Age Level

Teens Mena and Zena Nasiri started Girls of the Crescent to donate books with female Muslim main characters to local school districts, libraries, and mosques.

Tehlor Kay Mejia’s debut novel We Set the Dark on Fire is a fantasy based in contemporary issues: political turmoil, sexual identity, class inequality, immigration, even a border wall. She tells SLJ about world-building, revolution, and how rage inspired her first novel.

The user-friendly design, conversational yet well-documented text, and dependable suggested resources will appeal to adolescents. The site also effectively addresses topics teens may feel more comfortable researching privately, making it a solid choice for most libraries serving high school students.

New and forthcoming titles suitable for elementary through high school collections. These series range from middle grade fiction to teen romances to informational texts, written between a first and fifth grade reading level.

John Sullivan, Oge Mora honored by Ezra Jack Keats Awards and more in NewsBites.

Katy Hershberger, a writer, editor, reviewer, and bookseller who has spent over a decade working in children’s and YA publishing, joins School Library Journal as Senior Editor, YA.

One year after the horrific events in Parkland, a teacher reflects on having hard conversations with teens and recommends three books to help start a dialogue on serious, timely issues facing young people today.

Librarian Cicely Lewis, whose new column debuts in SLJ in March, was recognized by YALSA for her Read Woke initiative.

There’s nothing quite like a charming meet cute or the ups and downs of first love. Check out these contemporary YA romances that teens will fall in love with in the next few months.