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PREMIUM
Two Sides to Every Murder
A twisty, edge-of-your-seat thriller mystery with a surprise ending that will stay with readers.
PREMIUM
The Midnight Game
Fans of Adam Cesare’s Clown in a Cornfield or Kathryn Foxfield’s Tag, You’re Dead will devour this one.
PREMIUM
The Ones Who Come Back Hungry
A well-written and thoughtful approach to emotional vampirism for collections serving high schoolers.
PREMIUM
Near Misses & Cowboy Kisses
A fun setting and a couple who readers will root for make this a great light romance selection.
A sweet and silly mystery comic for kids just dipping their toes into the genre.
A heartwarming story of a dog’s loyalty to their human pack, perfect for young dog lovers.
PREMIUM
Pinkalicious: Lost in Paris
A good choice for new and old fans of Pinkalicious and her adventures; especially recommended for beginning readers.
PREMIUM
Reina Ramos: Neighborhood Helper
A solid choice for early readers, especially recommended for students in immersive or bilingual classrooms.
A compelling and poignant book that celebrates a courageous young girl’s journey toward growing up.
PREMIUM
Library Girl
A love letter to books and the dreamers who read them. Hand this charming story to precocious readers and fans of Matilda.
PREMIUM
Caught Dead
The literary equivalent of a summer blockbuster, this spine-tingling creature feature is just right for middle grade readers.
The perfect read for book-smart students seeking social connection and friendship stories.
PREMIUM
Rosa by Starlight
A delightful story, this would be a great read-aloud and a possible segue to Lemony Snicket’s “A Series of Unfortunate Events” books.
PREMIUM
The Queen of Ocean Parkway
An intrepid mystery with unexpected sci-fi elements, this story packs an emotional punch similar to Kelly Yang’s Front Desk.
A beautiful tale of loss and adjustment; for those who have never had to leave home, perhaps a lesson in insight and empathy. Highly recommended for all collections.
Touching upon the importance of sharing and kindness, this lovely picture book also introduces a beautiful ocean world and Aztec mythology to young readers.
PREMIUM
It Bears Repeating
Rich language and striking illustrations take this counting book beyond the standard fare. A real treat and recommended.
A gorgeous message of encouragement for Black girls; a great choice for any library’s collection.
PREMIUM
What Can a Mess Make?
A childhood scamper through simple pleasures of sibling fun made with the materials found around them, this is a delightful book to share, especially on those “there’s nothing to do” days of summer.
This beautifully illustrated picture book tackles bullying and fitting in; an essential purchase for the picture book shelf.
This lovely book will teach children what makes a community safe and beautiful; a great addition to any collection.
PREMIUM
Carla’s Glasses
A solid choice for most collections, this book details an important rite of passage for many children, and could be especially useful for parents helping their child navigate wearing glasses for the first time.
PREMIUM
The River Is My Ocean
For fans of Last Stop on Market Street, this book is sure to delight younger readers and is nice addition to library shelves that lends itself to further discussion of gods and goddesses in mythology.
A recommended addition to picture book collections in elementary schools and public libraries.
PREMIUM
Eighteen Flowers for Grandma
An exceedingly quiet picture book that lightly touches on Jewish traditions and will fill a need for stories of perseverance.
PREMIUM
The Quest for a Tangram Dragon
This fun, STEM-focused book blends Chinese culture, history, and mathematics into a useful and memorable story.
PREMIUM
Desert Song
A beautiful book celebrating music and family, offering multiple avenues into lessons on the environment, cultures, family, music, and more.
PREMIUM
Hekla and Laki
An innovative and beautifully illustrated story that will inspire rich discussions over multiple readings.
PREMIUM
The Digger and the Dark
An enjoyable bedtime or story hour treat; youngsters will wait for this book to make an appearance in their days or nights.
PREMIUM
A Taste of Home
This is a highly effective tool for encouraging children to look into the rich diversity in their communities and realize the many ways immigration adds to the American experience for all who live here.
This may be too subdued to stand out among other picture books, but there are small lessons to be learned about companionship, appreciating each moment shared, and making the best of an experience regardless of the outcome.
PREMIUM
So Much Slime
Purchase where books on slime are eagerly requested and consider pairing with an always welcome slime-making activity.Lin, Jiemei. Good Night, Zodiac Animals. illus. by Jiemei Lin. 30p. Candlewick. Dec. 2024. Board $10.99. ISBN 9781536232356. PreS-Gr 2–As this book opens, 12 animals are preparing for bed. A mouse is followed by an ox (in knitted mittens), tigers, and so on until all the figures of the lunar zodiac are presented. At the conclusion, readers see a young girl tucked in bed surrounded by stuffed animals, all of whom bear a striking resemblance to the ones they’ve been reading about. It is a sweet culmination of a dreamy little board book that offers a nice introduction to the lunar zodiac. Lin’s artwork is dark and layered, and creates texture with simple strokes that are loaded with graphic appeal. The faces of the animals are welcoming and approachable without being excessively cartoonish. Rich, earthy colors complemented by shades of nighttime blue contribute to the book’s peaceful tone, and there is a visual depth and atmosphere that is gratifying in the board book form. The rhyming text is fittingly simple, with about a dozen words per spread. Li’s illustrations also include the Chinese characters for each animal, a small touch that lends the book an additional layer of authenticity. Notes at the end provide more information about the origins and rotation of the zodiac. VERDICT While not a must-have, this calming introduction to the lunar zodiac will find readership in larger collections.–Kate Newcombe
PREMIUM
A Horse Called Now
This gentle animal story equips readers with strategies to combat anxiety. An excellent choice for story times about feelings or a comforting bedtime story.
Unique and utterly accessible, this sweet friendship story is a delightful addition to library collections for young readers.
PREMIUM
Show Up and Vote
An important, accessible read for young readers and a must for all collections.
PREMIUM
The Day We Got Lost
An additional purchase, this is nevertheless a sweet book celebrating family, togetherness, belonging, and love.
PREMIUM
The Girl and the Mermaid
An additional selection, mostly for fans of merpeople and underwater adventures.
PREMIUM
Lady of Steel and Straw
Fans of dark fantasy with memorable characters and worldbuilding will look forward to the sequel of this debut duology. Recommended.
PREMIUM
Louder Than Words
An engaging story about self-esteem and choices that teen girls, especially, will appreciate.
Powerfully angry and vengeance-laden, with terrifying and very human monsters.
A great first purchase for all libraries, with a unique hero’s journey for Ezra as he begins to assume adult responsibilities.
PREMIUM
Hearts Overboard
There’s just enough romance and tension to satisfy young readers looking for a fun summer book.
PREMIUM
The Wilderness of Girls
A good purchase for libraries where Rory Power or Nina LaCour are popular.
PREMIUM
Of Jade and Dragons
The basic but well-crafted plot makes this a good entry into YA fantasy. Recommended for larger collections where fantasy is popular.
PREMIUM
Beneath These Cursed Stars
Those who enjoyed Ryan’s “These Hollow Vows” series will appreciate the start to this one, so long as they don’t mind waiting for the sequel for resolutions.
PREMIUM
Annie LeBlanc Is Not Dead Yet
This novel is both sweet and sad but will leave readers feeling hopeful.
PREMIUM
Home
These books charm, and this one is no exception. Purchase all or one by one as budgets allow.
PREMIUM
City
Those who have the other titles will not need this one, but the little raccoon is winsome and those adventures are so compelling.
PREMIUM
Beach
Cheerful digital forms and the smiling host shows toddlers that a first day waterside need not be scary; ideal fare for the very young.
For fans of the series, this textured treat will provide good vocabulary choices as well as the idea of grouping by touch.
Pass. This board book doesn’t even pretend to engage readers or their caregivers.
PREMIUM
Let’s Go Home, Baby Shark
A gentle game of seek-and-find, a few motor skill exercises, but mostly the reward that at the end of a path, home awaits. A very sweet book.
PREMIUM
Five Enormous Dinosaurs
Lapsitters or listeners, no one will be able to resist chiming in, and everyone is going to want one of these costumes. A must.
PREMIUM
Park
A tidy addition to a winning series, this is a perfect way to put preschoolers into the park before they get there, or to remind them, on rainy days, of a little piece of outdoors.
PREMIUM
Play with Me
So much good cheer, in such a small package, this is sure to find a ready audience for story hours or one-on-one.
PREMIUM
The Mermaid
This has always been a book to share, but now it’s ready for little hands. For folktale and fairy tale shelves, too.
PREMIUM
Where’s Wonky Donkey?
A lovely domestic search with just enough suspense, the flaps may not stand up to heavy circulation but could work for story hours or in supervised settings.
PREMIUM
Strong: Psalm 1
For those who observe, this is a simple and powerful metaphor for the presence of an omniscient and benevolent force, and one that will make children feel safe and loved. Librarians should purchase as needed.
PREMIUM
Love My Selfie!
A play camera, more toy than book, and not essential but certainly harmless.
PREMIUM
Little Lion, Where Are You?
A child-pleaser, worth repeat readings, as baby after baby will want to see a familiar face behind the animal’s own smiling one.
PREMIUM
Helen Keller
Rawlins persuasively provides young readers with a crisp, memorable introduction to an enduring hero.
PREMIUM
Dancing in the Storm
Beyond FOP-specific details, any reader will find resonance with Kate’s shock, frustration, anger, and resilience.
Netz and Newhouse provide a spookily entertaining lesson in bypassing easy assumptions.
Every library needs Blake’s disability primer in multiple formats.
PREMIUM
One Killer Problem
Littrell remarkably manages the extensive cast, both endearing and exasperating.
Expertly ciphered by Villarreal, Van Wagenen’s memorable crew proves indeed to be excellent company.
PREMIUM
We Built This City
Marie notably boosts an already charming story with another captivating performance.
PREMIUM
On the Bright Side
Robbins and Inocalla deliver an engaging, empowering love story amid reminders that “anyone can become disabled at any time.”
PREMIUM
Bad Best Friend
Wilson’s Hollywood experience ultimately elevates Vail’s (over)dramatic cast.
Readers with physical disabilities will find instant resonance here; any teen or tween reader will also likely appreciate.
PREMIUM
Icarus
Ancrum inventively harnesses the flourishing popularity of contemporized Greek myths; Graves notably elevates the dysfunctions of father/son relationships.
PREMIUM
The Year of the Buttered Cat
Challenges are many (including the writing of this book) but Ryan ensures listeners experience Lexi’s infectious joy.
PREMIUM
Pieces of a Girl
In her own soul-baring voice, Kuehnert reassembles the Pieces of a Girl into wholeness.
PREMIUM
Frosty’s Snow Day
Accessible, enjoyable, and educational, this collection is a positive addition to library collections for new readers.
Purchase for early readers who have graduated from “Frog and Toad.”
An entertaining choice, with appropriate language for the developing reader.
PREMIUM
Twig Friends
A decent addition, perfect for fans of the “Pizza and Taco” series or where the “Real Pigeons” series circulates well.
PREMIUM
Harper and the Ice
Accessible, enjoyable, and educational, this collection is a positive addition to library collections for new readers.
PREMIUM
Norman’s Deep Dive
Accessible, enjoyable, and educational, this collection is a positive addition to library collections for new readers.
PREMIUM
Pedro’s Family
Accessible, enjoyable, and educational, this collection is a positive addition to library collections for new readers.
PREMIUM
Good Night, Zodiac Animals
While not a must-have, this calming introduction to the lunar zodiac will find readership in larger collections.
PREMIUM
We Shall Be Monsters
A horror-fantasy woven with Indian mythology, this fun and unique duology opener is recommended for purchase.
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