Reviews+

Essential and exceptional titles reviewed in our June 2020 issue, including picture books, middle grade, YA, nonfiction, and graphic novels for children and teens.

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, these YA titles depict teens in counseling, normalizing and demystifying the process for readers.

Some curriculum staples misrepresent cultures, reinforce racist or sexist ideas, and contain pejorative descriptions. Try these books instead of “The Little House” series, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

These narratives of home and family push back against stereotypes.

The SLJ team is hard at work curating some of our top summer reading picks for a variety of age groups by type, genre, and subject area. Those lists will roll out starting after Memorial Day. In the meantime, here are some of our favorite lists from other organizations and libraries.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month in the United States. The purpose of this movement is to raise awareness of those living with mental or behavioral health issues and to help #BreakTheStigma. These nonfiction books not only provide support but will educate children, tweens, and teens.

Readers need diverse rom-coms where the love story comes first, where tenderness can blossom, and where happy endings are possible. These recent and upcoming books showcase the joy in the lives of teens of color, not just the pain.

COVID-19 continues to raise challenges for people across the globe. Some parents are eager to find books that will educate children about handwashing and personal hygiene. These 15 titles (picture books, chapter books, middle grade, and nonfiction) will teach young readers about developing and maintaining healthy hygiene habits as well as the science behind germs and how to prevent them.

Seven new books hit virtual shelves this week including a new series for fans of historical fiction, an effervescent Ramona Quimby read-alike, and a powerful young adult memoir.