Dennis Pierce

Many of the new books available for this year’s back-to-school season aim to help students cope with their emotions and develop the resilience they need to thrive. Others are intended to help young people find a sense of hope and community after several tumultuous years.

An understanding of STEM ideas and principles can empower students to solve problems, take action in their own communities, and prepare them for the future. This is why STEM-related books continue to resonate with publishers and young readers alike.

Summer reading is critical for so many reasons: It helps prevent learning loss while students are off for the summer. It supports children’s social-emotional development. It reinforces the idea that learning doesn’t end when school is out of session. Most important, it’s a time when kids can read just for fun.

Nearly three years after COVID-19 shut down schools from coast to coast, parents and educators are still trying to help kids make up for interrupted learning resulting from the pandemic—and libraries play a pivotal role in their success.

With the first “normal” school year in two years about to start, educators, librarians, parents, and—of course—children, are looking forward to it with some trepidation. The major spikes in the pandemic seem to be in the rearview window, and the prospect of an uninterrupted school year appears more assured. That doesn’t mean that it won’t be without its challenges.

School librarians know that representation matters. Seeing themselves reflected in the books they read is empowering for LGBTQ+ youth. But it’s just as important for other students to hear LGBTQ+ voices amplified.

STEM education has been in the spotlight in recent years as part of a national push to involve more students in STEM careers. While this is certainly a worthy goal to advance innovation and ensure the nation’s competitiveness, the truth is that all students need to develop STEM literacy—whether or not they choose a career in these fields.

Students can get lost in a good story or a compelling nonfiction book on a topic that engages them—and that’s the kind of experience publishers are aiming for with their summer reading lists and programs.

If there’s a commonality to be found in these stories, it’s the existence of compelling, multidimensional characters who are finding their identity and learning how to cope within a complex environment—conflicts that resonate especially with young readers.