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Effective teaching of nonfiction texts requires a keen understanding of the differences in formats and writing styles. Award-winning nonfiction author Melissa Stewart offers a deep dive into the differences between two types of nonfiction, expository and narrative, offering educators comparative texts, specific examples, and tips on teaching and connecting with young readers. 

July's debut YA authors discuss the images that gave way to their first novels, exploring their characters' backgrounds, and carefree childhood summers.

Anthropomorphic animals, emotive androids, an enchanted Chicago, and more: These 16 titles provide excellent summer escapes for young readers.

Ten adventure and survival fiction titles to keep summer reading fresh and exciting.

From alternate histories to dystopian futures, these teen genre selections offer up magic, mermaids, mechsuits, and more.

Readers will cheer for these YA books about boxing, basketball, field hockey, and more.

Featuring vivid settings, relatable characters, and absorbing narratives, these moving titles will inspire readers to learn more about these eras—and to question whose stories still go untold.

Nothing like bugs that fizz, animals with mucus-skin, and slimy information about digestion to get the whole family in on these weird science lessons!

These immersive works of historical fiction surface events often omitted by textbooks, blend history and other genres, and urge readers to reconsider the past and look to the future.

Finding books that are age-appropriate but still compelling enough to hook the interest of older tweens and young teens can be tricky. Here are some of our recent favorites. 

With controlled vocabularies and short page counts, hi-lo (­high-interest, low-readability) books present engaging, age-­appropriate options for students reading below their grade level. This roundup of new and forthcoming series highlights a wide range of titles for collections serving elementary, middle, and high school ­audiences.

From Kwame Alexander to Gwendolyn Brooks and Maya Angelou, we've selected some of our favorite poets to remind readers that summer is the time to slow down and savor the sounds of words. 

With evocative memoirs, complex love stories, and socially-conscious supervillains, these graphic books offer new windows into our world.

These scary stories should tide young horror fans over until spooky season.

Sometimes emerging readers want to sink into a slightly longer book, and one that looks a little more challenging than many picture books. Graphic novels are cool—and they help strengthen both print and visual literacy skills. These titles offer food fights and tender moments.

Exploring everything from collection development to programming to scholarly literary analysis, these titles will equip school and public librarians with plenty of ideas come fall.

From robots to Rube Goldberg machines to cosplay costumes, kids of all ages—and their grown-ups—will find plenty of inspiration in these works. 

Some of it’s memoir, and some is made up, but all of it makes for delightful summer reading.

Challenging old classics is the literary equivalent of replacing statues of racist figures.

14 titles to keep tween mystery fans turning pages well into the summer.

From clowning skills to creating forts, here are some great books to help get kids (and their grown-ups) away from screens for a bit. 

These picture books, with their exuberant illustrations and positive prose, offer portraits of Black joy, within and beyond the African diaspora.

These titles avoid classic romance tropes and tackle topics of race, feminism, and being true to yourself, all with humor and heart.

These thrilling teen novels will keep readers up on hot summer nights.

Tackling everything from racism to politics and elections to sexual abuse, these works of YA nonfiction will leave teens informed and inspired to help make a better world.

Ten mysteries for independent readers ranging from laugh-out-loud interactive fun to edge-of-your-seat thrills.

Some books are just nicer when they are shared! We pulled together some favorites that allow for exploration, discussion, or just lap time.

Science and math take a starring role in these stories that explore everything from the deep sea to outer space. 

These silly stories are guaranteed to provoke giggles and snorts. 

History, science, current events, and social sciences are explored in these highly engaging narrative and expository nonfiction texts for middle grade readers. 

Newly proficient readers in the longer form are always delighted to be in on the jokes. Here are 13 titles to get them started.

Warning: These 18 titles may induce giggle fits or milk-out-the-nose laughing. 

These eight books for children and adults are packed with gardening inspiration, as well as activities and information to help anyone interested in growing their own plants. 

From summer camp to improv troupes to rom coms, these YA reads keep things light as the days get longer.

Young yogis and meditation masters alike will find messages of calmness and strength in this selection of titles for a range of ages.

Our top summer reading picks for picture books and beginning readers.

Highly recommended middle grade fiction and nonfiction for readers to enjoy all summer long. 

Highly recommended young adult fiction and nonfiction for teens to enjoy all summer long. 

Highly recommended nonfiction for young readers, tweens, and teens to enjoy all summer long. 

Highly recommended graphic novels for young readers, tweens, and teens to enjoy all summer long. 

From crafting to cooking to stargazing, these lists recommend several books on a common theme or subject with selections for a variety of ages and reading levels—making them perfect ways to inspire reading, talking, and playing together as a family. 

These delightful beginning readers feature simple sentences, accessible design, and text features that strengthen emerging readers' decoding and comprehension skills. 

SLJ presents our top picks for summer reading, from read-alouds to share with the youngest prereaders to engrossing titles for tweens and teens. The majority of the titles have been published over the last two years, almost all of them are available as ebooks, and many of them have received starred reviews or been selected as past Best Books. New lists will publish every week during the month of June, with additional lists in July and August. 

Highly recommended chapter books for independent readers to enjoy all summer long. 

Whether kids are eager to read about friendship woes, holidays, or new pets, they’ll find something to satisfy them in this list of realistic chapter books. Looking for more summer reading recommendations? SLJ is publishing lists all summer long—from family stories to mysteries to teen reads. 

The young people featured in these middle grade novels are intrepid, confronting racism, grief, queer identity, and more. They’re relatable teens and tweens, making mistakes and stumbling as they find themselves. Looking for more summer reading recommendations? SLJ is publishing lists all summer long—from family stories to mysteries to teen reads. 

These YA authors don’t flinch from the tough stuff, exploring harassment, privilege, racism, family expectations, and more, but these tender, utterly intimate books are also laced with humor and understanding. Looking for more summer reading recommendations? SLJ is publishing lists all summer long—from family stories to mysteries to teen reads. 

Starting this week and continuing through the end of June and beyond, SLJ is publishing lists of our top picks for summer reading, from stories to share with the whole family to recommended titles for emerging readers to captivating fiction, nonfiction, and graphic novels for tweens and teens.

From inventors and engineers to scientists and artists, the individuals profiled in these captivating read-alouds will inspire young readers (and their grown-ups). Looking for more summer reading recommendations? SLJ is publishing lists all summer long—from family stories to mysteries to teen reads.  

These narratives of home and family push back against stereotypes.

This playlist offers windows into key documents, people, and cultural factors that shaped U.S. history.

An upside of sheltering in place? More time for reading. Library patronage has seen a boost, with OverDrive reporting a spike of 30 percent in digital checkouts since March 13, when the coronavirus epidemic was declared a national emergency.

A partnership between your public library and the public school district makes sense. Both organizations can save money by sharing space, personnel, and collections. 

These four carefully planned partnerships resulted in better access to materials and fiscally responsible resource sharing.

From gymnast Simone Biles to astronaut Ellen Ochoa, author Beverly Cleary, and many more, these titles span generations and subjects and offer insight into the lives of women who have made their mark on the world.

Hi-lo books, graphic novels, and relevant narratives connect striving readers with books that engage them and boost literacy. 

Debates over leveling focus on how to best teach reading versus how to foster passionate readers who choose their own books. How did we get here?

By expanding what a collection can include, some librarians create spaces that inspire curiosity and address equity issues in their schools.

Holiday anticipation can wreak havoc on bedtime routines. Deck your seasonal book displays with titles that will lull young children to sleep when all else fails.

Children should be encouraged to look closely at the world around them and ask questions. These recently published titles for preschool and early elementary students will do just that as they build a solid foundation for STEM work and wonderings.

Students have traditionally accepted information in textbooks without question. But In high schools throughout the country, that's starting to change. 

Make room on your read-aloud shelves for titles that will ignite discussions about contemporary issues, highlight little-known true stories, and tug on the heartstrings.

Celebrate the 100th anniversary of Children's Book Week, November 4–10, with titles that salute the magic of stories and pleasures of reading. 

These inquiry lessons are ideal for ­elementary school teachers and librarians seeking a carefully organized suite of materials that offer hands-on, phenomenon-based science instruction.

The Dewey Decimal System is in many ways an outdated mess,  and many of its flaws are more insidious than examples of old-fashioned conventions.

Here's how school and public libraries moved away from the Dewey Decimal Classification System to serve their students and communities better.

Refresh your lapsit collections and storytime repertoire with these warm and whimsical titles for babies and toddlers.

Twenty picture books to set the tone for the new school year, ease first-day jitters, and build the confidence kids will need to embrace their learning environments, make new friends, and shine academically.  

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.

Colby Sharp, one of the creators of the first Nerd Camp, offers his advice for hosting your own version of the popular education camps with a literacy twist.

The record-setting game show winner and library supporter credits children’s books for his vast knowledge.

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.

A trio of recently published poetry titles evidence the power of poetry "to convey rich characterization, complex themes, and a reading experience that levels the field between struggling and skilled readers."

A new app by the German developer has been nominated for two Webby Awards.

From Sonia De Los Santos’s ¡Alegría!, which explores joy and happiness, to Ginalina’s It Takes a Village to Legion of Peace: Songs Inspired by Nobel Laureates by Lori Henriques Quintet featuring Joey Alexander, many of this season’s children’s music selections are filled with thoughtful positivity.

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.

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.

Video games provide a memorable way to present storytelling to students, offering  visual and tactile experiences that leave them eager to explore related books and activities.

A roundup of 13 holiday selections, featuring books about Lunar New Year, Valentine’s Day, Passover, Pride Day, and more. 

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.

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.

A plethora of tween-friendly productions present a golden opportunity for reader’s advisory.

Young leads and timely topics give these adult audiobooks teen appeal

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.

The need for diverse and inclusive collections is clear. Karen Jensen, YA librarian and "Teen Librarian Toolbox" blogger, explains everything you need to know to get started on conducting your own diversity audit.

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.

What is Read Woke? School librarian Cicely Lewis and students at Meadowcreek High School in Norcross, GA, explore the idea that led to a reading revolution at their school—and internationally.

What should teens read after they’ve enjoyed the adaptations of The Hate U Give, To All the Boys, and more?

Civic responsibility, activism, and activists, are highlighted in this this list of recently published titles.

If you’re seeking 2018 fictional works about Latinx experiences, look no further.

In a series of vignettes depicting the experiences of Syrians before and after they choose to flee that country, and information on the refusal of many countries to accept these victims of violence, Brown has created a heartbreaking global and personal story.

While classroom and school libraries share the larger goal of advancing literacy, they often serve different purposes—and compete for the same resources.

These picture books address the sights, sounds, and seeming magical things that happen when night falls.

When it comes to questions about climate change, it’s imperative that we urge children and teens to seek answers that enlighten, inspire, and stimulate them to get involved as responsible inhabitants of this planet.