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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.
This month's list is chock-full of unforgettable middle grade novels with Latinx protagonists, YA thrillers, and amazing picture books for every shelf.
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Great Preschool Apps | Mix It Up
Here, experts pick their favorites for the preschool set (children aged three to five) and highlight key concepts explored in these notable apps.
Help us build our annual Best Books list by submitting title nominations.
As we all know, critical interpretations of book jackets are entirely subjective. What I might like, you might find appalling. What I abhor, you might find sweet. That said, is there any feeling in the world quite as frustrating as reading a marvelous middle grade novel, only to discover that the book jacket doesn’t do […]
I Hate Everyone By Naomi Danis Illustrated by Cinta Arribas POW! (a division of powerhouse) $17.99 ISBN: 978-1-576870874-3 Ages 4-7 On shelves now Childhood is riddled with contradictions. Wait. No. Scrap that thought. Let’s rewrite it slightly. Childhood’s fine it’s the CHILDREN that are riddled with contradictions. In the same breath a child can scream […]
Joyce Valenza covers the top picks among the annual list.
A refreshing anthology for teen readers; more middle grade adventures from Kekla Magoon and Matt Phelan; Hesselberth's feline-centered nonfiction title explores the science of maps.
Beavers: The Superpower Field Guide By Rachel Poliquin Illustrated by Nicholas John Frith $18.99 ISBN: 9780544949874 Ages 9-12 On shelves December 4th Here, sit down a sec. I wanna tell you a story about this beaver I once knew. So I’m at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, which, if anyone asks, is my favorite […]
The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge By M.T. Anderson Illustrated by Eugene Yelchin Candlewick Press $24.99 ISBN: 978-0-7636-9822-5 Ages 10 and up On shelves September 25th In my job I read a lot of books written for kids and middle schoolers. To guide this reading I take into account a lot of professional reviews from sources […]
The Rabbit Listened By Cori Doerrfeld Dial (an imprint of Penguin Random House) $17.99 ISBN: 978-0-7352-2935-8 Ages 4 and up On shelves now Lest we forget, the only reason that children’s books were invented in the first place was to teach small human lessons. That is, in fact, the very backbone of the book business […]
Seeing Into Tomorrow Haiku by Richard Wright Biography and illustrations by Nina Crews Millbrook Press (a division of Lerner) $19.99 ISBN: 978-1-5124-1865-1 Ages 6-10 On shelves now I hate that phrase, “A picture’s worth a thousand words”. It’s trite. Simplistic. And horrendously true. Pictures have power. Take the story that’s been handed to us about […]
New picture books from Cynthia Alonso and Philip C. Stead; a documentary on HBCUs; teen-friendly poetry from Rupi Kaur; a graphic novel guide to they/them pronouns for young folks and adults alike.
The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl By Stacy McAnulty Random House Books for Young Readers $16.99 ISBN: 9781524767570 Ages 9-12 On shelves now The world would have us believe that the left brained and right brained amongst us can never see eye-to-eye. Think about it. How many times have you heard a perfectly intelligent person say […]
As you may recall I put out the announcement in March that during April I’d be asking people to send in Top 10 Board Book lists, ranked in order of preference (#1 being your favorite and #10 being your least favorite). I was gratified to see a nice long list of submissions. The poll officially […]
New YA audiobooks from Holly Black and Erika L. Sánchez; "Animorphs" creator Katherine Applegate's middle grade series debut; picture book explores a saffron summery treat;
My Hair Is a Garden By Cozbi A. Cabrera Albert Whitman & Co. $16.99 ISBN: 978-0-8075-0923-4 Ages 4-7 On shelves now It is very limiting to get your supplemental education solely through children’s books when you’re an adult. Continuing education, in whatever form it takes, should be pursued through a variety of sources. Yet for […]
This curriculum-based database pushes elementary and middle school students to think about STEM and problem-solving in new ways.
The Faithful Spy: Dietrich Bonhoefer and the Plot to Kill Hitler By John Hendrix Amulet Books (an imprint of Abrams) $16.99 ISBN: 978-1-4197-2838-9 Ages 10 and up On shelves September 4th In this life, it can be difficult to find absolutes. Absolute good. Absolute evil. Absolute good in the face of absolute evil. For many […]
The Parker Inheritance By Varian Johnson Arthur A. Levine Books (an imprint of Scholastic) $16.99 ISBN: 978-0-545-94617-9 Ages 9-12 On shelves now. The other day I was asked to come up with ten children’s book equivalents to Claudia Rankine’s book Citizen (which, should anybody ask you, is not for kids). To do this, I wanted […]
A House That Once Was By Julie Fogliano Illustrated by Lane Smith Roaring Brook Press (an imprint of Macmillan) $18.99 ISBN: 978-1-62672-314-6 Ages 4-7 On shelves May 1st When I was growing up there was an empty house across the street. A melancholy, haunted structure that seemed to wear its sadness like a badge. No […]
From stellar sophomore offerings by Kelly Loy Gilbert and Tiffany D. Jackson to the latest collaboration by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen, check out SLJ's April 2018 starred picks.
The Cardboard Kingdom Edited and Illustrated by Chad Sell Written by Jay Fuller, David DeMeo, Katie Schenkel, Kris Moore, Molly Muldoon, Vid Alliger, Manuel Betancourt, Michael Cole, Cloud Jacobs, and Barbara Perez Marquez Knopf (an imprint of Random House Children’s Books) $12.99 ISBN: 978-1-5247-1937-1 Ages 9-12 On shelves June 5th The other day I listened […]
When you think of the truly great picture books of all time, you realize pretty quickly that like all things famous, in order to achieve greatness the right parts had to be the right place at the right time. You have to have great art, marvelous writing (if, indeed, you have any writing at all), […]
The Book of Boy By Catherine Gilbert Murdock Illustrated by Ian Schoenherr Greenwillow (an imprint of Harper Collins) $16.99 ISBN: 978-0-06-268620-6 Ages 9-12 On shelves now When you think about it, many authors of children must have something they’re afraid to write. Some book or idea or concept that tempts them but that they wouldn’t […]
It’s Springtime, Mr. Squirrel! By Sebastian Meschenmoser Translated by David Henry Wilson NorthSouth Books ISBN: 978-0-7358-4310-3 $18.95 Ages 4-7 On shelves now. There is an old joke here in America regarding the Germans and their sense of humor. Mainly, that they haven’t got one. I’ve heard everything from Patton Oswalt routines to old commercials that […]
Happy decade-of-me-doing-this-weird-thing-I-do! That’s right, folks! I’m pleased as punch to announce that as of right now I’ve been making grossly incorrect predictions of the Newberys, Caldecotts, and other ALA Youth Media Awards for a good solid decade. That’s a decade I’ll never get back, by the way. Worth it. As per usual, let’s round-up how […]
Irving Berlin: The Immigrant Boy Who Made America Sing By Nancy Churnin Illustrated by James Rey Sanchez Creston Books $17.99 ISBN: 978-1-939547-44-6 Ages 4-9 On shelves May 1st Patriotism is subjective. Until recently I might have thought myself somewhat immune to its charms. I like my country quite a lot, but I’ve a low-tolerance for […]
A delightfully unpredictable piggy potluck; Acevedo's lyrical coming-of-age tale; a parenting book discusses gender identity and allyship for caregivers.
The Journey of Little Charlie By Christopher Paul Curtis Scholastic Press $16.99 ISBN: 978-0-545-15666-0 For ages 9 and up On shelves now I don’t know Christopher Paul Curtis personally, but if I had to harbor a guess I’d say he’s the type of author that doesn’t like to make things too easy for himself. That’s […]
Can I Touch Your Hair? Poems of Race, Mistakes and Friendship By Irene Latham & Charles Waters Illustrated by Sean Qualls & Selina Alko Carolrhoda Books (a division of Lerner) $17.99 ISBN: 978-1-5124-0442-5 Ages 6 and up On shelves now For a long time, maybe as long as children’s books have been published in America, […]
The Mad Wolf’s Daughter By Diane Magras Kathy Dawson Books (an imprint of Penguin) $16.99 ISBN: 978-0-525-53134-0 Ages 9-12 On shelves March 6th Sometimes you just want to read a book that knows how to run. There are many way to define the term “great writing” as it applies to children’s literature. Eloquent. Ennobling. Distinguished. […]
Highly anticipated titles from Justina Ireland, Jillian Tamaki, and Junot Diaz; professional reading on racism and inclusivity in children's lit; a graphic novel anthology explores trailblazing women throughout history and the world.
Hazelnut Days By Emmanuel Bourdier Illustrated by ZAÜ minedition (an imprint of Michael Neugebauer Publishing Ltd.) $17.99 ISBN: 978-988-8341-54-2 For ages 6 and up On shelves May 1st I’m on a children’s book committee right now with an interesting mix of members. Some folks are old hands that have read more picture books in their […]
Nothing Stopped Sophie: The Story of Unshakable Mathematician Sophie Germain By Cheryl Bardoe Illustrated by Barbara McClintock Little, Brown and Co. $17.99 ISBN: 978-0316278201 On shelves June 12th I think we’ve done it. I think we’ve finally moved completely into a new era of biographical picture books. High time, says I! Gone are the days […]
I was all prepped to begin today by saying that the entire reason I’m doing this post in January is because the ALA Youth Media Awards are slated to go live in February this year . . . but then I looked at last year’s Final Prediction Edition and saw that it was posted on […]
Baby Monkey, Private Eye By Brian Selznick and David Serlin Illustrated by Brian Selznick Scholastic Press $16.99 ISBN: 978-1-338-18061-9 Ages 3 and up On shelves February 27th Brian Selznick. Honey. We’ve got to talk. Now look, it was all well and good when you started getting a little crazy and shaking up notions of what […]
SLJ reached out to authors from our 2017 Best Books for Teens list to compile their writing and creative goals for 2018.
Laurie Halse Anderson's powerful novel Speak in graphic novel format; Vashti Harrison's charming, informative exploration of black women throughout history; an audio edition of Philip Pullman's much-anticipated latest.
Julián Is a Mermaid By Jessica Love Candlewick Press $16.99 ISBN: 978-0-7636-9045-8 Ages 4 and up On shelves May 22nd When you walk into another person’s home, there’s always a distinct smell to the place. Homes absorb the lives of their occupants, and the end result is as much an olfactory experience a visual one. […]
Julie Danielson calls it her Ghost File, and that’s as good a name as any for the books a blogger fails to talk up sufficiently in the previous year. 2017 was a pretty nice year for me personally, all things considered, so I’d like to pay it forward a bit and offer an homage to […]
And just like that . . . *poof!* It’s gone! Not gone, exactly. The 31 Days, 31 Lists series may indeed continue next year. Just so long as the books or my eyesight holds out. In the meantime, it’s been a blast, guys. I appreciate that not a single one of you pointed out to […]
Not a particularly complete list, or a very long one. Yet for 2017 these were the books that left a lasting impression on my little noggin. I read ’em. I liked ’em, every last one. I think they’re the bee’s knees. And I hope you like them too. Fiction for the masses! 2017 Middle Grade […]
It's been quite a year. Here's how we covered it in School Library Journal.
Okay, folks. The rules are the same as yesterday. Books that have already appeared on previous lists won’t get a write-up. Newer inclusions that didn’t slot neatly onto another list will. And in some cases you’ll be wondering why a book that has a limited number of pages is on the “Chapter Books” list. If […]
Well folks, we’re reaching the end of this month-long party. There are only a few lists to go, and it looks like I’ve been saving some of the biggies to the end. And because there are only so many hours in a day, and because I’ve mentioned a lot of these titles before, I’m just […]
In January of 2018 the cover story of SLJ will be one I penned summarizing the current crop of biographies for kids and teens of famous women and how this listing has changed over decades. In the past it was all Helen Keller, Amelia Earhart, and Rosa Parks as far as the eye could see. […]
The holiday picture book is a fascinating object in terms of artistic quality. Most public libraries, due to space issues, will create separate “Holiday” book sections where these books are sequestered away for all time. They are pigeonholed to a particular time of the year, sometimes to the good and sometimes to their detriment. And […]
Someday I long to see a breakdown of what kinds of nonfiction children’s books win the ALA Youth Media Awards. How many books that win are biographies? How many cover STEM topics? How many are about math? (I kid – those never win) But science and nature are awfully popular topics and with good reason. […]
Of all the lists on this blog this one may seem an odd little inclusion, but I have my reasons. A couple years ago I helped serve on the first committee selecting The New-York Historical Society Children’s History Book Prize. The requirements of the prize are simple: You and a group of schoolchildren must find […]
Okay. Fun with defining terms. So what exactly do I mean when I say that something is a work of “fictionalized nonfiction”? Well, let’s look at what makes a book a work of fiction or nonfiction. When writing for children, I personally believe that it is possible to write something fun and fabulous without relying […]
Considering the degree to which I beat the drum in honor of funny books for kids, you’re going to find today’s list a bit on the paltry side. As such, I’d like to assure you that it should not be considered complete in any way for the year of 2017. I liked a whole slew […]
I’d be lying to you if I said that I wasn’t desperately reading graphic novels until lunchtime yesterday, in an effort to make darn certain that no comic has gone unconsidered for today’s list. Comics are my love and delight. Did you know that there’s a new comic award out there, by the way? The Excellence […]
I almost feel as though early chapter books are the Part Two to yesterday’s easy books. If one gently guides kids on the path towards self-sufficient reading, the other certainly drills home how capable child readers have become. And, like easy books, there’s a wide range of reading levels at play here. Some of these […]
It’s haiku. It’s poetry. It’s harder than original Twitter. Creating a quality easy book, whatever the reading level, is an art. Today, I’m throwing them all into a pile. The easy books that use only the simplest of words. The ones ones that veer closer to early chapter books (a category we’ll explore further tomorrow). […]
Here we are, here we are – it’s the end of the year and time to start making some predictions. Last year I hit on two of my four Geisel picks – allowing me to puff out my chest out with just enough foolish confidence to give it another go. And if you’re into the […]
P-p-p-poetry! Motto: It’s not just for April anymore. In a given year I tend to run out of poetry books for kids to review. I’ll find five or six spectacular ones, and then a handful of hundrum okay-but-not-great titles to fill in the gaps. 2017 changed the rules on me. Suddenly I found myself with […]
Keep Children’s Literature Weird. There. There’s your rallying cry for the day. Now Travis Jonker has been nice and consistent on this front, producing his lists of The Most Astonishingly Unconventional Children’s Books every year since 2012. You’re bound to see some overlap with this list, but I’ve a couple of my own particular favorites […]
#20-16 | #15-11 | #10-6 | #5-1 5. Clayton Byrd Goes Underground by Rita Williams-Garcia, illustrated by Frank Morrison [Amistad | Grades 3-7] Because it contains 176 perfect pages. -John Click here for additional resources from Watch. Connect. Read. 4. All’s Faire in Middle School by Victoria Jamieson [Dial | Grades 4-7] Because even if your family re-enacts […]
Ah! One of my favorite lists. Not a long one, to be sure, but beloved. As I’m sure you’ve heard me say far too many times, in the history of children’s librarianship there was once a plethora of folktales and fairytales published every single year. Some of them were great, some them were hugely problematic, […]
#20-16 | #15-11 | #10-6 | #5-1 10. Why Am I Me? by Paige Britt, illustrated by Selina Alko and Sean Qualls [Scholastic Press | Grades Pre-K-3] Because it celebrates curiosity, a hard-to-answer question, diversity, you, and me in a beautiful and genuine way. -John Click here for additional resources from Watch. Connect. Read. 9. The Good for […]
Well, folks, I’m sick. Sick as a dog. Sick as a dog on a log in a bog (I think I’ve been writing up picture books too long). Fortunately, and by complete coincidence, today’s post is going to be an easy one. Folks that know me well are aware that there was a time when, […]
#20-16 | #15-11 | #10-6 | #5-1 15. You Don’t Want a Unicorn! by Ame Dyckman, illustrated by Liz Climo [Little, Brown | Grades K-2] Because you will never look at a pink cupcake the same way again. -John Click here for additional resources from Watch. Connect. Read. 14. One Last Word: Wisdom from the Harlem Renaissance by […]
Let’s have some fun defining our terms. What exactly do I mean when I say “books with a message”? Basically, I’m talking about books that wear their hearts on their sleeves. We all know that in their earliest form, when people were initially coming up with the idea of making literature for children, the primary […]
This is the first of a series of post on productivity and organizational tools that I’m finding useful in my library work. I’ve been using Trello off and on, for professional and personal projects, since 2014. It’s visually appealing, simple to use, and dovetails nicely with Google apps.
#20-16 | #15-11 | #10-6 | #5-1 Some things to know about this list: It’s a collaboration between John Schumacher and I. It’s a collection of our favorite books of 2016 for grades K-6. It’s a countdown from 20 to 1, with five books revealed each day. In terms of format, anything goes. You’ll see picture books, graphic […]
Initially I think I was going to call this list “2017 Imports” but that was a bit on the vague side. And was I really going to include all the Australian, British, Irish, Canadian, etc. books I admired this year? Seems a bit much. No, let’s instead offer an homage to the delightful translations of […]
I wish I had kept better statistics over the course of my children’s librarian career. Maybe if I had I could give you a sense of whether or not the number of bilingual children’s books published in 2017 was higher or lower than normal. As it currently stands, I’m just pleased to see these books […]
It’s almost unfair that I’m not including math for older readers on today’s list, but for that I think you’ll be best suited turning to the awesome Mathical Awards, given out each year. The Mathical Book Prize (given by a committee of math teachers, working mathematicians, and the occasional librarian like me) celebrates math in […]
Reprints! I may as well call this the zombie list for all that they’re celebrated, but celebrated they should be. I am always truly delighted when a picture book rises from the out-of-print dead to engage and delight young readers once more. Steadily throughout the year I’ve kept track of some of the brighter stars […]
They can’t win a darn thing, and that’s the truth. Sorta. Each year picture books are considered and assessed by the Caldecott committee to determine which titles are the “most distinguished” contributions to the field of children’s literature. And every year truly beautiful contenders will fall by the wayside, winning nothing. Why? Because when the […]
It’s time to take a look back at the year that was in children’s lit miscellanea. Read previous Year in Miscellanea Posts: 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008 Dedication of the Year: I’m Just No Good at Rhyming by Chris Harris and Lane Smith (feat. Molly Leach) (Click to Enlarge) This lol-worthy dedication sets the perfect tone for one of […]
And now, what could arguably be considered our most subjective of lists. As I like to say when I’m on the road with Funny Girl, humor really changes from person to person. What makes me laugh isn’t necessarily going to be what makes you laugh and vice versa. Still, I have this thing about honoring […]
Environmental studies and early language arts were the dominant themes this year. However, there were plenty of surprises from an eclectic range of subject matter.
Audio editions of stellar titles by Mitali Perkins and David Barclay Moore; a book on autism for young audiences; educator and activist Betty Shabazz's early years are explored.
There’s always one. One sneaky little abecedarian delight that manages to elude my notice when I type up this list. This year it was almost The Little Red Cat, but I managed to remember it just in time. Still . . . I don’t trust myself. Someone’s not here. Can you figure out who it […]
Gaming apps reign this year—incorporating logic, spatial awareness, and strategy skills into the mix.
This year something struck me about the rhyming picture book crop that usually eludes my notice. I think it’s easy to assume that because a book rhymes, it’s automatically funny. But some of the books on today’s list, like The Road Home or even The Pomegranate Witch, dare to be touching. This begs the question […]
Let’s talk about heart books. Because today I want to call your attention to two books that are long shots at best, but which I loved them dearly as a reader. More than that, despite the flaws that I predict will ultimately sink them, these are strong books that deserve close attention. Both are contemporary fantasy, […]
Four tech experts recommend a selection of websites and applications.
When I became a children’s librarian the most nail-biting aspect of the job was, without a doubt, storytime. Granted, this may have had something to do with the fact that as part of my training meant doing a storytime for adults. Kids, as it turns out, are a completely different ballgame. My earliest attempts at […]
You know what’s funny? Last year I fully intended to do a wordless picture book list, but wasn’t able to find enough books. This year I was going to do nursery rhymes, and then found a complete and utter lack of them. But wordless? Not a problem! Wordless appears to be back, to the point […]
All right, class. Let’s define our terms. This year board books fell into three distinct categories. First, there are the original publications, such as you might find on yesterday’s 2017 Board Books list. Then there are reprints. These are books that were published originally as board books but went out of print at some point. […]
The lists begin! And as with last year we’re kicking off with the youngest of readers. This is by no means the only list you’ll find out there of best board books of 2017. However, I do like to distinguish between my age groups when I present this list. As far as I’m concerned, board […]
We read. We debated. We maybe even cried. Culling 71 of the best books for children and teens in any given year is no easy feat, and this year we had a surfeit of stellar offerings to choose from.
The time is almost here! Almost here I say! Cast your mind back a year ago when, for whatever reason, I decided it might be a good idea to do 31 days of Best Of lists as they pertain to children’s books. That was then. This is now. And I am prepared to do it […]
HIC! By Anushka Ravishankar Illustrated by Christiane Pieper Tara Books $18.00 ISBN: 9789383145645 Ages 4-7 On shelves now Ladies and gentlemen I ask you, and I ask you truly, can you think of a more international childhood experience than the hiccups? Here we have an unwanted occurrence that comes to every nation in the world. […]
This week the “Best of” lists just started hopping out of the woodwork like fleas. On the one hand you have Kirkus, slowly releasing their lists in dribs and drabs, and on the other you have NYPL simultaneously dropping its YA and JUV lists with a great big thunk. I hear that even Chicago Public […]
The Adult Books 4 Teens columnists and reviewers select the best adult books of 2017 with teen appeal.
SLJ's "Good Comics 4 Kids" bloggers curate their annual top 10 list of graphic novels for kids and teens.
I’m Just No Good at Rhyming: And Other Nonsense for Mischievous Kids and Immature Grown-Ups By Chris Harris Illustrated by Lane Smith Little, Brown and Company $19.99 ISBN: 978-0-316-26657-4 Ages 7 and up On shelves now What exactly constitutes a celebrity children’s book these days? See, it all used to be so simple when it […]
Coyote Tales By Thomas King House of Anasi Press (an imprint of Groundwood Books) $16.95 ISBN: 978-1-55498-833-4 Ages 7 to 12 On shelves now The older I get the more I like tricksters. I can’t think why that might be. By rights tricksters fall into the strict purview of children. Think of Bugs Bunny and […]
Long-awaited fiction from John Green, Frances Hardinge, and Philip Pullman; a fantastical feather picture book; stellar nonfiction explores historical figures in the Civil Rights movement.
Graphic novels broach tough topics like consent and police violence; Leigh Bardugo's Thorns excels at dark fantasy; a nonfiction title explores Harriet Tubman's early years.
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