Oh MG News

Bluesky Brightens the Social Media Landscape

By on December 16, 2024   /   Oh MG News  
Blue butterfly on white background

Have you jumped on the Bluesky bandwagon? Many authors, agents, librarians, and teachers are finding this platform to be a welcome alternative to X, formerly known as Twitter.

In many ways, the two platforms are similar. Posts are kept brief with a limit of 300 characters. You can like, reply, follow, block, and repost. You can even send direct messages to other users. There’s enough familiarity to make Bluesky comfortable for converts. 

 

Bluesky Bonuses

Bluesky definitely has some attractive advantages. For example, Bluesky users have more control over their online presence. There is no baseline algorithm on Bluesky. Do you want to browse posts in chronological order? You can do that! Want to curate your own feed? You can do that, too!

Bluesky isn’t controlled by a single person or entity. According to Vox, “Bluesky’s open source, decentralized framework gives you a lot more control over how your feed works than X or even Threads.” The issue of control has brought a lot of users to Bluesky.

 

Bluesky Tips

A recent issue of School Library Journal is filled with great Bluesky user tips. Debbie Ridpath Ohi offers lots of information, which I encourage you to check out. But if you’re looking for a quick run-down of the highlights, here they are:

  • Create your profile and make a post to get started. You probably want to choose the same username across profiles so you’re easy to find.
  • Decide what kinds of posts you want to see (and what kind you’d prefer NOT to see), and adjust your Settings and Moderation options accordingly.
  • Hashtags are helpful in curating your content. You might find that #BlueSkyTips is a good resource!
  • If you find the account of an agent, editor, publisher, or author you want to follow, see if they have a Starter Pack. (Hint: Debbie Ridpath Ohi has one.) This Starter Pack gives you a quick list of related accounts you might want to follow.
  • Find your people and make the first move. Go ahead and engage with posts that vibe with your interests.

 

Bluesky Resources

To learn more, check out any of the following resources:

You may be a Bluesky expert at this point, you might be mulling over the move, or you may be somewhere in between. So far, I’ve set up my profile, I’ve followed some accounts, and I’ve liked some posts. Now it’s time for a deep breath and a deep dive (or maybe a skydive?). On today’s agenda, I plan to make my first post. See you on Bluesky!

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Register for LibraryCon Live! 2024

By on November 5, 2024   /   Oh MG News  

Coming up on November 14, 2024 is the 8th annual LibraryCon Live!  The free event, hosted by Library Journal and School Library Journal, is a day-long celebration of fandom, spotlighting genre fiction for adults and teens. Anyone can sign up to attend this live virtual day.

Panels include:

  • Comics & Manga Programming in Schools and Libraries
  • The School/Life Balance
  • So, You’ve Established Your Manga Section. Now What?
  • Supernatural YA 
  • Closing Keynote with David F. Walker and Marcus Kwame Anderson, Big Jim and the White Boy (Ten Speed: Penguin Random House)

Find out more and register here.

LibraryCon 2024

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October Book News

By on October 9, 2024   /   Oh MG News  
Middle Grade Authors

October presents middle-grade book enthusiasts with quite a few reasons to be excited. In addition to fall colors, cool breezes, and creative costumes, October gives us TeenTober, Read Aloud to a Child Week, and the announcement of National Book Award finalists.

TeenTober logo

It’s TeenTober!

TeenTober is a month-long observance being celebrated in libraries nationwide. It was created by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). According to YALSA, the goal is “to celebrate teens, promote year-round teen services and the innovative ways teen services helps teens learn new skills, and fuel their passions in and outside the library.” 

What can you do to celebrate TeenTober? Well, the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) has some ideas for you. If  you’re a librarian, teacher, or parent of middle and high school students, encourage them to do the following:

  • Join a book discussion group at their school or public library.
  • Read biographies of their favorite musicians, comedians, politicians, or sports figures.
  • Read books about a hobby that interests them.
  • Read books that approach a subject through humor.
  • Read what they want to read, just for the fun of it.
Read to Them logo

Read Aloud to a Child Week is October 20-26.

This event is sponsored by Read to Them, an organization whose goal is to encourage adults to read aloud to children. While this is a year-round goal, the organization has designated the last week in October each year as Read Aloud to a Child Week. 

This annual observance has been going on for 20 years, and according to Read to Them, it’s “a stress-free way for everyone to engage with the literacy community.” The organization’s website offers lots of resources, including a wealth of suggested titles for all ages, from preschoolers to middle schoolers.

Read Aloud to a Child Week raises awareness about the importance of reading to children, and it’s a great way to start a good habit that can lead to a lifetime of literacy. It’s also a good way to prepare for Children’s Book Week, which is just around the corner, November 4-10.

National Book Award Logo

National Book Award Finalists Have Been Announced.

The National Book Foundation has announced the five finalists for the National Book Award in each of its five categories. Established in 1950, the mission of this annual recognition is to “celebrate the best literature published in the United States, expand its audience, and ensure that books have a prominent place in our culture.” 

The five categories are Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Translated Literature, and Young People’s Literature. Finalists each receive $1,000 and a bronze medal. The winners, announced in November, will receive $10,000, a bronze medal, and a statue. 

Drum roll, please. Here are the Finalists for Young People’s Literature:

Violet Duncan, Buffalo Dreamer
Nancy Paulsen Books / Penguin Random House

Josh Galarza, The Great Cool Ranch Dorito in the Sky
Henry Holt and Company (BYR) / Macmillan Publishers

Erin Entrada Kelly, The First State of Being
Greenwillow Books / HarperCollins Publishers

Shifa Saltagi Safadi, Kareem Between
G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers / Penguin Random House

Angela Shanté, The Unboxing of a Black Girl
Page Street Publishing

Congratulations to each finalist! We have just enough time to read these books and introduce them to young readers before the winner is announced on November 19.

Along with the fall colors, cool breezes, and creative costumes of October, we hope you are able to celebrate books with some young readers. Encourage a teen to use the library, read aloud to a child, and check out some award-worthy literature for young people. The season is fleeting – let’s spend it reading!

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