As school librarians assess their needs for the 2024–25 school year, publishers are coming out with a broad range of content for the back-to-school season.

Social and emotional learning continues to be a key theme among the new books aimed at schools this fall. That’s not surprising, given that students are still dealing with numerous challenges affecting their mental and emotional health, including social media and the lingering effects of the pandemic.

New data provides some encouraging news on this front, as surveys show lower rates of sadness and hopelessness among teens this year in seven of nine states analyzed. Kathleen Ethier, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Adolescent and School Health, told the publication Axios that dedicating more resources to student well-being in the last few years has made a difference.

“These improvements, they’re not huge, but they are important,” she says.

Other new developments for school libraries this year include a modern and flexible library management system aimed at simplifying the administration of resources districtwide; a school-specific streaming video platform with built-in tools that make teaching with videos safe and easy; decodable books for older students who are still emergent readers; and books that help students of all ages become critical thinkers and problem solvers.

“As AI is getting more of a foothold in our lives, we need to be able to discern fact from fiction,” says Andi Diehn, content marketing manager for Nomad Press. “Students need to be able to think, research, question, and draw their own conclusions based on credible information.”

Here are some of the new books and services for school libraries this back-to-school season.

Red Chair Press

Founded in 2009, Massachusetts-based Red Chair Press publishes award-winning fiction and nonfiction books for schools and libraries. The company produces 15 to 20 new titles per year aimed at elementary and middle-grade readers.

Social and emotional learning is a strong component of Red Chair’s titles. “We believe that all children can grow up to become leaders who make a big impact in their communities,” says Social Media Manager Jennifer Marino Walters. Red Chair’s books seek to engage children in stories that provide positive role models for strong character development.

A good example is the company’s “Beginner Biography” series of books for children in kindergarten through second grade, which profiles remarkable people who have overcome significant challenges in their lives to achieve great accomplishments. The first eight books in the series came out in 2020, and another eight books—written by Walters herself—are being published in August 2024.

Jackie Robinson: Baseball’s Second-Base Hero, ISBN 9781643712512, describes how Robinson broke through barriers as the first African American to play baseball in the modern major leagues, opening doors for generations of Black athletes to come. Jim Thorpe: World’s Greatest Athlete, ISBN 9781643712529, relates how the Oklahoma-born Native American athlete’s shoes went “missing” before the 1912 Olympic decathlon—and yet he still set records in multiple events in the games. He went on to play professional baseball and football, while also launching a successful acting career.

Many people have heard of these two great athletes, but a lesser-known example is Ellen Ochoa: Breaking Barriers in Space, ISBN 9781643712505, which tells the story of the first Latina woman in space. Ochoa applied to be in NASA’s space program three times and had to overcome two rejections before finally being chosen for astronaut training in 1990.

The other “Beginner Biography” books being published this fall feature Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, Helen Keller, Congressman John Lewis, Rosa Parks, and Will Rogers. The books on Lewis and Jackson are illustrated by Niall Harding; the others are illustrated by Scott R. Brooks.

Capstone

Founded in 1990, Minnesota-based Capstone is a publisher of children’s books and digital products focused on the educational market. Capstone publishes nonfiction, fiction, picture books, interactive books, audio books, literacy programs, and digital media.

“We prioritize high-interest, diverse content that kids will reach for,” says Content Strategist Miriam Moore-Keish.

Author vs. Illustrator by Donald Lemke, illustrated by Bob Lentz, August 2024, ISBN 9781684469970, is a silly story about a picture book author and illustrator who disagree over the book’s direction. Can they get on the same page at last to produce a happy ending? As students in grades K–3 get a behind-the-scenes look at the not-so-simple process of how a book is made, they gain insight into the creative process while being introduced to skills like teamwork, conflict resolution, and respect. As one of the characters says, “A book is a lot like a chili dog. When all the parts come together, it’s worth the indigestion.”

In Tana Cooks with Care by Stacy Wells, illustrated by Maria Gabriela Gama, August 2024, ISBN 9781484695326, Tana is a young girl who loves to be in the kitchen creating foods for her friends and family. Alongside her chef dad, Tana uses cooking to learn more about her Choctaw culture, to show others she cares, and to simply have fun. For instance, when Tana’s friend Ana is nervous about auditioning for the school play, Tana helps her practice and also makes Ana’s favorite snack. The author, who is Choctaw, shows students in grades K–3 how food can help connect us—and she includes recipes of the dishes that Tana makes in the story at the back of the book.

Losing it in Translation by Sheelue Yang, illustrated by Karen Donnelly, August 2024, ISBN 9781669060253, is a coming-of-age story in graphic novel format for students in grades 3–5. Nhia “Silver” Lee is an average 11-year-old Hmong American girl who has to confront paralyzing anxiety as she navigates typical preteen scenarios, such as starting a new school and competing in a talent show. The book’s back matter includes information about the strategies that Nhia uses to overcome her anxiety, such as repeating reassuring phrases, visualizing calm spaces, and breaking projects into smaller, more manageable tasks.

In Thief of Dragons by Gina Kammer, illustrated by Diana Renzina, August 2024, ISBN 9781669067368, a girl whose family lost their home to a fire-breathing dragon finds herself in the last position she ever imagined: forced to care for—and train—a dragon of her own.

The book is part of a new four-book hi-lo series called “International School of Dragon Training,” written at a second grade reading level but aimed at students in grades 3–6. Each title focuses on a different character who trains a different type of dragon from various world cultures. “My favorite thing about this series is how it engages with the fantasy genre from culturally diverse perspectives,” Moore-Keish says. Each title’s back matter includes information about the cultural roots of its dragon mythology.

After the Clotilda: Africatown’s Hidden History by Anitra Butler-Ngugi, August 2024, ISBN 9781669074779, is a nonfiction book for students in grades 3–5 that highlights a little-known community and its history. The Clotilda was the last slave ship that brought Africans to Mobile in 1860 to be sold into slavery illegally. After the Civil War, many of the ship’s former captives formed a community on the north side of Mobile, called Africatown, where they continued to practice many of their West African traditions.

Mackin

Minnesota-based Mackin has provided single-source ordering of educational materials for prekindergarten through 12th grade schools for over 40 years, including print books in all types of bindings, eBooks, audiobooks, Read-Alongs, educational videos, and online databases. Known for its exceptional customer service, Mackin offers a growing selection of more than 4.2 million print and digital titles for the education market, and its multiple-award-winning eReader and digital content management system, MackinVIA, is available to all educators free of charge.

In April 2024, Mackin introduced a revolutionary new library resource management system for schools, called MackinVision. Developed with a user-driven approach from the start, this easy-to-use, modern library interface provides common-sense navigation that helps students and staff find the information they need effortlessly.

“MackinVision goes beyond a standard library management system. It’s really a whole-school resource management system,” says Director of Marketing Troy Mikell.

This fully customizable platform is flexible enough to manage not only books and digital assets, but any school resources, including technology devices, textbooks, uniforms, band instruments, and more. “Schools aren’t limited in what types of resources they can track and manage with this highly innovative new system,” says Director of Digital Services Mesa Heise.

Not only can library media specialists and other designated administrators see which assets their district owns and where these items are located, but they can also get customized reports showing how they are being used, including which books and other materials are circulating and how often, so they can make smarter, data-informed buying decisions.

What’s more, the platform includes elements that make instruction easier. For instance, an included module called LearnPath functions as a digitally curated learning system, allowing teachers and librarians to curate and share learning materials with specific classes, groups, or individual students. A Teacher’s Library Portal allows educators to borrow and circulate materials directly from a mobile phone or laptop and track the use of these items including the top 10 books circulating in their classroom, and student engagement with book reviews.

The MackinVision interface is designed to make materials very easy to find. It’s highly customizable, allowing librarians to create carousels showcasing specific collections, resources, news, and other content. Federated search capabilities embedded into the system allow users to search through all a school system’s collections and digital databases at the same time, thereby streamlining the search process. The platform’s intelligent software automatically recommends books and other materials that are similar to what students are reading, which is “a nice way to get kids to read more,” Heise notes.

Users can search for materials by format, interest level, or reading level to find resources that are the right fit. And a simplified interface for younger students, called MackinVision STAR, includes picture-based searching for emergent readers. “Students can create their own avatar and choose their own background,” Heise says. “We’ve made it fun for them to create an environment they’ll want to return to over and over again.”

Other key features (at no additional cost) including gamified elements such as badges to incentivize reading, unique QR code for each user to access the Library Link phone app, and accessibility in multiple languages, further illustrate why this new product from Mackin was recently honored with a prestigious Best of Show award from ISTE 2024.

Cardinal Rule Press

Maria Dismondy had been teaching for about ten years when she noticed a gap in the children’s book market: At the time, there wasn’t a lot of realistic fiction for young children. To fill this gap, she wrote Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun and published it with a small Michigan publisher in 2008.

Eight years later, Dismondy created her own publishing company to introduce picture books from other authors as well. Cardinal Rule Press publishes high-quality children’s books that empower and inspire children through timeless messages of hope, courage, and the Golden Rule.

The Heavy Bag: One Girl’s Journey Through Grief by Sarah Surgey, illustrated by Larisa Ivanković, April 2024, ISBN 9781945369414, features a young girl named Enid who’s grieving her grandfather. Her grief is symbolized by a large yellow bag shat she carries around with her. Each time she talks about her grandpa, the bag gets a little smaller, showing that “when you share your feelings with others, the load feels a little lighter,” Dismondy says.

In The Law of Birthdays: A Story About Choice by Brenna Jeanneret, illustrated by Marina Kondrakhina, May 2024, ISBN 9781945369438, a king has declared that every child must eat cake on his birthday. When one little girl politely declines, the King gets upset—until she patiently convinces him that his law is unfair. The book’s message is that we all have a voice, and we should all have choices in our lives.

Camouflage Mom: A Military Story About Staying Connected by Sarah Hovorka, illustrated by Elif Balta Parks, July 2024, ISBN 9781945369469, is the story of a young girl named Sarah who struggles to come to terms with her mother’s absence. When Sarah’s mother goes off to boot camp, she gives her children a pair of combat boots. At first, Sarah is angry because she feels abandoned, and she hides the boots in a closet. Eventually, she takes the boots out and puts them on, and she feels a tremendous sense of pride in her mom as she clomps around the house.

“It’s a story about finding ways to connect with someone you love, even when you can’t be with them,” Dismondy says. Although the plot involves a military family, its message also resonates with children whose parents are divorced or who have lost a family member.

Do-It-Yourself Dollhouse: Making More With Less by Shannon Anderson, illustrated by Giulia Pintus, October 2024, ISBN 9781945369476, is a story about two girls who live on the same street but have very different life experiences. One girl has a beautiful dollhouse bought from a store, while the other has a homemade dollhouse constructed from cardboard. In a twist that demonstrates that money isn’t everything, the first girl is envious of the second girl’s dollhouse because it’s so cool.

In Pedro the Pirate: A Foster Kid’s New Crew by Ciara O’Neal, illustrated by Antonella Fant, November 2024, ISBN 9781945369490, Pedro is a foster child who likes to pretend he’s a pirate. He also has trouble trusting his new family—until his foster siblings help him solve a thorny problem, and he comes to learn the meaning of the phrase “better together.”

All of Cardinal Rule’s books come with free lesson plans, appropriate for grades K–5, that teachers can download from each book’s page on the company’s website. In 2023, the company started a nonprofit initiative, Making Spirits Bright, that distributes used books to schools and families in the metro Detroit area.

Rabbit Room Press

Inspired by author, singer, and songwriter Andrew Peterson’s visit to C.S. Lewis’ Oxford, England home, The Rabbit Room is a Nashville, Tennessee-based nonprofit founded in 2006. The organization is named after the back room of the pub where Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and other writers would gather to share their stories and encourage each other’s work.

“These great works of literature ultimately came out of the friendship cultivated by this group,” says A.S. (“Pete”) Peterson, Andrew’s brother and the publisher of Rabbit Room Press. “We thought: can we recreate that dynamic here in Nashville?”

The Rabbit Room nurtures and curates stories, music, and art featuring Christian themes and values. Rabbit Room Press is the publishing arm of The Rabbit Room; it publishes fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for both children and adults.

“We recognized that a lot of good books were falling through the cracks because the publishing industry is organized around which shelf a title belongs on,” Pete Peterson says. “We wanted to create an outlet for titles that didn’t seem to fit easily in other places.”

In celebration of the 20th anniversary of Jonathan Rogers’ “The Wilderking Trilogy,” a middle-grade fantasy series based loosely on the life of King David from his shepherd days to his coronation, Rabbit Room Press is publishing new editions of the books complete with original material. “These books have been favorites in schools for years,” Peterson says.

Peterson describes the series as “C.S. Lewis meets Mark Twain,” or a coming-of-age fantasy series with a Southern accent. The books feature characters like the Feechiefolk, a tribe of half-civilized swamp dwellers who fight too much, laugh too loud, cry too easily, and smell terrible. (Think of the Lost Boys from the Peter Pan franchise.)

Volume one, The Bark of the Bog Owl, June 2024, ISBN 9781951872267, introduces readers to the trilogy’s hero, Aidan Errolson, who comes from a long line of storied adventurers—though he laments that he’s never had any real adventures of his own. All that changes when Bayard the Truthspeaker arrives with a startling pronouncement about the coming of the Wilderking, a long-prophesied wild man who will emerge from Corenwald’s forests and swamps to lead the kingdom back to its former glory.

In volume two, The Secret of the Swamp King, August 2024, ISBN 9781951872274, when the tyrant King Darrow sends Aidan on an impossible adventure into the recesses of Feechiefen Swamp, he hopes he’s sending Aidan to his death. But Aidan’s fate is not yet sealed, for he has allies among the Feechiefolk, who know him as the hero Pantherbane.

In volume three, The Way of the Wilderking, August 2024, ISBN 9781951872281, Aidan returns home to Corenwald after three years in the Feechiefen Swamp, but he’s shocked to discover a newly formed faction known as the Aidanites. They believe the ancient Wilderking Chant refers to Aidan and that he’s destined to overthrow King Darrow.

Aimed at readers ages 8–12, these 20th anniversary editions feature new illustrations from Joe Hox and new songs, ballads, poems, and riddles from Rogers. “The series has such a unique voice to it,” Peterson says.

Jodi Dee Publishing

Jodi Dee Publishing was founded by author and entrepreneur Jodi Dee, who has written and self-published ten books to date. All of Dee’s books focus on social and emotional learning, with themes such as self-empowerment, self-love, empathy, and emotional mastery. Her titles have won numerous awards and accolades, including the Purple Dragonfly Book Award, Royal Dragonfly Book Award, National Indie Books Award, and Mom’s Choice Award.

Dee’s first book, which she published in 2019, was The Dirt Girl, ISBN 9781736209332. It’s a picture book about a young girl named Zafera who often has dirt on her hands and twigs in her hair. When Zafera goes to school for the first time, the other children stare at her and tease her. When she invites her classmates to her home for a birthday celebration, however, they come to appreciate Zafera for who she is. The book’s powerful message is one of acceptance, of not being afraid to be who you are, “because our differences are our greatest gifts,” Dee says.

Published in 2020, Dee’s The Little Green Jacket, illustrated by Steve Goad, ISBN 9781736209370, is a picture book for children ages 5–9 that follows a child’s jacket as it travels through the lives of various children living in very different places, ending up on the other side of the world after a natural disaster. Beautifully illustrated, the book demonstrates the magic of giving—and how donating materials can change peoples’ lives.

The Seeking Tree, co-illustrated by Dee and Kaya Oldaker, March 2023, ISBN 9781736209325, features an environmental message about the importance of appreciating and protecting nature. It follows a young sapling that yearns for human connection from the time it sprouts in the eighteenth century to a period in the unspecified future, when it’s the last tree remaining from the forest that once surrounded it.

The Snow Monster, illustrated by Chandrani Das, September 2023, ISBN 9781736209394, is an imaginative story about a young girl named Amia who loves the snow. For her ninth birthday, she wishes that she could eat all the snow in the world. When her wish comes true, it has unintended consequences, as the townspeople are upset when Amia eats all the snow in their village and there’s none left for the children to play in. They banish Amia inside for the winter—until she’s the only one who can save them when a huge snowstorm arrives. The book shows children that we all have unique gifts to share with the world, even though these gifts might not be appreciated right away.

Just in time for the back-to-school season, Dee has created a set of weeklong, comprehensive lesson plans for each of her books. Available to download free of charge from her website (https://jodidee.com), the lesson plans help teachers integrate Dee’s books into their SEL curriculum. Developed in conjunction with certified educators, these standards-aligned resources are easy to use with printables and a digital and gaming option.

In 2025, Dee will be releasing her first book aimed at middle-grade readers. Energy Wars: The Awakening will be the first title in a new chapter book series about a 13-year-old boy named Miles who perceives teasing and bullying behavior as fireballs of energy being hurled at the victims. As Miles tries to understand his newfound superpower, he finds himself in the middle of a war zone, invisible to everyone but him.

Mad Cave Studios

Founded in 2014 and based in Miami, FL, Mad Cave Studios is an independent publisher of comic books and graphic novels for readers of all ages.

“At Mad Cave, we’re committed to creating content that not only entertains but also educates and empowers young readers,” says Director of Marketing Allison Pond. The company’s Papercutz imprint, which produces content aimed at elementary and middle school students, engages emergent and reluctant young readers by drawing them into character-driven narratives that take place within imaginative worlds.

Double Booking: The Tail of the Mummy Cat by Chas! Pangburn and Kim Shearer, illustrated by Nic Touris, April 2024, ISBN 9781545809280, is a graphic novel intended for students in grades 2–6. Written by a brother-sister creative team, it features siblings Otto and Nan who accidentally free a mummy cat from a pharaoh’s chamber while on a trip to Egypt. As they try to recapture it, their resulting adventure has them exploring Cairo, learning historical facts, saving each other from danger, and discovering truths about life.

The book is published in an innovative flipbook format to highlight the different perspectives and experiences the siblings bring to the same trip. “It’s a perfect example of how storytelling can promote social and emotional learning by encouraging readers to see the world from different perspectives,” Pond notes.

Jackson’s Wilder Adventures: Habits & Habitats by Sarah Davidson, July 2024, ISBN 9781545800843, is the first installment in a new chapter book graphic novel series that aims to make science fun and accessible for students in grades 2–4. It features a young boy named Jackson Wilder and his imaginary friend Irwin the Thylacine. When Jackson wishes he was a wild animal so he wouldn’t have to eat his dad’s cooking, Irwin takes him on an adventure to places like a tropical rainforest and the African savanna, where he learns about the challenges that animals face around the world.

For both books, Mad Cave has made free supplemental learning materials available to download from its website. For instance, the companion materials to this book teach students about the scientific method, such as how to develop a hypothesis, collect evidence, and then revisit their hypothesis.

Gnome Road Publishing

Based in Louisville, Kentucky, Gnome Road is an independent publisher of picture books for children ages 3–9. The company’s goal is to produce books that engage and inform, develop and strengthen a love for reading, and bring smiles and laughter to the world, says owner and Publisher Sandra Sutter. All the company’s books include free downloadable resource guides with learning activities and discussion questions for teachers.

In How to Hatch a Reader by Kari Ann Gonzalez, illustrated by Rachel Suzanne, August 2023, ISBN 9781957655055, a young girl teaches her chickens how to read. As young children ages 3–7 follow this engaging story, they’ll pick up foundational reading skills and tools for themselves. Tailored to the early learning school market, this book was a 2023 Northern Lights Book Award winner in the Humor category.

Sea Smiles, written and illustrated by Bonnie Kelso, February 2024, ISBN 9781957655208, normalizes the fear of losing a tooth for children ages 5–9. The book is about a young girl who loses a tooth and thinks her smile is ruined, until she meets a wolffish who shows her the wonderful diversity in sea creatures’ oral structures—and she no longer worries about her own appearance.

Sea Smiles is the first book in a three-book series featuring the same character as she navigates various developmental milestones. “It’s a perfect example of humor, informational fiction, and relatable characters coming together to help kids through a common challenge,” Sutter says.

Trunk Goes Thunk! A Woodland Tale of Opposites by Heather C. Morris, illustrated by Chantelle and Burgen Thorne, September 2024, ISBN 9781957655291, is a nonfiction story that explores how woodland creatures repurpose a fallen tree, while also introducing young children ages 3–7 to pairs of word opposites.

Through beautiful illustrations and lyrical, evocative language, children learn how a fallen tree becomes a log bridge that animals use throughout the various seasons and times of the day: “For racoons to travel in the dark and beavers to build in the light...For ducks to float under and a fox to run over...for a lynx to dash fast and a porcupine to amble slow.”

Free Spirit Publishing

An imprint of Teacher Created Materials, Free Spirit publishes fiction and nonfiction content supporting social emotional health and learning for toddlers through young adults. Its mission is to provide children and teens “with the tools they need to think for themselves, overcome challenges, and make a difference in the world,” says Publisher Kyra Ostendorf.

Thank You, Night by Dan McCauley, illustrated by Jo Loring-Fisher, October 2024, ISBN 9798885546737, is the first title in a new picture book series, “Thank You, World,” that focuses on mindfulness through different connection points with nature. In this book, a young boy is too anxious to sleep, so he goes for a walk with his father. Their walk takes them to the ocean, where they observe and appreciate the night before returning home relaxed and ready to fall asleep.

The book’s back matter includes information on the different mindfulness strategies portrayed in the story, such as engaging your senses and being present in nature.

In The Sky Is Not Blue by Joy Jones, illustrated by Sawyer Cloud, October 2024, ISBN 9798885544153, a young boy’s creativity and self-confidence challenge and inspire his teacher. When Robert draws a picture in class, he uses different colored crayons to represent the sky; his teacher suggests that he use a blue crayon instead. But Robert knows the sky’s true colors are more varied than that, such as at sunset or during a storm. Robert holds fast to what he believes, and his teacher comes to agree the sky is not just blue.

A finalist in the 2022 Black Voices in Children’s Literature writing contest that Free Spirit co-sponsored with Strive Publishing, the book “is a celebration of children’s creativity,” Ostendorf says, “and a gentle reminder that adults need to support that.” The back matter includes an explanation of why we see different colors in the sky, giving it a clear STEM connection as well.

James Finds the Beat by Ty Chapman, October 2024, ISBN 9798885545303, is a story about a young boy who struggles with social anxiety but finds his voice through music. As with all of Free Spirit’s books, this title has questions at the end to support reflection and conversation, such as: What helps you feel calmer when you’re nervous? “Building community across groups of children is a valuable back-to-school activity,” Ostendorf notes.

Nosy Crow

Founded in 2010, Nosy Crow is an independent children's publisher based in London. The company opened a U.S. location in Lincoln, Massachusetts in 2022. Nosy Crow publishes high-quality fiction and nonfiction books for children ages 0–12.

Dungeon Runners, Level 1: Hero Trial by Kieran Larwood, illustrated by Joe Todd-Stanton, September 2024, ISBN 9798887771076, is the first book in a new series for children ages 7–10 who enjoy fantasy and role-playing games. It’s an illustrated chapter book about a boy named Kit who has dreamed of being a Dungeon Runner—a competitor in a televised competition that’s like a live-action version of the game Dungeons & Dragons—all his life. Yet, as a “gnorf” (half gnome, half dwarf), he’s much smaller than the other competitors. When an opening in the competition emerges, Kit forms a team with his new friends, the gnorf mage Sandy and the vegan vampire Thorn. Together, they take on more accomplished teams in a classic underdog story full of humor and adventure.

In Pascal the Very Hungry Penguin by Nishani Reed, illustrated by Junissa Bianda, September 2024, ISBN 9798887770581, the title character is a fedora-wearing penguin with a sophisticated palette who’s tired of eating fish all the time. When he goes home with a boy who visits the zoo one day, he gets to enjoy many new kinds of foods he’s never tried before. Aimed at children ages 4–8, this fun title emerged as the result of an open call for submissions from creators of color in the U.K. Featuring different cultures and their foods, the book brings a global perspective to emergent young readers. “Food is something all of us relate to,” says Marketing Manager Ally Russell. “It brings us together.”

How to Be a Detective and Other Crime-Fighting Jobs by Detective Alexandra Beever, illustrated by Sol Linero, October 2024, ISBN 9798887770802, is the second book in a nonfiction series from Nosy Crow that explores different career paths. Written by a female detective from the Thames Valley Police and targeting children ages 7–10, it describes the history of detectives and what they do. It also profiles the many different crime-fighting roles, beyond just a police officer, available to kids when they grow up—such as handwriting expert, sketch artist, or fingerprint analyst.

Speedy Publishing

Founded in 2013, Speedy Publishing LLC publishes titles for adults and children in several genres. The company has more than 30 imprints, but its main focus is the creation of children’s nonfiction titles on curriculum-aligned subjects for K–12 schools.

As of spring 2024, Speedy’s catalog includes books that are aligned with every topic covered by the Next-Generation Science Standards and the National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies for grades K–12, says Business Development Officer Colin Scott.

“If students in any grade level are struggling to understand the content they’re learning in class, teachers can use our books to supplement their learning,” he notes.

Earth Needs You and Me: Introducing Eco Awareness to Grade 2 Students, April 2024, ISBN 9781541997134, helps elementary students understand how organisms depend on their environment to survive, and how changes to the environment affect various organisms—including humans. The book delves into the significance of habitats, the impact of pollution, and the importance of recycling and energy conservation in an accessible way.

Who Is the King? Classifying Living Organisms: Animal, Plant Phyla and Species Explained, April 2024, ISBN 9781541997196 is geared to middle school students. Classifying living things is a fundamental life science curriculum unit in grades 6–8. This book unveils the intricate system of domains, kingdoms, phyla, and species that make the vast diversity of life on Earth accessible and understandable. It explores the three domains and the six kingdoms where all living organisms are placed, up from five in the 1970s.

“This book allows librarians to weed out older titles that discussed only five kingdoms with a title that covers the topic in great detail using age- and grade-appropriate text,” Scott says.

For second grade students, the ability to use simple geographic tools like maps and globes is an important social studies standard. An Easy Reference to Identifying Cardinal and Intermediate Directions, April 2024, ISBN 9781541997172, is a practical guide that introduces students to these tools. It not only teaches them how to read map elements and legends, but also explains more advanced concepts such as remote sensing and global positioning systems.

Phoenix International Publications

Based in Chicago, Phoenix International Publications has produced engaging and educational children’s content for more than three decades. The company’s imprints, which include PI Kids, Sunbird Books, and Sequoia Kids Media, publish original and licensed board books, picture books, apps, and activity books—all of which encourage a lifelong love of stories, reading, and imaginative play.

New from Sequoia Kids Media this August is a six-book nonfiction series called “Active Minds: Book of Firsts.” Written by Dale Jones, these 24-page books for students in grades 2–4 feature short-form biographies about a wide array of pioneers in various fields.

First Flights: Trips Through Sky and Space, ISBN 9798765407189, highlights people like Chuck Yeager, the first person to fly faster than the speed of sound; Bessie Coleman, the first Black woman to hold a pilot’s license; and NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Christina Koch, who performed the first all-female spacewalk in 2019. Other books in the series profile groundbreaking scientists, inventors, gamers, influencers, and female adventurers.

Another new series from Sequoia, “Active Minds: You Can Draw!,” includes step-by-step instructions for students of all abilities in grades K–5 to draw creatures that capture their imaginations. The series is written by James Mravec and is coming out in August.

You Can Draw Cretaceous Dinosaurs, ISBN 9798765403396, focuses on prehistoric creatures like Brontosaurus and Stegosaurus, while You Can Draw Jurassic Dinosaurs, ISBN 9798765403389, focuses on dinosaurs like Triceratops and T. Rex. “Each spread includes fun facts about these dinosaurs,” says Senior Marketing Manager Casey Griffin. “And we also have downloadable grid paper on our website to make the drawings easier.”

PI Kids’ “Look and Find” books help children in grades K–2 build skills and confidence as they search through busy scenes populated with characters from beloved entertainment franchises to find hidden objects.

In Look and Find Series #3: Marvel Avengers, illustrated by Art Mawhinney, August 2024, ISBN 9798765407424, kids try to thwart Thanos and outsmart Hydra as they search for hidden objects in eight action-packed scenes based on the Marvel Avengers characters. Other books in the series feature characters from Disney’s Frozen and Encanto and Nickelodeon’s Paw Patrol.

Orca Book Publishers

Founded in 1984, Orca Book Publishers is an independent Canadian children’s publisher of everything from board and picture books to middle-grade and young adult fiction.

With more than 1,000 titles in print and over 80 new titles a year, Orca is known particularly for its hi-lo books that make age-appropriate content accessible for struggling or emergent readers in the middle grades. “We’d heard from teachers that they were looking for decodable books aimed at slightly older students as well,” says Educational Sales Specialist Laura Bowman. In response, Orca has introduced a phonics-based decodable hi-lo series for children in grades 2–4 who are still developing foundational reading skills.

Called “Meg and Greg,” the series is written by sisters Elspeth and Rowena Rae and illustrated by Elisa Gutiérrez. Elspeth is a Canadian educator who works with children who have dyslexia and other reading difficulties. Meg, Greg, and their friends are in fifth grade, and the humorous activities they engage in are well suited to this older audience. “We’ve had educators of students in grades five and six finding success with these books in their classrooms,” Bowman says.

Each book focuses on a different phonics concept, and the lessons build cumulatively, so that together, all eight books will form a complete learn-to-read package. The fifth book in this eight-book series, Meg and Greg: A Handful of Dogs, ISBN 9781459838239, comes out in August 2024. The four stories in this book introduce students to different types of prefixes, suffixes, and the spelling rules for adding them to base words.

The books are designed to be read with an adult or buddy reader. The decodable text appears on the right-hand pages and at-level text appears on the left-hand pages. This format helps keep the beginner-level text engaging for slightly older readers. At the end of every chapter, there are additional activities to help readers practice their phonics concepts through methods other than just reading. Orca has made these activities into free, downloadable activity pack PDFs on its website as well.

Swank Motion Pictures

Swank K–12 Streaming offers access to more than 43,000 movies and documentaries for educational use through a safe and easy-to-use streaming platform. Its library includes new blockbusters, classic classroom films, and relevant documentaries for instructional support.

“We’re a safe, simple, and legal access point for showing films in classrooms,” says Director of Educational Streaming Brian Edwards. “With our platform, schools can eliminate the hassle of DVD equipment and personal streaming sites—ensuring compliance while simplifying processes school-wide. Plus, teachers have the option to assign films to students, significantly freeing up class time.”

Schools and districts can choose from a list of preset collections specifically curated for education based on the most frequently used films. Additional title requests are also included to customize your collection.

The title requests are reviewed by administrators before being made available to students. This governance model ensures only age-appropriate, properly licensed material reaches its intended audience within a secure, closed-loop environment. The platform offers a unique blend of autonomy for educators with a high-level of control and insight for admins.

Each video includes numerous audio options, such as closed captioning and subtitles in multiple languages. Swank K–12 Streaming also includes a sizeable collection of foreign films that is useful for helping students learn another language.

New this fall, teachers will be able to create playlists of videos and embed bookmarks that direct students to specific parts of a film. Plus, Swank is building an AI-driven tool to help teachers with lesson planning and title selection in alignment with teaching standards. The system is currently in beta testing, Edwards says, but when it becomes widely available, teachers will be able to request specific types of content, such as: “Show me movies that help students learn about the Great Depression” or “Create a 10-question discussion guide for [grade level] based on [movie]” for example.

“We often hear customers note the peace of mind they receive knowing their school is using the right tool in the right way,” says Edwards. “Admins can see how movies are being used in the curriculum, teachers have easy access to an on-demand content library, and IT knows they’re giving teachers a verified resource that’s trusted and versatile.”

Nomad Press

Based in White River Junction, Vermont, Nomad Press is an educational children's publisher whose books take kids beyond the pages to a world of experiential education, with a strong focus on STEM topics.

“Our books are written and designed to fit seamlessly in K–12 classrooms,” says Content Marketing Manager Andi Diehn. “We make them super engaging for kids by showing them how these topics connect to their own lives.” All the company’s books include ideas for hands-on activities to reach all different types of learners.

Keystone Species: Meet the Animals Key to Ecosystem Health and Biodiversity by Laura Perdew, illustrated by Micah Rauch, September 2024, ISBN 9781647411206, introduces students in grades 3–6 to nine different species of animals that are essential to the survival of their ecosystems—from bees and coral to sharks, alligators, and gray wolves. Readers will learn how the food web works and what happens when a keystone species disappears, often as the result of human intervention.

“The book also shows that we can recover ecosystems with effort,” Diehn notes, underscoring the power of students to make a difference as the next generation of problem solvers and innovators.

“Picture Book Science: Adaptations” is a series of 32-page books for students in grades K–3, revealing how various species have developed adaptations that help them survive. Nomad Press is releasing three new books in October 2024, bringing the total number of titles in the series to eight. Diehn is the books’ author, and they are illustrated by Lex Cornell.

Plant Adaptations: Shallow Roots, Thick Stalks, and Poison, ISBN 9781647411244, highlights the adaptations that plants have developed to survive, such as the shallow root systems of desert vegetation that can catch rainwater before it evaporates.

The other two new releases are Insect Adaptations: Mouthparts, Mimicry, and Flying, ISBN 9781647411282, and Microbe Adaptations: Glowing Lights, Hot Vents, and Large Numbers, ISBN 9781647411329. In addition to hands-on experiments, the books feature fun facts, jokes, and a glossary of terms.

David Zwirner Books

As the publishing arm of David Zwirner—a contemporary art gallery representing more than 70 artists and estates in New York, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Hong Kong—David Zwirner Books produces about 25 high-quality art publications per year.

Making a Great Exhibition by Doro Globus and Rose Blake, illustrated by Rose Blake, September 2021, ISBN 9781644230497, is a colorful introduction to the world of artists and museums for students in grades K–6. This inside look at how art gets made reveals the journey of two artists’ work from its conception in the studio to its display in an exhibition. Along the way, young readers learn about all the different people and jobs involved in the process—from art handlers and shippers to curators, museum visitors, and more.

In I Am an Artist, May 2024, ISBN 9781644231210, the same creative team produced a follow-up work for children that highlights the many kinds of artists there are—including street artists, video photographers, glassblowers, woodworkers, and more.

“When you ask children what an artist is, you primarily hear about painting, drawing, and sculpture,” says Globus, who is also associate publisher for David Zwirner Books. “Our goal was to feature other types of artists and show kids the variety of different roles that exist.”

Both the author and illustrator were raised in the art world, spending their time in studios, doing homework in museum offices, and going to special openings and exhibits. They have teamed up to share their experiences and their love for this often-mysterious world with a young audience.

“Many people don’t know how art happens” unless they’ve also grown up in this world, Globus says. “We wanted to show kids that being creative is something they can actually do for a living. We’re trying to speak to that creative kid in the room who doesn’t know how to take that interest further.”

Both books are available in multiple languages, including English, German, French, Italian, and Chinese. They also include free downloadable curriculum materials for educators, complete with standards-aligned activities for integrating the books into classroom instruction. I Am an Artist includes a QR code at the back of the book linking directly to these companion resources.

Flying Eye Books

Established in 2013, Flying Eye Books is an award-winning children’s publisher based in East London. The company produces about 35 books per year. “We want to spark curiosity, amplify imagination, and get kids excited about reading for the rest of their lives,” says Co-Founder and Creative Director Sam Arthur.

Flying Eye’s best-selling book to date has been Shackleton’s Journey. Written and illustrated by William Grill and aimed at readers ages 7–11, it’s a detailed visual narrative of British explorer Ernest Shackleton’s failed expedition to cross the Antarctic, which turned into an extraordinary tale of survival when his ship, the Endurance, was trapped in ice.

The original edition, which was named a New York Times Best Illustrated Book and a Wall Street Journal Best Children’s Book, was published in 2014, 100 years after Shackleton set out on his quest. After the wreck of the Endurance was discovered in 2022 using state-of-the-art technology, Flying Eye decided to publish a new edition including this development.

Shackleton’s Journey (Updated Edition) by William Grill, October 2024, ISBN 9781838741297, includes information on the discovery of the Endurance 107 years after it sank, as well as additional illustrations and an introduction from the modern British explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes, who discusses Shackleton’s legacy.

When the Endurance became trapped amid the ice floes in the Weddell Sea off Antarctica, ultimately sinking as a result of the enormous pressure on the ship’s hull, the crew survived by camping on the sea ice until it disintegrated, then used the ship’s lifeboats to endure stormy seas across 720 nautical miles to reach the South Atlantic island of South Georgia in what Arthur calls an “against-the-odds adventure.”

The fact that all 26 of the ship’s crew members survived is a testament to Shackleton’s remarkable leadership skills. As an example of “ingenuity in the face of adversity,” Shackleton’s story “provides so many good lessons for students,” Arthur notes.

Flying Eye offers free teaching materials on its website to help educators integrate the book into their curriculum, with connections to history, STEM, and social-emotional learning.

“Shackleton’s story still lives large in the minds of many people,” Arthur concludes. “He was really an incredible man.”

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