The Tortured Writers Department, a guest post by Jennifer Pearson Sometimes coming up with a publishable idea for a story feels harder than the actual writing. teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2026/05/04/t... @tltkaren.bsky.social

Fast Five Interview: Candace Lee and Eric Newman Authors Candace Lee and Eric Newman join us to talk about their new book, GEORGE GOODWIN, DRAGON SLAYER: A SCOUTING LEGEND. teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2026/05/01/f... @tltkaren.bsky.social

Yay!!!!!

Dragons and Taxes: Blending the Fantastic with the Mundane, a guest post by Emily B. Martin Embracing the mundane in fantasy doesn’t lessen the magic for me—it highlights it. It makes it feel approachable and familiar. teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2026/04/24/d... @tltkaren.bsky.social

Penguin Young Readers Showcase: April 2026 Books 14 new titles to add to your TBR! teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2026/04/23/p... @tltkaren.bsky.social @penguinschoollib.bsky.social

Publisher’s Showcase: Candlewick Press, Holiday House, and Peachtree Summer 2026 15 forthcoming books to get on your summer TBR! teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2026/04/22/p... @tltkaren.bsky.social

Dudes. As a society we taught young women to walk with keys between their fingers in dark parking lots and to carry pepper spray in their purse. So yes. I’m asking you to be responsible for the actions of other men. After all, that’s what you’ve asked of women for centuries. It’s your turn.

Happy National Librarian Day! 👻📚

Why I can’t seem to stop making mischief at the library – and why the library keeps letting me, a guest post by Andy Crocker teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2026/04/16/w... @tltkaren.bsky.social

Teaching a child to read is one of the most important skills you can give them. Good readers excel at life, and conversely, those who can’t read end up in dire circumstances.

Fast Five Interview: Ernesto Saade Author and illustrator Ernesto Saade joins us to talk about his new book, RED STONES. teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2026/04/14/f... @tltkaren.bsky.social

Writing Historical Fiction Based On A Family Story, a guest post by Shannon Hitchcock teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2026/04/13/w... @tltkaren.bsky.social

He should absolutely be removed right now

Fast Five Interview: Jess Lourey Author Jess Lourey joins us today to talk about her new book, THE VERDANT CAGE. teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2026/04/07/f... @tltkaren.bsky.social

Different Kinds of Funny: Character Humor for Middle Grade Readers, a guest post by Laurie Morrison teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2026/04/03/d... @tltkaren.bsky.social

Cindy Crushes Programming: Stranger Things Trivingo Teen librarian Cindy Shutts and friends discuss a creative way to host Bingo for teens teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2026/04/01/c... @tltkaren.bsky.social

Yes. Teen me read King, Koontz and John Saul so much

Fast Five Interview: Khushboo Patel Author Khushboo Patel joins us to talk about her new book, All That Chandni Knows. teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2026/03/31/f... @tltkaren.bsky.social

Book Review: You Are Now Old Enough to Hear This by Aaron Starmer This riveting & magical story will keep readers reading as fast as they can to put together all of the pieces of this unusual tale. A brilliant, unique, & fantastic read teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2026/03/24/b... @tltkaren.bsky.social

Penguin Young Readers Showcase: March 2026 Books 21 new books out this month from Penguin! teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2026/03/20/6... @tltkaren.bsky.social @penguinrandomhouse.bsky.social @penguinschoollib.bsky.social

Implicating the Reader: Choice, Accountability, & Second Person, a post by Adib Khorram One Word, Six Letters was inspired in large part by a school visit in which a student in the audience shouted a slur at me teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2026/03/19/i... @tltkaren.bsky.social @adibkhorram.bsky.social

Persevering in the Face of Adversity, a guest post by Marc J Gregson Sometimes, the best thing we can do is just keep going. It may not be easy, but then again, when it’s easy, we rarely grow. teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2026/03/18/p... @tltkaren.bsky.social @mjgwrite.bsky.social

Journalist and author Rebecca Traister discusses her new young readers adaptation, ‘Angry Girls Will Get Us Through’, and why it’s important for young women to understand their relationship to anger buff.ly/4Yi2iFQ

One Word, Six Letters by Adib Khorram, out today from Henry Holt and Co. (BYR), is already one of the most important YA books of the year. It's also one of my favorites. bookjockeyalex.com/2026/03/17/r...

The Horror of Being Seen (& Unseen), a post by Ciera Burch The entitlement, & occasional cruelty, that comes with anonymity, & the idea of invisibility online—and in real life—were the catalysts behind OLIVIA GRAY WILL NOT FADE AWAY teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2026/03/17/t... @tltkaren.bsky.social

This is just another reason for women to reject traditional marriage. I’ve told both my girls not to get married and if they do, definitely never change their name because I never knew this was something that can happen.

What Lives Under the Story, a guest post by Stacey Lee The work is to notice it, and to let that noticing alter the way we move through the world. teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2026/03/16/w... @tltkaren.bsky.social

Fast Five Interview: Shawn Hainsworth Author Shawn Hainsworth joins us to talk about his new book, ZICKY: WRATH OF THE RAT KING. teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2026/03/13/f... @tltkaren.bsky.social

"AI Chatbots Recommend Calorie-Starved Diets for Teens, Study Warns" "Five of the major AI chatbots were tested. All of them regularly proposed dietary plans akin to skipping an entire meal each day." gizmodo.com/ai-chatbots-... #AIIsTheProblem #TLSky #EduSky #SchoolLibrarians #TechLit

A Place to Be Planted: Giving Teens Hope Through Realistic Fiction, a guest post by Delali Adjoa I truly believe that an empathic voice can mean the difference between a triumph and a tragedy for a teen life. teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2026/03/12/a... @tltkaren.bsky.social

It’s Okay to Be Messy: Why I Write Flawed Heroes for Middle Grade Readers, a guest post by Scott Kurtz I want kids to know it is okay to be messy while you are learning. teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2026/03/11/i... @tltkaren.bsky.social

Unpacking BAD KID: My Life as a “Troubled Teen,” a guest post by Sofia Szamosi There are no “bad kids,” only hard situations and struggling relationships. And relationships can always be healed. teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2026/03/10/u... @tltkaren.bsky.social

Fast Five Interview: Nadine Takvorian Author Nadine Takvorian joins us to talk about her new graphic novel, ARMAVENI. teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2026/03/09/f... @tltkaren.bsky.social

Not Just Greta: True stories of youth acting to fight the climate crisis, a guest post by Meera Subramanian teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2026/03/06/n... @tltkaren.bsky.social

The federal government should not decide what your kids are allowed to read. Oppose the Federal Book Ban bill! Sign the petition and defend the freedom to read. action.everylibrary.org/hr_7661 via @everylibrary.bsky.social

Can I Do a Good Job at This Today? A guest post by Christina Uss May all libraries everywhere provide a haven to those who worry whether they’re good enough just as they are. teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2026/03/04/c... @tltkaren.bsky.social

The Impossible Love Triangle, a guest post by Ahmad Saber It brings me great pride to finally share Ramin’s story, not only for the target audience (queer teen readers), but readers at large who’d like to explore the human condition. teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2026/03/02/t... @tltkaren.bsky.social

How Our Stories Haunt Us, a guest post by Shakirah Bourne When I was a kid growing up in Barbados, I used to play in a graveyard. I was fascinated by the story of the Chase Vault—one of the strangest unsolved mysteries in the world. teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2026/02/27/h... @tltkaren.bsky.social

I guess we’re going to destroy our country and others to protect the 3 Rs: racists, rapists and rich people

Penguin Young Readers Showcase: February 2026 Books Explore 20 new books for all ages! teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2026/02/25/p... @tltkaren.bsky.social @penguinschoollib.bsky.social

I would like to recommend that you not get Flu B

The over-romancification of the YA category is an atrocity that needs to be remedied. I want to pick up a recent YA contemporary or fantasy novel where the focus isn't almost exclusively on romance and it's been harder and harder lately.

Is there any apparel out there that a person can buy to specifically support the USA Women’s Hockey Team and the women’s team only? Asking for friend

Yay!!!

Fast Five Interview: Michael P. Spradlin Author Michael P. Spradlin joins us to talk about his new book, The Spider Strikes. teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2026/02/23/f... @tltkaren.bsky.social

Book Mail: 20 New and Forthcoming Books Monsters, pet rocks, an environmental club, a lost dog, a forest-dwelling boy, an Ojibwe skater, and more! teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2026/02/19/b... @tltkaren.bsky.social

Hey, everyone. North Minneapolis schools need your help. They've each raised tens of thousands for their families in January, and have to do it all over again now. This one school still needs thirty thousand dollars to keep families housed and fed. Can you help?