From Epic Reads:

“Anyone can tell you that real-life dating is hard and messy, even with the introduction of endless apps. Finding your perfect match in the form of a fictional character? Now, that’s the stuff! It’s easy to fall in love with a character on the pages of our favorite books, whether they’re the brooding type, a total golden retriever, or a lovable grump. Sometimes, it seems like they were written just for us. 

With Valentine’s Day on the horizon, we know we’re not the only ones looking for a new love interest to pine after. Lucky for you, we’ve vetted the best prospects for your new boo and are here to help you find the right one for you. Take this quiz to let us know your preferences, and we’ll match you with the perfect #bookbae for Valentine’s Day!”

Click the graphic above to take the quiz!

On Monday, January 30, the American Library Association (ALA) announced the top books, digital media, video and audio books for children and young adults – including the Caldecott, Coretta Scott King, Newbery and Printz awards – at its LibLearnX: The Library Learning Experience, taking place in-person for the first time in New Orleans.

A list of the 2023 award winners and honor selections from the Young Adult category follows:

Caldecott Honor Book: Ain’t Burned All the Bright, illustrated by Jason Griffin, written by Jason Reynolds

Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award: We Deserve Monuments, written by Jas Hammonds

• Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book: Victory. Stand!: Raising My Fist for Justice, written by Tommie Smith and Derrick Barnes
• Corretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book: Victory. Stand!: Raising My Fist for Justice, illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile, written by Tommie Smith and Derrick Barnes

Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults: All My Rage, written by Sabaa Tahir

• Printz Honor Books: Scout’s Honor, written by Lily Anderson; Icebreaker, written by A.I. Graziadei; When the Angels Left the Old Country, written by Sacha Lamb; Queer Ducks (and Other Animals): The Natural World of Animal Sexuality, written by Eliot Schrefer
  

Schneider Family Book Award for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience: The Words We Keep, written by Erin Stewart

• Schneider Family Honor Book: Breathe and Count Back from Ten, written by Natalia Sylvester

Odyssey Award for the best audiobooks produced for young adults: The Honeys, written by written by Ryan La Sala and narrated by Pete Cross

• Odyssey Honor Audiobook: Demon in the Wood Graphic Novel, written by Leigh Bardugo, adaptation by Garet Scott and narrated by Ben Barnes and a full cast; Inheritance: A Visual Poem, written and narrated by Elizabeth Acevedo

Pura Belpré Awards honoring Latinx writers and illustrators whose young adult books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience: Burn Down, Rise Up, written by Vincent Tirado

• Belpré Young Adult Author Honor Books: Breathe and Count Back from Ten, written by Natalia Sylvester; High Spirits, written by Camille Gomera-Tavarez; The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School, written by Sonora Reyes

Stonewall Book Award given annually to English-language young adult books of exceptional merit relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender experience: When the Angels Left the Old Country, written by Sacha Lamb

• Stonewall Honor Books: I Kissed Shara Wheeler, written by Casey McQuiston; Kings of B’more, written by R. Eric Thomas; Man o’War, written by Cory McCarthy; The Summer of Bitter and Sweet, written by Jen Ferguson (Metis/white)
  

William C. Morris Award for a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens: The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen, written by Isaac Blum

• Morris Award Finalists: The Summer of Bitter and Sweet, written by Jen Ferguson (Metis/white); Wake the Bones, written by Elizabeth Kilcoyne; The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School, written by Sonora Reyes; Hell Followed With Us, written by Andrew Joseph White

YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults: Victory. Stand!: Raising My Fist for Justice, illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile, written by Tommie Smith and Derrick Barnes

• Finalists: Abuela, Don’t Forget Me, written by Rex Ogle; American Murderer: The Parasite that Haunted the South, written by Gail Jarrow; A Face for Picasso: Coming of Age with Crouzon Syndrome, written by Ariel Henley; Unequal: A Story of America, written by Michael Eric Dyson and Marc Favreau

Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, which promotes Asian/Pacific American culture and heritage and is awarded based on literary and artistic merit: Himawari House, written and illustrated by Harmony Becker

• Youth Literature honor title: The Silence that Binds Us, written by Joanna Ho

The Sydney Taylor Book Award, presented annually to outstanding books for children and teens that authentically portray the Jewish experience: When the Angels Left the Old Country, written by Sacha Lamb

• Young Adult honors: My Fine Fellow: A Delicious Entanglement, written by Jennieke Cohen; Some Kind of Hate, written by Sarah Darer Littman; Eight Nights of Flirting, written by Hannah Reynolds
  

This third week of April has been marked with April showers and plenty of warmth. This week’s Spine Poetry fits the bill perfectly:

“Spring,
Weather,
Coming on Strong,
Sooner or Later.”

Enjoy this weather and tune in for next week’s rendition!

This week’s Spine Poetry is nothing short of a home run!

“I Live for This!
Opening Day,
Peanuts and Crackerjack,
The Game,
Baseball.”

Hopefully your Opening Day predictions come true! Let’s go!

To kick off National Poetry Month, here’s a treat: Spine Poetry! A form of “found” poetry, the titles of these books are the pieces that create unique poems.

“Poetry in Person,
Bluestones and Salt Hay,
Sugar and Sand,
Honey and Salt,
The Beauty of Living!”

You can find these books in our catalog by clicking on the stanza. Be on the look out for next week’s spine poetry!