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Author Shelly Page shares her thoughts about representation and her newest release, BREWED WITH LOVE
Author Karen Valby discusses her book, THE SWANS OF HARLEM
Being a late bloomer is not a sign of failure, but a testament to the unique growth that is allowed when we give ourselves the grace to bloom in our own time.
My hope is that my book adds to the canon of mythological stories so that more kids can find themselves reflected in the story, especially kids that might have grown used to feeling “othered.”
Truthfully, although I write about destroying giant, horrible monsters, I’ve never quite been able to vanquish the imposter beast. But I’ve learned how to work around it.
These books on topics ranging from using AI successfully to navigating book challenges are a good place for librarians to start as they look toward another year of positively influencing young readers.
On the last day of 2024, Colby Sharp and I got on a call to look back at the year in children’s literature. This episode of The Yarn podcast is always one of my favorites (and not just because I get a chance to talk about things like The Great British Baking Show). We talk […]
Once upon a time, a reader asked me that age old question: "Where do your ideas come from?" I leaned into the mic and with complete sincerity gave them the best answer I could: "Keanu Reeves."
2024 came to a close with these outstanding selections, which include several from our new Fiction Series Made Simple supplement.
Humans haven’t stepped onto the Moon since 1972. Now, more than 50 years later, American astronauts are planning to head back, this time to stay.
Are your young readers sad that the holiday season is over? Point them to these titles, featuring holidays celebrated throughout the year around the world.
Teen Librarian Karen Jensen shares 5 of her favorite YA reads for 2024, and 2 Printz Award predictions
A handful of 2024 releases and a bunch of 2025 releases round out this final book mail post of the year.
Sometimes the simple act of adding some books to my own personal endless TBR stack or list is all it takes for me to want to do a Take Five list.
PREMIUM
How to Free a Leviathan
A touching tale, with shortcomings, about grief and friendship among humans and pets alike; this will circulate well in libraries where Cannistra’s books are popular.
PREMIUM
Golemcrafters
An important and timely book that will make anyone who has been “othered” feel seen. Recommended for most collections.
PREMIUM
Waffle Can’t Decide
Thoughtfully addressing decision-making anxiety with humor and warmth, this title is a solid purchase for large picture book collections.
Children will be empowered to declare their own special events each week, while educators and parents will see that even small moments are worthy of celebration.
PREMIUM
Grandmother Mouse
For the Indigenous shelves, for the SEL shelves, this is a book to charmingly inspire children to reflect on their day-to-day.
An appealing invitation to contemplate how our actions may impact the natural world, this title is a welcome addition to any picture book collection, especially where there is a demand for STEM content.
PREMIUM
Mad at Dad
The story is so basic but the treatment in words and art is not, and this will help children put into words the very noisy side of being mad.
Generous sentiments against tempered storytelling make for a tangible glimpse of amiable competition mixed with a powerful draw toward cooperation. A necessary volume.
PREMIUM
Searching for Home
Bourgonje has a gift for watercolor-like scenes that keep action—a lot of action
PREMIUM
All the Things You Will Do!
Simple and empowering, this book may hit the mark for young children.
PREMIUM
Dinosaurs for Dylan
This book is highly recommended for libraries, as it offers an important message of inclusion, empathy, and the different ways friendship can flourish.
This thoughtfully crafted story could be helpful to a young reader who has a family member struggling with addiction. A solid purchase where picture books addressing serious topics are needed.
This educational read is certain to be valued and enjoyed by all who seek to learn more about the native red wolf. A fabulous addition to all nonfiction library shelves.
There is no question, this must be purchased, read, and shared.
PREMIUM
The Astronaut Diaries
Readers will be transported to the International Space Station on an educational and inspirational journey of discovery; this spirited relating of important STEM concepts is an essential purchase.
This work profiles women’s equality in sports like a book about women’s suffrage or education and provides a perspective on the historical and contemporary vantage point of those topics: important to know.
PREMIUM
All the Truth I Can Stand
A heartbreaking historical story about grief, legacy, and the complexities of being human. Recommended for general purchase.
PREMIUM
Re:Anima, Vol. 1
This first volume is a breath of fresh air to sci-fi manga with infinite potential in the story to come.
PREMIUM
Hereditary Triangle
This meditation on relationships and what it is to be human breathes new life and perspective into the classic love-triangle story.
PREMIUM
Stealing for Keeps
A solid first book for the series, especially for readers who might want some romance but nothing heavy handed.
Listeners who enjoy nonfiction, documentaries, and titles about World War II will want to pick up this audiobook. Recommended for all library collections.
Such smooth nonfiction, this book is the perfect bridge between softer fact-based information and some of the lengthier volumes on science for emerging readers.
Tongue-in-cheek a lot of the time, this book conveys facts with a spoonful of joking and children will eat it up.
This fascinating narrative provides an in-depth history of skywalkers, the Caughnawaga, and their contributions to our cities and infrastructure. Strong first buy.
PREMIUM
The Meteor Shower
A solid addition to any school library’s STEM collection that promotes innovation, perseverance, and maintaining a proactive attitude.
Check out these 25 middle grade titles coming out in 2025!
From a bilingual book about Cuba to a graphic novel poetry collection, these diverse titles are sure to delight a wide range of young readers.
Kwanzaa is an African American and pan-African holiday that celebrates family, community, and culture. These board books, picture books, and audiobooks will help young children learn more about it and get into the spirit of the holiday.
Kindergarten teachers may want a copy to read annually, but most public libraries can skip this one.
A perfect transitional book for those leaving their teenage years behind and stepping forward into the vastness of uncertainty that is adulthood.
PREMIUM
The Mirror of Beasts
This sequel to Silver in the Bone is an excellent end to a clever and creative duology. Recommended for purchase.
PREMIUM
Stranger Skies
A complex and highly rewarding series entry that will follow readers beyond the final page. Highly recommended.
PREMIUM
The Kiss of the Nightingale
For teens interested in titles that blur the line between YA and new adult, this is an entertaining romance that starts as cotton candy and ends with the satisfying chew of a macaron.
Cashore threads fiction with fact in a three-generational story of love, loss, and friendship. For mature readers and a must for all collections.
Sisterhood, vampire romance, and the immigrant history of Manhattan makes this novel a triumph.
PREMIUM
Bane of Asgard
A satisfying conclusion to a complex duology; recommended for collections that have the first installment.
PREMIUM
On a Wing and a Tear
Taylor-Corbett warmly invites readers to join a transformative multigenerational, multispecies journey through struggles and adventures, past and present.
A humorous way to engage with a serious topic. Recommended as a secondary purchase for middle school libraries.
Visually engaging and with approachable text, Sick! is chock-full of super interesting information about animals and is recommended for middle school science collections.
This compendium is perfect for science buffs, true-crime lovers, herbalists, and teens drawn to the macabre. A must-have for anyone with a curiosity about nature’s most sinister secrets.
PREMIUM
Alina in the Deep
An unusual, loving purchase. Nanji serves Calgary, Alberta, well, showing it off as a Canadian, multicultural haven. Alina’s problems are our problems, and solutions are universal.
PREMIUM
I Cannot Find My Belly Button!
A highly enjoyable body-part adventure; correctly named body parts in rhyming text will resonate with readers who are interested in their own bodies.
PREMIUM
My First Book of Hiking
Encouraging children and their families to enjoy time outdoors, this is perfect guidance for this demographic that can be carried along on adventures, or enjoyed as a daydream.
Fabulous characters and an excellent plot hook readers from the start and keep them reading. Highly recommended for all libraries.
An excellent science fiction story with just enough creep factor and excellent pacing to keep readers tearing through the pages to the gripping climax. Nix uses his superb writing powers to control and thrill readers throughout this fantastic novel.
Existing fans will most likely be eager to read this installment, but, with its very familiar beats, it’s hard to imagine a new generation of readers connecting with “Dork Diaries.”
Recommended for readers of fantasy, and especially those who enjoy playful language and highly imaginative settings.
PREMIUM
Mai’s Áo Dài
Add this to the shelf! It fills an important gap with charm, fun, and heart; it’s a must-have for holiday collections.
PREMIUM
Unicornia: A Magical Birthday
Usually putting “unicorn” in a title is part of a recipe for success, but this light offering is flimsy.
Full of drama and heart, this is the story of a heroic man of faith who boldly spoke out against slavery; his story has a place in all library collections serving upper elementary students. Highly recommended.
This outstanding book with great information is endearing as well, demonstrating the power of perseverance, love, and commitment. A first purchase wherever children flock.
A strong addition wherever animal and ecology books are popular.
PREMIUM
We Are the Scrappy Ones
A meaningful work for children with disabilities and those who interact with them, this is a purchase for all collections.
PREMIUM
Take Me Out to the Ball Game!
A great angle for a global sport, and a recommended purchase for all libraries.
Teachers and librarians will be able to use this as a mentor text for research projects; young readers and their families will love poring over the pictures and telling friends about the new facts they’ve learned. A must-have for any elementary library.
No matter the level of reader familiarity with spirituals, this title brims with lyricism and soul-lifting strength through its emotional illustrations and compelling text.
PREMIUM
Six Little Sticks
A unique and well-done spin on the subtraction caused by disappearing animals trope, and a good purchase for picture book collections.
PREMIUM
Twigs and Stones
This book is a perfect read-aloud and is excellent for the classroom, teaching readers the value of kindness through humor.
A unique and stellar piece about taking time to look at what others have made before you, and to wonder, this is a mesmerizing glimpse into art and the past; a must for all collections serving children.
PREMIUM
Maybe Just Ask Me!
For elementary libraries lacking books that address this specific message, this is an important purchase.
PREMIUM
Rose Weaves a Garden
An important volume that celebrates the value of family and cultural heritage.
Where books on kindness are in short supply, this is safe purchase.
PREMIUM
Piet Cools Off
A highly entertaining tale with interesting information on how different creatures cope with hot days, this is recommended for all collections for an engaging blend of science and story.
This book celebrates culture, connection, and the universal journey of finding where one belongs. It is an inspiring, enjoyable story that will resonate long after the last page.
Being vulnerable on the page hasn’t been easy. Opening myself up to judgement—both good and bad is terrifying.
New planets, secret headquarters, extraterrestrial creatures, and other cosmic delights fill the pages of these works for elementary through high school readers.
Caregivers can read these poems to children to help them on their journey to slumber.
Bolstered by dynamic art and a deep understanding of figure skating elements, this manga shines, just like Inori’s skating. Highly recommended.
PREMIUM
Your Letter
With stunning visuals and a cast of relatable characters, this manga illustrates that by finding the right people in life who offer respect and support, there are no boundaries on what one can achieve. Recommended.
PREMIUM
The Teen Exorcist, Vol. 1
With a promising, action-packed start, ancient Japanese folklore gets a fresh spin as a new hero follows the path of those who came before him, making this a series worth jumping into from the very beginning.
This adorable manga about identity delves into topics of injustice and advocacy and is a great option for middle school readers. Recommended.
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