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PREMIUM
Top Secret Smackdown
Highly recommended for fans of the series, this title features more of the wacky humor they have come to expect.
Highly recommended for primary grades and newly independent readers.
PREMIUM
Most Valuable Puppy
This pleasant early chapter book is a fine choice for one-on-one sharing but may be intimidating for those at the younger end of its intended audience. An additional purchase.
Recommended for readers who are transitioning to chapter books and who are fans of animated adventure television shows.–
A fun introduction to the story of Hanukkah. Recommended for libraries seeking Jewish stories for their early chapter book sections.
PREMIUM
Nevers
A worthy addition to middle grade collections; give this to fans of Adam Gidwitz’s The Inquisitor’s Tale.–
This first in a new sci-fi series checks key boxes: it is funny, full of nonstop action, and jammed with plenty of science factoids.
This middle grade tale reads like realistic fiction with a supernatural twist as Red’s wind spirals and brews literal storms. Lackey tackles difficult topics including addiction and loss with infinite gentleness. Recommended for fiction collections.–
PREMIUM
A Tale of Magic..
A dynamic, engrossing fantasy that will have readers staying up late and dreaming big.
Readers will be moved as they become invested in Regina’s predicament. Is she still Indian, American, or both
PREMIUM
Saving Fable
Dear Reader, Fable is waiting for you to bring it to life. A solid purchase for all collections.
Jack and Zita make a stunning team in this high-stakes adventure
PREMIUM
Guest: A Changeling Tale
A solid purchase for upper elementary school students who like a dark tale grounded in myth.
A well-paced and original read for collections where quirky fiction titles such as Lemony Snicket’s “Series of Unfortunate Events” and Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time are popular.
PREMIUM
The Humiliations of Pipi McGee
Recommended where there is demand for realistic, humorous fiction centered on girls coming of age.
PREMIUM
The Little Grey Girl
A strong and satisfying follow-up that continues to explore timely, real-world issues in a highly engaging fantasy setting.
A skillful blend of realistic middle grade fiction and scientific facts; a recommended addition to school libraries and classrooms.
A must-have for libraries that serve middle graders, but recommended for comics fans of all ages.
A highly recommended adventure series, though readers should be familiar with the first book before picking up this latest installment.
PREMIUM
A Way Between Worlds
Best enjoyed directly after finishing its predecessor, this title will delight readers who yearn for escape, new worlds, and powerful main characters.
PREMIUM
Roll with It
Recommended for fans of tender realistic fiction including Kimberly Brubaker Bradley’s The War That Saved My Life and Elana K. Arnold’s A Boy Called Bat. The challenges faced by youth like Ellie are underrepresented in children’s literature; highly recommended for middle grade collections.
PREMIUM
Maybe He Just Likes You
An important read with great potential for classroom use. Mila’s experience may resonate with young readers, who may need to follow up with a trusted adult.
PREMIUM
The Star Shepherd
A pleasant steampunk-esque fantasy that should do well in larger collections.
This blend of ghost story and mystery will satisfy readers who ask for “the scary stories.” Recommended.
PREMIUM
Give and Take
This fast-paced and dialogue-heavy story may provide comfort and support to readers who have trouble processing their own strong emotions. A welcome addition to middle grade collections.–
PREMIUM
Sauerkraut
A ghost story about family heritage and obligations that will appeal to fans of family-driven, slice-of-life tales.
PREMIUM
Under the Broken Sky
Echoing the hardships and redemption of many novels about World War II, this well-timed story about a lesser-known group of refugees adds an important chapter to the narrative of human oppression and survival.
PREMIUM
The Fire Keeper
A fast-paced addition to a solid middle grade series whose mythological roots are sure to satisfy fans of the first book., Houston
PREMIUM
White Bird: A Wonder Story
Sure to be popular among fans of Wonder and educators who want to connect past to present.
PREMIUM
The Fear Zone
Those who love plot-driven, edge-of-your-seat horror will enjoy the frequent scares. Recommended for collections with a solid group of horror fans.
A wonderful homage to Schulz and a perfect first biography for young readers.
A good purchase for public and elementary school libraries wanting to expand a nonfiction collection on slavery and the Civil War. This book will work well for one-on-one sessions with younger readers and in groups of older children.
PREMIUM
The Book Rescuer: How a Mensch from Massachusetts Saved Yiddish Literature for Generations to Come
A potentially valuable addition to both school and public libraries as well as Jewish schools. Echoing Carole Boston Weatherford’s Schomburg: The Man Who Built a Library, the book’s narrative shows that pursuing interests can lead to meaningful and long-lasting results.
This is no carefully neutral biography: it is a fervent celebration of a man whose work improved the lives of millions of Americans. This stirring portrait of an American hero is recommended for first purchase.
A cheery and bouyant introduction to timely and imperative topics for young readers; especially useful in a guidance setting.
PREMIUM
Little Libraries, Big Heroes
The childlike acrylic illustrations and engaging text make this title accessible to young readers, but the story will appeal to and inspire all ages to join the movement. An important book recognizing a true everyday hero.
A well-told story that spotlights the too-often unrecognized talent and contributions of America’s immigrants.
A unique picture book that shows how poetry can capture a feeling or an image with a few well-chosen words. Pair with Sharon Creech’s Love That Dog to make a thought-provoking poetry connection.
An important and powerful addition to any biography collection.
PREMIUM
Cryptid Creatures: A Field Guide
What could have been a wonderful browsing title for lovers of strange beasts is visually unappealing with a disappointing format. Small size, dense text, and pen drawings will not draw excited young readers into this title. A larger format with some color would have been a wonderful addition but in this format, most readers will be disappointed or bored.
An engaging, inspiring biography of an important figure in the history of science. This book could also serve to launch discussions and inspire further research about astronomy. Highly recommended.
This extremely useful reference tool concerning prehistoric life on Earth is highly recommended for upper elementary and junior high library collections as well as science classrooms.
Wittenstein and Pinkney’s collaboration is an evocative study in King’s speechwriting process. A work that takes a familiar topic and shapes it into a moving portrait of undeterred determination and conviction. Highly recommended for public and school libraries.
An important and motivating contribution for young readers about women pioneers in STEM.
PREMIUM
What Is a Refugee?
With simple text and vibrant illustrations, this picture book introduces young readers to refugees as “people, just like you and me.” An excellent purchase for all libraries serving young children.
PREMIUM
Scientists Get Dressed
This book is easy enough to understand for youngsters and provides adequate depth for older students. Librarians should budget to get this title. An excellent resource to introduce STEM careers and teach curious minds about scientists.
Despite the annoying trend in juvenile nonfiction literature of excluding sources, the lack of documentation here does not hinder the value of such a well-organized, clearly written, and delightfully illustrated work. Too charming to miss.
A valued addition for all STEM collections and one that may especially inspire young women facing similar adversity.
Although young readers often enjoy stories about service animals, this unusual story, which is similar in tone and format to Lindsay Mattick’s Finding Winnie but without the background details, seems to lack a deeper literary significance. It would be surprising if it caught the attention of young readers.
Ewing offers the tools of understanding and reciprocity in order to eradicate injustice. Highly recommended for school and public libraries and can serve as an entry point into social justice literature.
The interest level for this work is mid-elementary, but the word choice is a bit more advanced. While the topic is interesting and the information is flushed out, the writing often feels choppy.
This is a well-told, well-researched story, but readers need to be aware of the fictionalized parts. The book not only shows the challenges Chester Pierce faced, it shows how people can work together to combat discrimination.
A lively and entertaining way to introduce cooking to youngsters and get them thinking about ways to keep their bodies healthy and strong. Includes a glossary, index, and bibliography.
The school year is nigh and our annual open house is Wednesday. I’m always wracking my brain before open house to come up with a fun way to interact with families about books. A couple years back I set up a photo booth with my laptop and kids and teachers could take a picture with […]
NaNoWriMo's Rebecca Stern joins us to talk about the process and benefits of writing with students, implementing the Young Writers Program, and NaNoWriMo's new primer for young writers.
Can you guess the classic children’s book by its scathing one-star review on Goodreads or Amazon? There’s nothing cute or funny about a child who uses bad grammar, decides to hate people, thinks she knows better than adults, and hollers like a toddler whenever she wants something. Click here for the answer. Why do I […]
PREMIUM
Raise Your Hand
Recommended for general purchase as it is an inspiring story about girls raising up girls in a world where too many people try to tear one another down.
PREMIUM
Awesome!
An enjoyable story showing the pitfalls of being famous as well as the joys of having a true friend.
PREMIUM
Cinderella Liberator
Give this variant to older fairy-tale fans. It could certainly be a fun discussion choice.
A worthwhile addition where children with phobias need assistance.
PREMIUM
Bilal Cooks Daal
A warm and inviting story, perfect for sharing before or after enjoying some home-cooked daal.
PREMIUM
My Island
A sweet additional purchase for libraries looking to add a poetic flight of fancy to their collections.
PREMIUM
The New Bird in Town
This charming book is a great way to deliver the message to children not to jump to conclusions or judge someone before they know them. A solid addition to most collections.
PREMIUM
Watch Out for Wolf!
Children will enjoy the characters and the twist at the end of this fun read-aloud.
PREMIUM
Snakes on a Train
A cute, concise, and versatile choice for all toddler and early preschool collections.
PREMIUM
The Big Book of Colors
An excellent choice for families with toddlers and preschoolers. It encourages conversation between the adult and child, which librarians know is the true cornerstone to language development.
PREMIUM
Penny and Penelope
The children and dolls in the story offer readers a plethora of positive messages and the story itself is fun and creative, making this a good choice for most collections.
PREMIUM
Rafi and Rosi Music!
Ideal for early fluent readers. Educators may want to pair with music to help youngsters understand the various styles.
At times, the chapters feel almost too informal or unsupported by facts, something that is not helped by translation. That said, Perez does a great deal to combat toxic masculinity and celebrate intimacy, and this consent-centered book certainly fills a need. Recommended for collections serving older teens.
A good, simple biography on a lesser-known creator of a very famous landmark. It could serve as an excellent supplement to a collection of art or landmarks but not a first purchase.
PREMIUM
A Slip of a Girl
This is a great selection for young fans of historical fiction who may not be ready for something weightier. A general purchase for public and school libraries that see a desire for historical fiction or address this period of history in class.
PREMIUM
Strike Zone
Baseball acts as the backdrop to tell the story of life as an immigrant in modern-day America. Solid purchase where Mike Lupica and the Yankees are popular.
There are much better discussions of race and friendship available to spark conversation and reflection. Stick with Alex Gino’s “You Don’t Know Everything, Jilly P.!” and skip these.
With its captivating illustrations and simple language with word repetition, this book would be an exceptional read-aloud for classrooms or storytime, or for an adult reading one-on-one with a child. A must-have for all libraries serving children.
Here's a quick look at some of the current and upcoming YA novels you can see on the small and big screen
Hand these books to kids who are excited about upcoming films including Abominable, The Addams Family, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Maleficent 2.
Troublemaker for Justice uncovers the life of civil rights leader Bayard Rustin, whose legacy has long been ignored because he was openly gay.
There are a lot of great things about working in an elementary library and thus having the summer off, but by far one of my favorite things is being home and able to IMMEDIATELY grab and rip open book mail when it arrives. Here's what's arrived recently.
Small in the City By Sydney Smith Neal Porter Books/Holiday House ISBN: 9780823442614 $18.99 Grades K-2 Out September 3, 2019 *Best New Book* Find it at: Schuler Books | Your Library When it comes to picture book making, one of the holy grails is re-readability. Concocting a story that readers care to hear once and […]
Can you guess the classic children’s book by its scathing one-star review on Goodreads or Amazon? [T]his was just a pig and an elephant talking to the reader with a joke about a banana. I just don’t see the appeal. Click here for the answer. Why do I share these? Click here. Previously . . […]
Navigating new places and spaces, meeting teachers, making friends—it's all part the school experience, and picture books can ease the way.
Balcárcel’s well-rounded characters, complex friendships, and nuanced family dynamics will resonate with many readers. This is a title that will remain relevant long past its publication date. A must-have for all library collections
PREMIUM
King of the Mole People
This is an extremely strange story, filled with sly humor and featuring a relatable narrator for any kid who’s ever felt like a total loser. Will appeal to those who enjoy Max Brallier’s “Last Kids on Earth” series or Obert Skye’s “Geeked Out” books
PREMIUM
Dead Voices
Standing just fine on its own (though newcomers will definitely be inspired to read Small Spaces), this is a fine addition to any scary stories shelf
This handsomely packaged and sturdily bound volume provides an intriguing look at how a team of humans nurtured and saved a gorilla family
This title shines because it does not obscure the inequalities that make activism necessary. The vivid details of each activist’s story, combined with vibrant illustrations, demonstrate that every civil rights hero and popular firebrand started out as a child, just like the rest of us. For fans of other installment in the series, and for those who enjoy Ken Jennings’s “Junior Genius Guides” and the “Who Is/Who Was” biography series
PREMIUM
The Rocking Book of Rocks
A highly popular topic coupled with an attractive and thoughtful design makes this a strong choice for most libraries
PREMIUM
Penny Nichols
For older teens with an interest in filmmaking, especially horror movies, as well as for fans of Bryan Lee O’Malley’s “Scott Pilgrim” series and the creators’ previous work
PREMIUM
The Courage of Elfina
This slight volume packs considerable punch, laying bare the peril tens of millions of marginalized children face every day. A worthy acquisition for school and public libraries
PREMIUM
A Boy Like You
A strong offering that models pro-social behavior and helps disrupt unhealthy stereotypes about boyhood and masculinity. Pair with Paris and Jason Rosenthal’s Dear Boy
PREMIUM
We Are the Gardeners
Elementary school students learning about gardens and the importance of persistence will enjoy this story
PREMIUM
The Taco Stand
This charming slice of true life may have extra appeal to readers familiar with Phoenix and the Vasquez family restaurants
PREMIUM
Creation Colors
Highly recommended for public, secular, and Jewish as well as other faiths’ religious-school collections. This will also work well as a springboard for discussions about and activities exploring color
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