Pirates and ghosts and sports stars abound this fall! Generally written for readers in upper elementary and middle school, these titles use simpler vocabulary and sentence structure, shorter sentences, and frequent images to support emerging readers. Paranormal stories featuring urban legends and science thought experiments and biographies of stars of the field and screen will encourage reluctant readers to pick up something new. Excellent hi-lo titles on history and geography that will support classroom learning are also part of this season’s offerings.

Elementary

Maddox, Jake. Gut-Busting Basketball Jokes and Puns. ISBN 9781669074854.
––––. Hilarious Dance, Cheer, and Gymnastics Jokes and Puns. ISBN 9781669074885.
––––. Laugh-Out-Loud Football Jokes and Puns. ISBN 9781669074861.
––––. Side-Splitting Soccer Jokes and Puns. ISBN 9781669074878.
ea vol: 72p. (Jake Maddox Sports Jokes). Capstone. Jul. 2024. Tr. $17.99.
Gr 3-5–These are the sports joke book that readers have been asking for. Each title in this series focuses on one sport and includes puns, knock-knock jokes, chicken jokes, and more. The art and language in the books reflects kids of different races, cultures, and genders participating in sports. Not the packed joke book of the past, each page has about four jokes, and frequent images. This may be a selling point for some readers, but seem like filler to others. The key sports terms included in the back can help less familiar readers land their punchlines. The reading and age levels of this series are closer than other hi-lo titles, the recommended reading level being grades 2–3 and the age level being grades 4–5. VERDICT Purchase where fresh joke books are in demand.

Upper Elementary toMiddle School

Abdo, Kenny. Bank Heists. ISBN 9781098285708.
––––. Cyber Heists. ISBN 9781098285715.
ea vol: 24p. (High-Stakes Heists). ABDO/Fly!. Sep. 2024. Tr. $32.79.
Gr 3-6–A simple who’s-who of heists. Spare language and flashy images are the focus of this hi-lo series. With two titles released and more forthcoming, “High-Stakes Heists” summarizes world-famous thefts with a short paragraph for each heist on every page of the book. These snippets may inspire further research into the history of these crimes, but they may also be frustrating to readers hoping for more information. Historical information is also included, from the history of banks to the invention of ARPANET, and the first computer virus. Each title includes a glossary and index, although in-text explanation for some terms, such as ransomware, was sadly missing. VERDICT Purchase where true crime information for emerging readers is needed.

Abdo, Kenny. Baseball GOATs. ISBN 9781098285630.
––––. Basketball GOATs. ISBN 9781098285647.
––––. Football GOATs. ISBN 9781098285654.
––––. Hockey GOATs. ISBN 9781098285661.
––––. Soccer GOATs. ISBN 9781098285678.
––––. Tennis GOATs. ISBN 9781098285685.
ea vol: 24p. (GOATs in Sports). ABDO/Fly!. Sep. 2024. Tr. $32.79.
Gr 3-8–This series includes short collective biographies of past and current sports players who could be named the GOAT (Greatest of All Time). In these biographies, each famous athlete has one page dedicated to their illustrious career. From the first players and the pioneers of the sports, to the newest record-breakers, these biographies provide a great starting point for learning about the history of each sport. Written at a second grade level, these titles can be enjoyed by sports fans up through middle school. Short introductions to the sport, glossaries, and indexes are included. VERDICT A solid purchase where hi-lo sports information is needed.

Bischer, Karen. Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Lionel Messi: Soccer Legends Face Off. ISBN 9781669079620.
––––. Serena Williams vs. Venus Williams: Tennis Legends Face Off. ISBN 9781669079781.
Mann, Dionna L. LeBron James vs. Michael Jordan: Basketball Legends Face Off. ISBN 9781669079705.
––––. Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning: Football Legends Face Off. ISBN 9781669079866.
ea vol: 32p. (Sports Illustrated Kids: Legend vs. Legend). Capstone. Aug. 2024. Tr. $31.32.
Gr 4-7–Simplified vocabulary and head-to-head challenges will draw sports fans to this hi-lo series. “Legend vs. Legend” puts to paper every sports fan’s favorite argument: How do the greats stack up against each other? Using excellent math and statistical language, as well as language specific to the sport, this series includes a glossary at the end of each book and action-packed photographs on each page. Each book encourages readers to use statistics to make their own decisions about which sports legend they think is the greatest. VERDICT A good choice for sports fans who are developing their reading skills, with a math tie-in.

Bolte, Mari. What You Never Knew About Blackpink. ISBN 9781669072881.
––––. What You Never Knew About Tom Holland. ISBN 9781669072911.
Cannons, Helen Cox. What You Never Knew About Jenna Ortega. ISBN 9781669072898.
––––. What You Never Knew About LeBron James. ISBN 9781669072904.
ea vol: 32p. (Behind the Scenes Biographies). Capstone. Aug. 2024. Tr. $31.32.
Gr 3-7–These simplified biographies are a great introduction to new stars on the scene. Sports stars, movie stars, and K-pop idols are the focus of the entries in this series. Facts and statistics, especially social media statistics, are prevalent in the series. The individual biographies also discuss family, cultural history, and career high points. The entry for the group Blackpink could have used more individual information on each member. Written for a younger audience, the actor biographies do not mention their more mature film roles. Because these are short biographies, serious fans may already know these fun facts. VERDICT An excellent hi-lo choice for those who need an update to their biography section.

Faust, D. R. The Rise and Fall of Ancient China. ISBN 9798892320429.
––––. The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt. ISBN 9798892320436.
––––. The Rise and Fall of Ancient Greece. ISBN 9798892320443.
––––. The Rise and Fall of Ancient Rome. ISBN 9798892320450.
––––. The Rise and Fall of Mesopotamia. ISBN 9798892320474.
––––. The Rise and Fall of the Maya Civilization. ISBN 9798892320467.
ea vol: 32p. (Ancient Civilizations: Need to Know). Bearport/SilverTip. Aug. 2024. Tr. $20.95.
Gr 5 Up–Get eager students started with these overviews of ancient civilizations around the world. Each book focuses on a different civilization, covering the societies that an ancient world history course would typically study. Information on how geography and climate affected the development of these civilizations is included. A bird’s-eye view is provided for each civilization, giving an overview of dynasties, city states, and empires. “Ancient Civilizations” is written at approximately a third grade level and would be excellent introductory texts for developing readers of all ages. These titles would not replace a textbook for an ancient civilization course, but a student might use the series to familiarize themselves with basic concepts and vocabulary in advance of or to supplement their class study. Timelines and glossaries are included. VERDICT Excellent support for emerging readers learning about world history.

Leatherland, Noah. Goblin Life Cycles. ISBN 9798892320566.
––––. Vampire Life Cycles. ISBN 9798892320580.
––––. Werewolf Life Cycles. ISBN 9798892320573.
––––. Zombie Life Cycles. ISBN 9798892320597.
ea vol: 32p. (Paranormal Life Cycles). Bearport/Roar! Aug. 2024. Tr. $20.95.
Gr 5-8–A hilarious and gross introduction to the science of life cycles. Each book in this series begins with an explanation of real-world life cycles and then introduces a fantasy creature as a thought experiment. Each book goes through the life cycle from reproduction, birth, aging, and death of these creatures, treating some as human victims of a disease and others as separate organisms. Key terms like habitats, predators, and instinct are used in context and then covered in a glossary at the end of each title. Real-world science knowledge is included in this creature feature, including rabies, spores, algae, and other biology facts. VERDICT Hand this series to emerging readers who can’t get enough of the paranormal world, or use them for a fun day in science class.

Luján, Jarred. The Mysterious Greenbrier Ghost: A Ghostly Graphic. illus. by Alessandro Valdrighi. ISBN 9781669068464.
Wolfe, Andrew. Annabelle the Terrifying Doll: A Ghostly Graphic. illus. by Jason Millet. ISBN 9781669068440.
––––. The Creepy Vanishing Hitchhiker: A Ghostly Graphic. illus. by Amerigo Pinelli. ISBN 9781669068457.
––––. The Eerie Brown Lady of Raynham Hall: A Ghostly Graphic. illus. by Alan Brown. ISBN 9781669068471.
ea vol: 48p. (Ghostly Graphics). Capstone. Aug. 2024. Tr. $37.99.
Gr 5-8–This series boasts crowd-pleasing graphic novels about real ghostly legends. The titles in “Ghostly Graphics” tell chilling ghost stories, taken from real tales of ghost sightings from the 1800s to today. Notable is the story of the haunted doll Annabelle, though fans of the films about her will notice some distinct differences. End matter of each graphic novel discusses the history of the legend around each ghost and attempts to disprove them, especially the sightings by the Warrens, a famous and controversial paranormal investigator couple. Historical, paranormal, and crime vocabulary are covered in glossaries. VERDICT An easy sell for emerging readers and horror fans alike.

Upper Middle School to High School

Gunderson, Jessica. Black Bart, Daring Pirate of the Atlantic. illus. by Matt Kinder. ISBN 9781669069737.
––––. Blackbeard, Feared Pirate Captain. illus. by Andi Espinosa. ISBN 9781669069652.
Peters, Stephanie. Ching Shih, Famous Pirate Commander. illus. by Lia Liao. ISBN 9781669069577.
––––. Grace O’Malley, Pirate Queen of Ireland. illus. by Paulina Wyrt. ISBN 9781669069812.
ea vol: 48p. (Notorious Pirates Graphics). Capstone. Aug. 2024. Tr. $37.99.
Gr 4-8–A rip-roaring graphic novels series depicts four pirates, one per volume, including a few that are lesser known than the usual suspects. Each pirate’s story covers their adventures from the beginning of their seagoing journey to their deaths. Without much blood and gore, the action factor of these graphics is sure to excite reluctant readers. Two lesser-known female pirates are discussed, as well as pirates from all over the world. Historical language is covered in a glossary at the end of each book, with the art adding additional context. VERDICT Upper elementary and middle schoolers will love these adventures, and emerging readers will enjoy their simplified language.

Kuehl, Ashley. Lakes and Oceans. ISBN 9798892320498.
––––. Mountains and Cliffs. ISBN 9798892320504.
––––. Plains. ISBN 9798892320511.
––––. Plateaus. ISBN 9798892320528.
––––. Rivers and Streams. ISBN 9798892320535.
––––. Valleys and Gorges. ISBN 9798892320542.
ea vol: 32p. (Earth Science—Landforms: Need to Know). Bearport/SilverTip. Aug. 2024. Tr. $20.95.
Gr 5 Up–Simply stated but surprisingly comprehensive science and geography information about landforms of the world. The series discusses the development of landforms by tectonic movement, rivers, or volcanic activity. It includes highlighted vocabulary related to the landforms, which are explained in a glossary, as well as an index of important topics. Hard hitting real-world images serve to support the on-page descriptions of landforms, and include text boxes explaining where in the world these landforms are located. Descriptions of how landforms such as plains and plateaus can form underwater as well as on dry land were especially impressive. Written at approximately a third grade level, these books could support science and geography study of much older readers. VERDICT Purchase where there are emerging readers studying these topics.

These fascinating titles could be just what an emerging reader needs. Whether it’s the paranormal, their favorite sport, or their favorite K-pop group, this season has a hi-lo title for every student interest. Readers are most encouraged to read when they’re reading content they have an interest in, written at a level that they feel able to read. These hi-lo and high interest nonfiction series will help students do just that, while also including vocabulary in glossaries, math terms, and science concepts to help grow student learning. These selections have something for everyone.