British author Brian Jacques, creator of the popular Redwall series, died in Liverpool on February 5 of a heart attack. The 21-book series has sold an estimated 20 million copies worldwide. Listen to a piece about Jacques on NPR.

Jan Brett is an international best-selling author and illustrator. Some of her best-known picture books include The Mitten, The Hat, and Gingerbread Baby. Recognizing that without the support of teachers, librarians, and parents, her books would not have had the success they have, Brett is currently running a contest for a school or library to win a free visit from her. She will travel to the school or library that has the most votes via her Facebook page.

To learn more about the contest and how to enter, visit Jan Brett’s official website.

 

On January 10, the American Library Association (ALA) announced the top books, video, and audio books for children and young adults at its midwinter meeting in San Diego. Many awards were given, including the prestigious Newbery and Caldecott Medals.

The John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature was awarded to Clare Vanderpool for Moon over Manifest (Delacorte Press). The Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children was awarded to illustrator Erin E. Stead for A Sick Day for Amos McGee (Roaring Brook Press).

For a full list of winners, visit the ALA website.

 

The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) has announced the launch of YALSA's newest blog, The Hub. The Hub is a blog about not just what teens are reading, but how they read and how they talk about what they read. The Hub offers a peek into what the online world is saying about YA books, featuring original writing about what teens are reading, book reviews, introductions to other YA literature blogs, podcasts, videos, and more. To learn more, visit The Hub.

Mark Twain scholar Alan Gribben and NewSouth Books will release a version of Huckleberry Finn, in a single volume with The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, that does away with the "n" word, reports Marc Schultz in Publishers Weekly. Concerned that the book is often not read in schools because of a single offensive word, Gribben determined to create a more politically correct edition.

Not surprisingly, the project has stirred controversy. "I'm hoping that people will welcome this new option, but I suspect that textual purists will be horrified," he said. To access the full article, along with reader comments by author R.L. Stine and others, visit the Publishers Weekly website.