12 Crowd-Pleasing Author Collabs for Middle Grade and YA Readers

12 Crowd-Pleasing Author Collabs for Middle Grade and YA Readers

These coauthored narratives offer readers the opportunity to experience a novel from multiple perspectives, expanding worldbuilding, character development, and plot lines, proving that there are always two (or sometimes three or four) sides to every story.
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Election Impact: What Will a Second Trump Term Mean for Education and Libraries?

Kara Yorio, Nov 08, 2024
We don’t yet know what Donald Trump’s second term will mean for education and libraries, but the incoming administration had made its priorities and goals clear. Here are just some of the things we are watching.

The Early 6: The First Sure Things for Our Mock Newbery Book List

Steven Engelfried, Nov 13, 2024
We've picked 6! The "Early 6" are titles that we've selected to be part of our Mock Newbery Book List. We'll eventually have about 15 titles on that list, but here's your chance to get started early with reading.

Further Predictions! Everything That ISN’T Newbery/Caldecott 2025

Betsy Bird, Nov 06, 2024
Take your mind off of politics with this utter ridiculous prediction post zeroing in on the potential ALA Youth Media Award winners.

The Family Business: Kid Lit Duos

Mary-Kate Sableski, Nov 07, 2024
Family members who collaborate talk about the dynamics (and ground rules) of their creative partnerships.

Marlaina Cockcroft, Apr 04, 2024
With budgets mostly flat, book challenges and rising costs pose hurdles for school librarians.

 

SLJ Staff, Apr 04, 2024
The Cooperative Children’s Book Center released its latest Diversity Statistics report on children's literature, showing another year of small increases in books with BIPOC primary characters and significant BIPOC content.

SLJ Staff, Apr 03, 2024
The State of K-12 Digital Reading breaks down the data for the 2022-23 school year, showing the popularity of comics and graphic novels in the digital format plus regional differences in reading habits.

Marlaina Cockcroft, Jan 04, 2024
Children are eager listeners—of audiobooks, according to a new Library Journal / School Library Journal survey. Libraries are keeping up with the demand as formats evolve.

Kathy Ishizuka, Sep 30, 2023
Twenty-four percent of school librarians have been harassed this past year over books or displays in their library. That’s according to a recent SLJ survey, which found the rate even higher among high school librarians, 30 percent of whom have experienced harassment.

Marlaina Cockcroft, Oct 03, 2023
If graphic novels are flying off the shelves at your library, that reflects a remarkable trend: The format’s popularity has shot up at over 90 percent of school libraries in the last few years, according to a new SLJ survey.

SLJ staff, Jan 19, 2022
Those dreaded summer reading lists. For eons, teachers have been handing out assigned reading, mostly comprised of old “classics.” With this survey, SLJ and NCTE invite teachers and librarians to choose the titles you’d like culled from required reading and those books you would urge students to read instead.

Shelley Diaz, May 10, 2022
SLJ and NCTE collaborated to create 18 booklists of titles to replace, or use as a companion to, canon "classics." 

Marlaina Cockcroft, Feb 21, 2023
More librarians find their work challenging, but most still love what they do, the latest LJ/SLJ Survey shows.

Kara Yorio, Sep 08, 2022
In the past year, school librarians have faced coordinated, hate-filled censorship campaigns that impact available books and collection development decisions. Here, they share their stories.

SLJ Reviews, Oct 01, 2024
The National Book Foundation has announced the 2024 National Book Award finalists. Here are the SLJ reviews of the finalists for the Young People's Literature Award.

SLJ Reviews, Oct 24, 2024
As we gear up to a presidential election, these titles can help young readers to better understand the past, present, and future of the voting process.

SLJ Reviews, Oct 09, 2024
What happens when teen influencers and streamers famous for their social #content end up dead or the main suspect in a murder case? These timely, topical YA thrillers will keep readers guessing.

SLJ Reviewers and NCTE, Apr 17, 2024
In our last round of reviews of banned classics, SLJ and NCTE cover two of Jane Austen's works, the timely Fahrenheit 451, and the heartbreaking I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou.

SLJ Reviews, Oct 28, 2024
In this month's starred reviews, Oliver Gerlach goes off menu, David F. Walker reimagines an American classic, and more.

Brigid Alverson, Oct 24, 2024
In these recent releases, text and visuals complement each other to explain complicated concepts such as historical battles and biological cycles. 

Brigid Alverson, Sep 18, 2024
These seven works range from spin-offs of classic Japanese manga to completely original stories rendered with manga-style storytelling.

SLJ Reviews, Sep 17, 2024
From fantastical to contemporary, these 14 diverse YA romance novels featuring Latinx protagonists will be loved by readers this Hispanic Heritage Month and throughout the year.

SLJ Reviews, Sep 18, 2024
From picture book biographies to historical overviews and reference titles, this roundup spotlights informational texts centering Latinx heritage. Add these works to nonfiction displays from September 15 to October 15 (and every other month of the year).

SLJ Reviewers and NCTE, Sep 23, 2024
In time for Banned Books Week, NCTE and SLJ have partnered again to provide professional reviews of banned curriculum staples. We highlight 18 acclaimed works by celebrated authors, including Alice Walker, Toni Morrison, and F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Marlaina Cockcroft, Oct 01, 2024
Librarians responding to our 2024 Transitional Books Survey had a lot to say about their favorite series. Here's why "Fly Guy," "Mercy Watson," and others stand out to them. 

SLJ Reviews, Sep 23, 2024
With Haitian communities under attack in Ohio and across the country, share these titles that feature Haitian American representation or are by Haitian American authors, including picture books by Tami Charles and YA novels by Ben Phillipe and Ibi Zoboi.

Laura Dooley-Taylor, Aug 21, 2024
These excellent middle grade titles illustrate the significance and complexity of tween friendships.

Kara Yorio, Sep 17, 2024
Banned Books Week 2024 is about raising awareness and taking action. Here are some events, resources, and ways to get involved in the fight against censorship.

SLJ Reviews, Aug 07, 2024
From literacy instruction to battling book bans and censorship, the subjects of these titles will inform and inspire librarians and other educators.

SLJ Reviews, Jan 23, 2024
January 27 is designated as a day to remember the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust. Share these stories of resilience and hope about people of various ages, races, nationalities, and more with young readers today and throughout the year.

 

Rachel Owens, Jun 05, 2024
Stories of children with parents behind bars are as diverse as the millions of real-life kids familiar with the experience. These 19 fiction and nonfiction titles may offer an empathetic, metaphoric hand for young readers to hold.

SLJ Reviews, Jul 08, 2024
Get your purchase list out and make sure you include these picture books; we've found dozens of contenders for this year's Best Books collection.

Brigid Alverson, Oct 24, 2024
In these recent releases, text and visuals complement each other to explain complicated concepts such as historical battles and biological cycles. 

Andrea Lipinski, Sep 25, 2024
This great resource for readers of all ages who are interested in comics, graphic novels, and manga, has just added more picture books to its collection.

Brigid Alverson, Sep 18, 2024
These seven works range from spin-offs of classic Japanese manga to completely original stories rendered with manga-style storytelling.

SLJ Reviews, Jul 15, 2024
From early reader to YA titles, these starred graphic novels showcase the very best of the comics medium so far in 2024. Use the downloadable spreadsheet to ensure your collection includes these superb graphic novels.

From stunning memoirs to sustainability guides, this year’s Best Graphic Novels list features 25 unforgettable works that take comics to new heights.

J. Caleb Mozzocco, Oct 25, 2024
It's 1975 and 10-year-old Paul Gilligan has just seen the movie Jaws, giving him an acute case of sharkophobia...and emphasizing how far apart he and his braver, more grown-up best friend are becoming.
J. Caleb Mozzocco, Oct 17, 2024
Middle-schooler Pablo Ortiz is no hero. But when a vengeful Aztec goddess and her army of monster pours through the magic portal in his locker, he may have no choice but to become one.
SLJ Reviews, Jul 15, 2024
From early reader to YA titles, these starred graphic novels showcase the very best of the comics medium so far in 2024. Use the downloadable spreadsheet to ensure your collection includes these superb graphic novels.

Jasmine Amiri, Aug 26, 2024
Sara Quin of indie pop duo Tegan and Sara discusses the forthcoming final installment in the band’s graphic novel series, offering a glimpse into the life events and creative journey that resulted in Tegan and Sara: Crush.

SLJ Staff, Jun 17, 2024
As we find ourselves at the midway point of June, amidst the celebrations of Pride Month, it's an opportune time to reflect on the rich tapestry of narratives within the LGBTQIA+ community with 15 noteworthy graphic novels that can help us celebrate Pride this month, and year-round.

Oct 31, 2024
Brigid Alverson, Jul 11, 2024
Today we have a preview of Goblin: The Wolf and the Well, by writer Eric Grissom and artist Will Perkins. This is the second volume of their middle-grade fantasy series about Rikt, an orphaned goblin, and his companion, a wolf named Fish-Breath. Here’s the publisher’s description: After losing his parents, Rikt struggles with a fear […]
Brigid Alverson, Mar 27, 2024
Korean and Chinese comics reach English-language readers.

Kathy Ishizuka, Oct 15, 2023
The editors are planning for 2024, SLJ's 70th anniversary year.

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