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What’s captured reader attention the last seven days? Top picks in middle grade and graphic format books, along with the political climate and the potential impact on schools and libraries.

SLJ's 2024 best middle and high school nonfiction selections run the gamut from insightful memoir; thoughtful explorations of cultural, biological, and environmental phenomena; to unrelenting exposures of dark times in our world's sociopolitical history—and the crucial lessons we must learn from the past.

Utah has added Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott to its list of books banned at all public schools; the Texas state board of education wants legislation giving it  control of school library collections; and Crank by Ellen Hopkins remains on South Carolina high school shelves, but students will need parental permission.

The blossoming ranks of stellar biographies for young readers continue to crowd the shelves. Japanese athletes hit their summits in two vastly different ways, an author attempts to right the record on Rosalind Franklin, and a forgotten sports hero at last gets his due. And that's just the start of the Best Books in the category of nonfiction for the elementary grades. Come have a look.

Herewith, authors who have not won a Newbery Medal, including those who have won at least one Honor and some of the many excellent writers who haven’t yet been awarded any Newbery recognition. Emily and Steven kick off the conversation on "Heavy Medal."

Shifa Saltagi Safadi's novel in verse about an immigrant family, the 2016 Muslim ban, and a boy trying to balance school and family earned the prestigious prize.

If confirmed by the Senate, McMahon is expected to advance the school choice and conservative agenda while trying to fulfill the president-elect's campaign promise of shutting down the Department of Education.

The best poems educate with their facts and inspire with their beautiful flow of words. These 11 titles contain poems that do both exceptionally for young readers of all ages. 

Cozy fantasies, immigration stories, and reimagined classics—2024’s Best Graphic Novels list isn’t just a collection of 25 unforgettable reads, it’s a showcase of comics that push storytelling to new heights.

Mythology and animal stories compose a large part of this early reader and chapter book list, alongside contemporary tales of young protagonists staying true to themselves and the things they love while figuring out how to act among peers. These titles will help children learn how to read as well as model ideas for how they can be authentically themselves.

Gripping fantastical journeys, family secrets, unbridled joy, and inconceivable loss: in these pages, tweens are facing it all. These 26 middle grade titles are exemplars across genre of the power of truth telling and embracing one's authentic self, even when it seems impossible. 

Among this year’s outstanding listens—with publication dates from November 2023 to October 2024—are two picture books, two volumes of a graphic trilogy (they count as one entry), a head-smack must-read history, and several laugh-out-loud novels. 

As the medium continues its meteoric rise, 2024 marked the debut of SLJ's first-ever Best Books committee dedicated exclusively to manga. From shock-charged action and celestial fantasy to eco-horror and edutainment, these 22 standout titles offer something for readers of all ages and interests, redefining what belongs on K–12 shelves—and why.

The curation of this list is evidence of the gigantic community working together, no questions asked, to campaign for literacy and an educated republic, by inviting young readers into the pages of a book. We’d love to know what you think of our 193 selections.

This season's series cover favorite nonfiction topics from a variety of vantage points.

Refresh your shelves with books about beloved animals and lesser-known species.

New titles in the arts and activities category promote creativity and fun.

Unsung heroes from the past and today's most popular personalities populate this diverse collection of biographies.

For striving and thriving emerging readers, these titles offer a while range of skill levels and topics.

From the reaches of outer space to the tiny world of nanobots, these science series will spark student interest.

These collections will allow readers to travel the world without leaving the library.

These timely collections will help readers make sense of the ins and outs of the U.S. Government and the election process.

Responding to stress, illness, and difficult situations is a focus of this season's health series.

The titles in these series offer a range of topics and genres to support emerging readers.

A good story can make history come alive, and these true stories from the past will draw readers in.

The practical and realistic information in these titles will help readers clear a path to their futures.

Mythical heroes and spine-chilling creatures await readers in these fascinating series.

The science behind the marvels of the natural world are explored in these series.

Exploring topics like climate change, immigration, and disability rights, these series offer information about issues young readers hear about and experience every day.

These books provide diverse perspectives, inviting curious minds to discover new ideas and broaden their understanding of the world.

This season's Spanish series include an exciting range of selections, with high-quality translations and striking artwork.

These colorful sports series are as packed with action as they are with information.

These titles promise to enrich library collections and inspire the next generation of innovators.

The Fall 2024 issue of Series Made Simple gives readers the opportunity to zoom in or pan out for unique views of the nonfiction topics they love.

SLJ will reveal the 193 titles selected for this year's Best Books list starting November 19 and culminating November 25 with a live webcast.

Parents and patrons want the LGBTQIA+ romance by Alice Oseman removed; a Tennessee district orders the immediate removal of 150 books; and a school board is set to review collections in a Virginia district in search of "sexually explicit" material that goes against policy.

In 2022, Ashley and Jeff Wall founded MamaBear Books, a Texas-based boutique children’s book publisher. MamaBear inspires imaginative play for young children with hilarious adventure books like The Day I Had a Bulldozer, The Day I Had a Dinosaur, and Lucy and Her Unicorn Get a Sparkle Puppy.

March 2025  will be five years since the COVID-19 pandemic began. We will mark the anniversary by sharing your memories of spring 2020 and the months that followed or thoughts on the impact that you still see today.