It's true that Scholastic prints millions of books each year, but we're also thinking about our impact on the environment! Back in 2008, we set a goal to increase the amount of FSC-certifed and recyled paper that we use in our products, creating a more sustainable business.

Paper that has been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) has been sourced in a responsible way from suppliers who protect animal habitats, prevent pollution, and plant more trees. Recycled paper is, of course, paper that has been repurposed from post-consumer waste (PCW). We've made an effort to increase the amount of both of these papers over the years, and we're happy to announce that 68.2% of the paper we purchased in 2012 was FSC-certified -- nearly double our goal!

You can read all about our 2012 progress here, and take a look at our paper procurement policy as well. And remember to keep recycling -- you never know when today's trash could become an amazing book tomorrow!

Today, #1 New York Times bestselling and award-winning YA powerhouse Maggie Stiefvater gives hungry fans what they’ve been waiting for with book #2 of The Raven Cycle, The Dream Thieves!
 

We know there are tons of Maggie fans out there...and is it any wonder why? USA Today has called her a “master storyteller;” Entertainment Weekly named her "one of the finest YA novelists writing today.” The Dream Thieves has already amassed an impressive 3 starred reviews—with Publishers Weekly raving, “Book two of Stiefvater’s Raven Cycle shifts from character-driven voyage of discovery to more of a paranormal thriller, ratcheting up the violence as the plot grows more complex…. more tense and foreboding than its predecessor—and every bit as gripping.”

 
So what are you waiting for? Read a chapter reveal and fun interview with Maggie Stiefvater right here on Entertainment Weekly.
 
Maggie kicks off the release with the launch of her Dream Thieves tour in Kansas City tonight—with some car painting! (Fans may remember Maggie’s trailer for The Dream Thieves in which she painted her car to match elements of the book!) And as announced, Maggie will invite fans in Kansas City to paint the car with her!

For the complete details about the Dream Thieves tour, click here.  And get excited about Sinner, the recently announced companion book to the bestselling and beloved Shiver trilogy, coming July 2014!
 
Follow @this_is_teen on Twitter and visit Maggie Stiefvater on Twitter @mstiefvater and www.maggiestiefvater.com. And, go here for more information about Maggie and her books!

-Becky Amsel
 

Homework, early mornings, heavy book bag. Ugh. Sometimes getting back into the swing of things at school after a care-free summer can be a challenge for kids. If you're a parent or a teacher (or both!) you are likely laying the groundwork now for a successful school year ahead. We're thrilled Pam Allyn will be joining us tonight at 9pm EST to talk to parents and teachers about that very subject. She'll be sharing ideas and tips for how to inspire a love of reading and learning in children that can be carried throughout the school year. Please join us!

You can learn more about Pam here.

Breaking book news: The 2013 National Book Awards Longlist for Young People’s Literature has been announced, and The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson has been included!

Announcing the news this morning, The Daily Beast said this of The Summer Prince: In a post-nuclear-apocalyptic world set inside a city that’s a glass pyramid on a Brazilian bay, ageless women have inherited a dystopian future that’s run on nanotechnology, and they elect a man, a Summer King, every five years—to be sacrificed. But when 18-year-old artist June Costa’s best friend, a teenage boy named Gil, falls in love with the new Summer King, the two of them start a rebellion.

Check out the NPR review of the title here, and find out more about the awards here. This is the first year the National Book Awards announced longlists in each category. The usual five finalists will be announced on October 16th.
 
Congratulations!
 

This time of year is filled with fresh notebooks, sharpened pencils, new laptops, and...lots of poetry? 

Why, yes! That's because starting today, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards are now open for submissions! 

Ninety+ years ago, the founder of Scholastic, M. R. Robinson, created the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards to encourage the nation's creative youth. There were so many awards for teen athletes, he realized, but what about those who expressed themselves through their art? That's why we love this quote from him from 1928.

Teachers, spread the word to students; parents, nudge your creative-minded teens! To find out more and to see how winners of the Scholastic Awards are recognized and given the opportunity for scholarships, publication and exhibition, visit www.artandwriting.org.

Hi, readers!

If you're a daily reader of OOM, you may have noticed some blog issues over the past few weeks. We've been sorting that out on the back end, and this weekend we officially made the move to the new OOM. Welcome!

We can't wait to get all the kinks fixed (and of course, to get all our previous content up and archived). All of that good stuff will be happening this week, so stay tuned. 

Meanwhile, thanks for stopping by, and thanks in particular for your patience. 

Happy reading!