The new law in New Jersey aims to limit book removals and protect librarians from criminal prosecution; in Illinois, some school districts are choosing to lose state grants instead of complying with its Freedom to Read law; additional titles removed in Oregon and Tennessee; and more in censorship news.

Caregivers can read these poems to children to help them on their journey to slumber.

The world lost poet, author, and civil rights activist Nikki Giovanni on Monday, but her impact and legacy live on in her writing.

The Young Adult Library Services Association announced the finalists for the Morris Award for a YA title by a previously unpublished author and the Excellence in Nonfiction Award for nonfiction YA books for ages 12 to 18.

NCTE has announced Stealing Little Moon: The Legacy of American Indian Boarding Schools by Dan SaSuWeh Jones and The Last Stand by Antwan Eady, illus. by Jarrett and Jerome Pumphrey, as the 2025 Orbis Pictus and Charlotte Huck award winners, respectively. 

These three chapter books feature lovable, quirky animal sleuths solving wacky mysteries and getting into plenty of high jinks along the way.

Cree, Sioux, and Ojibwa are featured in these picture books across fiction and nonfiction categories. Among them are an old favorite, vastly updated, plus a biography about the hero of the drum.

At story hours or in more casual settings, readers will come away from these two charming books about family and baking hungry. In each, family and friends—woodland animals or human dear ones—gather, and beautiful loaves of challah are enjoyed by all.

Books in translation are a great resource to enrich young minds and library shelves. Here, SLJ rounds up 7 recent titles for the middle grade set.