Reviews+

The 2015 Caldecott winner explains why the award should go to the illustrator and the author, and reveals his memorable middle-of-the-night DM from that year's Newbery winner, Kwame Alexander.

In this guest post, author Shannon Hale discusses adapting her graphic novel Best Friends as an audiobook, with a behind-the-scenes look at how she wrote the script and took part in the narration.

For space enthusiasts eager to expand their knowledge, these YA nonfiction titles explore what we know about our solar system and the universe beyond.

Should teachers and librarians back away from SEL to avoid the political heat? Parents broadly support schools teaching SEL-related skills, or “life skills,” to use the more politically neutral term. And publishers continue to see the ever-increasing value of SEL themes and to prioritize them in their publishing programs.

Amid a climate of legislation dictating how gender, sexuality, and LGBTQIA+ topics are discussed in classrooms and a record number of challenges to books with LGBTQIA+ authors or characters, publishers are doubling down on their commitment to put out titles that represent their readers.

An understanding of STEM ideas and principles can empower students to solve problems, take action in their own communities, and prepare them for the future. This is why STEM-related books continue to resonate with publishers and young readers alike.

Summer reading is critical for so many reasons: It helps prevent learning loss while students are off for the summer. It supports children’s social-emotional development. It reinforces the idea that learning doesn’t end when school is out of session. Most important, it’s a time when kids can read just for fun.

Publishers are keenly aware that their books have to work harder than ever before—with more exciting storylines, more eye-catching and mature design, and popular topics that entice reluctant readers, like mysteries, horror, paranormal phenomena, dangerous jobs, cars and planes, and pre-historic creatures.

In 2023, graphic novels are no longer a new category but an established staple on library shelves. All signs point to the continued boom and increasing expansion of the format across all genres.