Related
Now up for discussion in our Heavy Medal Mock Newbery: THE UNDEAD FOX OF DEADWOOD FOREST by Aubrey Hartman.
I’ll always be a Jo, but I’m trying to be a little more like Beth March.
SPONSORED
Creativity is an increasingly important skill for students to learn in a world where machines can perform rote tasks and calculations—and for the fifth straight year, Crayola will be hosting free lessons and activities that foster student creativity during its annual Crayola Creativity Week.
Travis: In the latest episode of The Yarn, Colby and I look ahead to 2026. We talk about upcoming books, make some predictions, and realize that fanclubs don’t exist anymore. We hope you enjoy this episode. Subscribe below to catch every episode of The Yarn: iTunes Spotify Stitcher
A war orphan must save a kingdom and avenge his best friend in this war epic.
Today's Mock Newbery Finalist is WILL'S RACE FOR HOME by Jewell Parker Rhodes, a historical fiction novel set during the 1889 Oklahoma Land Rush.
But as books continue to be challenged, we have to continue to find ways teach all the literacies that are necessary simply to survive because these literacies will provide ways to challenge narrow mindedness and this is critical when stories are no longer as representational as they should be.
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.
PREMIUM
Luna and the Night
Crafted with care, from texts to illustrations, this book will help young readers understand their fears.
PREMIUM
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.
PREMIUM
The Wildest Thing
An excellent read-aloud for young children at home with a parent or older sibling, this book inspires a love of nature and a healthy disregard for all that is prim and proper.
PREMIUM
How to Comfort a Monster
A poignant tale of friendship and feelings, and a relevant addition to picture book collections.
PREMIUM
A Black Girl and Her Braids
A great book for cultural education and appreciation. This book will be of interest to all collections.
PREMIUM
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.
PREMIUM
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.
PREMIUM
The Worried Book
Overall, a very simple introduction to big feelings for the smallest listeners.
PREMIUM
Billie Builds a RoboCorn
This story packs a punch. It’s great for those looking to beef up their SEL sections.
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.
PREMIUM
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.
PREMIUM
Action Jasmine
A good choice for those looking to add to their collections, particularly the social-emotional learning shelves.
PREMIUM
The Mother Tree
A moving depiction of the importance of trees and forests, this is highly recommended for all collections.
PREMIUM
Hummingbird’s Big Trip
A heartwarming and informative story reassuring children that even the smallest creatures can overcome big challenges.
PREMIUM
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.
A perfect introduction to this popular and fast-growing sport, with a particular focus on girls, recommended for middle and high school collections.
A fun, informative fan companion for newbies or hardcore fans alike, a must have for elementary and middle schools.
Beautifully presented, written with deep admiration, recommended for elementary libraries, especially where baseball is popular.
PREMIUM
Raise the Bar: A Graphic Novel
An inspiring story of athletic challenge and the struggle to excel, highly recommended for upper elementary and middle school readers.
PREMIUM
Colossal
While much of the story hews to the various class and gender dramas, Jade’s focus on exercise physiology and self-improvement will appeal to strength trainers. Recommended for high school libraries.
PREMIUM
The Baseball Encyclopedia
Whether for newbies to the game or deep-roots fans brushing up on details, this is a must for elementary and middle schools.
PREMIUM
Stealing the Score
A soccer-filled mystery adventure, a fun read for upper elementary and middle school fans of the “beautiful game.”
PREMIUM
Fast Break
A contemporary story that centers athletic performance and health, this will engage striving elementary and middle school readers.
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.
A handy reference or a comprehensive overview, this football compendium will be deservedly popular in virtually any school.
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.
PREMIUM
Roar of the Lambs
Despite some technical flaws, Shea’s (I Feed Her to the Beast) fantasy adventure offers a compelling exploration of temptation, power, and friendship. It will be at home in any teen audio collection.
PREMIUM
Out of Air
An exciting blend of treasure-hunting deep-sea adventure and science fiction thriller that will leave readers breathless. Perfect for fans of Courtney Gould.
A powerful, inclusive picture book that highlights the richness of human communication and how differences bring people together.
PREMIUM
The Grove
Phillips’s sad yet hopeful debut is suitable for young adult audiobook collections that feature historical and realistic fiction. Immersive and thoughtful, this is recommended for listeners seeking a haunting coming-of-age story with a strong sense of place.
The quirky dialogue and fast-paced plot will have young readers running right alongside Maggie, piecing clues together to try and solve the mystery before it’s too late.
This vibrant biographical collection of individuals with Down syndrome is both insightful and informative, making it a suitable addition to any young adult nonfiction audiobook collection.
For fans of Christina Li’s Clues to the Universe, this is a strong addition to middle school collections.
PREMIUM
The Wild Robot on the Island
A captivating entrée for younger children to meet Roz and enjoy the “Wild Robot” trilogy.
Enhanced with audio narration that perfectly conveys the characters’ emotional arcs, Min’s (Beating Heart Baby) sophomore novel is a valuable addition to any young adult audio collection.
With its strong focus on the historical context of segregation and its comprehensive coverage of the sport’s indomitable heroes, this title is an excellent addition for upper-elementary and middle school collections, appealing strongly to both sports enthusiasts and readers seeking diverse historical perspectives.
While it may have benefited from more in-depth non-Western coverage, this work is still a useful addition for libraries looking to build up their STEM collections.
This biography is an honest depiction of the cruelty in Canada’s First Nation residential schools from the perspective of a survivor. An important addition to every library’s juvenile biography section and classroom.
A fun, humorously written but superficial first introduction to chemistry and chemical reactions that may spark scientific curiosity.
A compelling, narrative-driven collection of astonishing ocean stories. Purchase for collections where incredible true accounts are in high demand.
An interesting addition to any collection serving older teen readers. This highly practical guide provides essential, relatable lessons for success by translating the mechanics of baseball and softball into meaningful life skills.
This hopeful take on confronting climate change is perfect for young readers experiencing climate anxiety.
A fun and eye-opening road trip travelogue perfect for young students of American history.
Short, compelling chapters present good read aloud opportunities to share in a family or classroom setting.
A solid purchase for libraries with plenty of animal lovers and nonfiction browsers.
Fans of basketball and Griner will enjoy this memoir; the themes of racism, body image, and LGBTQIA+ rights will appeal to a larger audience.
An essential memoir for all school libraries about an influential individual impacting our country who used their experiences to show how the law can provide solutions that change people’s lives and bring about monumental change.
Climate crisis is a real thing; something that affects all walks of life and this title helps readers to feel empowered to make the world better.
PREMIUM
I Want to Be a Scientist
An informative and attractive introduction to science careers, useful in most libraries catering to children and their interests.
PREMIUM
Burn the Kingdom Down
Seasoned fantasy readers will find this underwhelming, but those simply looking to escape into a different world may still enjoy the experience. A secondary purchase.
PREMIUM
A Song in the Dark
A great recommendation for readers who enjoyed Ginny Myers Sain’s When the Bones Sing, realistic portrayals of grief, and paranormal mysteries.
Hand this to mature readers interested in gothic horror and who will be satisfied with an ending that doesn’t reveal all of its magical secrets.
A delightful and spooky read, especially for those who are into Wednesday on Netflix. This unputdownable book is highly recommended.
PREMIUM
When It’s Your Turn for Midnight
A brief, beautiful Zimbabwean novel about war and family, recommended for collections where literary YA fiction is in demand.
A must-have for teen libraries’ science fiction/dystopian fiction sections.
PREMIUM
The Gravewood
Addictive, atmospheric, and brimming with dark romance, this will leave readers craving more. Perfect for fans of Tracy Deonn’s Legendborn and The Vampire Diaries TV show.
An excellent graphic novel that is fun while also presenting ethical issues teens will find highly engaging.
PREMIUM
They Want Us Dead
Complete with a diverse cast of characters and a slow-burn romance, it will enthrall teens everywhere. A recommended purchase.
PREMIUM
Flirting with Murder
A cozy mystery that readers will delight in and devour, with all the vibes of Jesse Q. Sutanto’s Dial A for Aunties and Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club that teens could want.
Humor, heart, diversity, and pride abound in this vibrant, affirming tale. Highly recommended.
An exciting and compassionate adventure featuring an unconventional yet inspiring heroine. A must have for YA graphic novel collections.
PREMIUM
Hoot Hoot
Perfect for story hours and one-on-one reading, this will be a crowd-pleasing choice on library shelves.
A strong addition from a neurodivergent author and illustrator that will resonate with many children and families.
PREMIUM
The Smushkins: ABC Zoinks
A strong primer for early ABC learning and a recommended purchase for most libraries.
PREMIUM
The Tiniest Giant
A lovely choice for potential nature lovers everywhere, and their caretakers.
A joyful and informative introduction to the Chinese New Year that belongs on library shelves.
PREMIUM
One Night In Bethlehem
A suitable purchase if more religious board books are needed in the collection.
A striking blend of high-contrast art and real photography that makes this a first purchase for most collections.
PREMIUM
My Mom Loves . . . Music!
An additional purchase for libraries seeking books that highlight mothers.
A first purchase wherever Taylor Swift is popular, which is to say, everywhere
articles
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER? LOG IN
We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER? LOG IN
Thank you for visiting.
We’ve noticed you are using a private browser. To continue, please log in or create an account.
