Fiction

The author of My Ex-Imaginary Friend says that bookending funny chapters with ones including hard conversations "helped to show that even when things are tough, there is hope and humor on the other side."  

Too often, books published for children learning to read independently miss the design details and engaging content that keep early readers encouraged. This list of titles offers updates on series featuring diverse characters, talking pets, unicorns, magic, mystery, and everyday dilemmas.

The renowned actor chats with SLJ about coming of age in tumultuous times, the importance of libraries, and how the summer of 2020 shaped his debut middle grade novel.

The combination of engaging tales, funny pictures, and language children can grasp while learning to read is propelling a booming market. 

While there is no substitute for comprehensive mental health care treatment, many young readers may discover comfort, validation, and the strength to ask for help in the pages of these books. 

Families can be complicated, and when parents split up, it can be difficult for children to process this major shift in their lives. These three titles center on tweens dealing with parental divorce or separation, across varying circumstances and genre.

These 20 titles for picture and chapter book readers feature creatures who ask children, "What if the world were different?"

The platform is driving up circulation in school libraries as students seek hot titles. And BookTok fans who’d never set foot in the library before are doing just that.

The Dead End in Norvelt author talks about why he reads history, his inspiration for Miss Volker, and how "the facts nourish free will."