So grateful for the #comics #librarianship representation at #LibLearnX23

Also, congrats to Claribel Ortega & Rose Bousamra for winning the 2023 Pura Belpré Children’s Author Award for Frizzy, a graphic novel about a girl who learns to love her natural hair. Out now from @01FirstSecond@twitter.com - https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250259639/frizzy #LibLearnX23

RT @PenguinClass@twitter.com

Congratulations @stellarbaby@twitter.com! We are thrilled that NANA, NENEK & NINA is an APALA honor! This loving ode to 2 cultures continues to bring us so much joy. #ALAYMA @ala_apala@twitter.com #LibLearnX23

🐦🔗: https://twitter.com/PenguinClass/status/1620061077701808128

RT @PenguinClass@twitter.com

OMG! CYRING! ALL MY RAGE by @SabaaTahir@twitter.com is the Michael L. Printz Medalist! A wealth of joy, excitement, and pride for this amazing book and author! 🎉 CONGRATULATIONS Sabaa 🎉! @yalsa@twitter.com #ALAYMA #LibLearnX23

🐦🔗: https://twitter.com/PenguinClass/status/1620069030811033602

Amazing to see “Victory, Stand! Raising My Fist for Justice by Tommie Smith. Derrick Barnes and Dawud Anyabwile get several awards at the ALA Youth Media Awards ceremony this morning, including Excellence in Non Fiction & two Coretta Scott King Book Awards #LibLearnX23

Also a shoutout to @nidhiart@twitter.com for her illustrations for ALA Youth Media Awards Stonewall Children’s Honor Book “Strong” by Rob Kearney & Eric Rosswood from @littlebrown@twitter.com #LibLearnX23

Also a shoutout to @nidhiart@twitter.com for her illustrations for ALA Youth Media Awards Stonewall Children’s Honor Book “Strong” by Rob Kearney & Eric Rosswood from @littlebrown@twitter.com #LibLearnX23

At the Youth Media Awards ceremony at ALA #liblearnx23 - thrilled to see Wash Day Diaries by @JamilaRowser@twitter.com & Robyn Smith fr @ChronicleBooks@twitter.com honored by the YALSA/ Alex Awards, “books written for adults that have special appeal to young adults”

The other issue that libraries have with manga is that “there are not enough reviews of manga in professional journals/trusted news sources like @PublishersWkly@twitter.com, @KirkusReviews@twitter.com or @sljournal@twitter.com.” Without it, it’s hard for them to buy/try manga. #LibLearnX23

There weren’t too many graphic novel-related panels / programming at ALA #LibLearnX23, but to be fair, this is the first time they’re trying this show format after 2 years of virtual-only events. Both librarians and exhibitors seem to be feeling this show out for now

The other kinda manga-related issue i observed at ALA #LibLearnX23 was that no one knows how to describe “manga-inspired/kinda like manga” books, such as Taili by French-Laotian creator Sourya (fr @OniPress@twitter.com) or The Moth Keeper by K. O’Neill fr @penguinrandom@twitter.com

The other common painpoint about manga I’m hearing at ALA #LibLearnX23 is how difficult it is to buy long series, no matter how popular, and getting missing volumes if a series is out of print, or not easy to order through established channels like Ingram or Baker & Taylor

While chatting with the @VIZMedia@twitter.com peeps at their ALA #LibLearnX23 booth, they mentioned breaking out their offerings in their library catalog by 5 age ratings: Kids, Tween (age 10+), Teen (age 13+), Older Teen (Age 16+), and Mature (Ages 18+)

Given that manga is super popular in general, it’s a little disappointing that the only publisher with a significant presence in the ALA #LibLearnX23 exhibit hall is @VIZMedia@twitter.com

I did the thing! And people showed! #liblearnx23 #comics #librarian #librarians #libraries #LibraryMastodon

Unfortunately, Jack Wong’s original flight to New Orleans was cancelled, so he spoke to the @Scholastic@twitter.com Picture Book Showcase audience via pre-recorded video, and shared heartfelt stories about his grandmother who loved to swim, & his mother who didnt. #LibLearnX23

Also featured at @Scholastic@twitter.com Picture Book Showcase at #LibLearnX23 was “When You Can Swim,” a debut picture book by Asian-Canadian author Jack Wong/@jacquillo_ . “It stole our hearts as soon as it crossed our desk” https://www.scholastic.com/onlinepreview/index.html#9dd1679659694245a9e0cd21f1716799/0

I mentioned the Jackie Ormes bio picture book yesterday, but such a treat to hear author Traci Todd and illustrator talk about their research and personal connection with “the first african american woman cartoonist” as they created “Holding Her Own” for @Scholastic@twitter.com #LibLearnX23

I’m covering ALA #LibLearnX23 from a graphic novels PoV, so it was a nice surprise to see that 2 books featured at @Scholastic@twitter.com Picture Book Showcase have graphic novel connections. Before Jovita Wore Pants, Molly Mendoza created Stray for @bulgilhan@twitter.com Press https://bulgilhanpress.com/store/stray-molly-mendoza

Caught up with Jovita Wore Pants author @aida_writes@twitter.com & illustrator @thisismollym@twitter.com at the end of the @Scholastic@twitter.com Picture Book Showcase at ALA #LibLearnX23 - so lovely to see a creative team that so obviously love the story they’re bringing to the world https://shop.scholastic.com/parent-ecommerce/books/jovita-wore-pants-9781338283419.html