SLJ

With expertise, empathy, and innovation, librarians have supported students and patrons through COVID-19.

This month's starred selections include nonfiction and reference books, along with the latest Legend of Zelda video game.

These collections gather poems about nature, imagination, and creativity. Share them with young readers to open up a world of possibilities.

This month, a handful of middle grade and YA titles, along with a manga adaptation of Sherlock Holmes and more, received starred reviews.

Purim is a Jewish holiday that commemorates events told in the biblical Book of Esther. Hand these titles to young readers so they can share in the parties, costumes, and food that are all part of the festivities.

SLJ asked librarians, authors, and illustrators to reflect on their pandemic experience: the impact on them, their students, and readers; the innovations that stuck; the memories that linger; and the lessons we learned.

New PEN America analysis of book bans in the 2023-24 school year found that bans across reading levels and genres continued to target titles about people of color, race, racism, and LGBTQIA+ subjects, as well as stories about disabled people, immigrants, social activism, and bullying.

Reading about the determination of these women, both in sports and in life, may encourage young readers to similarly face any challenges in front of them. Share these titles for Women's History Month and all year.

A bill to remove legal protections from school and public librarians advances in South Dakota; Livingston Parish, LA, has emptied the YA shelves in five branches and told librarians to read every title in search of sexually explicit material; and so much happening in Arkansas in the latest Censorship News.