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Summer and Fall 2021 Titles Best Debuts: 37 Key Summer and Fall 2021 Titles
By Barbara Hoffert
This edition of LJ’s thrice-yearly list of top debut novels looks back at key summer reads and forward to promising new works coming out through November. Featured here are the full-length debuts of highly regarded short story writers Uwem Akpan, Violet Kupersmith, and Shruti Swamy, plus a strong contingent of award-winning African authors and several romances embracing diverse characters.
You’ll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey Enacting Change: 11 Books for Readers Working Toward Antiracism
By Rebekah Kati
Key antiracism titles to buy, read, suggest, and host reading conversations around.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Legislating Classroom Conversation: What Do the “Anti-Critical Race Theory” Laws Mean for Teachers?
By Kelley R. Taylor
For many educators returning to schools this fall, classroom discussion will be governed by controversial provisions in a proliferation of legislation.
LJCall for Information: Completed library renovation or new construction projects
Library Journal is collecting information about recently completed library construction projects for inclusion in our upcoming architecture issue. If your library completed a library construction or renovation project between July 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021, please tell us about it! We are especially interested in any special features or design elements of your project (e.g., green, flexible design, etc.). Submitting high quality images of completed projects is encouraged. If you have questions, please email Laura Girmscheid at Lgirmscheid@mediasourceinc.com. The deadline for submissions is Friday, August 27, 2021. There are separate links for public and college/university library projects:

Public libraries: www.LibraryJournal.com/PublicArch2021
Academic libraries: www.LibraryJournal.com/AcademicArch2021
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Public Libraries Get Innovative for Playtime Public Libraries Get Innovative for Playtime
By Kathryn Baron
The pandemic couldn't stop these libraries from offering fun learning experiences for the youngest patrons.
"There are many things that children learn about history that do not lead to them blaming peers for historical facts."
 Pat Scales No Single Staffer Should Control Collection Decisions | Scales on Censorship
By Pat Scales
Pat Scales answers readers' questions about library staff deselecting materials, the most challenged booklist, and parental complaints about an "offensive" article.
The Only Good Indians Stephen Graham Jones Wins Two Shirley Jackson Awards | Book Pulse
By Kate Merlene
The Shirley Jackson Awards Winners are announced with Stephen Graham Jones winning top prizes for both best novel and novella. Other winners include R.A. Busby and Kathe Koja. Black Cranes: Tales of Unquiet Women wins the prize for best edited anthology. The Gordon Burn Prize shortlist is announced, including books by Sam Byers, Doireann Ni Ghriofa, Hanif Abdurraquib, Jenni Fagan, and Tabitha Lasley.
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I Was Better Last Night 2021 Dragon Award Finalists Are Announced | Book Pulse
By Anita Mechler
Award finalists announcements are made for the 2021 WSFA Small Press Award and the 2021 Dragon Award. There are first looks for Harvey Fierstein’s I Was Better Last Night and Samantha M. Bailey’s newest Watch Out For Her. Interviews abound featuring Steph Cha of Your House Will Pay, Nawaaz Ahmed of Radiant Fugitives, Azareen Van Der Vliet Oloomi of Savage Tongues, LaTanya McQueen of When the Reckoning Comes, Joe Keohane of The Power of Strangers: The Benefits of Connecting in a Suspicious World, and more.
 Reviews
WEB-FIRST REVIEWS OF BOOKS AND MEDIA
BlissBliss, by Sean Lewis with illustrations by Caitlin Yarsky, is this week's starred graphic novel. "Lewis writes an absorbing and complex urban fantasy about fatherhood, forgiveness, sacrifice, justice, and coming to grips with the moments one tries to forget most.... Recommended for readers seeking diverse, intergenerational stories that leave audiences thinking." In sciences, Piglet: The Unexpected Story of a Deaf, Blind, Pink Puppy and His Family, by Melissa Shapiro and Mim Eichler-Rivasis, is this week's starred selection. "When Connecticut-based veterinarian Shapiro is asked to foster a deaf and blind dog, she readily agrees.... Shapiro and Piglet’s uplifting odyssey, cowritten by Eichler-Rivas, is touching, emotional, and not to be missed." Sara Nisha Adams's debut novel, The Reading List, is this week's starred fiction title. "This thoughtful and heartwarming debut joyfully joins Gabrielle Zevin’s The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry, Antoine Laurain’s The Red Notebook, and Nina George’s The Little Paris Bookshop as yet another homage to the power of books and reading." Devil in Disguise, the seventh book in Lisa Kleypas's "Ravenels" series, is this week's starred romance. "A must for historical romance lovers. Fans of Kleypas in particular will find this books essential." And in performing arts, Dancing Past the Light: The Life of Tanaquil Le Clercq, by Orel Protopopescu, is this week's starred selection. "A fitting tribute to the life and legacy of a beloved dancer that will enthrall balletomanes everywhere."

See All Reviews›››
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JOB OF THE WEEK
Poudre River Public Library District (CO) seeks an Executive Director

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