blogis librorum. A blog about books. Rare books.

South Dakota is a midwestern state also located on the Great Plains. While a large state, it is one of the least populous in the country. The agricultural state is home to nine reservations of the Lakota and Dakota Sioux tribes, for which the state is named. The landscape of South Dakota contains plains, buttes, and the Black Hills mountain range. Join us today as we continue our literary road trip by taking a closer look at two books that display some of the rural and agricultural places in South Dakota, both historically and in present day, in our Top Books by State Series:

The John Newbery Medal is awarded annually to a children's book that represents the height of achievement in that field of literature. 1924's winner is particularly notable because he passed away before receiving the award. Today in our Newbery Medal Winning Authors series, we look at the 1924 winner, Charles Boardman Hawes, who, in his short life, earned the most prestigious award for children's book writers in America.

Each year, the Caldecott Medal is awarded to an illustrator who best exemplifies the highest quality of children's book illustrations published the previous year. Today's illustrator has released picture books for readers from the youngest up to middle grade. Though Kevin Henkes often utilizes colorful illustrations for his books and a lyrical style, his 2004 Caldecott Winning book, Kitten and the Full Moon, breaks from his typical style and utilizes black and white illustrations and straightforward writing style for young readers. Join us today as we take a look at Henkes' career in our Caldecott Winning Illustrators Series:

Fall is here, and that means Halloween is on its way. Whether or not you plan to dress up and party or stay home and pass out candy, we've gathered various middle-grade and young-adult books that are perfect for sharing with your family or with children in your life. These books will help you enter the Halloween spirit as we enter the spooky season. Join us as we take a look at some of these creepy books that are great for children and adult collectors alike:

As so often, trends come and go in the world of children's literature. These trends are often reflected in awards such as the Caldecott, Newbury, and Carnegie medals. Recent trends in middle-grade fiction include stories of protagonists with magical powers and protagonists facing down against spooky creatures and ghosts. What we don’t see as much anymore is animal protagonists.

While stories from the 2000s like the Warriors series about cats and the Guardians of Ga’Hool featuring owls, these stories are still popular, readers who enjoy this trope don’t see nearly as many hitting bookstores nowadays. Lucky for those readers (and for those looking to acquire some timeless children’s books for their collections), we’ve compiled a list of some of the best novels featuring animal protagonists. Perfect for both the children and collectors in your life, these books are definitely worth investigating:

Each year, The Newbery Medal is awarded to a book representing the best storytelling for children in the field. The 1925 prize was awarded to an author who based his works on world travels, and who devoted his career to promoting a love of literature to children through his book and adults through his journalism and work with literary magazines. He made such an impact on literature that there is a park named for him in his home state of Arkansas. Join us today as we take a closer look at children's adventure writer (among other things), Charles J. Finger in the 1925 edition of our Newbery Winning Author's series:

The John Newbery Medal was given in 1922 to honor books by American authors that represent the best contributions to children’s literature the previous year. It is the highest honor for children’s authors in the United States. Each year, there are many books to choose from, as all age categories, from picture books to young adult, qualify. Today in our Newbery Medal Winning Authors series, we take a look at the 1923 winner, Hugh Lofting, creator of the beloved Dr. Dolittle:

Virginia is one of the oldest states in America, rich with history. This beautiful state features forests, mountains, beaches, national parks, islands, wild horses, lakes, and a surprisingly large quantity of presidential homes. Today we feature two vastly different books, one classic which celebrates the history and landscape of Virginia and another that sets the chilling subject of it’s tale there. Join us today as we continue our Top Books by State series by taking a closer look at books set Virginia:

The John Newbery Medal was first established in 1921 by the Association for Library Services for Children. Often shortened to the Newbery Medal, it was created in order to honor books that serve as a distinguished contribution to American literature for children. Along with the Caldecott Medal, it is considered the highest honor for children’s books in the United States. The qualifications for this medal are such that any children’s book (picture book through young adult) published by an American citizen during a respective year is eligible. Each year a committee of fifteen (though historically the winner was chosen by popular vote. The Newbery Medal was the first ever award for children’s literature and continually recognizes the best and most enduring works published each year. Today in our brand new Newbery Medal Winning Authors series, we take a look at the very first winner of this prestigious award: Hendrik Willem van Loon.

For over sixty years, author Katherine Paterson has released children's books on difficult themes like death, abandonment, war, and grief. She has won two National Book Awards, two Newbery Medals, the Hans Christian Anderson Award, and the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award. Her books have been translated into numerous languages and adapted into film. Her books are often considered controversial, and some have even been banned from the booklist due to their challenging themes. Paterson’s devotion to these hard-to-approach topics is due to a belief that realism in children’s books is important and is inspired in part by her childhood where she felt isolated and like an outsider due partially to her early childhood spent in China as the child of missionaries who later moved to the US and had to learn English after years of speaking only Chinese. Today, we take a closer look at some of Paterson’s most beloved books featuring characters that overcome personal tragedy and experience great and necessary growth.