Young readers are often eager to learn about themselves and the world around them. After years of disruption to their social education, they will find that reading books about the importance of communication while emphasizing that dealing with loneliness and disappointment is essential. Curious readers can learn about the cultures around them, the world’s major religions, and North America’s native population. Older readers can explore hot topic issues like cancel culture, homelessness, and drug addiction.

Elementary

Culliford, Amy. Bored as a Bird. ISBN 9781039644960.
––––. Embarrassed by My Squawk. ISBN 9781039644939.
––––. Happy to Be Your Friend. ISBN 9781039644946.
––––. Jealous of Feathers. ISBN 9781039644953.
––––. Lonely Without a Flock. ISBN 9781039644977.
––––. Scared To Leave the Ground. ISBN 9781039644984.
ea vol: illus. by John Joseph. 24p. (Phoenix and Goose). Crabtree/Blossoms. Jan. 2022. Tr $21.27.
PreS-K –Two feathered friends help children explore their emotions in this graphic novel series. Phoenix and Goose experience loneliness, jealousy, boredom, and fear. The character’s facial expressions clearly mark their mood and the text describes why they are feeling that way. By discussing their feelings, the two friends are able to feel better and help each other. Each book begins with a guide explaining the reading levels, and discussion questions to use before, during, and after reading the book. Writing prompts follow the story as an extension activity. For both the writing prompts and discussion questions possible responses are provided. VERDICT Colorful graphics, easy-to-read language, and help for parents make this a must purchase for SEL collections.

Moses, Brian & Anne Moses. I Like To Listen. ISBN 9781039647626.
––––. I Like To Read. ISBN 9781039647633.
––––. I Like To Talk. ISBN 9781039647640.
––––. I Like To Write. ISBN 9781039647657.
ea vol: illus. by Sharon Davey. 32p. (Let’s Communicate). Crabtree. Jan. 2022. Tr $29.27.
K-Gr 2 –A young group of friends explores reading, writing, listening, and talking in this delightful series. Each title begins with the children brainstorming the importance of the communication skill covered and why it is fun. Bright, full-page illustrations depict the kids reading on the beach, writing a letter to a friend, listening to music, and talking to family over video chat. Concise text in a clear font accompanies each illustration. Included in each book is a series of suggested discussion questions and activities to help children practice communicating while reading the book. VERDICT These titles make communication skills feel like superpowers. When young children see everything they can do by reading, listening, talking, and writing, they will be excited to develop those abilities.

Press, J. P. Spring Holidays. ISBN 9781636913957.
––––. Spring Plants. ISBN 9781636913964.
––––. Spring Sports. ISBN 9781636913971.
––––. Spring Weather. ISBN 9781636913988.
ea vol: 24p. (Seasons of Fun: Spring). Bearport/Bear Cub Bks. Jan. 2022. Tr $26.99.
K-Gr 1 –Young readers will learn all about spring in this series. Brightly colored pages featuring simple text and large images describe the season’s weather, holidays, sports, and plants. Bolded vocabulary words can be found in the glossary. Each book ends with a one-page exploration of a topic including the origins of Earth Day, the history of baseball, the rain cycle, and the plant growth cycle. Back matter includes an index and suggested resources for further reading. VERDICT Large text and simple sentences make this series good for beginning readers. Purchase where books about the seasons are needed.

Willis, John & Heather C. Hudak. Arts and Crafts. ISBN 9781510559912.
––––. Clothing. ISBN 9781510559943.
––––. Dance. ISBN 9781510559974.
––––. Food. ISBN 9781510560000.
––––. Places of Worship. ISBN 9781510560031.
ea vol: 24p. (Cultures of America). Lightbox. Sept. 2021. Tr $22.99.
Gr 3-5 –This series is a visual feast for the eyes! Vivid images highlight unique elements of each culture, including stunning Ukrainian Easter eggs and Mexican pottery; French embroidery and Filipino skirts; and tamales, schnitzel, and spring rolls. Each spread spotlights a different culture and includes vocabulary words. However, there is no glossary. While readers will be able to identify some of the words via visual clues, some of the vocabulary is so culture-specific that they will not be recognizable to young readers. Additionally, readers will notice the same cultures featured in each book. It would help to see a greater variety of cultures represented. Each book includes a list of sight words and content words. VERDICT While this series is not perfect, it provides useful information in an entertaining manner that will keep kids reading. Recommended for school libraries.

Upper Elementary to Middle School

Bird, F.A. Algonquin. ISBN 9781532197147.
––––. Apache. ISBN 9781532197154.
––––. Cherokee. ISBN 9781532197161.
––––. Cheyenne. ISBN 9781532197178.
––––. Comanche. ISBN 9781532197185.
––––. Iroquois. ISBN 9781532197192.
––––. Navajo. ISBN 9781532197208.
––––. Nez Perce. ISBN 9781532197215.
––––. Seminole. ISBN 9781532197222.
––––. Sioux. ISBN 9781532197239.
ea vol: 32p. (Native American Nations). Abdo/Checkerboard Library. Jan. 2022. Tr $29.93.
Gr 3-6 –Lots of information is packed into bite-sized chapters in this series. Each book explores the nation’s homeland, societal structure, dress, food sources, and war capabilities. While there is a chapter about traditions, it only includes a short example of spiritual beliefs. First contact with Europeans is discussed in each book, highlighting broken promises and forced removals. The final section describes Native Americans today and how they are preserving their ancient cultures. Each chapter is accompanied by a full-page image of people, homes, crafts, and clothes. Pronunciation is provided for unfamiliar words and vocabulary is bolded. Back matter includes a glossary and an index. This series puts an end to the idea that all Native Americans are alike or that even a single nation is monolithic. As they are broken down into smaller communities, different beliefs and customs begin to emerge, creating a much more complex picture. VERDICT An excellent resource for beginning researchers.

Bradley, Fleur. My Life as a Buddhist. ISBN 9781534199392.
––––. My Life as a Christian. ISBN 9781534199408.
––––. My Life as a Hindu. ISBN 9781534199415.
––––. My Life as a Jew. ISBN 9781534199439.
––––. My Life as a Muslim. ISBN 9781534199422.
––––. My Life as a Sikh. ISBN 9781534199446.
ea vol: 32p. (How the World Worships). Cherry Lake/45th Parallel Pr. Jan. 2022. Tr $29.93.
Gr 4-6 –Students will learn about the world’s major religions in this new series. The introduction is very information heavy and explains the difference between monotheism and polytheism as well as the basics of the religion: number of worshipers, primary beliefs, and names of gods. However, the rest of the information is provided in narrative form. Each title tells the story of a young practitioner in America and a child in the religion’s homeland. Prisha, an American Hindu, introduces her Jewish friend to Diwali while Aariv, an Indian Hindu, prepares for his sacred thread ceremony. Both chapters introduce elements of the religion, foods, decoration, and clothes, but they also demonstrate the difference between celebrating as a household and as a community. Readers will learn about important figures in each religion’s history, sacred texts, commandments, and holidays. The books conclude with activities that include recipes, meditation exercises, and crafts. A phonetic glossary, index, time line, and suggested books and websites are included. VERDICT This series celebrates religion and invites readers to find commonalities among world faiths. Though it begins with some information overload, it is an accessible way to learn more about religious practices. Recommended for all schools and libraries.

González, Echo Elise. Donating Money. ISBN 9780716639824.
––––. Earning Money. ISBN 9780716639770.
––––. Investing Money. ISBN 9780716639800.
––––. Saving Money. ISBN 9780716639794.
––––. What is Money? ISBN 9780716639763.
Kelliher, Lauren. Careers in Finance. ISBN 9780716639831.
––––. Managing Credit. ISBN 9780716639817.
––––. Spending Money. ISBN 9780716639787.
ea vol: illus. by Graham Ross. 40p. (Building Blocks of Finance). World Book. Mar. 2021. Tr $249.
Gr 5-9 –This graphic introduction to the world of finance makes digesting financial concepts simple and fun. Characters Coin, Paycheck, Stock, and their friends explain supply and demand, profits, taxes, cryptocurrencies, and e-commerce. Investing terms such as diversification, mutual funds, and bonds are explained with the help of easy-to-follow artwork. Readers will learn how to spend responsibly, why taxes are necessary, and the importance of donating profits to charity. Topics that always feel very adult are suddenly much easier to understand with the help of this series. Each title includes a glossary. VERDICT An imaginative way to introduce financial terms and concepts. Recommended for schools and libraries.

Upper Middle School to High School

Conley, Kate. Social Media and Modern Society. ISBN 9781532196225.
Edwards, Sue Bradford. Cancel Culture. ISBN 9781532196218.
ea vol: 112p. (Special Reports Set 7). Adbo/Essential Library. Jan. 2022. Tr $38.50.
Gr 7-10 –Social Media and Modern Society provides a history of communication from the telegraph to the telephone and up through Myspace and Facebook. Readers are confronted with the damaging impacts of social networks like privacy concerns, mental health issues, addiction, and the spread of misinformation. But the benefits of social media are presented as well such as the ability to bring people together regardless of distance, the documentation of revolutions in real-time, and the ability to deliver aid and perform safety checks during a crisis. Sidebars explore doomscrolling, the digital divide, algorithms, and individuals in the social media tech world. Cancel Culture dives into modern cases of public shaming both on and offline. Readers will learn about R. Kelly, Josh Hawley, Roseanne Barr and other ‘canceled’ celebrities. Cancel Culture takes plenty of time exploring the history of the term ‘cancel’ and what causes people to be canceled. But it is not until page 74 that conservative efforts to cancel individuals and organizations is even mentioned and that is limited to Colin Kaepernick, the 1619 Project, Liz Cheney, and other moderate Republicans. Readers unfamiliar with cancel culture will assume that it is one-sided. The titles include a glossary, index, source notes, and suggested readings. VERDICT While both titles will give researchers plenty of material, Cancel Culture’s one-sidedness makes it a questionable resource. Look elsewhere for similar information.

Eason, Sarah & Karen Latchana Kenney. Being Homeless. illus. by Sylwia Filipczak. ISBN 9781914383113.
––––. Being in a Gang. illus. by Sylwia ­Filipczak. ISBN 9781914383090.
Eason, Sarah & Sarah Levete. Going Through a Family Breakup. illus. by Sylwia ­Filipczak. ISBN 9781914383106.
––––. Having a Drug Addiction. illus. by Sylwia Filipczak. ISBN 9781914383083.
––––. Having an Eating Disorder. ISBN 9781914383069.
Eason, Sarah & Ella Newell. Having an ­Alcohol Addiction. illus. by Sylwia ­Filipczak. ISBN 9781914383076.
ea vol: 48p. (It Happened to Me). Cheriton Children’s Books. Jan. 2022. Tr $31.99.
Gr 6-9 –Stereotypes are broken in this series about difficult life situations. Each title tackles social issues relevant to young adults but still foreign to many readers. Teens are challenged to check their preconceived ideas about what it means to be homeless, who joins a gang, and how hard it is to battle drug addiction. Readers will learn about the nuisances of these trying situations: the various reasons people join gangs, transitional homelessness vs chronic homelessness, and the different types of eating disorders. These are supplemented with statistics from organizations and experts. While these are tough topics the author offers paths to recovery and ways to help. Each chapter contains a section called “It Happened to Me” with fictionalized accounts of survivors told in a journal-like format. Vocabulary words are bolded and an extensive glossary is included along with an index, suggested books and websites, and organizations that can help. VERDICT It would have been more powerful if the authors had gathered true stories rather than fictionalizing the accounts, but this series still provides important information for research and for creating empathy toward impacted individuals. Recommended.

Diverse representation of material helps improve the accessibility of information in these selections. World Book’s “Building Blocks of Finance” and Crabtree’s “Phoenix and Goose” both present information in an entertaining graphic novel format. Lerner’s “It Happened to Me” provides journal-like text to break up information-heavy sections and “How the World Worships” from 45th Parallel Press reads like a narrative tale.