Scholastic Inc. will end a widely criticized policy that made it easier for school book fairs not to sell works with racial, disability and LGBTQ+ themes.

Judy Blume, James Patterson and Michael Connelly are among 24 prominent writers who have raised more than $3 million to help PEN America open a center in Miami and expand it efforts to counter Florida’s surge in book bannings in recent years.

The illustrator of bestselling children’s books by former President Barack Obama, Madonna and poet Amanda Gorman has a six-figure deal with a Macmillan imprint for two of his own projects.

A poem written for President Joe Biden’s inauguration has been placed on a restricted list at a South Florida elementary school after one parent's complaint.

Amanda Gorman’s next literary project is a collaboration with a prize-winning illustrator for a children’s book coming out this fall.

A literary honor has been named for a uniquely successful author: the Michelle Obama Award for Memoir.

When poet Amanda Gorman was invited to read a newly developed poem at the U.N. General Assembly, the young sensation took a deep look at how societal issues like hunger and poverty have impacted Earth’s preservation.

The Met Gala is back.

What were your friends and neighbors reading in 2021? What is everyone going to be reading after in 2022? Chris Boivin of the Jacksonville Public Library joined us on RCL to discuss this! Get inspired with a fantastic lost-in-time tales, children’s tales from Presidential Inauguration poet Amanda Gorman, or the award-winning book book by author Angeline Boulley that went viral on TikTok. And look forward to the novel that’s set to become a Michael B. Jordan film, a Ted-Bundy-Meets-the-Three-Stooges epic by Florida author Tim Dorsey, and the good and bad of regrets from bestselling columnist Daniel Pink.

Amanda Gorman is ending her extraordinary year on a note of hope.

The year 2021 shared some similarities with 2020 -- one that was difficult for the whole world.

A line from a speech given from the U.S. Senate floor before rioters broke into the Capitol on Jan. 6 tops a Yale Law School librarian’s list of the most notable quotes of 2021.

In 2021, few in the publishing industry worried that no one cared about books anymore.

It's never easy to define a year in pop culture, especially in a rollercoaster year like 2021, when we were up and down again, and again, and again.

In this world, there’s a book for everybody.

The new exhibit at the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art seeks to start a new conversation about American fashion, says its curator, Andrew Bolton.

For what was billed as a “mini Met Gala,” Monday's fundraiser at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art brought out big names and bold fashion.

The fall book season will be packed with new works by such high-profile authors as Jonathan Franzen, Sally Rooney and Colson Whitehead.

Amanda Gorman, who became world famous in January after reading “The Hill We Climb” at President Joe Biden's inauguration, can still remember when she was just another young poet trying to find her voice.

When the Met Gala returns in September, it will feature a starry contingent of celebrity co-chairs: Actor Timothée Chalamet, singer Billie Eilish, poet Amanda Gorman, and tennis star Naomi Osaka.

In this combination photo, Oprah Winfrey, left, attends the premiere of "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" on April 18, 2017, in New York and Amanda Gorman attends Porter's 3rd annual Incredible Women Gala on Oct. 9, 2018, in Los Angeles. Gorman revisits her inaugural poem that wowed observers, among them Oprah Winfrey, in the Apple TV+ series "The Oprah Conversation." (Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP, left, and Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)LOS ANGELES – Amanda Gorman revisits her inauguration day poetry reading that wowed observers, among them Oprah Winfrey, in the Apple TV+ series “The Oprah Conversation.”The 23-year-old Gorman “stepped into a moment in history with enormous grace and dignity,” Winfrey said in a statement. The first National Youth Poet Laureate and the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history, Gorman recited “The Hill We Climb” for the Jan. 20 swearing-in ceremony for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Others who have been interviewed for “The Oprah Conversation” include former President Barack Obama, Matthew McConaughey, Stevie Wonder and author Ibram X. Kendi.

FILE - In this file photo dated Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021, American poet Amanda Gorman recites a poem during the Inauguration of U.S. President Joe Biden at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, USA. Writer Marieke Lucas Rijneveld announced on Twitter Friday Feb. 26, 2021, that she has handed back the assignment to translate American poet Amanda Gorman's work into Dutch, following criticism that a white author was selected to translate the works. I AM A THREAT: a threat to injustice, to inequality, to ignorance. Anyone who speaks the truth and walks with hope is an obvious and fatal danger to the powers that be. A threat and proud.”AdGorman became an instant sensation Jan. 20 when she recited her poem, “The Hill We Climb,” at Biden's swearing-in.

American poet Amanda Gorman reads a poem during the 59th Presidential Inauguration at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, Pool)THE HAGUE – A writer who was chosen to translate American poet Amanda Gorman's work into Dutch has handed back the assignment following criticism that a white author was selected to translate the words of a Black woman who is the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history. Marieke Lucas Rijneveld, who last year became the youngest writer to win the International Booker Prize with her novel “The Discomfort of Evening," announced the decision in a Twitter post Friday. AdMeulenhoff general director Maaike le Noble said in a statement that the publisher wants to learn from the experience. “We are going to look for a team to cooperate with to translate Amanda's words and message of hope and inspiration as well as possible and in her spirit,” Le Noble said.

FILE -Ella Emhoff appears at a rally for her stepmother Sen. Kamala Harris, announcing Harris' presidential campaign in Oakland, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019. The designers at Proenza Schouler dressed Ella Emhoff in a couple of coats (plus a pantsuit) for her modeling debut in their new collection, unveiled Thursday for New York Fashion Week. Soon after, the designers were planning their February show — actually a digital short, for pandemic reasons — and the casting director mentioned Emhoff. AdFor Emhoff, the designers chose a long gray wool coat with fluffy embellishments on the shoulders, then a midnight navy leather trench-type coat, and finally a black pantsuit. “She's a nice sort of ambassador of the new moment," he said, before moving artfully away from any political implications.

Gorman, the 22-year-old poet who stirred America at the inauguration of President Joseph Biden, again commanded the spotlight on one of the countrys biggest stages, the Super Bowl. That Gorman brought poetry to the Super Bowl was an almost unthinkable collision of grace and glitz. She seemed to grasp the unlikeliness of her pre-game reading, the first in Super Bowl history. “Poetry at the Super Bowl is a feat for art and our country, because it means we’re thinking imaginatively about human connection even when we feel siloed,” Gorman said Sunday on Twitter. Here’s to them, to poetry and to a Super Bowl like no other.”

___9:40 p.m.Tom Brady is closing in on a record seventh Super Bowl title as the struggles continue for Patrick Mahomes. The Kansas City Chiefs got another field goal to start the second half but are still seeking their first touchdown of the Super Bowl. ___7:45 p.m.Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs are off to a slow start in the Super Bowl. The Kansas City Chiefs’ goal-line stand has kept the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from adding to their 7-3 lead in Super Bowl 55. AdLocker room access is limited compared to previous Super Bowls, and Super Bowl week was much different.

As she graces the new cover of TIME’s Black Renaissance issue, in just a few days she will be taking to the field for the Super Bowl to perform a new poem. I spoke to one national organization that has worked closely with Gorman before the large-scale fame. And she’s brought tremendous inspiration to so many children around this country,” said Laura Brief, CEO of 826 National. This Super Bowl Sunday, she will perform her new poem honoring three Americans for their work during the pandemic. As Super Bowl fans cheer on their teams, this non-profit will be celebrating Gorman’s success and how her light ignites a fire of passion for writing in people of all ages.

Tyson's death was announced by her family, via her manager Larry Thompson, who did not immediately provide additional details. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File)NEW YORK – Cicely Tyson was active to the end, in the middle of promoting her memoir “Just As I Am” when she died at age 96. Many media outlets this week had been celebrating Tyson and her memoir. AdIn the days before her death, Tyson was also a guest on The Bakari Sellers Podcast, where she talked about her acting choices, injustices and her marriage to late jazz great Miles Davis. In an NPR interview, Tyson said she came to acting so that she “could speak through other people,” after being naturally drawn to observing other people as a shy child.

(AP Photo/W.A.Harewood, File)LOS ANGELES – Cicely Tyson was a Black actor who knocked down doors so other women of color could walk through them. Tyson strategically selected powerful roles with an intent to elevate how Black actors were perceived. Tyson desired to get away from the negative portrayals of Black women with the hopes of highlighting them with powerful prestige. “Tyson showed the world that the Black woman is more than a moment. He went on to say that Tyson “became a vessel through which all the dignity of who she was as a Black person, a Black woman, could flow.”Tyson’s fame transcended all media.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Take a stroll down Laura Street in Downtown Jacksonville near James Weldon Johnson Park right now, and you’ll spot murals on the historic Greenleaf and Crosby Building to honor Black History Month. Specifically, the temporary murals are tributes to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Amanda Gorman, the youngest inaugural poet in American history. Wonderful!” said Demetria Orange, who was passing by the murals Thursday afternoon. “It shows love, it shows appreciation and also it shows progress,” said James Jackson. The murals were commissioned by The Law Offices of Phillips and Hunt and Folio Weekly.

Eric and Tess from Pasadena, Calif., enter the Skylight Book store, decorated with a poster of American poet Amanda Gorman, in Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles Monday, Jan. 25, 2021. Public health officials said Monday that the state will return to a system of county-by-county restrictions intended to stem the spread of the virus. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)NEW YORK – Within hours of Amanda Gorman's reading of the inaugural poem last week, bookstores were hearing from their customers. Gorman, who at 17 became the country's National Youth Poet Laureate, is a longtime Los Angeles resident who credits poetry with helping her work on a speech impediment. Gorman is by far the youngest of the poets to read at presidential inaugurations since Robert Frost was invited to John F. Kennedy's in 1961.

American poet Amanda Gorman reads a poem during the 59th Presidential Inauguration at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, Pool)NEW YORK – The NFL has selected three people who have served during the coronavirus pandemic as honorary captains for the Super Bowl along with inaugural poet Amanda Gorman for an original poem. Commissioner Roger Goodell announced Wednesday that educator Trimaine Davis, nurse manager Suzie Dorner and Marine veteran James Martin will take part in the coin toss on Feb. 7 in Tampa, Florida. Gorman, the country’s first National Youth Poet Laureate, recited “The Hill We Climb” at the Biden inauguration Jan. 20. “During this incredibly challenging time in our lives, Trimaine, Suzie, and James have exemplified the essence of leadership, each in their own way,” Goodell said.

A surge that started in mid-October made California the nation’s COVID epicenter before numbers improved in the new year. Four regions accounting for virtually all the state's nearly 40 million residents were put under the stay-at-home order in December and three remained there until Monday. The first two confirmed cases of the virus were reported in California a year ago Tuesday. While acknowledging that deaths and hospitalizations remain tragically high, Ghaly pointed to the recent virus data as evidence of a steady and pronounced downward trend. Ghaly said health officials are aware of the potential for a resurgence and could ratchet up restrictions if conditions worsen.

Last week, state health officials told The Associated Press they were keeping all the data secret because it is complicated and might mislead the public. Dr. George Rutherford, an epidemiologist and infectious-diseases control expert at University of California, San Francisco, was among the critics. Gavin Newsom announced a new stay-at-home order that was based on ICU capacity in each of five regions. At a news conference with Newsom, California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly promised to reveal some of the information behind the projections. But it’s currently stuck at 9.9% — virtually the same level it was two weeks ago when state officials abruptly lifted the stay-at-home order there.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – It’s all the buzz on social media with people still talking about the nation’s youngest inaugural poet, Amanda Gorman, who took the world by storm with an eloquent speech on Inauguration Day. I felt seen and heard,” said Yvette Angelique, poet and storytelling facilitator activist. Angelique, a Jacksonville poet, echoed the sentiments that many shared as they watched and listened to Gorman recite her inauguration poem “The Hill We Climb.”The 22-year-old is the nation’s first youth poet laureate and the youngest inaugural poet. Her inspiring words made her a household name and a social media favorite by the time her performance was over. If only we’re brave enough to be it.”A brave girl inspiring a nation in need of healing.

President-elect Joe Biden and his wife Jill, walk out for the 59th Presidential Inauguration at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021. On the very spot where President Joe Biden delivered his inaugural address, an insurrectionist mob had tried — and failed — to overturn his election just two weeks before. Young poet laureate Amanda Gorman was beaming — under her mask — after receiving plaudits from Vice President Kamala Harris, Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton. The teleprompter ensured a quick pace and gave Biden helpful hints such as a reminder to “build" to the finish. Biden had just a handful of small verbal stumbles and couldn’t resist adding an unscripted “folks” — a personal trademark — toward the end.

When it gazes into the mirror, the United States does not generally see a land of process and procedure. The bold, splashy storylines that Americans crave, and have used to construct their nation, don't always play well with repetition and routine. That's where process, procedure and ritual come in. And that for every deafening moment that lurches the nation forward, there are countless procedural ones that inch it along. For one moment, whatever kind of American you are, whatever you’re upset about and however you voted, this land was incontrovertibly your land.

(Saul Loeb/Pool Photo via AP)WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden declared Wednesday that truth and democracy are under attack in America and he pledged to usher the post-truth era out of U.S. politics. “There is truth and there are lies — lies told for power and for profit," Biden said. He said the word “truth” four times and warned of the dangers of hewing to alternative sets of facts. In a recent Washington Post/ABC News poll, 69% of Republicans said Biden did not legitimately win the presidential election. Truth was also part of the poem Amanda Gorman of Los Angeles read at the inauguration ceremony.

American poet Amanda Gorman reads a poem during the 59th Presidential Inauguration at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021. In one of the inauguration's most talked about moments, poet Amanda Gorman summoned images dire and triumphant Wednesday as she called out to the world “even as we grieved, we grew." Did you catch the 2 @HamiltonMusical references in the inaugural poem? “That day gave me a second wave of energy to finish the poem,” Gorman told the AP. Two other books come out in September — the illustrated “Change Sings” and a volume of her inaugural poem and other works.

Lady Gaga sings the national anthem during the 59th Presidential Inauguration at the U.S. Capitol for President-elect Joe Biden in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021. And country star Garth Brooks, doffing his black cowboy hat, sang a soulful a capella rendition of “Amazing Grace,” his eyes closed for much of the song. While stars mostly eschewed Trump's inauguration four years ago, the A-list was back for Biden. Brooks was careful to call his decision to perform on Wednesday non-political, and in the spirit of unity. Alone with his guitar, The Boss sang his “Land of Hope and Dreams” in front of the Lincoln Memorial.

Final preparations are made ahead of the 59th Presidential Inauguration at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021. What to watch for on Inauguration Day:THE SWEARING-INBiden's oath of office is the only essential. Others say the first eyewitness account of a president using those words came at Chester Arthur’s inauguration in 1881. Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman will read an original poem, “The Hill We Climb.”THE SPEECHA president’s inauguration speech is designed to set the tone and the policies the new administration will pursue. The National Mall is closed and just a fraction of the tickets usually handed out for an inauguration will be distributed.

The official inaugural poem will be read during Wednesday's ceremony by Amanda Gorman, the countrys first Youth Poet Laureate. The 17-year-old has won a contest organized by the Academy of American Poets for which students under 18 wrote their own inaugural poems in anticipation of Wednesday's swearing in of President-elect Joe Biden. Applicants for the Inaugural Poem Project were urged to submit work that reflects “on the country’s challenges, strengths, and hope for its future," according to the guidelines. Knight will receive $1,000, and her work — along with the poems of two runners-up — will be featured on Poets.org and in American Poets magazine. The official inaugural poem will be read during Wednesday's ceremony by Amanda Gorman, the country’s first Youth Poet Laureate.

The country's next inaugural poet is an old pro at ceremonial occasions and she's only 22. (Kelia Anne/Sun Literary Arts via AP)NEW YORK – At age 22, poet Amanda Gorman, chosen to read at the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden, already has a history of writing for official occasions. Gorman is the youngest inaugural poet in memory, and she has made news before. In 2014, she was named the first Youth Poet Laureate of Los Angeles, and three years later she became the country's first National Youth Poet Laureate. She is calling her inaugural poem “The Hill We Climb” while otherwise declining to preview any lines.

FILE - In this Nov. 2, 2020 file photo, Lady Gaga performs during a drive-in rally for then Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh. Try Lady Gaga and J. “In the end, I don’t think having Lady Gaga or J. “Lady Gaga is as big as you can get, and she is very talented,” he said. “If I were being inaugurated and I could have Lady Gaga, I would take it.”