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I know there are readers who are tired of love triangles, and I don’t blame them. But I’m also a firm believer that no trope is overdone until everyone has had an equal chance to play with it, especially authors from marginalized backgrounds.
Told in verse and full of references to books Kareem has read, this is a beautiful story of hope, empathy, confidence, and courage.
Jason Chin's next nonfiction picture book is called HURRICANE and today we have a first look at the cover.
Here are SLJ's reviews of the books that made the longlist for the 2024 National Book Award for Young People's Literature, including six books with SLJ stars.
It's been ten years since the release of THE RIGHT WORD: ROGET AND HIS THESAURUS and we figured we'd have a chat with its creators about its creation and legacy.
Check out this week's list of new comics, manga, and graphic novels for readers 12 and under, featuring Uprooted: A Memoir About What Happens When Your Family Moves Back, from Roaring Brook Press, and Shock City, from Viking Books for Young Readers.
We have 82 books on our Mock Newbery list so far...but what are we missing? Lists and pie charts help us try to identify the genres, categories, and age levels that seem to be garnering the most...and the least attention among Heavy Medal readers so far.
Check out these titles by queer and BIPOC authors that will satisfy young readers as we approach spooky season
A good read that's a bit demanding, a fact that certainly won't scare off the library kids like Essie who love to read.
While driving home from a book event a couple weeks back, I turned on the recorder and talked about how THE SHIP IN THE WINDOW came to be.
Throughout history and around the world, dancing has been a way for people to express themselves and celebrate their cultural identity. Share these titles with young readers in time for National Dance Day on September 21.
While driving home from a book release event for The Ship in the Window, I turned on my recorder and talked about how the book came to be.
It's time to talk about early favorites on Heavy Medal and gauge our readers (that's you!)- please take our Beginning of the Year Check-In Survey by Weds. Sept. 11.
DC Comics' superstar writer Tom King joins artist Dan Parent for a special one-shot in which Archie tries to finally decide between Betty and Veronica...by tossing a coin.
As always, a list of five is only sharing a tiny bit of what’s new this month. Check your local library for other new releases!
How do we make the world safe for all of us to express our emotions? To begin with, we need to stick together as we cry and laugh our way through the world.
These titles with book banning and censorship themes are good to share with students and patrons of all ages during Banned Books Week and all year round.
Mobilizing Alumni Networks for School Library Advocacy High school alumni are a potentially useful group for advocating about school library issues and initiatives. While some alumni have left your area, many towns and neighborhoods continue to have well-established networks of local graduates who can be mobilized for advocacy. With the current fight over censorship and […]
Is this a future classic? The answer may lie in the goats.
Authors Cathy Carr and JOanne Rossmassler Fritz discuss adults in middle grade fiction
A fantastic fast-paced environmental mystery with wide appeal.
These days, writing and recommending books about tough subjects can feel risky…but there’s never been a time when it’s more necessary to offer readers greater depth and breadth of subjects and diversity of characters.
How GUAVA AND GRUDGES Pays Homage to the Golden Age of YA Romance, a guest post by author Alexis Castellanos
When I started working on my novel A Second Chance on Earth, I wanted to capture, in verse, the beauty and complexity of a Colombia that I love so intensely.
It's time for Year 17 of the Heavy Medal Mock Newbery Blog! We're looking forward to another season of discussing the best children's books of the year. Here's a look at what we have planned for the next few months on Heavy Medal.
Lisa Fipps returns to talk about her latest book And Then, Boom!
I’m thrilled to share the Team Canteen kids with this next generation of readers and hope the members of The Baby-Sitters Club would choose to sit with them in the mess hall.
Think of every awful disaster that could befall a middle schooler on picture day, and it happens to poor Andrew.
These titles include the background for the current state of book banning, as well as ideas to help librarians respond proactively and reactively. Turn to these titles for information and inspiration for the fight.
There's something for everyone in this roundup of active nonfiction. Some books teach readers how to go fishing, bird-watch, and get in touch with their mystic powers, while other offerings cover affirmations, puberty, and career readiness.
Gale offers comprehensive guides to mental health for teens. This three-book series tackles a range of mental health challenges.
"To love palindromes is to be okay with a little bit of wiggliness when it comes to sense." Settle in for discussions of Borges, Calvino, and Legend of Zelda in our talk with Newbery Honor winner Daniel Nayeri on his latest.
Check out this week's list of new comics, manga, and graphic novels for readers 12-and-under featuring Taxi Ghost from Random House Graphic and Hearing Things from Toon Books.
We have finished up our final round of suggestions for Heavy Medal 2025 Mock Newbery. The real committee keeps suggesting all year, but here we focus on nominations instead. We have 337 suggestions for a total of 83 titles with FERRIS by Kate DiCamillo still leading the way followed closely by THE TENTH MISTAKE OF […]
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Created and hosted by Jordan Lloyd Bookey, co-founder of the reading motivation app Beanstack, that is used by schools and libraries worldwide, The Reading Culture podcast explores authors’ personal stories and their insights into motivating young people to read.
For visibility, the book’s purpose is clear, and the emotion is palpable, but the issues with narrative clarity keep it just shy of stellar.
PREMIUM
The Vincent van Gogh Atlas
This is well-crafted narrative nonfiction. Purchase where more coverage of the artist is needed.
A truly uplifting read for anyone, but especially for those who have ever felt alone and unheard by being new, different, or othered. Highly recommended for any library serving youth.
Recommended for general purchase for all nonfiction collections; there are impossibly few resources available to this readership that take on this topic and cover it in such depth.
A well-sourced biography for patient readers, recommended for libraries where classic fantasy is popular.
Recommended only for research or where presidential biographies are in demand or need updating.
PREMIUM
Pop-Up Planetarium
An excellent resource that is a recommended addition to any school library.
Recommended as independent reading for elementary libraries, especially where basketball is big.
A great addition to any collection, as it builds an influential bond between readers and nature’s call to aid in its rejuvenation.
An approachable, comprehensive guide to empower kids to find their passion and make a change. A must-purchase for all libraries.
This book is especially recommended because it not only explains the growth of a successful writer, but it also can stimulate discussions of the ways in which reading and writing enrich our lives.
PREMIUM
We Are Free, You and Me
This is a powerful and accessible invitation for readers of all ages to embrace and support the freedom inherent to all.
A stunning book and essential purchase, stuffed with ideas, poetic musings, and more than one reason to connect with rocks wherever they are found.
PREMIUM
She Persisted: Dolores Huerta
An informative biography that highlights the importance of making difficult decisions and helping others, and an inspiring read for young audiences.
PREMIUM
Family and Feelings
In the books for new siblings space, this is a very thoughtful and thorough approach.
An outstanding choice for biography and science classes, women’s history studies, and Black history studies.
Answering deep questions, this book will encourage meaningful, grounded discussions and will be an important part of the elementary library collection.
A fantastic resource for introducing children to robotics. This book educates and inspires, making it a valuable addition to any children’s library.
An excellent purchase to help readers learn about the importance of the brain, and a great addition to Gravel’s other nonfiction titles.
A compelling set of stories that will fascinate animal lovers, and a recommended purchase.
A compelling story of a young girl remaining true to herself, this will inspire readers and athletes of all faiths.
Words and illustrations provide an excellent introduction to how one woman brought her love of fine Chinese food to the United States.
Positive, straightforward, and useful, this appealing graphic novel is a solid choice for youth collections.
This is a joyful but meaty take on the celestial beings that surround Earth. It delivers solid SEL as well: in an argument between good friends, sometimes all that’s needed is a little perspective.
Debut author Mepani pulls from her own childhood experiences to capture a single Saturday gathering full of family, friends, and joyful chaos. An important book for every growing library collection.
PREMIUM
The Last Tamale
A beautiful love letter to Latinx culture celebrating the importance of family culinary traditions.
This charming book will have children holding love in their hands; a must-have for any social-emotional collection.
PREMIUM
Boy Here, Boy There
This can be enjoyed with or without acknowledging the Neanderthal/Homo Sapien subtext, but either way it should be read aloud to make the most of the poetic text. A good choice for most libraries.
PREMIUM
The Little Green Swing
Make story hours that contrast this "Three Little Pigs" with other more traditional tellings, and watch Ruby, again, come in first, but with grace.
This delightful picture book allows Indigenous children to connect with and feel pride in the abundance of powwow participation, and gives all readers a great counting book full of cultural imagery.
PREMIUM
The Helping Sweater
A positive and uplifting book with a generous circular ending that young readers will love.
An odd interactive introduction to the concept of local resources and problem-solving but not entirely relatable for the intended audience.
A fun and imaginative story to read aloud with young children.
An uplifting story that celebrates the idea of “extraordinary,” which includes the story’s heroine, one’s friends, and Japan’s gift of cherry trees to the nation’s capital.
PREMIUM
The Dinosaur Next Door
A fun fantasy about finding one’s own place as well as respecting that in others.
PREMIUM
Clydeo Takes a Bite Out of Life
An easily digestible morsel of life advice, not too heavy on the moralistic sauce, but tweaked with a dash of cleverness.
PREMIUM
Dogs Love Books, Too
A gentle invitation to young readers to explore the joy and possibility of reading.
A moody book about adventure and one’s place in the world, this isn’t essential but will find receptive readers.
A plea for peace that younger readers will clearly hear, pointing no accusatory fingers, but shining with steady resolve to endure.
For the construction shelf, for story hours, for busy toddlers to pore over, this is one rescue that everyone will want in on.
The sensitive treatment and outstanding illustrations warrant a recommended purchase; this is a loving story with beautiful artwork for a broad audience on the importance of grandparents and memory.
PREMIUM
Fox Is Coming!
This is a pleasurable read-aloud for intergenerational pairings, as well as a book younger readers will want to reread often.
At around 200 pages, this standalone book doesn’t feel overwhelming and would be a good choice for reluctant readers and those who enjoy pop culture.
PREMIUM
Sweetest Darkness
The opening chapters are powerful enough to pull in reluctant readers, but later chapters require much more diligence. A secondary purchase for libraries in need of beefing up their horror/supernatural offerings.
PREMIUM
Morgana and Oz, Vol. 1
While this graphic novel will inevitably bring to mind other paranormal romances, its great art, identifiable characters, and interesting plot and conflict will make it a hit with readers.
PREMIUM
The Lies We Conjure
Despite some moments of heavy exposition, this blend of magical elements, family drama, and murder mystery wraps up neatly, providing a satisfying standalone read.
PREMIUM
Pearl
A fine graphic novel that navigates tumultuous historic events, this is a good choice for book reports and readers who can't get enough of WWII stories.
PREMIUM
The Strange Tales of Oscar Zahn
Hand this to readers who enjoy supernatural adventures involving bonds between the living and the dead.
A priority purchase for fans of the first book and any collection with teens in search of their post–“Percy Jackson” obsession.
PREMIUM
The Ghost of You
This story is touching, heartbreaking, and poignant. A must for readers who enjoy complex emotional journeys.
PREMIUM
One Last Chance to Live
A moving portrayal of a teen confronting the world and himself. Recommended.
An insightful and empowering graphic novel about the complexities of 1980s South Korea, featuring young people’s pursuit of justice and freedom of thought despite the risks.
PREMIUM
This Fatal Kiss
This beautiful Slavic reimagining of “The Little Mermaid” will appeal to fans of fairy-tale retellings and queer romantasy adventures.
Equally heartbreaking and uplifting, this recommended book reminds readers that a forgotten past is irreplaceable, and the present is a gift.
PREMIUM
To the Bone
Hand this title to fans of Tracy Smith’s First Lady of Jamestown and Lauren Groff’s The Vaster Wilds. A general purchase for high school libraries.
PREMIUM
Luminous Beings
This graphic novel is sure to be a hit for fans of Paper Girls, Stranger Things, and Unbeatable Squirrel Girl.
PREMIUM
Signed Sealed Dead
Readers will find themselves drawn into the dark story of this small town. With only some violence and brief description of dead bodies, it would be acceptable for younger teen readers.
PREMIUM
They Thought They Buried Us
A modern take on horror for fans of Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé and Jordan Peele films that falls short due to a lack of clarity.
PREMIUM
Full Shift
Part fast-paced adventure, part poignant coming-of-age romance, Full Shift is recommended for all teen collections and pairs well with Maggie Tokuda-Hall and Lisa Sterle’s Squad.
PREMIUM
Us in Ruins
A fun romantic adventure with a bit of magical realism. Great for fans of the film The Mummy and novels like Holly Rose’s Until the Stars Fall.
PREMIUM
Little Moons
Storm and the art team beautifully weave a story about culture, heritage, family, loss, and grief in a tight-knit package.
PREMIUM
Aisle Nine
This book will delight readers with its dark comedy, but also provides enough twists and turns to keep readers guessing. A perfect release for the upcoming spooky season.
PREMIUM
Old Wounds
Both a nuanced look at the complexities of being trans in our current landscape and a thoroughly enjoyable horror thriller, this book is sure to appeal to teens who love Jordan Peele films or Tiffany D. Jackson.
Hand this to any young student (and sci-fi fan) trying to find their place in their community.
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