A tall tale is a story with exaggerated characters and impossible events that could not really happen, told for fun and entertainment. Think of a lumberjack so tall he used pine trees as a comb, or a cowboy who lassoed a tornado. Those are tall tales. If you have ever heard your five-year-old swear they … Read more
If you have ever watched a child or teen stare at a dense, text-heavy novel with visible dread, you already understand the challenge. Traditional prose can feel like a wall of words to a struggling reader, and that single page can be enough to shut down the whole reading experience. This is where fiction in … Read more
If you’ve ever finished a true story and felt like you read a novel, you’ve experienced narrative nonfiction. It is nonfiction writing that uses the storytelling tools of fiction – characters, scenes, and a narrative arc – to bring real events to life on the page. That single idea is the heart of this guide. … Read more
If you’ve ever picked up a book with a shiny sticker on the cover and wondered whether that small badge actually matters, you’re not alone. Book award seals are everywhere, from library shelves to bestseller displays, and they shape how readers, booksellers, and librarians decide which titles deserve their time and money. I’ve spent the … Read more
If you have ever picked up a children’s book and noticed a round gold or silver sticker on the cover, you are looking at something special. Those gold and silver seals on children’s books are not random decorations. They are marks of excellence awarded by the American Library Association (ALA) to the best children’s books … Read more
I have spent the last decade watching my own kids and hundreds of others pick up award-winning children’s books, then quietly put them back on the shelf. The disconnect is real, and it comes up constantly in our parenting and educator communities. A book can win a Caldecott Medal or a Newbery Medal and still … Read more
When was the last time a grown-up let you pick the winner of an award? That is exactly what the California Young Reader Medal does. Since 1974, this program has handed the power to the readers themselves, letting California students pick the books they think deserve a medal. I have spent weeks reading through the … Read more
The YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction honors the single best nonfiction book published for young adults each year, and the selection process is more deliberate than most readers realize. I dug into the official YALSA policies, the ALA archives, and the past winners lists to walk you through exactly how the YALSA Award for … Read more
Middle grade vs young adult is a question I hear constantly from parents picking books, teachers building classroom libraries, and writers trying to place their manuscripts. The two categories sit side by side on bookstore shelves, yet they target very different readers with distinct writing styles, content rules, and emotional stakes. In our team conversations … Read more
Picture books are a format, not an age category. That single distinction changes everything about how we think about who picture books are for. Yet somewhere along the way, a widespread assumption took hold: if a book has illustrations on every page, it must be meant for toddlers. This assumption pushes children away from picture … Read more