Setting every reader up for success is one of the greatest joys of librarianship. As our profession discusses how to describe the books we hand to our young friends learning to read, we’re acknowledging that for many, reading ain’t “easy.” Whether they’re thriving or striving, we want all the students and patrons in our care to recognize that reading and libraries are for everyone—they’re always going to find a book for them somewhere in the stacks! The series we’ve highlighted here will help you be the readers’ advisory rock star those pupils need to develop into literature lovers.

Elementary

Banks, Rosie. Counting at the Aquarium. ISBN 9781499444759.
––––. Counting at the Game. ISBN 9781499444780.
––––. Counting at the Library. ISBN 9781499444810.
––––. Counting at the Playground. ISBN 9781499444841.
––––. Counting at the Store. ISBN 9781499444872.
––––. Counting at the Zoo. ISBN 9781499444902.
ea vol: 24p. (Counting Around Town). Rosen/PowerKids. Jul. 2024. Tr. $25.27.
K-Gr 2–Counting around the community is encouraged in this highly visual series. In Counting at the Game a fictional girl counts to ten at a football game, and the photos supporting the text include numerical labels to help identify things like the end zone. Kids enjoy a climbing wall, seesaws, swings, and more in Counting at the Playground . Each spread includes no more than two sentences with a repetitive sentence structure and the use of high-frequency words. Bright photos support the text with context clues. The simple, clean layouts and interesting subject matter makes this a fine series for classroom collections. School and public libraries whose budgets are tight as the year draws to a close may want to cherry pick the animal-focused titles, which will no doubt see the highest circulation. VERDICT Counting at the Aquarium and Counting at the Zoo are first purchases for sure; buy the remaining titles if you can swing it.

Chang, Kirsten. Angry. ISBN 9798886870220.
––––. Happy. ISBN 9798886870237.
––––. Jealous. ISBN 9798886870244.
––––. Sad. ISBN 9798886870251.
––––. Scared. ISBN 9798886870275.
––––. Shy. ISBN 9798886870268.
ea vol: 24p. (Emotions). Bellwether/Blastoff. Aug. 2024. Tr. $18.95.
Gr 1-3–Fictional children act out scenarios in which they experience different emotions in these emerging readers. The kids in Angry stomp their feet, scream, and cry as a reaction to their big feelings. Reasons for feeling envious in Jealousinclude being left out and seeing others win. Each book includes a small section helping readers identify its emotion with photos and descriptions of trademark reactions, like being quiet, looking down, and hiding in Shy. Rather than the emotions being labeled “good” or “bad,” they are described as neutrally as possible to convey to readers that these feelings, especially the unpleasant ones, will pass. Bold words throughout the text direct readers to the glossary, where the words are plainly defined. Context clues also help define the vocabulary words on the pages. The photos depict diverse, differently abled children, so many readers will see themselves on the pages. VERDICT Recommended for purchase.

Daniels, Rachel. Meet Coco Gauff!ISBN 9798892601214.
––––. Meet Drake. ISBN 9798892601221.
––––. Meet LeBron James!ISBN 9798892601238.
––––. Meet Lionel Messi!ISBN 9798892601245.
––––. Meet Olivia Rodrigo!ISBN 9798892601252.
––––. Meet Patrick Mahomes!ISBN 9798892601269.
ea vol: 24p. (Easy Star Biographies). Mitchell Lane. Jul. 2024. Tr. $28.57.
Gr 1-3–Emerging readers will learn a bit about their favorite celebrities in this biography series. They’ll learn that Coco Gauff loves potato chips and TikTok. LeBron James isn’t just the highest scoring basketball player in the NBA, he also helps schools. Olivia Rodrigo loves cats and popcorn. Superfans of the celebs won’t learn anything new as the information included in the books is fairly basic, with each spread including no more than two sentences. Use of high-frequency words helps support emerging readers. Highlighted words are defined in the glossary. Each book ends with “fast facts,” bulleted sections that offer even more information about the stars. VERDICT Consider for purchase where athlete and singer biographies are in demand.

Davis, Bela. I’m Thinking of an African Animal. ISBN 9798384900566.
––––. I’m Thinking of a Backyard Animal. ISBN 9798384900528.
––––. I’m Thinking of a Dinosaur. ISBN 9798384900535.
––––. I’m Thinking of a House Pet. ISBN 9798384900542.
––––. I’m Thinking of a Zoo Animal. ISBN 9798384900559.
––––. I’m Thinking of an Ocean Animal. ISBN 9798384900573.
ea vol: 24p. (I’m Thinking of an Animal). ABDO/Abdo Kids Junior. Sep. 2024. Tr. $32.79.
Gr 1-3–Every great detective has to start somewhere! This emerging reader series uses cumulative clues and repetition of key words to help curious kids guess which animal the author is thinking of. Every time a new clue is introduced, it is added to the “clues” tracker on the bottom of the text page to help readers remember the growing list. Each clue is immediately followed by the author admitting which animal is out of the running with a response like “But it is not a Velociraptor!” in I’m Thinking of a Dinosaur . The common pets of dogs, cats, and fish are eschewed for an adorable coiled green snake inI’m Thinking of a House Pet. Photos (or in the case of dinosaurs, computer-generated art) offer context clues for some of the more advanced words that are trickier to decode. Comparison charts at the end help readers see how the included animals are the same and different. With no more than two sentences on a page, these readers are fun and fantastic. VERDICT Highly recommended for all school and public libraries.

Greve, Meg. Big Rigs. ISBN 9798889891666.
––––. Bulldozers. ISBN 9798889891673.
––––. Bullet Trains. ISBN 9798889891680.
––––. Cranes. ISBN 9798889891697.
––––. Diggers. ISBN 9798889891703.
––––. Dump Trucks. ISBN 9798889891710.
––––. Fire Trucks. ISBN 9798889891727.
––––. Freight Trains. ISBN 9798889891734.
––––. Garbage Trucks. ISBN 9798889891741.
––––. Helicopters. ISBN 9798889891758.
––––. Monster Trucks. ISBN 9798889891765.
––––. Motorcycles. ISBN 9798889891772.
ea vol: 16p. (Starting Out). The Creative Company. Jul. 2024. Tr. $21.95.
Gr 1-3–Young gearheads will go gaga for this emerging reader series. The giant semis in Big Rigs are accompanied by a surprising amount of information packed into the tidy 16 pages, including a description of what the plate called the fifth wheel is for. Each spread includes two sentences with sight words and decodables, plus occasional fun fact sentences included in circular callouts. The spreads are highly visual, with the photos labeled to help readers identify the parts of each machine. Each book concludes with a “Make a Noise” section, which encourages readers to head to a YouTube link to listen to the sounds of the vehicle. This could be problematic in school and public library settings where filters on computers limit access to the video site. For readers working on comprehension, this series will be a welcome sight on library shelves. VERDICT A recommended addition for all libraries.

Grodzicki, Jenna. Feathers. ISBN 9798889169833.
––––. Fur. ISBN 9798889169840.
––––. Scales. ISBN 9798889169857.
––––. Shells. ISBN 9798889169864.
ea vol: 24p. (Animal Coverings). Bearport/Bearcub. Aug. 2024. Tr. $18.95.
Gr 1-3–Emerging readers interested in zoology will go wild for this series. They’ll learn that not all feathers are created equally—the long, stiff feathers of flamingos and eagles push their bodies into the air and help them fly while the oily, waxy feathers of ducks and penguins are waterproof to keep them dry. The creatures in Scales aren’t just fish—reptiles are also included. Snake scales have grip so they can move along the ground and up trees while fish scales are smooth to help them move quickly through the water. With no more than four simple sentences on a spread, the books work hard to support readers with additions such as phonetic pronunciation of words like “mammals” (spelled out as “MAM-uhlz” in Fur). An “Explore More” section at the end of each book drops fast facts. Bold words are defined in the glossary. VERDICT A standout series for emerging readers.

Humphrey, Natalie. I Spot Circles. ISBN 9781538291689.
––––. I Spot Diamonds. ISBN 9781538291719.
––––. I Spot Ovals. ISBN 9781538291740.
––––. I Spot Squares. ISBN 9781538291771.
––––. I Spot Stars. ISBN 9781538291801.
––––. I Spot Triangles. ISBN 9781538291832.
ea vol: 24p. (I Spot Shapes!). Gareth Stevens. Jul. 2024. Tr. $24.27.
PreS-Gr 1–Shapes are everywhere! Encouraging emerging readers to spot shapes in the world around them, this series features vibrant photos and simple sentence structures, supported by repetition and context clues. Kids jump through a hoop and a delicious doughnut delight on the pages of I Spot Circles. I Spot Diamonds uses a road sign and a fence, items readers might see every day, to illustrate the concept. Each book ends in a look and find, where readers are encouraged to identify the named shape on the facing page filled with objects. The detailed pictures, like the watermelon and kiwi in I Spot Ovals, try to support readers through the less common words. Still, when these photos are not immediately identifiable, like the chocolate in I Spot Squares , it could be tricky for readers to decode as there is no context other than the photo and the shape. VERDICT Useful as tools for classroom libraries, these concept books are limited in their appeal.

Kenan, Tessa. Our Earth. ISBN 9798892131735.
––––. Our Homes. ISBN 9798892131766.
––––. Our Neighborhoods. ISBN 9798892131797.
––––. Our Towns and Cities. ISBN 9798892131827.
ea vol: 16p. (World Around Us). Jump!/Tadpole. Aug. 2024. Tr. $17.95.
PreS-Gr 1–What a wonderful world! In Our Homes, the phrase “This is a home” is consistently repeated, showing that regardless of the style, be it mobile home, apartment, townhouse, or houseboat, if people live there, they are homes. Our Neighborhoods introduces phrases with question marks, asking readers if their neighborhood is by a park, a library, or a school, and shows a variety of urban, suburban, and rural settings. The beauty of the planet and all of its developed areas are celebrated in Our Earth and Our Towns and Cities . Brightly colored photos are labeled to help children become acquainted with high-frequency words. With no more than one sentence on each spread, these books support emerging readers in classroom settings and could see some interest in public libraries’ nonfiction reader sections as well. VERDICT An inclusive series recommended for purchase by both school and public libraries.

Leaf, Christina. Baby Cat or Baby Dog?ISBN 9798886870282.
––––. Baby Chicken or Baby Duck?ISBN 9798886870299.
––––. Baby Fox or Baby Wolf?ISBN 9798886870305.
––––. Baby Horse or Baby Cow?ISBN 9798886870312.
––––. Baby Lion or Baby Tiger?ISBN 9798886870329.
––––. Baby Sheep or Baby Goat?ISBN 9798886870336.
ea vol: 24p. (Who Is Cuter?). Bellwether/Blastoff!. Aug. 2024. Tr. $18.95.
Gr 1-3–The most adorable versus books ever! Filled to the brim with too-cute pictures, the titles in this series will have readers oohing and awwing. If you think kittens and puppies are a horse apiece, you’ll be torn between the two very cute sides after reading Baby Cat or Baby Dog? Foxes and wolves, both called pups as babies, are so sweet and similar, it may be hard for readers to decide. The simple sentence structures, limited to no more than four sentences per spread, point out the differences between the two animals while including plenty of repetition to increase reader confidence. A voting feature at the end encourages readers to cast their vote at BellwetherMedia.com, which educators may want to encourage students to do with supervision. VERDICT Kids will be clamoring for these—if you can swing it, you might want to buy extra copies.

Malcolm, Jill. Baby Animals Grow. ISBN 9798765961452.
––––. Garden Adventure. ISBN 9798765961483.
––––. Going Places. ISBN 9798765961421.
Sepulveda, Fabiola. Home. ISBN 9798765961278.
––––. How to Be a Friend. ISBN 9798765961247.
––––. My Amazing Body. ISBN 9798765961155.
––––. My Beautiful Country. ISBN 9798765961360.
––––. My Senses. ISBN 9798765961186.
––––. One Big Community. ISBN 9798765961339.
––––. Our Changing Earth and Sky. ISBN 9798765961513.
––––. School Days. ISBN 9798765961308.
––––. This Is the Way We Build. ISBN 9798765961391.
––––. What Families Are For. ISBN 9798765961216.
––––. Wild Weather. ISBN 9798765961544.
ea vol: 24p. (Exploration Storytime). Teacher Created Materials. Jul. 2024. Tr. $21.95.
PreS-Gr 2–A wordless emerging reader series—say what? This set of books includes photos that illustrate the facets of the titles, be it the smiling faces and unique hairstyles in My Amazing Body or the school buses and grocery stores in One Big Community. The purpose, described at the back of each book, is to create a “rich shared reading experience for children who do not yet know how to read words or who are beginning to learn.” Each book also offers unique prompts for adults, including vocabulary to introduce and suggestions for ways to extend the reading experience. The photos in books with humans are wonderfully inclusive and show people of all abilities. While these would be useful additions to preschool classroom book bins, public libraries without “pre-reader” sections in their emerging reader collections might have to hand sell them. VERDICT Consider for purchase where there is a need for pre-readers.

Nagle, Frances. It Has Eight Legs!ISBN 9781538294789.
––––. It Has Four Legs!ISBN 9781538294819.
––––. It Has Lots of Legs!ISBN 9781538294840.
––––. It Has No Legs!ISBN 9781538294871.
––––. It Has Six Legs!ISBN 9781538294901.
––––. It Has Two Legs!ISBN 9781538294932.
ea vol: 24p. (How Many Legs?). Gareth Stevens. Jul. 2024. Tr. $24.27.
PreS-Gr 1–Critters both cute and creepy fill the pages of these nonfiction books, ideal for animal-loving emerging readers. The ticks and spiders in It Has Eight Legs are far different from the horse and alligator in It Has Four Legs, but with beautiful close-up photographs readers will see that though animals may look very different, they still have much in common. The gorilla and robin in It Has Two Legs are joined by none other than a person—a great reminder that we’re part of this wild kingdom, too. Repetition and picture clues help striving readers decipher the uncommon words, like “crayfish” and “millipede” in It Has Lots of Legs . Each book wraps with a section asking readers “Which animal has [the book’s number of] legs?” followed by a photo set of four different animals, allowing readers to practice the counting concept introduced in the text. VERDICT Not a necessary purchase, but these titles have value in classroom libraries.

Sterling, Charlie W. Aunts and Uncles. ISBN 9798892130141.
––––. Cousins. ISBN 9798892130172.
––––. Grandparents. ISBN 9798892130202.
––––. Parents. ISBN 9798892130233.
––––. Siblings. ISBN 9798892130264.
ea vol: 16p. (Families). Jump!/Tadpole. Aug. 2024. Tr. $17.95.
PreS-Gr 1–These books explain, in simple terms, how family dynamics function. Cousins are the kids of your parents’ siblings, those siblings are your parents’ brothers and sisters. Each book begins with “Words to Know,” a pairing of photos and words to prepare readers for the text to come. Labeled photos throughout support the text, which consists of one sentence per spread. The books end with a review question that complements the text by asking readers to apply the information they have learned. The families depicted are mostly homogenous and typically abled. The major exception to this is in Parents, where queer parents and a blended interracial family are spotlighted. With the dynamic families many readers are familiar with, they may be disappointed not to see their family on the pages. VERDICT The presentation of the subject matter is fairly reductive; pass on this series.

Thielges, Alissa. Airport. ISBN 9781645497318.
––––. Bus Station. ISBN 9781645497325.
––––. Fire Station. ISBN 9781645497332.
––––. Library. ISBN 9781645497349.
––––. Museum. ISBN 9781645497356.
––––. Police Station. ISBN 9781645497363.
––––. Post Office. ISBN 9781645497370.
––––. Zoo. ISBN 9781645497387.
ea vol: 16p. (Spot Around Town). Amicus. Jul. 2024. Tr. $21.95.
Gr 1-3–This series describes activites like riding a bus, flying on a plane, or visiting a zoo. Though the stock photos will not represent readers’ exact community space, reading about the experience before encountering it can reduce some anxiety. In Museum, readers see the ticket desk in the lobby, interactive touchscreens, and a gift shop. Post Office shows how the mail is picked up by mail carrier and sorted for delivery. Each book begins and ends with words and pictures for readers to look for while moving through the book, allowing them to familiarize themselves with words and compound phrases that may be less common to them. Overall, these titles would be useful in most libraries for emerging readers and for neurodivergent readers interested in learning about new experiences. VERDICT Recommended for purchase.

Budding zoologists will learn the purposes of fur, scales, and more in “Animal Coverings” (Bearport/Bearcub) while readers who adore lovable baby creatures will go wild for “Who Is Cuter?” (Bellwether/Blastoff). The books in “Counting Around Town” (Rosen/PowerKids) help emerging readers solidify concepts with real-world examples, while the “World Around Us” (Jump!/Tadpole) series reminds those readers of the beauty of the planet we live on. The joys of our communities are celebrated in “Spot Around Town” (Amicus), as are the exciting vehicles that populate those communities in “Starting Out” (The Creative Company). Finally, readers get an in-depth look at identifying their feelings in “Emotions” (Bellwether/Blastoff).