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The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled against the state's board of education, which wanted to remove books from a district library; proposed Ohio legislation could defund public libraries; Utah to release list of books banned from all public schools; and more news.

SLJ spoke with the former library associate (and Jeopardy champion!) about fate, craft, and affirming childhood's complex emotions.

The U.S. Court of Appeals issued a partial victory for plaintiffs in the Llano County, TX, case over removing books from the library; parents have filed a federal lawsuit against the Florida Board of Education; and a high school graduate tries to give The Handmaid's Tale to her superintendent at graduation.

From a big-city internship to work at the family Laundromat, these books for tweens deliver a range of experiences.

This comprehensive digital resource provides accurate, thoughtful representation and digestible lessons on North American Indigenous nations.

A new cookbook for kids shares Juneteenth history and tradition through recipes, as well activities for the whole family.

They are politicians and artists and athletes. They are young people, and people with a few years of life under their belts. And their stories can inform and encourage young readers in June and throughout the year. These books can change lives—and even save them.

Playaway products have long been a staple in libraries as an audio option for accessing materials. SLJ reviews its Wonderbook, a preloaded audiobook device.

The New York Times best-selling author and Caldecott Honor-awarded picture book illustrator talks with School Library Journal about creating the Mo Willems Workshop channel and how librarians can use it with their students.

Seven new manga releases that are sure to be a hit with YA readers. 

From a TEDx Talk to a manga, these transmedia picks will entice young adults to keep their minds engaged this summer.

 They are a community’s soul, “cathedrals to who we should be as a society,” and so much more. 

If the proposed legislation passes, librarians and their fellow educators in Ohio could be charged with felonies for handing out books and materials deemed “obscene”; challenges and restrictions continue in Florida and Texas; and Montana librarians speak out.

Margaret A. Edwards Award winner Neal Shusterman joins SLJ senior news editor Kara Yorio to discuss his honored work, upcoming titles, and the elementary school librarian who changed his life.

For both May’s Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and beyond, consider lining shelves and adding to TBR piles with some of these edifying, entertaining 2024 audio choices.

From graphic novels centering underrepresented perspectives to charming rom-coms and nonfiction about climate change, these summer reading selections will inspire young adults to make positive change in their communities—and themselves.

From wind to wildlife, bring a touch of nature into kids' reading selections with these books about the natural world.

From a fire-breathing corgi to bunnies with wings, characters in these fantasy titles for elementary and middle school readers hold strong appeal.  

These titles take a look at two traditions around the Muslim holiday that commemorates the story of Ibrahim (Abraham).

For new readers who like their stories with sparkle, these two books are sure to delight.

National Book Award winner A First Time For Everything by Dan Santat and  Sunshine by Jarrett J. Krosoczka are among the many children's literature titles nominated for the 2024 Eisner Awards.

Conveying a range of experiences, these stories of family, love, humor, and loss will engage children during Caribbean American Heritage Month and beyond. 

From magical school fantasies to hilarious sibling stories, these 13 selections will keep middle schoolers turning pages during summer break. Complete with graphic novels, biographies, and poetry, this list has something for every tween.

Organizations file federal complaints against the Cobb County, GA, and Moore County, NC, schools; Alabama bill to criminalize librarians for "obscene" content fails in state's senate; and advocates file lawsuit against Alabama public library board for restricting materials.

The King Penguin by Vanessa Roeder and The Book of Turtles by Sy Montgomery won the Irma Black Award and Cook Prize, respectively.

Centering dignity and equity, authors strive to normalize the topic of menstruation and show how different people experience it.

Among this month's standouts are the latest graphic novel co-authored by Gender Queer's Maia Kobabe, a picture book from Kyle Lukoff, and a video adapted from Carole Boston Weatherford's book about Mary Hamilton.

The Freedom to Learn collective marked National Day of Action by protesting censorship attempts outside the Supreme Court; a challenged book returns to shelves in Virginia while titles get removed from schools in Florida and South Carolina; and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver takes on book bans.

These early readers and chapter books will be just the thing for independent readers looking to meet new characters and engage with fun stories during the summer months.

Despite the importance and impact of the 1947 Partition of India, there is little taught about the event or written about it in children's literature. Authors Saadia Faruqi, Ritu Hemnani, and Veera Hiranandani are filling that gap with new titles.

A panel of seasoned librarians share their expertise, strategies, and passion for manga collection development in a "PowerPoint Party" tailored specifically for libraries. Register to join the live program May 17. 

Daniel Bernstrom, Carole Boston Weatherford, Cynthia Leitich Smith, Kekla Magoon, Scott Reintgen, and others share stories about educators who played an important role in their lives.

STEM comes to life for beginning readers in these stories, which can be used to complement science, math, or reading instruction.

A federal judge ruled that a lawsuit brought by And Tango Makes Three authors and a student against a Florida school district can proceed; civil rights icon Ruby Bridges speaks out against censors; and more news on legal battles and library-related legislative actions continue across the country.

From the Caldecott-winning Big by Vashti Harrison to a bilingual counting book in Mi’kmaw and English, these illustrated works are guaranteed to engage young readers during summer break and all year around.

Author Serena Kaylor shares an exclusive excerpt of her upcoming YA novel The Calculation of You and Me with SLJ. 

Five women of Asian descent discuss the joy of telling resonant stories, handling vocabulary in unfamiliar languages, and other topics. 

Author Kate Messner describes the process of getting 17 authors together for the ultimate creative collaboration in the new series, "The Kids in Mrs. Z's Class." There is also a complementary teaching and discussion guide with a character writing workshop so students can follow the same process the authors did.

A proposal in Nevada would move all LGBTQIA+ books into their own section of public libraries; Florida makes principals responsible for book restrictions; Utah schools removing books ahead of a new law going into effect on July 1; and more.

From fantasy to horror, these 31 novels featuring AAPI characters are great picks for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in May and throughout the year.

While it’s well known that summer reading provides benefits well past summer, perhaps the greatest benefit of summer reading for kids is choice. In fact, trusting kids to pick their own books is essential. And publishers of children's books provide a plethora of choices for summer reading.

Genre-blending books offer readers the opportunity to comfortably expand across boundaries and try something different while still in the safety of their preferred reading choice. Here are 14 middle grade graphic novels that blend genres to perfection.

Sydney Smith wins the Hans Christian Andersen Award for Illustration, applications are open for Freedom to Read Foundation grants and a scholarship, Mo Willems offers new, free resources on YouTube, and more in News Bites.
 

Discussing her latest novel Tree. Table. Book. with SLJ, Lois Lowry explains how, from her first book to The Giver to now, she has always been intrigued with the concept of the gifts that age and youth can give to one another. 

Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins Publishers, Macmillan Publishers, Simon & Schuster, and Sourcebooks have joined Penguin Random House and other plaintiffs in the lawsuit against the state of Iowa. 

Teamwork, competition, and the glory of team sports drive these graphic novel stories for elementary through high school readers.

Emily Drabinski shares the impact of personal attacks and those on libraries across the country; librarians fear new, punitive laws; Alaska school book removal lawsuit goes to federal court; and more in Censorship News.

Criticism and misunderstanding of Kao Kalia Yang's decision to leave the Hmong-only phrases in her book, The Rock in My Throat, spotlights the problem of the English-dominant literary landscape in a country where residents speak hundreds of languages, the author says.

The Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2023 has seven repeat titles from the 2022 list, including Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe at No. 1 and All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson at No. 2.

Share these two picture books, which present two different interpretations of the same tradition, with young readers who are gearing up for Passover.

The Cooperative Children’s Book Center released its latest Diversity Statistics report on children's literature, showing another year of small increases in books with BIPOC primary characters and significant BIPOC content.

Three poetry books are starred this National Poetry Month, as well as biographies of Mae Jemison and Chadwick Boseman.

The State of K-12 Digital Reading breaks down the data for the 2022-23 school year, showing the popularity of comics and graphic novels in the digital format plus regional differences in reading habits.

From poems about planets and trees to poems about LGBTQIA+ heroes, young readers from elementary through high school will find something to enjoy here. Share these titles for National Poetry Month and all year long.

Korean and Chinese comics reach English-language readers.

Elizabeth Acevedo's adult debut receives an SLJ star this month, along with the latest Adam Gidwitz novel, two books for young readers about Eid al-Fitr, and more.

From elementary books to young adult titles—across various genres and formats—these 12 recent releases elevate voices and showcase the multifaceted experiences within the trans and nonbinary community.

Many autistic girls cope by trying to mask who they are. For them and other children, seek books where main characters are appreciated for being themselves and are not required to change.

An oak tree's willingness to be called he or she canceled a district read in Floyd County, VA; themed book displays are banned in Louisiana parish; and more.

The Caldecott winner can be an impactful read-aloud for all ages.

Eid al-Fitr, the end of Ramadan, is expected to fall around April 9 to April 11 in 2024. These picture books, along with a board book and an early reader, can be shared with young ones while they wait for the first appearance of the crescent moon that marks the end of the long month of fasting.

These books help support positive discussions with students about the climate crisis.

A settlement in the case against Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' law has clarified that library books cannot be removed under the law as long as they aren't part of the curriculum; queer publishers navigate book bans; Ohio district keeps two books on shelves; and more.

Literati Book Fairs are expanding in the Mid-Atlantic region; Scholastic and Little Free Library announce "Dog Man" boxes; and more in News Bites.

Read about RuPaul's new online bookstore that has a colorful outreach plan, watch the 60 Minutes segment on book banning in South Carolina, stay up to date on proposed state legislation (the good and the bad), and more in Censorship News.

In an interview with SLJ, Dan Bova, author of The HISTORY Channel This Day in History For Kids shares details about creating the book, along with his favorite fact in the volume and why he wears a football helmet while binge-watching Netflix.

U.S. publishers step up to provide age-appropriate new releases for 8- to 12-year-olds. 

District employees drew clothes on Maurice Sendak characters in one Florida district, while students, legislators, and library workers fight back against censorship in Virginia, Oregon, New Jersey, and Connecticut.

Co-authors Kekla Magoon & Cynthia Leitich Smith in conversation about the inspiration behind The Blue Stars Series: Mission One: The Vice Principal Problem: "When we set out to write a middle grade graphic novel series about cousins who became superheroes to save their school library, we couldn't have imagined how timely our story would become."

The average book prices are produced annually by SLJ in partnership with Follett and Baker & Taylor.

This selection of picture books features various traditions and ways to celebrate the holy month, showing young readers the diversity within the Muslim community while celebrating the shared principles.

The seasoned duo chat about their collaborative process, real-life "Dogtown" counterparts, and drawing plot inspiration from the absurdity of the everyday. Plus, a cover reveal!

This month’s video game roundup features sequels, new installments in enduring ­series, and games set in familiar realms that can help players build skills they can apply to navigating the real world.

It’s a good moment for new women’s history books—and also a good time for librarians to cull outdated titles. 

As Women's History Month kicks off, use these tips to find the best books for your students.

The Writer Award winner is Anne Wynter for Nell Plants a Tree. Sarah Gonzales won the Illustrator Award for The Only Way to Make Bread.

The Black Caucus of the American Library Association, Inc. and School Library Journal announce the 2024 Children & Youth Literary Awards, which celebrate the diversity of the Black experience.

In Florida, governor Ron DeSantis is pushing for an adjustment to his law that created a mass of book challenges, as bills on both sides of the fight for intellectual freedom are debated in Oregon and Utah, while West Virginia and Georgia seek to strip librarians' legal protections.

In these novels, characters find connection and joy amid life-altering health issues.

In partnership with coalition members, including School Library Journal and dozens of publishers, Unite Against Book Bans today launched a free book résumé resource to help counter censorship attempts.

Part of ABC-CLIO’s The American Mosaic program, this platform offers primary sources, curriculum guides, and other tools for students and educators doing research on the Asian American experience. 

The interim library director in Lafayette, LA, lifted the ban on certain book displays; Florida county gets new, restrictive library cards for kids; legislation to change book review policies moves forward in Idaho and South Carolina; and more news.

Bustard tells the story of a Italian priest who became a saint, Churnin writes about a female entrepreneur in the 1800s, and Strauss informs readers about the preservation of a 14th-century manuscript.

Advocates rally against legislation in Georgia; students protest book removals in Virginia; The Curse of King Tut's Tomb taken off shelves in South Carolina; and more.

The Black Caucus of the American Library Association released its 2023 Best of the Best Books list, featuring more than 75 titles divided into three categories: PreK–4, Grades 5–8, and Grades 9–12.

Just ahead of the release of their YA fantasy novel Infinity Alchemist, author Kacen Callender talked with SLJ about the idea of "chosen ones," reflecting their community and identity in their writing, and more.

Authors Amina Luqman-Dawson, Lesa Cline-Ransome, Carole Boston Weatherford, and illustrator James Ransome discuss their research process and how they use creative license to tell stories. 

The theme for Black History Month 2024 is "African Americans and the Arts." In these titles, young readers can learn about people who loved to express themselves through visual art, dance, song, and other forms of artistic creation.

In these three titles—a board book, picture book, and early reader—brother-and-sister duos celebrate Lunar New Year and Valentine's Day.

The James Addams Peace Association and Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction announce their 2024 winners; the kid lit community and free speech advocates mourn the loss of author Robie Harris, Lerner launches space books partnership, Paw Prints Publishing expands to middle grade, and more in this edition of News Bites.

Start Black History Month with these edifying, entertaining audiobooks by Black writers about Black experiences starring Black characters—and keep listening throughout the year. 

A Texas teacher is finding a way to get her students access to titles; in Alabama, the public library system breaks ties with ALA and is set to review 82 books, while a grassroots organization aims to fight censorship in the state.

Lunar New Year falls on Saturday, February 10 in 2024. From wish soup to dragon gifts, these board books and picture books show young readers many ways to celebrate the holiday.

Nikki M. Taylor discusses research challenges around early Black American history and suggests resources.

Here are the overall Top 10 books chosen from six curated lists, spanning early readers to YA.

One event dominated the news in our corner of the world: the 2024 Youth Media Awards. See what categories resonated in our most viewed stories of the past week.

“Because Black history isn’t centered, you have to search harder for those stories,” says Gill, who has researched figures including Spottswood Rice, who escaped enslavement and joined the Union Army, and motorcyclist Bessie Stringfield. 

Crews discusses the research that went into her new picture book about the children’s author and literary legend.

In this guest post, artist Sammy Savos details her creative process and discusses her collaboration with Holocaust survivor Estelle Nadel to create the graphic memoir The Girl Who Sang. "I’m very grateful that she was able to see the finished book, hold it in her hands, and tell me how happy she was with it."

Speaking on-air with Kelly Clarkson, bestselling author Jeff Kinney revealed the cover of Hot Mess. It's the 19th title in the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" series, which Kinney announced would publish on October 22, 2024.