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A young man returns to lion dancing after years away, only to discover his one-time partner is now his bitter rival in this graphic novel by cartoonist (and lion dancer!) Cai Tse.
We asked readers to rank their favorite Newbery contenders so far and share observations about current trends in children's literature. Here are the results:
These Take Five lists can help you with collection development, displays, reading lists, and more.
As we prepare for the launch of our new series, Westfallen, we get asked one question more than any other: “What was it like writing a novel with your sister/brother?”
The Unfinished is all about finding the bravery to face uncertainty in many ways – in one’s relationships, identity and creepy monsters that haunt the forest.
Earnest, funny, and evocative? Say those words together and you might be discussing the graphic novel memoir debut from picture book creator Ruth Chan. We discuss this changeover.
Here's a look at the graphic novels that publishers have been acquiring, and when we can expect to see them.
Filled with plenty of action, this look at feelings, strengths, found family, and friendship is a satisfyingly creepy fantastical story full of heart.
What does it mean when a book like THEY THOUGHT THEY BURIED US is praised for “strong queer Puerto Rican/Latine representation”?
Want to plan your reading schedule? Here's our plan for what genres we are planning on featuring on Wednesdays this Fall. And a survey about your favorite Newbery winners in select genres.
Books are being banned from libraries to eliminate the stories and the lives that they tell, but to win the long fight, librarians have to work to be anti-oppressive.
Two former outcasts find themselves helping each other navigate high school in this cute rom-com.
If you book talk this title, be prepared to have a hold list a mile long. Compulsively readable and creepy enough to satisfying even the most demanding of readers, this collection is a hit.
Library Girl took me back to the forgotten memories of my childhood and the Kalamazoo Public Library. It took me back to that time in childhood when you are let loose from your parents’ leash and begin to explore the world on your own.
These short story collections center diverse characters and stories in creepy, readable tales.
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.
An engaging and informative nonfiction text with all the facts about vaccinations. A must-have for middle school libraries.
Chavez’s prose and Le Large’s cartoon illustrations work well together to lighten up what is most often a difficult topic.
A thrilling historical account useful for report writing, those planning to visit the island, and entertainment.
This comprehensive book will hold greater appeal for horse-lovers, more than fans of WWII nonfiction. An additional purchase.
An additional purchase to expand holiday diversity in collections.
The title serves as an introductory resource to expand knowledge about holidays and seasons celebrated around the world, and could be successful in helping readers discover more about the topic.
Lyrical and lovely. Recommended for all collections.
PREMIUM
The Last Pomegranate
This wintry tale will lead readers to develop an understanding of multicultural holiday traditions as well as to learn the practice of everyday philanthropy.
PREMIUM
One Foggy Christmas Eve
A solid buy for holiday collections, but the Christmas vibes are subtle enough that this wondrous story also has year-round appeal.
Purchase where more picture book biographies about strong Latinx women are needed.
PREMIUM
Felix Powell, Boy Dog
This charming, lightly magical tale is a wonderful addition to all libraries serving young readers.
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 […]
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.
Don’t judge a book by a dated-looking cover. This title is an engaging read and would be good for those seeking to boost nonfiction and historical collections with this explosive title.
A story that young readers will enjoy, this will be a welcome addition to holiday collections.
PREMIUM
Martee Dares to Dance
A suggested purchase for collections seeking more books that will empower young readers.
A charming movable book that promises to delight readers of all ages, making it a must-have addition to any holiday collection.
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.
What if you told someone you wish they were dead...and then they died?" the thinking of writing about grief was there -- I was processing how to process.
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.
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