News & Features

Author and teacher Torrey Maldonado asked friends and fellow authors, "What does Juneteenth mean to you?"

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.

From robots to Rube Goldberg machines to cosplay costumes, kids of all ages—and their grown-ups—will find plenty of inspiration in these works. 

History, science, current events, and social sciences are explored in these highly engaging narrative and expository nonfiction texts for middle grade readers. 

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

Motivated by the lack of diversity in the books she saw in Little Free Libraries in her Massachusetts hometown, Sarah Kamya set out to add titles by and about Black and brown people to the boxes. Soon she was creating Little Free Diverse Libraries, getting national attention, and setting goals for this project that will continue beyond the pandemic.

Teens who love this adaptation of the Broadway musical from Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegría Hudes should find common themes, character-driven stories, and spirit in these books.

These realistic novels for teens explore identity, family relationships, and figuring out your place in the world, all told with honesty and nuance.

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).