bowling Green, OH; Erica Ruscio, Ventress Memorial Library, Marshfield, MA; Carolyn Vidmar, New Orleans Public Library, New Orleans, LA; Steve Zampino, The Ferguson Library, Stamford, CT; Ronny Khuri, Booklist Consultant, Chicago, IL.

Looking for more Nonfiction? View the list of nominated titles.

YALSA's portfolio of book and media awards helps strengthen library services for and with teens by identifying quality, age appropriate resources for librarians and library workersto share with the teens in their communities.
2019 Nonfiction Award 2018 Nonfiction Award 2017 Nonfiction Award 2016 Nonfiction Award 2015 Nonfiction Award 2014 Nonfiction Award 2013 Nonfiction Award 2012 Nonfiction Award 2011 Nonfiction Award 2010 Nonfiction Award
Previous Winners

View a complete list of Nonfiction Award winners and finalists.

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YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults

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Suggest a Title Current Winner & Finalists Official Nomination Lists Previous Winners Policies and Procedures Committee Contacts Teen Book Finder App & Database , a one-stop shop for finding YALSA's selected lists and award winners. Search this free resource by award, list name, year, author, genre and more, as well as print customizable lists.

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National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Children's Nonfiction

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National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Children's Nonfiction

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Award Details
Nomination Deadline: October 15
Members of the Orbis Pictus Award Committee select the award recipient and up to five honor books annually. Although only one title is singled out for the award each year, up to five honor books are also recognized. Eight additional recommended books can be named.

Learn more about the Committee and apply to be a member.

Books must have been published and/or distributed in the United States during the calendar year. Nominations of individual books may come from publishers, NCTE membership, and from the educational community at large. Any title of nonfiction literature which has as its central purpose the sharing of information may be nominated. This includes biography, but excludes textbooks, historical fiction, folklore, or poetry.

Nonfiction books are defined as those written, designed, and organized to interpret documentable, factual material for children. Books must be an original work.

The following are ineligible: traditional literature (e.g., folktales), poetry, and book reissues.

In identifying an "outstanding" book for children, the committee members will consider the following:

* Accuracy of presentation in both text and illustrative material, as well as appropriate documentation, avoidance of anthropomorphism and teleology, distinction between fact and theory, and balanced treatment.
* Organization of material (e.g., general to specific; specific to general) that contributes to clarity and accessibility.
* Style of writing that is engaging and is distinctive in its use of language.
* Style of illustration that is engaging, informative, and complements the text.
* Appropriateness of book design based on the topic or subject and with respect to the different age groups for which the topic or subject may be appropriate.
* Potential contribution to the K-8 curriculum.

The award is presented annually by the Chair of the Orbis Pictus Award Committee at the Children's Book Awards Luncheon during the NCTE Annual Convention.

The award-winning author and/or illustrator receive a plaque and are the featured speaker(s) at the luncheon.

The honor book author(s) and/or illustrator(s) are recognized, receive a certificate, and are invited to present at a session following the luncheon.

Nominations must be submitted to the Award Committee by October 15. One copy of each book nominated should be sent to the committee members for examination. Advanced copies or galley proofs are acceptable and encouraged, especially for books published after October 15.

Contact bookawards@ncte.org for award committee member information to nominate a book.

Orbis Pictus Award seals are available to accompany winning books and their future printings. The seals serve to endorse the excellence of the books and distinguish them from among the thousands of books published each year. Seals are $.20 each and available in gold for winning books, silver for honor books, and bronze for recommended books.

To place an order, please call our customer service department toll-free at 1-877-369-6283.

Each year the Orbis Pictus committee presents a session at NCTE's Annual Convention that shares resources and ideas for teaching with the current year's award winners. Here are the materials from their 2018 session.

2018 Orbis Pictus Awards

2018 Winner

Grand Canyon
by Jason Chin
(Roaring Brook Press)

Honor Books:

Chef Roy Choi and the Street Food Remix by Jacqueline Briggs Martin and June Jo Lee & Illustrated by Man One (Readers to Eaters)

Dazzle Ships: World War I and the Art of Confusion by Chris Barton & Illustrated by Victo Ngai (Millbrook Press)

Her Right Foot by Dave Eggers & Illustrated by Shawn Harris (Chronicle Books)

The Quilts of Gee's Bend by Susan Goldman Rubin (Abrams Books for Young Readers)

Recommended Books:

Fault Lines in the Constitution by Cynthia Levinson and Sanford Levinson (Peachtree Publishers)

Isaac the Alchemist: Secrets of Isaac Newton, Reveal'd by Mary Losure (Candlewick Press)

The Whydah: A Pirate Ship Feared, Wrecked, and Found by Martin W. Sandler (Candlewick Press)

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Orbis Pictus Award (nonfiction for children) - NCTE

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Nomination Deadline: October 15 Members of the Orbis Pictus Award Committee select the award recipient and up to five honor books annually. Although only one title is singled out for the award each year, up to five honor books are also recognized. Eight additional recommended books can be named.

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National Book Award for Young People's Literature

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National Book Award for Young People's Literature

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Discover winners by category:

Media

Watch the 2018 National Book Awards Ceremony

Author of The Friend Sigrid Nunez accepts the 2018 National Book Award for Fiction

Author of The New Negro Jeffrey C. Stewart accepts the 2018 National Book Award for Nonfiction

Author of Indecency Justin Phillip Reed accepts the 2018 National Book Award for Poetry

Monique Truong (on behalf of Yoko Tawada) and Margaret Mitsutani accept the 2018 National Book Award for Translated Literature

Author of The Poet X, Elizabeth Acevedo accepts the 2018 National Book Award for Young People's Literature

The Finalists Announced for the 2018 National Book Awards

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National Book Foundation - 2018 National Book Awards

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Discover winners by category: Media Watch the 2018 National Book Awards Ceremony Author of The Friend Sigrid Nunez accepts the 2018 National Book Award for Fiction Author of The New Negro Jeffrey C.

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Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal

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Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal

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FTC NOTICE : Richie receives free books from lots of publishers who hope he will Pick their books. You can figure that any review here was written after reading and dog-earring a free copy received. Richie retains these review copies for his rereading pleasure and for use in his booktalks at schools and libraries.

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Browse our large selection of Art Supplies & Crafts at Nasco. You will find a unique blend of products for Arts & Crafts, Education, Agriculture, and more!

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The Shake Up Learning Blog by Kasey Bell offers educational technology and digital learning resources, tips and tricks, tutorials, Google cheat sheets and more to educators across the globe.

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Cooperative Children's Book Center (incs. Best of List)

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ccbcbooksearch_booklists] Can't find what you're looking for? Our Recommended Book Search includes subject access to CCBC-recommended titles based on subject headings created by our staff. Finding CCBC-recommended books video tutorial.

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American Indians in Children's Literature - Blog by Debbie Reese

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American Indians in Children's Literature - Blog by Debbie Reese

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American Indians in Children's Literature (AICL)

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Designed to help readers develop a critical eye about representations of American Indians in children's and young adult books