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Join me in the Not-So-Way-Back Machine to catch up on a few May titles!
Chuseok is a Korean harvest festival on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar. This year, it falls on October 6. Share these two books with little ones to teach them about Chuseok and celebrate the holiday.
Not only has the creator of Strange Planet written a bedtime book, but it's chock full of science, humor, and some seriously sweet backmatter for the younger set. We talk!
The longer I live, the more I understand how science and math perfect art and music as much as engineering and technology.
Here's a look at the graphic novels that publishers have been acquiring, and when we can expect to see them.
In eighth grade, I was scared of the world finding out the truth about me. But I think, even scarier, was admitting that truth to myself.
It's time to officially start our 2026 Mock Newbery discussions on Heavy Medal. Here's a look ahead at what to expect over the next few months.
Wherein I am taken to task for referring to beloved stuffed animals as "inanimate objects" by the inimitable (and very correct) Katherine Applegate.
COLBY: Barbara O’Connor is always one of the most popular authors in my fifth grade classroom. Kids cannot get enough of her stories. I am so excited to share my conversation with Barbara about her new book Dream (a companion to Wish). Subscribe below to catch every episode of The Yarn: iTunes Spotify Stitcher
Check out this week's list of new comics, manga, and graphic novels for readers 12 and under, featuring Tuck Everlasting from Farrar, Straus, and Giroux and Max, A Little Axolotl from Graphix.
Teen librarian reviews the debut novel LET'S SPLIT UP by Bill Wood
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Everywhere we go—home, school, the grocery store, downtown, parks, playgrounds—we witness the products of engineering. From the roads we build to the skyscrapers we design to the can opener in the kitchen drawer, engineering is in use all around us.
A dual interview with two women deeply connected to the great novel TUCK EVERLASTING. If you ever loved the book, you're not going to want to miss this...
A dual interview with two women deeply connected to the great novel TUCK EVERLASTING. If you ever loved the book, you're not going to want to miss this...
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These vibrant nonfiction companions from “TIME for Kids” deliver fast-paced, engaging science content in a format that’s as fun as it is informative. Spectacular Sea Creatures reads like a compact oc...
A dual interview with two women deeply connected to the great novel TUCK EVERLASTING. If you ever loved the book, you're not going to want to miss this...
The final suggestion season for Hevay Medal Mock Newbery closes with 96 total titles. We have a lot of narrowing down to do.
Ades treats questions of identity with a light touch, which only gives the story more power. A necessary addition to the shelves.
Unique in its approach to the discussion of environmental conservation, this is a compelling, important addition to nonfiction collections for older elementary readers.
An exceptional choice for libraries that cherish the stories of unsung, exceptional American people.
This book is a fine choice for supplementing and supporting studies of plants, animals, and natural settings. It is also useful for examining how written text and illustrations can work successfully together to inform and surprise readers.
PREMIUM
This Is My Wonderful Face
A colorful book that celebrates potentially infinite diversity, this will be a story time hit for preschool and kindergarten audiences.
Recommended for general purchase for early reader collections.–Kristen Todd-Wurm
An ideal addition to collections where STEM titles fly off the shelves.
PREMIUM
A Place Called Galveston
A tender, accessible introduction to an underrepresented part of American immigration history. Recommended for collections where immigrant narratives are lacking.
A generous view of the phases of the moon, written with great care, pacing, and illumination.
A lovely homage to Matisse’s life and work, this is a positive addition to nonfiction biography collections for young readers, and it is especially well-suited to reading aloud.
PREMIUM
Don’t Eat Eustace
A vibrantly illustrated tale of finding friendship through creativity, this book is a strong addition to picture book collections and story hour shelves.
PREMIUM
I Can Help in the Neighborhood
This charming board book features a helpful group of familiar animals with an engaging story that will make for an enjoyable read for an audience just learning to help others.
PREMIUM
The Lighthouse Keeper
Touching upon the importance of a lighthouse keeper, this picture book is a good choice for children’s collections and for those in search of this compelling, but little-mentioned, occupation.
PREMIUM
Bath Time for the Crayons
The crayons and their art are delightful, rustic, and interesting enough to keep children not only entertained but constantly looking for playfulness on every page. An aquatic amusement that lands across a range of grades.
PREMIUM
Searching for Mr. Johnson’s Song
A powerful tale that demonstrates the connective power of music and memory, as well as an appreciation for the strength of tradition passed through generations.
Recommended for lower elementary grades where fearless books on difficult topics, here masterfully captured in wordless form, are collected and lauded as required viewing.
PREMIUM
Cats on Cats on Cats
An appealing way to teach an important life lesson in communication, and great fun for the SEL shelves.
PREMIUM
Gray Squirrel Loses It!
An exciting and humorous opportunity to open discussions about the concept of seeds turning into plants, the food chain, and forest life, or just to read for fun.
PREMIUM
The Coziest Place on the Moon
A reflective social-emotional story that celebrates solitude and affirms that being alone does not mean being lonely. A thoughtful addition to collections exploring emotional intelligence and mindfulness.
PREMIUM
Little Red and Big, Bad Fred
A sweet and silly twist on a classic tale, with preschool-friendly pacing and a heartwarming bond at its center. A whimsically absurd love letter to childhood imagination and animal companionship.
PREMIUM
The Everything Trail
This love letter to the great outdoors is one that every library should have in their collection.
An immensely engrossing historical story, perfect for introducing elementary readers to past visionaries and locations.
PREMIUM
Love Finds a Way
A sweet and engaging exploration of love, friendship, and emotional growth that will resonate with young readers.
PREMIUM
Help Me Find My Hamster!
An enjoyable opportunity for interactive reading with a group or as a lapsit.
An excellent introduction to an American pioneer and a good segue into classroom discussions of the upcoming Artemis expeditions.
Easy to absorb information presented in readable prose and bright drawings make this volume a welcome addition to collections. Selectors should consider.
PREMIUM
Factology: Greek Myths
Highly recommended for elementary and middle grade nonfiction collections, especially in libraries serving readers who enjoy mythology, the Percy Jackson series, and visually engaging informational texts.
A worthwhile text to add to any collection of animal facts and photographs.
While full of facts to engage reluctant readers, this book will leave many readers wanting more.
PREMIUM
A Compendium of Curious Contraptions: A Guessing Game About History’s Most Unusual Artifacts
A must-purchase text for history sleuths as well as for general use in schools or in classroom library reference collection.
PREMIUM
Media Bias: Examining the Facts
Consider purchasing as part of a larger collection on topics for debate and inquiry as a resource rich in topics to spark thinking.
A valuable reference tool for advanced placement students, undergraduates, and for large public libraries serving those interested in culture and disease, and the influences of the latter on the former.
Catnip for elementary school soccer enthusiasts looking to bulk up their trivia knowledge.
Highly recommended for both school and public libraries seeking to support STEM learning, global awareness, and reading skills.
PREMIUM
Refugee: The Graphic Novel
The original Refugee remains an important and timely book; this graphic novel adaptation brings the moving stories of Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud to life for a new generation of readers. A good choice for where the original is popular.
A sweet story that uses fantasy elements to explore neurodivergence and learning differences.
A solid purchase, this story will resonate with middle schoolers who have endured similar shifting family structures.
PREMIUM
My Sister the Werebeast
Filled with familial love and high adventure that will leave readers with the warm fuzzies, this is a wonderful addition to middle grade graphic novel collections.
PREMIUM
Millie of the Manor
A comforting, fun, low-stakes middle grade mystery that gains depth in the thoughtful portrayal of Amy’s anxiety.
PREMIUM
The Picasso Curse
Readers will eagerly join Edwin in this twisty, action-packed story that throws in a dollop of financial literacy and art history for good measure.
PREMIUM
Setting the Stage
A plucky, engaging series debut that will resonate with theater-loving tweens. Perfect for middle school collections where Wicked is the musical du jour.
PREMIUM
How to Save a Library
A perfect book for tweens seeking realistic fiction that beautifully captures the emotions and challenges of middle school. Highly recommended for all library shelves as many resonant topics are expertly woven into one satisfying story.
A graceful homage to theater as both a space and an art form, lovingly broken down to its individual parts to give each its moment in the spotlight.
PREMIUM
12 Strays of Christmas
Readers don’t need to be animal lovers to pick up this story about love after loss.
This visually appealing anthology provides interesting new seasonal read-alouds perfect for December story times or family reading traditions. Librarians will appreciate the variety of selections that can be incorporated into holiday programming.
Joyful illustrations and vibrant backgrounds make this a delightful addition to holiday collections.
This is a comprehensive, attractive, and accessible volume, similar in format and scope to Marilyn Singer’s Awe-some Days, Leslie Kimmelman’s Dance, Sing, Remember, and Alfred Kolatch’s Let’s Celebrate Our Jewish Holidays.
PREMIUM
The Gift of Words
A lovely holiday story that speaks to the power of bringing community together during the holidays.
PREMIUM
Christmas Gnomes
A short, sweet holiday board book for babies and toddlers, who may find the book’s odd shape appealing.
This picture book is a good fit for religious collections, especially in schools or libraries seeking Nativity stories with a contemporary flair and a strong, relatable heroine.
PREMIUM
When Santa Wrote Back!
Though a touch saccharine in its conclusion, a charming and vibrant addition to most holiday collections.
PREMIUM
Jingle Bell Jokes for Funny Kids
A fine addition for libraries looking to add some lighthearted Christmas cheer to joke book collections.
PREMIUM
A Very Merry Holiday (Pokémon)
Pokémon enthusiasts can deck the halls with their favorite characters in this interactive work, great to share with a buddy or enjoy independently.
A highly recommended Christmas story that captures the magic of friendship, this title has something for the young at heart of all ages and is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.
For patrons looking for a heartwarming, comforting Christmas tale, this is perfection.
A gently playful addition for collections needing fresh holiday cheer for babies.
PREMIUM
Fa La La Family
A fun and festive dive into Christmas celebrations with diverse families. Recommended for all libraries, especially where the authors’ other book is popular.
PREMIUM
Once Upon a Kwanzaa
Though the rhyming is sometimes clunky, this book is recommended for all collections, and encourages families to teach small children about Kwanzaa.
PREMIUM
Group Hug at Christmas!
Recommended as a general purchase for a holiday collection for the youngest readers. The unique layout of pages will certainly be appealing to toddlers and beyond.
PREMIUM
Banana Menorah
An engaging book depicting a family’s fun and unique spin on their Hanukkah celebrations.
A heartfelt ode to the celebration of chosen family to welcome into every holiday library collection.
An adorable, romantic, sapphic rom-com perfect for fans of the original, but still accessible for new readers who just want a quick, fun romp.
An appealing and authentic introduction to Dongzhì for readers of any background.
PREMIUM
Thanksgiving Is a Blessing
A joyful title that emphasizes the importance of connection and togetherness, whether with family or found family.
Look no further for fresh festive fun where search-and-find books are popular.
PREMIUM
Crocodile Christmas
Freshen up holiday board book collections with this joyful read-aloud that encourages families to read, sing, talk, write, and play together
An excellent secular selection for any library serving young children.
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