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STEM titles cover lunar phases, turtles, and carbon atoms. Picture book biographies celebrate artists, such as Matisse and Yo-Yo Ma, and current changemakers, such as Ketanji Brown Jackson and Lionel Messi.
With the latest offerings from Kate DiCamillo, Atinuke, and Cynthia Rylant, humor abounds in these transitional books.
An excellent addition to any library’s poetry collection, and good for teaching about the gifts of the natural world.
PREMIUM
The Shy Book
A kind and gentle introduction to the challenges of being shy, this book will help those who are feeling those pangs and those who want to help them.
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Luna and the Night
Crafted with care, from texts to illustrations, this book will help young readers understand their fears.
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Miriam and Her Dancing Shoes
A nice addition to libraries where religious stories are of high interest.
This joyful collaboration will be equally enjoyed by children who already know about Hajj and by those who are learning of it for the first time.
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How to Comfort a Monster
A poignant tale of friendship and feelings, and a relevant addition to picture book collections.
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A Black Girl and Her Braids
A great book for cultural education and appreciation. This book will be of interest to all collections.
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When We Were Snails
A touching celebration of the love between parent and child, even during time apart, and especially good for children who may be experiencing separation.
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Bing’s Cherries
A beautifully told and authentically grounded tale honoring the immigrant behind the famous Bing cherry and celebrating Chinese American resilience and contribution.
A good segue to reassurance for the very young, but this may be too specific for a wider audience.
PREMIUM
Mousestache Moosestache
A fun addition to any humor collection. This is great for a lap sit, or for use in small groups.
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A Home on the Page
A powerful story with beautiful illustrations that not only calls out the hate that is in the world today but also provides a message of hope for those who are in search of a creative outlet to find their proverbial home. Recommended.
This book would be an excellent addition to any library’s collection, especially those needing stories of dealing with a loss.
PREMIUM
Who Are You?
Best shared with groups of older elementary children, or in quiet one-on-one readings with younger children.
An essential purchase; Mooradian and Yim have created a powerful book to share with care. It opens space for conversations about resilience, identity, and remembrance, and it shows how storytelling helps us honor the past while finding beauty in survival.
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Action Jasmine
A good choice for those looking to add to their collections, particularly the social-emotional learning shelves.
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The Mother Tree
A moving depiction of the importance of trees and forests, this is highly recommended for all collections.
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Hummingbird’s Big Trip
A heartwarming and informative story reassuring children that even the smallest creatures can overcome big challenges.
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Breathe Deep
A useful resource for programs that encourage mindfulness and self-calming skills for young children.
While not explicitly sports focused, the title’s rejection of organized games for spontaneous imaginary play makes for a light, spirited romp for young readers.
Beautifully presented, written with deep admiration, recommended for elementary libraries, especially where baseball is popular.
PREMIUM
Better Than a Touchdown
With Eagles QB Hurts’ star power, this celebration of perseverance and teamwork should be an easy sell for budding football fans.
PREMIUM
Soccer World
A light fantasy with soccer and gamesmanship at the heart, an additional selection for elementary sports fiction collections.
This gentle yet entertaining audiobook will engage younger listeners and hold their interest throughout. Fans of Henn’s The Music in Me will not want to miss this.
A powerful, inclusive picture book that highlights the richness of human communication and how differences bring people together.
PREMIUM
The Wild Robot on the Island
A captivating entrée for younger children to meet Roz and enjoy the “Wild Robot” trilogy.
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Who Will Rule the Trees?
Libraries seeking modestly religious creation stories may find this a quiet, sturdy edition to add to the shelves.
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Spirit Shadow
An additional purchase for collections seeking more Indigenous representation.
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Turtle Slept In
Fans of this prolific author’s work as well as children who love nature and seashore life will enjoy this short, beautifully illustrated story.
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Planting Hope
A vibrant picture book, this would be a good selection for libraries, with a celebration of hope that is always welcome.
This wonderful book would be a solid addition to any library as a reminder for all ages to appreciate the small things.
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Home Away from Home
Sweet celebration of faraway family, the beauty of culture, and common experiences Nuha and Jadda share make this a standout. Recommended for all collections.
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Shrinking Violet
This title is a great addition to social-emotional learning collections, offering a dynamic and unique approach to discussing anxiety, inner strength, and resilience with young readers during a fun and compelling read-aloud.
PREMIUM
Sockflea: A Stuffie in the Wind
This book is a surefire hit for story hours, providing laugh-out-loud moments contained in an adorable bundle of elephant energy.
A visual delight and excellent take on Houdini’s life through his love of books and learning. Sure to be popular with book and magic lovers alike plus those interested in unusual illustration styles. A must have for most libraries.
A solid entry into the basics of soil and a solid purchase where needed.
A fascinating and beautifully designed exploration of an under-examined topic. A must-have for all collections.
A great class read-aloud to accompany lessons on ecosystems and environmental conservation.
Is this a poetry book packed full of information or a nonfiction study with a sprinkling of poetic joy
This is an excellent addition to any nonfiction picture book collection.
With its brief, thoughtfully chosen words, parts of this book could easily serve as an introduction to climate issues, environmental justice, and biodiversity for young children. The book can broaden and strengthen collections while gently introducing young children to what can happen when the Earth’s resources are misused.
This would make an excellent classroom book for units on history, but it also works for its uplifting message and positive affirmations.
A charming and informative look at life inside an egg that will work beautifully for read-alouds and is an essential addition to all collections.
PREMIUM
Hooray for My Brain!
A buoyant shout out to our body’s most important organ (though look what’s telling us that)
A heavy book that is done with tact; with meaningful prose and incredible artwork, this is a recommended purchase for collections.
High-stakes and wholly unique, this true story highlights the environmental value of bees in addition to celebrating the bond between dog and owner. Recommended for all collections.
This compelling account of a historical civil rights event is a must-purchase for all collections.
Poignant and educational, this is a necessary addition to World War II literature collections for elementary school readers.
This lovely picture book is sure to be enjoyed by all patrons.
PREMIUM
Land of the Free: America’s ABC
While not an essential purchase, this book, when paired with more inclusive texts, can help students build a broader and more equitable understanding of American history and identity.
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Welcome to the Anthill
Steer young enquirers in search of accurate information about ants toward other titles.
This Dolly Parton–centered picture book offers a message of self-worth and a few details about the singer’s life and career.
A solid offering for elementary readers, who might be inspired by Baez to use their own voices and find causes they care about.
Useful for personal curiosity, or for an introduction to a unit on endangered and extinct animals.
An interesting, dynamic resource that makes complex environmental science accessible. Good for research or readers very interested in oceanography.
A mix of board books, picture books, one graphic novel, and one middle grade novel make up this roundup of Christmas-focused titles for young readers.
PREMIUM
Aya Has Never Seen a Bear
As a beautiful introduction to the Oroqen people or a subtle look at the environment, this book would be a powerful choice for ecologically themed story hours.
PREMIUM
I Am a Bon Dancer
This title is highly recommended for school libraries, offering rich opportunities for discussions on heritage, history, and community.
A spot-on cautionary tale and a perfect addition to any library’s collection of folktales and myths. Recommended.
PREMIUM
Is It Spring?
A lighthearted book for preschoolers who ask these kinds of questions and need Henkes’s kind of answers.
Flett’s sentiments shine but never overwhelm in this simple message of love; it’s a first choice for any library’s picture book collection.
This is a terrific book to read aloud when some humor is needed, or classroom pizza parties are about to commence.
PREMIUM
Mari and the Great Market Swap
A vibrant tale of island life, quick thinking, and community building, ripe for the classroom or group sharing.
A wonderful addition in all formats that is sure to spark joy and hope as well as big conversations.
This engaging and detailed book is an excellent addition to school library collections. Its unique blend of artistic digital illustrations and fascinating biological content about these often-misunderstood ocean creatures makes it a worthwhile purchase for science and nature sections.
PREMIUM
H Is for Hiking
For shelves about the great outdoors, here’s a way to invite young children into the joys of hiking and connecting with nature.
PREMIUM
Puffins!
An appealing dive into the life and environment of puffins for classroom or individual reads.
An informative visual feast that celebrates the natural world on the other side of the door.
This phenomenal historical account of the Alabama River is a must-purchase for all library collections.
PREMIUM
Mysterious Things
Part vocabulary building and part philosophy lesson, this is great for sparking the imagination of readers to find out more about mysteries in this world.
A nice addition for libraries wishing to expand their classic canon English literature collection.
A good choice to introduce babies and toddlers to the celebration of Ramadan.
This uplifting and encouraging sports biography is sure to be a great addition to any library’s preschool collection.
Recommended only where interest in the Cuyahoga River Valley is high and supplementary resources are available.
Florance’s experimental cosmic handbook is an inventive and informative nonfiction addition for middle to upper elementary students.
A fun and engaging addition to nonfiction collections, especially appealing to children who enjoy reading science-focused works like the DK’s “Eyewitness Books” or learning through hands-on exploration.
A delightfully informative addition to any career or science section, geared towards older readers.
A suspenseful and heartwarming true rescue story to captivate readers and budding conservationists.
Brimming with superficial sentiment and bad prose, this is not recommended for libraries.
From poo and tentacles to contemplative picture book biographies, this year’s picks for the Best Nonfiction for Elementary readers are filled with facts, information, and wonder.
A captivating look at the life and work of a childhood favorite, perfect for longtime fans of his work or those just encountering his legacy.
PREMIUM
The Secret World of Spiderwebs
An excellent addition to collections with its helpful illustrations and plentiful facts.
PREMIUM
Snowboarding
A wintery wonderland of facts, introducing the sport and informational books simply and engagingly.
PREMIUM
Emeka, Eat Egusi!
A delightful story certain to win over listeners at story hours or in classroom units about food and what it means.
A heartfelt reminder that care, imagination, and memory are powerful forms of protection worth celebrating in every classroom.
Sure to spark conversation for any age. Recommended for public and school picture book collections.
This offers an engaging message for readers who want to follow their dreams and is a solid choice for fans of Jitterbug and Goth Moth.
The natural world glows in these pages, but never in a sentimental way; this book pays attention to everything and reminds children to do the same.
A charming story about being accepted despite, or even because of, one’s differences.
PREMIUM
100 Days!
This fun and friendly title is a perfect classroom read-aloud to prepare for, celebrate, or reflect on the joy of learning together.
A challenging topic, mental illness, is given wings by the hope stitched into the many quilts of Tompkins in this wonderful book for all ages.
PREMIUM
Three Pieces of Broken Glass
Add to picture book collections to expand on Jewish culture and history through the prism of a warm, intergenerational afternoon.
Children will understand the joy of arguing, as well as its downside, in a book that needs both group-sharing and one-on-one deep dives.
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