Kathy Ishizuka

New York

Editor-in-Chief, Partnerships and Innovation Director at School Library Journal

Editor in Chief, @sljournal; Partnerships & Innovation Director, LJ/SLJ; Third gen JA; @kishizuka.bsky.social https://t.co/u3JMQUkdv1

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Articles

10 Things I Love About Starred Reviews | Opinion

2 weeks ago | slj.com | Kimberly Olson Fakih |Kathy Ishizuka

Starred reviews are always good news, for what they mean and for what happens next. 10 Things I Love About Starred Reviews [Read: 10 Things I Hate About Starred Reviews]Recently I wrote an opinion piece, and the counter-arguments began to roll in immediately. Thank you, Mrs. DeWald, high school debate team coach. I really can pick a fight with anyone. Here's what I love about giving books starred reviews.
23 Hefty Titles for Small Hands | Board Books Roundup

3 weeks ago | slj.com | Betsy Bird |Kathy Ishizuka |Brooke Newberry |Rachel Payne

As board books continue to evolve, they’re cleverly expanding to meet the needs of readers even as they approach early school age. Board books are continuing to blossom in their nonfiction era. This roundup features a collection of fact-filled titles, offering a lot of nature exploration for our youngest readers. With developmentally appropriate text and interactive elements, these volumes provide early exposure to a rich vocabulary and a deeper understanding of the world.
Jennifer Mathews: Turning Challenge into Opportunity | 2025 School Librarian of the Year Finalist

1 month ago | slj.com | Andrew Bauld |Kara Yorio |Kathy Ishizuka

School Librarian of the YeaR FINALIST Jennifer Mathews, Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind (CSDB), Colorado Springs Courtesy of CSDB Starting a new job always comes with a learning curve, but when Jennifer Mathews moved from her home in Georgia to the foot of the Rocky Mountains to become the library media specialist at the Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind (CSDB) in Colorado Springs, she had to learn more than just the ins and outs of a new library.
Tim Jones: From Comedy to Community | 2025 School Librarian of the Year

1 month ago | slj.com | Andrew Bauld |Kara Yorio |Kathy Ishizuka

School Librarian of the Year Tim Jones, Library Media Speciaist John F. Kennedy Elementary School, Louisville, KY Photos and SLJ April Cover photo by Antonio Pantoja Tim Jones is the first to tell you that becoming a librarian was not necessarily his dream job. His first love was comedy writing, and the Kentucky native followed that passion all the way to Chicago to train at the famed Second City improvisational theater.
Tatanisha Love: Spreading the Power of Libraries | 2025 School Librarian of the Year Finalist

1 month ago | slj.com | Andrew Bauld |Kara Yorio |Kathy Ishizuka

School Librarian of the YeaR FINALIST Tatanisha Love, Southwest Academy Magnet School for Science and Engineering, Baltimore Courtesy of Tatanisha Love Growing up the daughter of a marine, Tatanisha Love got used to moving around. Traveling to a new home every two years didn’t make building relationships easy, but one thing was a constant wherever she ended up: the library.
Latest Executive Orders Seeks to Eliminate the IMLS

1 month ago | slj.com | Kathy Ishizuka |Kara Yorio

The executive orders (EO) and slashing of federal services have come for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).
SLJ Is Quitting X. Here’s Why.| From the Editor

1 month ago | slj.com | Kathy Ishizuka |Kara Yorio

Twitter has been a dynamic resource for SLJ since we launched our account in 2007, enabling us to share our content with a broad audience and engage with our readers. We have provided news and other information with unequaled immediacy via the platform. Twitter gave staff the opportunity to find and connect with librarians and subject experts to enhance our work, from reviewing to reporting. Our coverage was made richer by the connections we made via Tweet. But that time has passed.
10 Things I Hate About Starred Reviews | Opinion

1 month ago | slj.com | Kimberly Olson Fakih |Kathy Ishizuka

10 Things I Hate About Starred Book ReviewsDining with professional colleagues, perhaps in the aftermath of the pandemic and continuing WFH, doesn’t happen as often as it did when I first came into publishing (and I never mastered a one-martini lunch, let alone three). Still, whenever I am across the table from a publisher or editor or marketing director—or even an author or illustrator—there is only one low-hanging question that the person plucks from the air.
Executive Orders, Legal Challenges, and Funding Cuts Impact Public Schools, Students

1 month ago | slj.com | Kathy Ishizuka |Kara Yorio

President Donald Trump has yet to issue the expected executive order (EO) announcing the elimination of the Department of Education (DOE). But many of the more than 80 EOs he has signed since Inauguration Day have an impact on K–12 schools and students, including:Ending Radical Indoctrination in K – 12 Schooling (signed 1/20/2025) Seeks to eliminate K–12 schools incorporating “DEI” and gender in teaching and learning, as well as support for LGBTQIA+ students.
Tackling Chronic Absenteeism, Districts Turn to School Libraries

1 month ago | slj.com | Sofi Zeman |Kelly Yang |Kathy Ishizuka

We missed you and we want you here.” That statement can have a dramatic impact, says Darrell Sampson. As executive director of student services for Arlington (VA) Public Schools (APS), Sampson oversees social services for roughly 28,000 students. He says that Arlington favors compassion in its long-haul effort to recover chronically absent students. Kids need to feel seen and supported by their local education systems, Sampson says. It’s what keeps them coming back.