INDUSTRY NEWS

Tackling Tough Stuff? There Is Support. Resources, inspiration for teaching controversial topics | From the Editor

Whether educators broach controversial topics in a learning context or not, young people will encounter plenty of related content. Social media all too easily fills the void, fueling misinformation while suppressing critical reflection. NCSS, the National Council for the Social Studies, offers encouragement and materials to support important discussion.

BLOGS

TEEN LIBRARIAN TOOLBOX

Ellen Myrick Publisher Preview: Spring 2024 – Inhabit Media, Kube Publishing, and Lantana (Part Three)

BOOKS & REVIEWS

Best Books 2023

Middle Grade Committee Offers Inside Look at Best Books

Best Young Adult Books 2023 | SLJ Best Books

More Books & Reviews

BOOKS & REVIEWS

Best Books 2023

Middle Grade Committee Offers Inside Look at Best Books

Best Young Adult Books 2023 | SLJ Best Books

SPONSORED

SPONSORED

Publishers Commit to Diverse Kid Lit

SPONSORED

Kids’ Books in Spanish: More Variety and Authenticity Abound

SPONSORED

Publishers Commit to Diverse Kid Lit

SPONSORED

Kids’ Books in Spanish: More Variety and Authenticity Abound

EXPLORE SLJ

BOOKLISTS

SLJ's 2023 Best Books Are Here. Download a PDF of the Full List

Shelley M. Diaz, Nov 20, 2023

SLJ's Best Books lists are posting over the next few days. Download the full list!

AWARDS

'A First Time for Everything' Wins 2023 National Book Award for Young People's Literature

Kara Yorio, Nov 16, 2023

Dan Santat's middle grade graphic memoir received the prestigious honor at a ceremony where Oprah Winfrey spoke about 2021 School Librarian of the Year Amanda Jones and the power of diverse books.

BOOKLISTS

4 Hanukkah Romances for Teens and Tweens

SLJ Reviews, Nov 15, 2023

Hand these four books to YA readers who can't resist a sweet holiday love story.

BOOKLISTS

Best Transitional Books 2023 | SLJ Best Books

Shelley M. Diaz, Florence Simmons, Ashleigh Williams, Nov 19, 2023

In these 16 early readers and chapter books, children who are learning to read will see themselves reflected on the pages and feel a sense of accomplishment as they embark on their reading journeys.

More Editors' Picks

BOOKS & MEDIA

Graphic Novels, Manga Explode in Popularity Among Students | SLJ Survey

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.

CENSORSHIP

Fewer Book Challenges, but a Sharp Rise in Titles Removed from School Libraries | SLJ Censorship Survey

Kathy Ishizuka, Oct 01, 2023

The incidence of books removed from school library shelves due to a book challenge has risen to 30 percent, up from 19 percent in 2022. The rise in book removals occurred across school levels: elementary, middle, and high schools.

OPINION

Turning a Page: SLJ will turn 70. How can we best serve readers? | From the Editor

Kathy Ishizuka, Oct 15, 2023

The editors are planning for 2024, SLJ's 70th anniversary year.

CENSORSHIP

What Subject Matter Has Led You to Pass on Purchasing a Book? | SLJ Survey

Kathy Ishizuka, Sep 30, 2023

School librarians in 2023 are more likely to decline purchasing certain titles based on the content of those books, according to SLJ's survey. The number of high school librarians naming sexual content has increased significantly, from 60% in 2022 to 75% in 2023.

CENSORSHIP

Nearly a Quarter of School Librarians Have Experienced Harassment Over Books | SLJ Censorship Survey

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.

CENSORSHIP

First Book Studies Add Key Data to Book Ban Conversation

Kara Yorio, Oct 05, 2023

With the release of two educator surveys, the organization provides facts and figures on the detrimental impact of book bans on reading and literacy.

INDUSTRY NEWS

SLJ, NCTE Launch Survey to Remake Summer Reading Lists

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.

BOOKS & MEDIA

Time to Refresh the Canon: Here Are Our Picks

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."

INDUSTRY NEWS

Under Pressure: Survey Provides Insight into Librarians' Job Satisfaction

Marlaina Cockcroft, Feb 21, 2023

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

CENSORSHIP

Censorship Attempts Will Have a Long-lasting Impact on School Library Collections, 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.

More Research

BOOKLISTS

33 Exceptional Titles, Including Videos and Professional Reading | Starred Reviews, November 2023

SLJ Reviews, Nov 07, 2023

Chloe Gong's latest receives a star this month, along with an early reader from Zaila Avant-garde, the first Black American to win the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

BOOKLISTS

12 Books to Help Middle Graders Stomp Out (or Deal With) Bullying

SLJ Reviews, Sep 19, 2023

Share these books with your middle grade students during National Bullying Prevention Month in October and all year long to show them examples of tweens dealing with and standing up to bullying.

AWARDS

SLJ’s Reviews of the 2023 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature Finalists

SLJ Reviews, Oct 03, 2023

Here are the SLJ Reviews of the five finalists for 2023 National Book Award for Young People's Literature.

BOOKS & MEDIA

SLJ's Reviews of the Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2022

SLJ Reviews, Oct 04, 2023

ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) puts out an annual list of Top 10 Most Challenged Books for the year. Here are SLJ 's reviews of titles on the 2022 list.

BOOKLISTS

Board Books to Set the Path of Reading—and Sharing—Books

John Scott, Oct 13, 2023

Sharing a board book should be a pleasurable experience for adults as well as children, and several of the topics, from superheroes to fine arts, will certainly be welcome.

TEENS

3 Can’t-Put-Down Thrillers for Teens | YA Spotlight

SLJ Reviews, Oct 18, 2023

One girl survives a summer camp massacre, another searches for her missing sister before it’s too late, and a third goes on a mysterious treasure hunt in these reads that will keep teens guessing until the end.

BOOKLISTS

6 Immersive Survival Stories to Bring Gary Paulsen's 'Hatchet' Alive | Refreshing the Canon

NCTE & SLJ Reviews, May 09, 2023

SLJ and NCTE have revealed the 2023 round of “Refreshing the Canon” selections. These 6 multimedia recommendations will enhance readers’ understanding of Gary Paulsen's Hatchet while offering them new stories of survival, both real and speculative.

CLASSROOM & CURRICULA

15 Coming-of-Age Middle Grade Novels and High-Interest Nonfiction for Tweens | We Are Kid Lit Collective

Sam Bloom, Edith Campbell, Sujei Lugo Vázquez, and Lyn Miller-Lachmann, Jun 08, 2023

There’s something for every middle grader in this roundup curated by the We Are Kid Lit Collective. Up-and-coming chefs, family and friendship drama, and propulsive informational texts will keep tweens engaged beyond the summer months.

CLASSROOM & CURRICULA

21 Fun Picture Books to Delight Young Readers | We Are Kid Lit Collective

Sam Bloom, Edith Campbell, Sujei Lugo Vázquez, and Lyn Miller-Lachmann, Jun 20, 2023

From traditional Indigenous stories to the truth behind the Mexican jumping bean, these picture books, selected by the We Are Kid Lit Collective, offer entertaining and memorable reading experiences for kids over the summer break.

BOOKLISTS

15 Joy-Filled Latinx Books for Emerging and Independent Readers

Sujei Lugo Vázquez, Aug 31, 2023

From board books to middle grade graphic novels, these illustrated narratives celebrate Latinx children and their communities.

BOOKLISTS

7 Multimodal Picks for Exploring Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet' | Refreshing the Canon

NCTE & SLJ Reviews, May 04, 2023

'Romeo and Juliet' is ubiquitous in English lit classes and in modern society. As you consider ways to bring Shakespeare's verse to life for students, here are multimedia works that can serve as both supplements and mirrors to the original text.

BACK TO SCHOOL

Nine Funny Graphic Novels About Talking Animals | Stellar Panels

Brigid Alverson, Sep 19, 2023

In these works, silly creatures impart wise messages.

AWARDS

BCALA and SLJ Announce 2023 Children and YA Literary Award Winners

SLJ Staff, Mar 27, 2023

Star Child by Ibi Zoboi and Swim Team by Johnnie Christmas are among the winners of the annual awards that honor outstanding children's and YA books by African American authors.

AWARDS

'When You Can Swim,' 'Warrior Girl Unearthed' and 'Sunshine' Win 2023 Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards

SLJ Staff, Jun 21, 2023

The titles by Jack Wong, Angeline Boulley, and Jarrett J. Krosoczka earned the annual award in the picture book, fiction and poetry, and nonfiction categories, respectively.

BOOKLISTS

30 Picture Books to Celebrate the Diversity of Latinx Heritage

SLJ Reviews, Sep 14, 2023

Read one book a day for Latinx Heritage Month, from September 15 to October 15, and every month after that. From migration and history to food and family, these works capture the many complexities and joys of the Latinx culture.

CLASSROOM & CURRICULA

How to Read Wordless Picture Books with Children

Sarah Pousty, Sep 06, 2023

Tips for engaging young kids with these works, which can build visual literacy and foster social-emotional skills, plus a video demonstration.

BOOKS & MEDIA

8 Picture Books About Animals to Help Ease Back-to-School Jitters

SLJ Reviews, Aug 24, 2023

Reading about animals who have the same fears and other feelings about going back to school can help young readers face their own.

More Classroom & Curricula

BOOKS & MEDIA

Graphic Novels, Manga Explode in Popularity Among Students | SLJ Survey

Marlaina Cockcroft, Oct 03, 2023

BOOKS & MEDIA

Witches Take Center Stage in These Manga for Tweens and Teens

Brigid Alverson, Oct 04, 2023

In these seven manga works for grades five and up, affable characters cast gentle spells.

INDUSTRY NEWS

Designed for Phones, Webtoons Find a Home in Print

Brigid Alverson, Oct 31, 2023

Mostly free and readily available, webtoons are particularly appealing to teens and young adults. Publishers have seized the opportunity to bring many to print.

BOOKS & MEDIA

20 Graphic Novels and Comics Inspired by Webtoons

Brigid Alverson, Oct 30, 2023

Witches, orphans, gods, and some ordinary folks populate these compelling stories for grades 5 and up.

BACK TO SCHOOL

Nine Funny Graphic Novels About Talking Animals | Stellar Panels

Brigid Alverson, Sep 19, 2023

In these works, silly creatures impart wise messages.

INDUSTRY NEWS

Jasmine Amiri Is SLJ’s New Graphic Novels Reviews Editor

SLJ Staff, Aug 09, 2023

Comics and graphic novels publishing veteran Jasmine Amiri has joined SLJ as graphic novels reviews editor.

BOOKLISTS

All About Cats! | Mondo Manga

Brigid Alverson, Aug 23, 2023

From reading people's thoughts to appearing as reincarnated humans, these cat characters have strong appeal.

BOOKLISTS

Best Graphic Novels 2022 | SLJ Best Books

Shelley M. Diaz, Andrew Eliopulos, Thomas Maluck, Alea Perez, Carla Riemer, Nov 21, 2022

Striking images, stunning narratives, rich colors, and complex panel designs are prime examples of why these 22 works of sequential art belong in the classrooms and on library shelves.

BOOKLISTS

Top 10 Manga of 2022

Brigid Alverson, Robin Brenner, Johanna Draper Carlson, and Renee Scott, Nov 23, 2022

The popularity of manga continued to increase in 2022, which enabled manga publishers to launch an array of new series, some in familiar genres and others that go in unexpected directions.

REVIEWS+

Billie Blaster and the Robot Army from Outer Space

Aug 18, 2023

BLOGS

Exclusive: BOOM! Studios to Publish ‘Nomads’ Webtoon | News

Brigid Alverson, Oct 27, 2023

Today we have an exclusive announcement: KaBOOM! will publish the all-ages fantasy weboon Nomads in print.

BLOGS

Exclusive: ‘Magical History Tour’ Digs Dinosaurs | News

Brigid Alverson, Oct 26, 2023

The 15th volume of the Magical History Tour looks at dinosaurs and the people who discovered them.

BOOKS & MEDIA

Witches Take Center Stage in These Manga for Tweens and Teens

Brigid Alverson, Oct 04, 2023

In these seven manga works for grades five and up, affable characters cast gentle spells.

OPINION

Turning a Page: SLJ will turn 70. How can we best serve readers? | From the Editor

Kathy Ishizuka, Oct 15, 2023

The editors are planning for 2024, SLJ's 70th anniversary year.

More Graphic Novels

CENSORSHIP

Killing the Indians in 2023: Book Banning Seeks to Erase Native Americans | Opinion

Debbie Reese, Oct 25, 2023

Children's literature scholar and author Debbie Reese is keeping track of the many books by Indigenous authors that have been challenged and removed from shelves.

BLOGS

November 2023 Election Hot Take: It was a good night for libraries, a bad night for censorship

Peter Bromberg, Nov 08, 2023

There’s no other way to look at it: the results of last night’s elections across the country broke decisively for libraries. EveryLibrary tracked 40 public library funding measures, and in 95% of them, voters approved the requests, often by wide margins.

INDUSTRY NEWS

Why My 'Last Cuentista' Protagonist Is Visually Impaired

Donna Barba Higuera, Oct 31, 2023

Newbery-winning author Donna Barba Higuera based Petra on someone who also kept her vision loss a secret: her mother.

OPINION

Turning a Page: SLJ will turn 70. How can we best serve readers? | From the Editor

Kathy Ishizuka, Oct 15, 2023

The editors are planning for 2024, SLJ's 70th anniversary year.

ED TECH

What Will It Take to Fix AI's Bias Problem? | Opinion

Jean Darnell, Oct 18, 2023

School librarian Jean Darnell prompted ChatGPT to write a paper on Black history, and the result had glaring omissions. That's just one part of the problem, she says.

BLOGS

A Treatise on the State of Middle Grade and Young Adult Publishing Today

Karen Jensen, MLS, Oct 18, 2023

Teen Librarian Karen Jensen discusses the current issues in middle grade and young adult publishing and their impact on reading and libraries

INDUSTRY NEWS

Let's Use AI in Schools to Complement Human Judgment and Practical Wisdom. In Star Trek Terms, What Data was to Picard.

Kathy Ishizuka, Sep 18, 2023

If our goal is to prep students for high-stakes tests, they won't stand a chance against AI. Changing the outcomes of education becomes the imperative, says Christopher Dede.

OPINION

On ‘Klanned Karenhood’: The outrage of Moms for Liberty cannot be the narrative

Kathy Ishizuka, Jul 17, 2023

Moms for Liberty has waged war on public education and democratic values, leveraging fear and disinformation. There are steps to take, including exercising your own First Amendment rights to uphold a just and equitable society.

BLOGS

Read Aloud Hall of Fame #17: ARNIE THE

Travis Jonker, Nov 02, 2023

A read aloud that has never let me down.

OPINION

Seeding Community and Hope | From the Editor

Kathy Ishizuka, Jun 01, 2023

This month, I’m sharing some personal research combining two great passions: gardening and libraries. The culmination of my Master Gardener training, my capstone project explores how public libraries make ideal partners in promoting gardening and sustainable, organic practices.

More Opinion

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

BOOKS & MEDIA

Tackling Tough Stuff? There Is Support. Resources, inspiration for teaching controversial topics | From the Editor