Kathy Ishizuka
@kishizuka.bsky.social
Third generation JA; Master Gardener
Priors: Editor in Chief, School Library Journal, Partnerships & Innovation Director, SLJ & LJ
Priors: Editor in Chief, School Library Journal, Partnerships & Innovation Director, SLJ & LJ
Reposted by Kathy Ishizuka
Caged Bird Legacy, the LLC that manages the late Maya Angelou’s oeuvre, has joined Kurt Vonnegut Estate v. Brown, a lawsuit that challenges public school classroom and library censorship under Utah’s House Bill 29.
Angelou Heirs Join Utah Book Removal Suit
Caged Bird Legacy, the LLC that manages the late Maya Angelou’s oeuvre, has joined Kurt Vonnegut Estate v. Brown, a lawsuit that challenges public school classroom and library censorship under Utah’s…
buff.ly
February 11, 2026 at 2:01 PM
Caged Bird Legacy, the LLC that manages the late Maya Angelou’s oeuvre, has joined Kurt Vonnegut Estate v. Brown, a lawsuit that challenges public school classroom and library censorship under Utah’s House Bill 29.
Prompts for class discussion.
OPINION: Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance should last well beyond halftime and extend to classrooms - The Hechinger Report
Four ways to teach Bad Bunny’s halftime show that could foster a sense of collective healing
hechingerreport.org
February 10, 2026 at 8:19 PM
Prompts for class discussion.
Emotional support bulbs. This winter has been brutal. Grow something.
February 10, 2026 at 3:01 PM
Emotional support bulbs. This winter has been brutal. Grow something.
Reposted by Kathy Ishizuka
Oh she’s phenomenal. This is Sophia Chang.
February 8, 2026 at 12:23 AM
Oh she’s phenomenal. This is Sophia Chang.
Reposted by Kathy Ishizuka
Your Black History Moment
Not in The Epstein Files.
Not in The Epstein Files.
February 6, 2026 at 9:33 PM
Your Black History Moment
Not in The Epstein Files.
Not in The Epstein Files.
I stand with the Obamas.
(Official White House photo by Lawrence Jackson)
(Official White House photo by Lawrence Jackson)
February 7, 2026 at 12:30 PM
I stand with the Obamas.
(Official White House photo by Lawrence Jackson)
(Official White House photo by Lawrence Jackson)
PW coverage calls out Lerner, AmazeWorks, Planting People, Strive bookstore, and Red Balloon Bookshop for support of young readers in MN.
Publishers Near and Far Step Up for Minnesota’s Children
A number of Twin Cities–based presses, as well a California publisher with ties to Minneapolis, are working to provide books to children amid violent ICE crackdowns, which have impacted in-person scho...
www.publishersweekly.com
February 6, 2026 at 2:11 PM
PW coverage calls out Lerner, AmazeWorks, Planting People, Strive bookstore, and Red Balloon Bookshop for support of young readers in MN.
The district is expected to cut between 300 and 400 staff positions due to rising costs.
Boston teacher layoffs likely as BPS outlines next year's budget
Supt. Mary Skipper says rising costs are outpacing new funding
www.wgbh.org
February 5, 2026 at 5:35 PM
The district is expected to cut between 300 and 400 staff positions due to rising costs.
Good advice. Sure wish I had considered all aspects when I was laid off.
Put off signing anything until you've had some legal advice and consider the disposition of content you created.
Put off signing anything until you've had some legal advice and consider the disposition of content you created.
What journalists should know when a layoff hits - Poynter
Practical advice on severance, legal rights and protecting your work
www.poynter.org
February 5, 2026 at 5:01 PM
Good advice. Sure wish I had considered all aspects when I was laid off.
Put off signing anything until you've had some legal advice and consider the disposition of content you created.
Put off signing anything until you've had some legal advice and consider the disposition of content you created.
Painful losses today, this one in particular.
I can't add more about Ron Charles's stellar work that hasn't already been said. But here's another share of his post of today, where you can follow his ongoing work and subscribe.
I can't add more about Ron Charles's stellar work that hasn't already been said. But here's another share of his post of today, where you can follow his ongoing work and subscribe.
I’ve Been Laid Off. I’m Not Done.
After 20 years at The Washington Post, I’m suddenly on my own — and still writing about books.
substack.com
February 5, 2026 at 1:10 AM
Painful losses today, this one in particular.
I can't add more about Ron Charles's stellar work that hasn't already been said. But here's another share of his post of today, where you can follow his ongoing work and subscribe.
I can't add more about Ron Charles's stellar work that hasn't already been said. But here's another share of his post of today, where you can follow his ongoing work and subscribe.
Reposted by Kathy Ishizuka
We are seeing the convergence of all of these tactics across media, and the absolute purge at the @washingtonpost.com of some 300 staff and entire news divisions at one of this nation’s greatest newspapers while an open ideologue has been handed CBS’s reins are signs of a democracy in deep decline.
February 4, 2026 at 9:06 PM
We are seeing the convergence of all of these tactics across media, and the absolute purge at the @washingtonpost.com of some 300 staff and entire news divisions at one of this nation’s greatest newspapers while an open ideologue has been handed CBS’s reins are signs of a democracy in deep decline.
Reposted by Kathy Ishizuka
People often disparage the press — and we often get it wrong — but almost everything you know about this administration is not because pundits go on tv or social media and pontificate but because of relentless reporting from real journalists at institutions that give them resources to do so.
February 4, 2026 at 9:08 PM
People often disparage the press — and we often get it wrong — but almost everything you know about this administration is not because pundits go on tv or social media and pontificate but because of relentless reporting from real journalists at institutions that give them resources to do so.
Bad Bunny explainer courtesy of @lapubliclibrary.bsky.social
Consider us prepared for the Super Bowl Half Time show 🐰 Rosales, Vanessa. “In Pink, Florals and Short Shorts, Bad Bunny Champions a New Masculinity.” CNN, 19 November 2019, https://edition.cnn.com/st...
TikTok video by Los Angeles Public Library
www.tiktok.com
February 4, 2026 at 1:36 PM
Bad Bunny explainer courtesy of @lapubliclibrary.bsky.social
Reposted by Kathy Ishizuka
If you’re in high school and want to organize a righteous walkout:
You need a group too big to easily put in detention, one or more sympathetic reporters, and a solid plan with clear timing. Anyone who tries to stop you will look like an asshole
You need a group too big to easily put in detention, one or more sympathetic reporters, and a solid plan with clear timing. Anyone who tries to stop you will look like an asshole
February 4, 2026 at 6:06 AM
If you’re in high school and want to organize a righteous walkout:
You need a group too big to easily put in detention, one or more sympathetic reporters, and a solid plan with clear timing. Anyone who tries to stop you will look like an asshole
You need a group too big to easily put in detention, one or more sympathetic reporters, and a solid plan with clear timing. Anyone who tries to stop you will look like an asshole
Reposted by Kathy Ishizuka
Updated list!
Food is pretty urgently needed if you have the capacity. The city does not provide anything, this is being organized by library workers who have decided, unsupported by admin, that it's cruel to expect people to sit somewhere for 12 hours without food or something warm to drink.
Food is pretty urgently needed if you have the capacity. The city does not provide anything, this is being organized by library workers who have decided, unsupported by admin, that it's cruel to expect people to sit somewhere for 12 hours without food or something warm to drink.
February 3, 2026 at 5:37 PM
Updated list!
Food is pretty urgently needed if you have the capacity. The city does not provide anything, this is being organized by library workers who have decided, unsupported by admin, that it's cruel to expect people to sit somewhere for 12 hours without food or something warm to drink.
Food is pretty urgently needed if you have the capacity. The city does not provide anything, this is being organized by library workers who have decided, unsupported by admin, that it's cruel to expect people to sit somewhere for 12 hours without food or something warm to drink.
Reposted by Kathy Ishizuka
One of my favorite parts of Black History Month: sign up to receive an email with a specific curated piece of Black history. Every single one is fascinating.
I think this started in 2020 or 2021, and I love it every year.
www.28daysofblackhistory.com
I think this started in 2020 or 2021, and I love it every year.
www.28daysofblackhistory.com
28 Days of Black History
28 days of Black history delivered in your inbox each day of February.
www.28daysofblackhistory.com
February 2, 2026 at 8:57 PM
One of my favorite parts of Black History Month: sign up to receive an email with a specific curated piece of Black history. Every single one is fascinating.
I think this started in 2020 or 2021, and I love it every year.
www.28daysofblackhistory.com
I think this started in 2020 or 2021, and I love it every year.
www.28daysofblackhistory.com
Reposted by Kathy Ishizuka
Gather up a group of friends for the online premiere of @thelibrariansfilm.bsky.social on PBS February 9th! Or check it out on their app and watch it on your own timetable that day! It's a powerful look at the attacks on school boards and the freedom to read. www.pbs.org/independentl...
The Librarians | Book Policies Documentary | Independent Lens
The Librarians follows librarians and citizens responding to restrictions on library content across the United States.
www.pbs.org
February 2, 2026 at 5:33 PM
Gather up a group of friends for the online premiere of @thelibrariansfilm.bsky.social on PBS February 9th! Or check it out on their app and watch it on your own timetable that day! It's a powerful look at the attacks on school boards and the freedom to read. www.pbs.org/independentl...
Reposted by Kathy Ishizuka
Very on the nose that in the US, a rodent has replaced scientists. It currently feels like 6 more years of winter.
Punxsutawney Phil is said to have seen his shadow, predicting 6 more weeks of winter weather. Follow AP for live updates.
Groundhog Day live updates: Punxsutawney Phil predicts 6 more weeks of winter
Tens of thousands of people are gathering for Punxsutawney Phil, a groundhog that lives in a tree stump, to predict if the already long and cold winter across much of the United States will go on for another six weeks or if an early spring is around the corner.
bit.ly
February 2, 2026 at 12:36 PM
Very on the nose that in the US, a rodent has replaced scientists. It currently feels like 6 more years of winter.
"Talking with kids about ICE"
Resources from the St. Paul Public Library
Resources from the St. Paul Public Library
Talking with kids about ICE
Current immigration actions impact people of all ages. Often, we wonder how to have age-appropriate conversations with children and…
sppl.org
February 1, 2026 at 12:56 PM
"Talking with kids about ICE"
Resources from the St. Paul Public Library
Resources from the St. Paul Public Library
The Asian American Journalists Association stands with the National Association of Black Journalists.
AAJA condemns threats to press freedom after the arrests of Don Lemon and Georgia Fort - Asian American Journalists Association
The Asian American Journalists Association joins the National Association of Black Journalists to condemn the arrest of independent journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort in connection with their repo...
www.aaja.org
January 31, 2026 at 1:53 AM
The Asian American Journalists Association stands with the National Association of Black Journalists.
Looks like I'm knitting again.
Melt the ICE Hat pattern by YarnCultMN
In the 1940’s, Norwegians made and wore red pointed hats with a tassel as a form of visual protest against Nazi occupation of their country. Within two years, the Nazis made these protest hats illegal...
www.ravelry.com
January 30, 2026 at 1:11 PM
Looks like I'm knitting again.
Agents Are Looking for the Next Heated Rivalry on Fanfic Sites
Agents Are Looking for the Next Heated Rivalry on Fanfic Sites
“It’s driving trends on the publishing end a lot more than people realize.”
www.vulture.com
January 29, 2026 at 9:24 PM
Agents Are Looking for the Next Heated Rivalry on Fanfic Sites
Reposted by Kathy Ishizuka
Boyds Mills (formerly Highlights) 2026 scholarship programs are open! The Nikki Grimes Scholarship in particular nudges Black Indigenous women to bring their voices to children's lit. Try a workshop or retreat! We need stories starring Black Indigenous characters.
boydsmills.org/apply-for-a-...
boydsmills.org/apply-for-a-...
January 29, 2026 at 7:12 PM
Boyds Mills (formerly Highlights) 2026 scholarship programs are open! The Nikki Grimes Scholarship in particular nudges Black Indigenous women to bring their voices to children's lit. Try a workshop or retreat! We need stories starring Black Indigenous characters.
boydsmills.org/apply-for-a-...
boydsmills.org/apply-for-a-...
Reposted by Kathy Ishizuka
They stole his Spidey backpack.
“[Liam] keeps asking about that hat and that backpack that are in the picture,” the congressman said. “I think they took that from him.”
www.cnn.com/2026/01/28/u...
www.cnn.com/2026/01/28/u...
Rep. Joaquin Castro meets with the 5-year-old boy held with his father at a Texas detention facility | CNN
US Rep. Joaquin Castro met Wednesday with Liam Conejo Ramos, the 5-year-old Minnesota boy taken from his family’s suburban Minneapolis driveway last week after federal agents apprehended his father, t...
www.cnn.com
January 29, 2026 at 6:27 AM
They stole his Spidey backpack.
Publishing for Minnesota, a two-day online auction set for January 29–30.
Auction proceeds will "support organizations providing legal aid, emergency assistance, food, and community resources to Minnesotans in urgent need due to ICE’s activities," reads PW's coverage.
Auction proceeds will "support organizations providing legal aid, emergency assistance, food, and community resources to Minnesotans in urgent need due to ICE’s activities," reads PW's coverage.
Industry Insiders Raising Funds for Minnesotans in Need
Amid ICE’s violent crackdown, two publishing professionals have launched an online auction to benefit nonprofits providing aid to Minnesotans and immigrants. Around 500 items and services have been do...
www.publishersweekly.com
January 27, 2026 at 4:56 PM
Publishing for Minnesota, a two-day online auction set for January 29–30.
Auction proceeds will "support organizations providing legal aid, emergency assistance, food, and community resources to Minnesotans in urgent need due to ICE’s activities," reads PW's coverage.
Auction proceeds will "support organizations providing legal aid, emergency assistance, food, and community resources to Minnesotans in urgent need due to ICE’s activities," reads PW's coverage.