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Books Can Give Kids a Sense of Belonging. Share These Titles and Set the Tone for a New School Year.
Back to school selections, including picture books and middle grade graphic novels and realistic fiction, with related activities from “The Classroom Bookshelf.”
Twelve wonderful middle grade and young adult #OwnVoices titles that reflect Indigenous life and culture. They include historical and contemporary fiction as well as anthologies, graphic novels, and speculative science fiction.
If there’s a thread connecting our trending stories of the past seven days, it’s the goodness of school libraries. That may seem like an obvious one, but we’re going with it.
Navigating new places and spaces, meeting teachers, making friends—it's all part the school experience, and picture books can ease the way.
Reviews of the books featured at this year's SLJTeen Live! virtual conference on August 8.
Many titles have been published this year to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. This curated list provides digital resources and books recommended for elementary and middle grade readers.
With the words, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind," Neil Armstrong, along with Buzz Aldrin, secured their place in history as the first people to walk on the surface of the moon. These recent nonfiction titles unpack the details of our lunar legacy.
In this inaugural column, Brigid Alverson offers a sampling of all-ages manga. Engaging stories that don't feel childish, most are good picks for teens and tweens.
The beauty—and fragility—of our oceans and the variety of life that they support are highlighted in these recently published, abundantly illustrated titles.
There are mysteries, family stories, and along with the requisite beach reading, a few novels that tackle more serious issues in this fiction booklist. But summertime raises the temperature in all of these recently published middle grade and high school titles.
The music and lives of four jazz greats in words and pictures.
These 12 board books tackle topics from sharing to bathtime routines with a deft touch.
A selection of recently reviewed books—fiction, nonfiction, graphic novels, and more—that center the experiences of LGBTQIA+ teens.
From mysteries to summer adventures to first loves, these 12 titles validate queer youth, and youth in queer families, who are navigating those ever-confusing years before young adulthood.
From "a picture book that doubles as a love letter to the forest ecosystem" to a scenic guide to trees, these books are the perfect preamble to a walk in the woods.
A new tool to help teach students which news outlets to trust; the UN releases its second book club list; and libraries are having their moment on Jeopardy!
Cicely Lewis chooses books for her nephew, her graduating seniors, and young friends facing the larger world.
Love it or hate it—or perhaps that's a little of both now for even the most ardent fans of Game of Thrones—we'bid adieu to the HBO series on Sunday. Our GoT readalikes, a report on summer reading trends, recommended podcasts, and those YA BookTubers are among our most popular posts of the week.
Waking up to the sounds of birds chirping has me thinking about placing an order for my school's elementary bird study. Here are some of the titles on my list.
All eyes will be on France next month when the Women’s World Cup opens there on June 7. Start stocking your shelves and getting your book displays on female athletes ready in anticipation of the frenzy that's sure to ensue.
These 18 titles are perfect for Game of Thrones fans mourning the end of the HBO series—or for young readers who aren't quite ready for Westeros.
From romance to fantasy to memoir, these books represent a rich scope of experiences.
Don't miss these 12 stellar middle grade and YA audiobook selections.
The National Student Poets are a group of five high school juniors and seniors who act as literary ambassadors for a year. In honor of National Poetry Month, they recommend five books for their fellow high schoolers.
Few statements are as compelling as “It happened to me.” These powerful graphic novels convey that message.
These books bring history to life with dramatic personal stories, including vignettes of 1960s Iraq and a tour of fire-devastated California in 2017.
A one-stop Earth Day resource list to help with programming and lesson plan needs.
Twenty-eight titles to celebrate in April and throughout the year.
While experts agree that getting governments to legislate the reduction of waste in all forms is the most important step we can take at this moment in time, it’s never too early to educate our students about what needs to be done globally and locally, and what they as individual citizens can do.
As kids reach their tween and teen years, "fitting in" suddenly becomes more important. These fiction titles, both serious and light, and across genres and formats, explore the topic.
From delightful picture books to probing YA novels, these titles represent the cream of the crop reviewed in SLJ's April issue.
While no one book list can adequately explore all the variations in culture and traditions embodied within the broad category of the “Asian/Pacific American Experience,” readers who identify as Asian American and/or Pacific American—especially as first-generation Americans—will find reflections of their own stories in these novels.
The Sustainable Development Goals Book Club tackles a goal a month with booklists in the six official United Nations' languages.
Shared family reading plays a vital role in growing lifelong readers, but finding the right book can be tricky. Here’s a mix of classics and 21st-century favorites for everyone.
Horror, despite how it’s often categorized, is not a genre. It is instead a mood, applicable to any genre that elicits fear, disgust, surprise, or shock. For young readers with still-developing brains, horror can be especially appealing as they navigate their own emotional responses. Librarians must be familiar with the trends, and the kind of chills a reader may be seeking, all through the year.
These audiobooks will keep everyone entertained on those spring break and summer road trips.
A look at women who courageously fought for the right to vote—their struggles, missteps, disagreements, and their successes—and those who were determined to exercise that right once it became law.
Rabble rousers and rebels rub shoulders with artists and adventurers in these eminently browsable collective biographies.
New books about women in STEM feature inventors, architects, naturalists, and computer and space scientists.
The newly formed Summer Scares committee announces its selections for an annual booklist and slate of programs promoting and celebrating horror and dark literature for all ages.
One year after the horrific events in Parkland, a teacher reflects on having hard conversations with teens and recommends three books to help start a dialogue on serious, timely issues facing young people today.
Holidays (particularly Hanukkah) and the Holocaust are dominant themes in children’s literature with Jewish content, but this does not represent the totality of the Jewish experience in America or around the world and should not be the only books with Jewish content that children are exposed to.
Recently published books celebrating African American women and girls highlight their important contributions to the arts, activism, literacy, politics, science, and other fields too numerous to name.
Nature, childhood, family, community, and dreamers are just some of the subjects honored in these titles to share all year long.
The 2019 Outstanding International Books list, developed by the United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY), represents literature from every continent.
The In the Margins Book Awards honor the best books published over the preceding 18 months that appeal to the reading needs and wants of teens from marginalized backgrounds. The committee selected three top titles in the categories of Fiction, Nonfiction, and Advocacy. They also released their full Top 10 list.
There’s nothing quite like a charming meet cute or the ups and downs of first love. Check out these contemporary YA romances that teens will fall in love with in the next few months.
A selection of picture books that represent a panorama of people working and playing together while respecting differences and honoring similarities.
These titles jump-start important conversations about online conduct, safety, and ethics.
These works for children and teens—from the latest picture book offering by Antoinette Portis to the hilariously poignant debut by Ben Philippe—have been selected by SLJ editors as the top titles featured in our Winter 2018 issue.
Before we tune in to the Youth Media Awards on January 28, we’d like to focus on a handful of outliers that perhaps lack the broad consensus-building qualities of previously highlighted titles but are just as impressive.
This past year has seen a number of 20th-century histories published for secondary students on topics ranging from women's suffrage and World War l to the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War. Here's a select list, with reviews.
Filled with whimsy, wonder, and icy escapades, these recently published picture books can be shared with students to celebrate the season, launch winter-themed studies, or inspire creative projects.
How do the dynamics of power shift when women are in charge? These YA novels—ranging from epic fantasy to contemporary thriller with a historical twist—tackle that question and more.
As we celebrate multiple space exploration anniversaries in the next few years, these are just some of the recent crop of titles that will spark kids’ interest.
In anticipation of our coverage of Black History Month, add these selections about historical figures with big dreams, from board books to YA memoirs, to your collection and display year-round.
From the latest middle grade offering by Anne Ursu to the much-anticipated Watch Us Rise by Renée Watson & Ellen Hagan, check out the works that SLJ reviews editors are most excited about this month.
A curated booklist for children living through lockdowns and mass shootings.
We rounded up our reviews of the five titles on YALSA’s 2019 Excellence in Nonfiction Award Shortlist.
YALSA names five finalists for the award honoring the best nonfiction for teens.
Check out our reviews—all starred—for the recently announced Morris finalists, including two SLJ Best Books.
In a difficult year, SLJ readers raised up good books for kids and teens, seeking out and celebrating the best in publishing. The most popular posts of the year included lists featuring Latinx and Native American themes and characters.
A selection of engaging picture books just right for reading to lap-sitters, sharing with soon-to-be big siblings, or satisfying youngsters that revel in snuggling close.
The former “Heavy Medal” blogger makes a case for Neal Shusterman’s sequel and points to a strong crop of middle grade titles that might have a chance at the medal.
It’s a magical moment for a librarian when a classroom teacher says, "Let's collaborate on a reading project." Whether the teacher's focus is the Common Core, Social Studies, or their state standards, there are ample opportunities for a librarian to make a huge impact.
Our young reviewers tackle a range of recent works for children and teens, including novels featuring wacky aliens, murderous reality TV, and more.
We spotlight the best of children's and YA materials reviewed in our November issue, including the latest from Kevin Henkes, Sharon Draper, Roshani Chokshi, and Ibi Zoboi.
Young leads and timely topics give these adult audiobooks teen appeal
A former Printz committee and current Coretta Scott King Award Book Jury member discusses her possible Printz picks for 2019.
This month's stars list is full of fantastic sci-fi, spectacular poetry, and biographies about strong women like Dolores Huerta and Clara Luper.
This autumn’s harvest has produced a brand-new crop of compelling stories, from a must-have manga series starter to a slice-of-life memoir in the graphic format.
From its gorgeous gold-foiled jacket to its curious collection of creatures, An Anthology of Intriguing Animals is an unputdownable treasure! Including the well-loved and the lesser-known, this animal encyclopedia features extraordinary facts about more than 100 species.
The teens have voted. Here are their 10 best books of 2018.
Looking for new titles to add to your Halloween-themed book displays and programming? Check out these recently reviewed spine-tingling works for tweens that will spook and terrify.
Five nonfiction titles for tweens and teens that go beyond the basics, offering new perspectives and critical takes on protecting vulnerable species and habitats.
Ever dreamed of having a robot as a pet? Dream even further! These animal-inspired robots are being used to perform extraordinary tasks, as roboticists turn to the natural world for inspiration. From Octobots to RoboBees, these five extraordinary creations from DK's book Robot will change the way you think about technology.
Civic responsibility, activism, and activists, are highlighted in this this list of recently published titles.
Recently published graphic memoirs illustrate that the genre is pushing the format to new heights.
When the season turns cool and costumed ghouls and goblins begin roaming the streets—it’s time cozy up with a mystery.
You may know these famous figures and extraordinary events, but do you know their order? Prepare to put your thinking cap on with this skill-testing history quiz inspired by Timelines of Everything.
The former “Someday My Printz Will Come” bloggers Sarah Couri and Karyn Silverman present a look at the history of the Printz award and offer their first round of possible contenders.
If you’re seeking 2018 fictional works about Latinx experiences, look no further.
Reading Around the World
Ranging in subject matter from folklore-style offerings to tales that touch upon more serious issues, these titles have been chosen for their ability to evoke a specific setting or culture while revealing universal themes.
A classroom teacher and a librarian engaged early elementary student in discussions about identity and stereotypes—and asked them to evaluate a book collection.
A special bedtime story that follows a family of curious rabbits on their nighttime walks to explain the phases of the moon, with a charming design that includes a light-up LED moon. Download your eight-page activity kit.
SLJ reviews and interviews for the 10 longlist titles for the 2018 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature.
From the return of the Interrupting Chicken to the charming YA collaboration by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera, SLJ's top September picks are titles librarians will want to add to their shelves.
With 28 objects to count and find in each illustrated animal scene, this lively search-and-find puzzle book with gatefold flaps is positively packed with interactive fun!
Betsy Bird looks at some of the best fictional picture books with photographic illustrations.
We recently caught up with Charlotte Milner to chat bee tutus, the power of picture books and how kids can help in saving the bees. Charlotte is the buzzworthy author and illustrator of The Bee Book.
These picture books address the sights, sounds, and seeming magical things that happen when night falls.