Elementary

Summer is the perfect time for series and serial podcasts across genres to keep kids entertained and engaged.

SLJ is publishing lists all summer long—from family stories to mysteries to teen reads. Here's some of our favorite picture book biographies, from inventors and engineers to scientists and artists. The individuals profiled in these captivating read-alouds will inspire young readers (and their grown-ups).

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. 

Though they are rarely recognized with merit awards,  licensed content books are hugely popular and often timely—addressing social-emotional issues and, lately, concerns related to the pandemic—and the comfort of familiar TV and movie characters has strong appeal for beginning readers.

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

How to tempt those readers who have moved beyond picture books but aren't quite ready for middle grade novels? These chapter book graphic novels will do the trick. With humor and heart, these eye-catching books take on everything friendship, mystery, adventure, and even a bit of metafiction (from none other than Dav Pilkey).

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.

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