These series about jobs and careers will spark interest and excitement in readers of all ages, from preschool to high school and beyond. Everything from helping professions like teaching and social work to skilled vocations, as well as career options for readers who love food and are curious about the culinary arts, are covered in these books. Both traditional and cutting-edge job options are touched on throughout these series in a way that will appeal to a broad range of readers. Publishers balance the fun and excitement of thinking about future career paths with practical considerations, combining thoughtful formatting and design with timely, updated information on the jobs featured.

Elementary

Finne, Stephanie. Occupational Therapist.ISBN 9798885246347.
––––. School Counselor.ISBN 9798885246378.
––––. Social Worker.ISBN 9798885246408.
––––. Therapist.ISBN 9798885246439.
––––. Yoga Teacher.ISBN 9798885246460.
ea vol: 24p. (SEL Careers). Jump!/Blue Owl. Aug. 2023. Tr $26.99.
Gr 2–5–This series profiles the work lives of people in helping professions, such as therapists, school counselors, social workers, occupational therapists, and yoga teachers. Readers are empowered to explore diverse vocational avenues within the realm of mental well-being and social-emotional learning (SEL). Every book spotlights a distinct occupation, shedding light on its multifaceted duties, prerequisites, and educational requirements. Readers will gain insights into the ways these experts aid individuals in managing mental health challenges, intricate life situations, disabilities, and other scenarios across an array of environments, ranging from educational institutions and older adult care facilities to medical facilities and community centers, schools, correctional facilities, holistic wellness clinics, yoga centers, and more. This series makes the case for pursuing careers that require a balance of technical and soft skills that will appeal to a broad audience and readers of various levels in the middle elementary grades. VERDICT An ideal choice for school libraries and alternative learning settings.

Vallepur, Shalini. Delivery Workers.ISBN 9781534544406.
––––. Food Service Workers.ISBN 9781534544499.
––––. Health Care Workers.ISBN 9781534544529.
––––. Transportation Workers.ISBN 9781534544550.
––––. Workers in Education.ISBN 9781534544437.
––––. Workers in Emergency Services.ISBN 9781534544468.
ea vol: 24p. (Meet the Key Workers). Greenhaven/KidHaven. Aug. 2023. Tr $26.23.
Gr 1–4–Essential workers in healthcare, food service, education, emergency services, transportation and delivery are given a well-deserved nod in this series about the importance of professionals who work in these fields. Readers will learn more about where their food comes from, why healthcare is essential work, how delivery workers contribute to our overall quality of life and how transportation and emergency management workers help keep us safe. Readers will also discover what kinds of jobs are available in each field, and why they’re important and essential. This series does a great job representing a range of diverse identities in each career field. VERDICT A great addition to larger collections.

Upper Elementary to Middle School

Borgert-Spaniol, Megan. Bread Workshop: Creating Yeast Doughs & Quick Breads. ISBN 9781098291372.
––––. Catering Workshop: Feeding a Hungry Crowd.ISBN 9781098291389.
––––. Farm to Fork Workshop: Making the Most of Local Foods. ISBN 9781098291396.
––––. Fast Food Workshop: Building a Menu of Quick Dishes. ISBN 9781098291402.
––––. Frosting & Icing Workshop: Decorating Desserts.ISBN 9781098291419.
––––. Pastry Workshop: Mastering Buttery Crusts & Doughs. ISBN 9781098291426.
ea vol: 64p. (Kitchen to Career). Abdo/Abdo & Daughters. Aug. 2023. Tr $35.64.
Gr 4–7–This series explores how readers can transform their passion for cooking into a fulfilling profession. Each book delves into the historical background, methodologies, safety standards, daily working conditions, lifestyles, and common practices within different aspects of culinary-related career paths. Many career avenues are explored through various aspects of the food industry, including bread baking, catering for different audiences, cultural considerations of cooking, farm-to-table service models, fast food service, frosting and icing, and pastry creations. Easy, beginner level (read: foolproof) recipes facilitate the acquisition of fundamental skills and will help readers get excited about experimenting with different cooking methods on their own. There is so much to love about this series, including its scrappy do-it-yourself ethos and promotion of entrepreneurship and experimentation, prompting readers to embark on their own cooking adventures. Each publication concludes by delving into various vocational avenues associated with the subject at hand, giving readers a realistic glimpse into the lives of chefs, caterers, fast food workers, farmers, bakers, and more. These books support Common Core standards and are correlated with state-specific benchmarks. VERDICT A great choice for any middle school or public library collection.

Upper Middle School to High School

Gagne, Tammy. Become a Real Estate Appraiser. ISBN 9781678206901.
Hubbard, Martha. Become an Industrial Mechanic. ISBN 9781678206864.
Hutter, Carollyne. Become a Police Officer. ISBN 9781678206888.
Voss, Elizabeth Hobbs. Become a Construction and Building Inspector. ISBN 9781678206826.
Wolny, Philip. Become a Home Health Aide.ISBN 9781678206840.
ea vol: 80p. (Skilled and Vocational Trades). ReferencePoint/BrightPoint. Aug. 2023. Tr $32.95.
Gr 5–9–This YA hi-lo series is a continuation of an existing series of books about skilled and vocational trades, with an updated look at real estate appraisers, industrial mechanics, police officers, construction and building inspectors, and home health aides. With thorough attention to detail, these volumes intricately outline the roles affiliated with each trade, furnishing insights on requisite training, educational pathways, work dynamics, and future prospects of a variety of careers. Each volume in this series includes an informational sheet; infographics of essential data about career prospects, salaries, and more; references; and supplementary sources for further career and field exploration. These books are ideal for developing and emergent middle school readers who want to learn more about their career prospects in an accessible format: True to hi-lo form, chapters are short and concise, with no more than five sentences on each page. VERDICT A great addition to public library collections.

Morkes, Andrew. Careers in Beauty and Fashion.ISBN 9781422247549.
––––. Careers in Business.ISBN 9781422247556.
––––. Careers in Construction.ISBN 9781422247563.
––––. Careers in Engineering.ISBN 9781422247570.
––––. Careers in Nursing.ISBN 9781422247525.
––––. Careers in Safety and Security.ISBN 9781422247587.
––––. Careers in Social Media and the Web.ISBN 9781422247594.
––––. Careers in Sports.ISBN 9781422247600.
––––. Careers in the Environment.ISBN 9781422247532.
––––. Careers in Therapy and Rehabilitation.ISBN 9781422247617.
ea vol: 96p. (Getting Started). National Highlights/Mason Crest. Sept. 2023. Tr $37.27.
Gr 7 Up–Middle and high school readers can learn about different careers in construction, engineering, health care, technology, and wellness and beauty in this series on different skilled professions. Each volume includes 10 to 15 unique career paths including nursing, social media management, security, data analysis, and dozens of others. The history of each industry is included, along with career outlooks, average salaries, job growth, and associated lifestyles. Notable to this series is its ideas for gaining pre-work experience and information about different career avenues through independent experiential learning, volunteering, internships, and informational interviews. VERDICT More advanced concepts make this series ideal for high schoolers, but collections serving late middle schoolers may also want to consider.