Latinx and Hispanic Heritage Month 2025: Creators on Bringing Their Culture to Their Work buff.ly/yuiy56v

In an interview with PW, Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow discussed the importance of centering Black and Muslim characters in her stories, and the joy she hopes to spark and spread in her readers, students, and mentees buff.ly/eQMUsyy

2025 NBA Longlist for Young People’s Literature Announced buff.ly/XDDxpce

Spooky Middle Grade Still Sells buff.ly/TqY8kNJ

New Group Aims to “Save Middle Grade” buff.ly/QWaUqyJ

Middle Grade Is Down but Never Out buff.ly/R3jquFy

Twin Cities Authors Rally for Annunciation Catholic School buff.ly/lBcl2pV

Libro.fm, Silent Book Club Team on Banned Books Week Read-In buff.ly/H8lsdrv

As Censorship Escalates, Little Free Library Updates Its Book Ban Map buff.ly/gudnZZW

Global Illiteracy Is On the Rise, New Report Finds buff.ly/51zGTqh

Proposed IMLS Budget Passes Appropriations Committees buff.ly/poUKPZL

Court Order Halting Gutting of IMLS Upheld by Appeals Court buff.ly/va8dWAb

In honor of Latinx and Hispanic Heritage Month, we asked the authors of five books for young readers about highlighting different aspects of their culture and history

“I want all kids to have the chance to express themselves, especially those who have a similar background to mine—students who are Black or brown, and from low-income households”: Author and educator Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow on how she hopes her work inspires young people

The National Book Foundation has revealed the 2025 National Book Award longlist for Young People’s Literature

With editors looking for shorter, more plot-driven middle grade projects, agents have noticed an uptick in the horror genre for younger readers

Former content specialist and copywriter at Barnes & Noble Josh Sippie has founded a group to facilitate easier dialogue among middle grade publishing folks

We asked agents about trends they are seeing in the middle grade category, and how they are persevering in a tough market

Local children’s authors are spearheading book donation campaigns for the Minneapolis school where a fatal mass shooting took place late last month

As part of Banned Books Week, Libro.fm and Silent Book Club will partner with nearly 450 independent bookstores and libraries for a nationwide Read-In from October 5–7 buff.ly/H8lsdrv

Literacy nonprofit Little Free Library has released an updated version of its map highlighting those areas where challenges and bans are intensifying

PW rounds up notable legal cases that may determine which titles are available in public schools and libraries for years to come

PW profiled 10 advocates on how they are upholding the freedom to read on their local turf

In the last two years, global illiteracy rates have increased by an average of 2.2%, with 773 million people worldwide unable to read a single word, according to the World Literacy Foundation

Future funding for the Institute of Museum and Library Services cleared a legislative hurdle, with the House Appropriations Committee endorsing a $291,800,000 IMLS budget for fiscal 2026

The First Circuit denied a request by defendants in Rhode Island v. Trump to stay a preliminary injunction, protecting the Institute of Museum and Library Services and two more federal agencies for now

George Takei to lead Banned Books Week, urging the fight against censorship | AP buff.ly/S1b2vdT

Essay: 'I had no concept of how the world would change so significantly as I became a librarian' | Slate

First Book Partners with Kwame Alexander for National 'Literacy Pep Rally' buff.ly/EGVaagk

New and Noteworthy Children's and YA Books: September 2025 buff.ly/yJNolOa

Britney S. Lewis on the Mistreatment and Omission of Black Girls in the Fantasy Space buff.ly/HSvLjzd

'That Way Madness Lies': PW talks with Katie Kennedy about her new narrative nonfiction book, ‘Did You Hear What Happened in Salem? The Witch Trials of 1692’ buff.ly/TkD5mRN

'A Weird, Wondrous Time': we spoke with Nicholas Day about the dramatic historical events behind his new nonfiction book, ‘A World Without Summer,’ and echoes with our current climate crisis buff.ly/fA03AVZ

The Big Indie Children’s Books of Fall 2025 buff.ly/g8Ohspz

IMLS Releases 2023 Public Libraries Survey Data buff.ly/HPcBfzE

LOC Cues Up the 25th National Book Festival buff.ly/Lzq6jP3

PRH Presses Forward in Case Against Idaho Book Banning Law buff.ly/VKiW73d

Attorneys General Beseech R.I. Judge to Protect IMLS buff.ly/YnB51tS

AFSCME, Cultural Organizations Ask Court to Reinforce IMLS Protection

September welcomes a new season and plenty of new titles to add to the bookshelf including a picture book jaunt across Italy, a middle grade novel about a haunted hotel, a body-switch graphic novel, and more

Britney S. Lewis, who grew up noticing the erasure and mistreatment of Black protagonists in paranormal stories, rewrites the narrative in her new YA novel, ‘Blood Moon’

In an interview with PW, Katie Kennedy discusses her newest work of middle grade nonfiction,’ Did You Hear What Happened in Salem? The Witch Trials of 1692,’ how she navigated writing darker themes for a young audience, and why the events are still relevant

Nicholas Day spoke with PW about the genesis and aim of his latest work of narrative nonfiction ‘In A World Without Summer,’ and how the Tambora disaster inspired such artistic masterpieces as Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’

Check out some highly anticipated children’s books from indie presses this fall

Google recently launched Gemini Storybook, an app offering personalized stories with read-aloud narration as an option. Children’s publishing professionals spoke with PW about the implications

The Institute of Museum and Library Services has published the results of its 2023 Public Libraries Survey

In a tumultuous year for the nation and federal agencies, the Library of Congress is getting ready to host its 25th annual National Book Festival, taking place in Washington, D.C., on September 6

Plaintiffs challenging Idaho’s book banning law, HB 710, in PRH v. Labrador filed a notice of appeal last month

Several states’ attorneys general have asked a federal judge, who granted a preliminary injunction in May, to enter a summary judgment in Rhode Island v. Trump and sustain the Institute of Museum and Library Services

Labor union AFSCME, the ALA, and a coalition of library, museum, and cultural organizations filed an amicus brief in Rhode Island v. Trump buff.ly/D2vNc2S