Erica Bretall

Ok Kanopy I have some questions. Nothing against I Want My Hat Back, but why did you put it in the "Kindness and Generosity" category? #skybrarian #kidlit #tlsky

I love being an elementary school librarian! Congrats and best wishes! 🎊🎊

My daughter required 16 books before bed tonight. 😅 Good thing I've been training for this book marathon for years so my stamina was up to the task. #kidlit

India Hill Brown does an excellent job balancing entertaining fiction with historical context that adds nuance and meaning. She talks about how African Americans being barred from pools has created generational consequences that still affect people today. And she does it all accessibly for kids!

Just read The Girl in the Lake by @booksandbighair.bsky.social highly recommend it to #mglit readers looking for horror and supernatural. It does a great job having genuinely scary moments without being too scary. #skybrarian

My students love greeking out. That podcast has also made some books they enjoy as well.

Pantomime NetGalley helps publishers and authors promote digital review copies to book advocates and industry professionals. Publishers make digital review copies and audiobooks available for the NetGalley comm...

So...new Pantomime is up on US Netgalley. In many ways, it's scarier releasing a book with a nonbinary, intersex protagonist than it was the first time around 12 years ago, so help signal boosting appreciated. Queer magic circus, coming of age, cosy-adjacent. www.netgalley.com/catalog/book...

It's only been up for a day but my guess is the kids will catch on long before the parents 🤣

A green paper dragon with a mouth open around a book drop slot with triangle rainbow scales and a speech bubble saying "yum more books please"

My coworker made this dragon for our book drop and it is giving me life! Named Ed after Ed Emberley. Notice how all the arrows point to the slot #tlsky #skybrarian

Most banned books feature people of color and LGBTQ+ people, report finds Study counteracts claims by conservative lawmakers that books being removed from classrooms are sexually explicit The majority of banned books in US public schools last year dealt with people of color, LGBTQ+ people and other demographics, according to a…

Most banned books feature people of color and LGBTQ+ people, report finds

Did you know that Central Park was built on the site of a thriving community called Seneca Village whose residents, most of whom were Black, were forced out to clear the way for the park? I'm so looking forward to this MG mystery, coming from @dancingofpens.bsky.social in April!

Here is some Monday joy! Tapirs are endangered, one was recently born at this Zoo. It is ADORABLE! I've been watching it on TikTok

Dogs sniff each other's butts and pass on a message that gets slowly altered like in a game of telephone. Lively, watercolor illustrations depict dogs in a variety of action poses from rolling in grass to digging a hole.

A lively dog in a watercolor illustration does a play bow with tail wagging, tongue out and bright eyes. The words above the dog read "Chase me?"

Nose to Nose by Thyra Heder is a #picturebook with a lot of kid appeal. At first glance it's about dogs communicating with pee. On a deeper reading it's about rumors, welcoming strangers, and giving second changes. Would be great for an SEL lesson! #kidlit #tlsky

A rat and bear, viewed from behind, sit on a hill and scream in a spread from a picture book. The colors are all predominantly purple with blue, green, and gray. The text reads "The storm screamed with loneliness, sang loudly of sadness, and seemed to sigh in between. It reminded Rat of how she felt. "Rat?" Bear said. "Do you want to talk?" "No. Maybe...I'm not sure how to start." Rat's voice cracked. "Just make a noise," Bear said, before roaring into the storm above. You try---be a voice in the storm." Bear smiled. Rat felt silly at first, but the two animals growled and roared into the storm above, joining its chorus. Strangely enough, it really helped."

In love with the gorgeous illustrations and lyrical language in this #picturebook about what to do when you have a storm in you and how to help others find their voice and ask for help. A Voice in the Storm by Karl James Mountford #kidlit #tlsky

Exploring African American History with Library of Congress Teacher Resources | Teaching with the Library A sampling of Library of Congress teacher resources related to the study of African American history, which have been developed and published over the past year.

Black history teaching resources from the Library of Congress.

I still don't think people get how far-ranging the anti-book bills filed in Texas this session are. This won't just affect school libraries. It's a five-alarm fire for booksellers, public libraries, parents--anyone who cares about the right to read. #BookSky #BannedBooks #Freadom

Now more than ever.

As we celebrate Black History Month, we remember Arna Bontemps, a Harlem Renaissance figure and librarian at Fisk University, who preserved Black culture and history for future generations. #BlackHistoryMonth #CulturalPreservation

Recently finished Playing the Cards You're Dealt by @varianjohnson.bsky.social Really lovely #mglit story that manages to tackle serious issues like parental alcoholism while also being about family, friendship, and spades. The narrator is excellent and adds a lot of humor. Recommended! #tlsky

Four More Books Banned Statewide in South Carolina Public Schools Four more books have been added to South Carolina's state sanctioned book ban list and must be removed from all public schools across the state.

Four more books have just been banned statewide in South Carolina. These must be removed from every public school in the state.

These are four more books added to the previously banned seven title.

All the new books banned? By queer and/or authors of color.

bookriot.com/four-more-bo...

Wow! Awful Library Books archive = 💎
Just spent 10 minutes perusing when I should have been moving on to some other tasks. I saw a book about deadliest karate moves ever that was…quite the book…

What/why of #weeding.

I think I’ll be dipping into that site every now and then for some amusement.

28 Picture Books Of Inspiring Black Americans for Black History Month and All Year Celebrating history shapers like John Lewis and Mae Jemison and lesser-known individuals with comparable impact, such as playwrights August Wilson and Lorraine Hansberry, and engineer Raye Montague, t...

Celebrating history shapers like John Lewis and Mae Jemison and lesser-known individuals with comparable impact, such as playwrights August Wilson and Lorraine Hansberry, and engineer Raye Montague, these 28 titles share the lives, struggles, and triumphs of notable Black Americans.

Banned Books Update: New Year, More Censorship — Malinda Lo Since 2021 and as of today, Feb. 4, 2025, six of my seven novels and two anthologies including my work have been censored in 96 cases across 20 states.

I've been tracking when and where my books are getting banned in the US since 2023. My books are all about queer teen girls and/or Asian Americans. Here's my latest update: As of today, my books have been censored in 96 cases across 20 states. www.malindalo.com/blog/2025/2/...

Dorothy Porter in 1939, at her desk in the Carnegie Library at Howard University. Moorland-Spingarn Research Center, Manuscript Division, Howard University

Dorothy B. Porter changed libraries 💜

The Dewey Decimal System used to only have two classifications for Black people: 325 (colonization) & 326 (slavery). Each book by a Black person was put into one of these classifications. A book of poetry? Classified as colonization.

Enter Dorothy B. Porter 🧵

Gaining Ground? Diversity in Publishing Progress toward a more racially diverse publishing workforce has been slow. Publishing leaders face political and economic changes that may make further progress harder.

The political challenges to DEI efforts coincide with a downturn in kids' book sales, and demands to remove books featuring POC and LGBTQIA+ characters from schools & libraries. Latinx in Publishing couldn’t offer its publishing fellowship this year because it couldn’t secure publisher funding.

I recently read Sofia Acosta Makes a Scene and it's more relevant now than ever. A great read about ballet, sewing, friendship, and immigration. Highly recommended! #mglit #tlsky

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion. Now More Than Ever. | From the Editor Done right, DEI will prepare us for an increasingly diverse world.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion. Now More Than Ever. | From the Editor

a blue book titled by black authors sits on top of a green book titled read books Alt: A stack of books displays the message: read black books by black authors about the historical black experience

Happy Black History Month! Here’s how I plan to celebrate:

Buzziest Middle Grade Books of 2024 So many incredible stories from 2024 have won over young readers and the literary world alike. This year has really stood out, offering a mix of genres and themes—everything from epic fantasy adventures...

So honored to be buzzing around this list in such esteemed company! 🦍💜

If you want to catch up on some of last year's best #kidlit, click through for recommended titles by @erinentrada.bsky.social, Jasmine Warga, Mac Barnett, B.B. Alston, and many more.