21 February 2014

[ANNOUNCEMENT] SLBAM Reconvenes for 2013 Nominations

The Street Literature Book Award Medal (SLBAM) Committee has reconvened to confer 2013 awards for the best in library readers' choices for urban literature. 

The categories are:
  • ADULT NON FICTION
  • ADULT FICTION
  • YOUNG ADULT FICTION
  • EMERGING CLASSIC
  • AUTHOR OF THE YEAR
Educators: Feel free to email Vanessa Irvin Morris any titles and/or authors that have been well received by your library readers or students, and your titles will be sent to the Committee. Awards will be announced March 2014. Visit the awards page for more past winners and honorees.

[LISTEN] Interview with Hip Hop Artist, Akua Naru

Akua Naru is the premiere female Hip Hop artist in Europe. She's from the inner-cities of the U.S., and she travels the world telling stories of reality and justice that we all can relate to. I am sharing this video because for street lit / urban fiction readers and fans, it's important that hip hop - authentic, original, cool, gritty, jazzy, hip hop, is still alive and well. Akua Naru's work definitely fits that bill. Listen to her 10-minute interview to learn more about her work and why she does what she does - as an American woman traveling the world telling her story. Where in the world is Akua Narua (right now)? Lagos, Nigeria.

05 February 2014

In the Margins Book Awards 2014, Announced


For Immediate Release

Wed 2/5/2014

SAN FRANCISCO — In the Margins Book Award and Selection Committee, (ITM) a committee under the umbrella of Library Services for Youth in Custody (LYSC) selected their first list of 25 titles and a top 10. 

The 2014 top ten are:

Asante, M.K. Buck: a Memoir. Spiegel & Grau. August 2013. 272p. HC $25.00. ISBN 9780812993417.

Jones, Marilyn Denise. From Crack to College and Vice Versa. May 2013. 105p. PB $14.95. ISBN 9780989427401.

Langan, Paul.  Survivor. Townsend Press. January 2013. 138p. PB $5.95. ISBN 9781591943044.

McKay, Sharon E. War Brothers: The Graphic Novel. Illustrated by Lafance, Daniel.  Annick Press. February 2013. PB $18.95. ISBN 9781554514885.

McVoy, Terra Elan. Criminal.  Simon Pulse. May, 2013. 288p. HC $16.99. ISBN 9781442421622.

Medina, Meg. Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass. Candlewick. March 2013. 260p. HC $16.99. ISBN 9780763658595.

Nussbaum, Susan. Good Kings, Bad Kings. Algonquin Books. November 2013. 304p. PB $14.95.  ISBN 9781616203252.

Rivera, Jeff. No Matter What. CreateSpace. October 2013. 112p. PB $5.38. ISBN 9781493544141.

Ryan, Darlene. Pieces of Me. Orca Book Publishers. September 2012. 240p. PB $12.95. ISBN 9781459800809. 

Young, Pamela Samuels. Anybody’s Daughter. Goldman House Publishing.  October 2013. 374p. PB $16.99. ISBN 9780989293501.

"We are pleased with the founding of this list and our efforts of the first year. We have a great list, bringing to national attention books that are new finds and not widely publicized in the library world along with standout books of the year” said Amy Cheney, chair of In the Margins Book Award and Selection committee. “The committee members and I are excited to share these books with you for teens living and interested in the margins of society."

Annotations, the full list of 25 titles  and more information on the committee and selections can be found at: 


Please be on the lookout for Amy Cheney’s column YA Underground in School Library Journal  2/19/14 for more details and an inside view. 

ITM identifies quality, age appropriate resources for librarians and library workers to share with the teens in lockdown, homeless shelters and other non-traditional venues for teens living in the margins.

Founding Members of the 2014 In the Margins Book Award and Selection Committee:

Chair: Amy Cheney, Juvenile Justice Center, Alameda County, CA Administrative Assistant: Amy Wander Lafayette Public Library, LA Katie MacBride, Mill Valley Public Library & Marin County Juvenile Hall, CA Dr. Virginia Loh-Hagan, Institute for Learning, University of Pittsburgh, PA Selenia Paz, Helen Hall Library, Galveston County, TX Viola Dyas, Retired, Teen Services Librarian, Berkeley Public Library, CA Dr. Julie Ann Winkelstein, Postdoctoral researcher, University of Tennessee, TN.

StreetLiterature site *ON HIATUS*

Greetings, This site is *on hiatus* until further notice. There are reasons: 1/ Since street lit has become pretty mainstream in publicat...