News & Features

From a spirited shark to a cheerful squirrel, the characters in these four graphic novels will inspire holiday cheer in readers.

Whether educators broach controversial topics in a learning context or not, young people will encounter plenty of related content. Social media all too easily fills the void, fueling misinformation while suppressing critical reflection. NCSS, the National Council for the Social Studies, offers encouragement and materials to support important discussion.

The lawsuit against the Mat-Su (AK) School District claims the protagonists in the challenged books are people of color or LGBTQ+ characters. In other censorship news, a public library in Kansas was forced to remove all LGBTQIA+ children's books in order to keep its lease, PEN America names director of Florida effort to fight book bans, and MTV's new documentary, The ABCs of Book Banning, is now available to stream on Paramount+.

From a glittering party in Harlem to a dazzling parade in Tokyo, from a baba's small patch of soil to a cadre of children learning to love who they are or stand up for others, the very best of 2023's picture books invite readers into pages to meet the world head on.

The beginning of life, the stars in the sky, the fungi around us, and some of the hottest topics in biology and science are on display in the best books of 2023 in the elementary nonfiction list. The facts are in: these writers and illustrators help kids connect with the real world in one thrilling book after another. 

These 28 middle grade and YA nonfiction titles invite readers to delve into different facets and figures of history, science, social justice topics, and more. With a range of titles from a graphic memoir by Jerry Pinkney to a logbook-style look at an Arctic expedition to a history of the Scopes Monkey Trial that ties to contemporary censorship, there's much to explore and consider.

Members of the middle grade Best Books committee share their discussions, considerations, and process for the selection of the titles for the anticipated end-of-the-year list.