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Apologies to everyone in my life is going to be so sick of me asking if they've heard of Tambora and the climate shock that followed. Tambora might be my whole personality now.
A picture book character returns to us in a middle grade novel. Though it's not out until March 2026, we talk with Carole Lindstrom into her new foray into older fiction for kids.
Here we are with one of my favorite annual Heavy Medal posts. The NUMBER BREAKDOWN! I love looking at the titles and seeing what we have in different categories- what is overflowing this year and what we aren’t seeing so much of. And of course I love debating what categories titles are in, because it’s […]
Check out this week's list of new comics, manga, and graphic novels for readers 12 and under, featuring C.O.R.T: Children of the Round Table from DC Comics and Dear Jackie from Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers.
Obviously, every parent has their own version of these issues; these are just some of ours. But it’s a delicate balance, and we’re well aware of our risk of wobbling a bit as we try to strike it.
Festive and educational, this title is an excellent choice for expanding holiday collections and introducing young readers to the traditions and spirit of Hanukkah.
PREMIUM
Mercy
While this story has an interesting conceptual premise around generational trauma, it lacks the thrills many mystery readers crave and an accurate representation of the groups it seeks to portray.
PREMIUM
Last Chance Live!
A serious commentary on the obstacles, institutions, and society that teens face, offering a mirror and important issues. To be recommended with caution.
PREMIUM
My Two Christmas Trees
This sensitive book addresses family change during an emotional time of year. A recommended purchase for social-emotional collections.
PREMIUM
Canada: We Are the Story
Complex, beautiful, and thought-provoking. The eternal presence and voices of the Old Ones will be a spiritual paean to some and a ghost story to others.
PREMIUM
Truth Is
Give this to readers struggling with changing friend dynamics and those starting to ask questions that too often are answered with opinions rather than fact.
PREMIUM
Jane Stays Dreaming
An adventurous novel about family, friendship, love and self-discovery that will be enjoyed by older tweens who find themselves at a crossroads of who they are and who they wish to become.
Purchase for use as a teaching support or as independent reading to spark interest, recommended for libraries serving upper elementary students.
PREMIUM
If Looks Could Kill
This book will appeal to readers looking for a Christian faith-based historical crime thriller with fantastical elements.
PREMIUM
Isabel’s Birthday Surprise
A sweet, realistic story of family, culture, and emotional resilience.
Recommended for general purchase in a holiday board book collection.
This book about an ambitious Nepali girl detective will capture readers’ attention before the first chapter is done; recommended.
A middle grade must-read highly recommended for fans science fiction and books like A Wrinkle in Time.
PREMIUM
Three Blue Hearts
This heartfelt story takes readers through one boy’s coming of age, and the joy of rescuing an animal mixed with the heartbreak of loving it enough to let it go. Highly recommended for youth fiction collections.
International in scope, this book provides an opportunity for educators to examine previously held thoughts about the limits of children’s literature. Recommended for researchers.
A perfect book to include in any young adult holiday display year round.
A skillful tale of family lost and found, one that skillfully weaves discussion of heavier and relevant topics into a comedic plot.
Purchase this resonant and relevant work for all middle grade nonfiction, Spanish-language collections.
The book’s anecdotes and chapter-specific discussion questions could be particularly useful in a classroom or book group setting to allow the sharing of ideas from multiple perspectives.
A must-buy for any school library (and many public libraries) where patrons are actively using AI tools or considering AI-related careers. This book is equally valuable for librarians (and teachers) developing instruction on research methodologies, digital literacy, or copyright ethics.
History lovers and budding political enthusiasts will enjoy this behind-the-scenes look at presidential history.
A deeply human, absolutely riveting, and expansively inclusive marine biology nightmare.
PREMIUM
Todos los besos del mundo
An excellent choice for Spanish-speaking communities and libraries.
PREMIUM
A Curious Kind of Magic
A whimsical novel for readers who enjoy more character-driven work. Consider as an additional purchase.
PREMIUM
Cuando sepas nadar
A breathtaking picture book about the beauty of the water and the magic of swimming, perfect for Spanish-language collections for children.
Not an essential buy for libraries, but may be useful if additional holiday craft and family activities are needed.
Emily and Steven share some thoughts about early Newbery favorites and invite readers to chime in with their own top picks so far.
When an author bears witness to the experience of adolescence through a real, living, breathing, complicated, messy protagonist caught in a web of complicated, messy relationships, readers notice.
Join me in the Not-So-Way-Back Machine to catch up on a few May titles!
Chuseok is a Korean harvest festival on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar. This year, it falls on October 6. Share these two books with little ones to teach them about Chuseok and celebrate the holiday.
Not only has the creator of Strange Planet written a bedtime book, but it's chock full of science, humor, and some seriously sweet backmatter for the younger set. We talk!
The longer I live, the more I understand how science and math perfect art and music as much as engineering and technology.
Here's a look at the graphic novels that publishers have been acquiring, and when we can expect to see them.
In eighth grade, I was scared of the world finding out the truth about me. But I think, even scarier, was admitting that truth to myself.
It's time to officially start our 2026 Mock Newbery discussions on Heavy Medal. Here's a look ahead at what to expect over the next few months.
Wherein I am taken to task for referring to beloved stuffed animals as "inanimate objects" by the inimitable (and very correct) Katherine Applegate.
COLBY: Barbara O’Connor is always one of the most popular authors in my fifth grade classroom. Kids cannot get enough of her stories. I am so excited to share my conversation with Barbara about her new book Dream (a companion to Wish). Subscribe below to catch every episode of The Yarn: iTunes Spotify Stitcher
Check out this week's list of new comics, manga, and graphic novels for readers 12 and under, featuring Tuck Everlasting from Farrar, Straus, and Giroux and Max, A Little Axolotl from Graphix.
Teen librarian reviews the debut novel LET'S SPLIT UP by Bill Wood
Next time you’re worried you’re not quite as alone as you think, remember that not all spooky encounters are what they seem. And you’ll maybe even get a fun story out of it.
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Everywhere we go—home, school, the grocery store, downtown, parks, playgrounds—we witness the products of engineering. From the roads we build to the skyscrapers we design to the can opener in the kitchen drawer, engineering is in use all around us.
A dual interview with two women deeply connected to the great novel TUCK EVERLASTING. If you ever loved the book, you're not going to want to miss this...
A dual interview with two women deeply connected to the great novel TUCK EVERLASTING. If you ever loved the book, you're not going to want to miss this...
Despite their reputation for producing quirky travel guides with hidden gems and travel itineraries, these “Lonely Planet Kids Guides” books will not help readers navigate their way around the respect...
These vibrant nonfiction companions from “TIME for Kids” deliver fast-paced, engaging science content in a format that’s as fun as it is informative. Spectacular Sea Creatures reads like a compact oc...
A dual interview with two women deeply connected to the great novel TUCK EVERLASTING. If you ever loved the book, you're not going to want to miss this...
The final suggestion season for Hevay Medal Mock Newbery closes with 96 total titles. We have a lot of narrowing down to do.
Ades treats questions of identity with a light touch, which only gives the story more power. A necessary addition to the shelves.
Unique in its approach to the discussion of environmental conservation, this is a compelling, important addition to nonfiction collections for older elementary readers.
An exceptional choice for libraries that cherish the stories of unsung, exceptional American people.
This book is a fine choice for supplementing and supporting studies of plants, animals, and natural settings. It is also useful for examining how written text and illustrations can work successfully together to inform and surprise readers.
PREMIUM
This Is My Wonderful Face
A colorful book that celebrates potentially infinite diversity, this will be a story time hit for preschool and kindergarten audiences.
Recommended for general purchase for early reader collections.–Kristen Todd-Wurm
An ideal addition to collections where STEM titles fly off the shelves.
PREMIUM
A Place Called Galveston
A tender, accessible introduction to an underrepresented part of American immigration history. Recommended for collections where immigrant narratives are lacking.
A generous view of the phases of the moon, written with great care, pacing, and illumination.
A lovely homage to Matisse’s life and work, this is a positive addition to nonfiction biography collections for young readers, and it is especially well-suited to reading aloud.
PREMIUM
Don’t Eat Eustace
A vibrantly illustrated tale of finding friendship through creativity, this book is a strong addition to picture book collections and story hour shelves.
PREMIUM
I Can Help in the Neighborhood
This charming board book features a helpful group of familiar animals with an engaging story that will make for an enjoyable read for an audience just learning to help others.
PREMIUM
The Lighthouse Keeper
Touching upon the importance of a lighthouse keeper, this picture book is a good choice for children’s collections and for those in search of this compelling, but little-mentioned, occupation.
PREMIUM
Bath Time for the Crayons
The crayons and their art are delightful, rustic, and interesting enough to keep children not only entertained but constantly looking for playfulness on every page. An aquatic amusement that lands across a range of grades.
PREMIUM
Searching for Mr. Johnson’s Song
A powerful tale that demonstrates the connective power of music and memory, as well as an appreciation for the strength of tradition passed through generations.
Recommended for lower elementary grades where fearless books on difficult topics, here masterfully captured in wordless form, are collected and lauded as required viewing.
PREMIUM
Cats on Cats on Cats
An appealing way to teach an important life lesson in communication, and great fun for the SEL shelves.
PREMIUM
Gray Squirrel Loses It!
An exciting and humorous opportunity to open discussions about the concept of seeds turning into plants, the food chain, and forest life, or just to read for fun.
PREMIUM
The Coziest Place on the Moon
A reflective social-emotional story that celebrates solitude and affirms that being alone does not mean being lonely. A thoughtful addition to collections exploring emotional intelligence and mindfulness.
PREMIUM
Little Red and Big, Bad Fred
A sweet and silly twist on a classic tale, with preschool-friendly pacing and a heartwarming bond at its center. A whimsically absurd love letter to childhood imagination and animal companionship.
PREMIUM
The Everything Trail
This love letter to the great outdoors is one that every library should have in their collection.
An immensely engrossing historical story, perfect for introducing elementary readers to past visionaries and locations.
PREMIUM
Love Finds a Way
A sweet and engaging exploration of love, friendship, and emotional growth that will resonate with young readers.
PREMIUM
Help Me Find My Hamster!
An enjoyable opportunity for interactive reading with a group or as a lapsit.
An excellent introduction to an American pioneer and a good segue into classroom discussions of the upcoming Artemis expeditions.
Easy to absorb information presented in readable prose and bright drawings make this volume a welcome addition to collections. Selectors should consider.
PREMIUM
Factology: Greek Myths
Highly recommended for elementary and middle grade nonfiction collections, especially in libraries serving readers who enjoy mythology, the Percy Jackson series, and visually engaging informational texts.
A worthwhile text to add to any collection of animal facts and photographs.
While full of facts to engage reluctant readers, this book will leave many readers wanting more.
PREMIUM
A Compendium of Curious Contraptions: A Guessing Game About History’s Most Unusual Artifacts
A must-purchase text for history sleuths as well as for general use in schools or in classroom library reference collection.
PREMIUM
Media Bias: Examining the Facts
Consider purchasing as part of a larger collection on topics for debate and inquiry as a resource rich in topics to spark thinking.
A valuable reference tool for advanced placement students, undergraduates, and for large public libraries serving those interested in culture and disease, and the influences of the latter on the former.
Catnip for elementary school soccer enthusiasts looking to bulk up their trivia knowledge.
Highly recommended for both school and public libraries seeking to support STEM learning, global awareness, and reading skills.
PREMIUM
Refugee: The Graphic Novel
The original Refugee remains an important and timely book; this graphic novel adaptation brings the moving stories of Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud to life for a new generation of readers. A good choice for where the original is popular.
A sweet story that uses fantasy elements to explore neurodivergence and learning differences.
A solid purchase, this story will resonate with middle schoolers who have endured similar shifting family structures.
PREMIUM
My Sister the Werebeast
Filled with familial love and high adventure that will leave readers with the warm fuzzies, this is a wonderful addition to middle grade graphic novel collections.
PREMIUM
Millie of the Manor
A comforting, fun, low-stakes middle grade mystery that gains depth in the thoughtful portrayal of Amy’s anxiety.
PREMIUM
The Picasso Curse
Readers will eagerly join Edwin in this twisty, action-packed story that throws in a dollop of financial literacy and art history for good measure.
PREMIUM
Setting the Stage
A plucky, engaging series debut that will resonate with theater-loving tweens. Perfect for middle school collections where Wicked is the musical du jour.
PREMIUM
How to Save a Library
A perfect book for tweens seeking realistic fiction that beautifully captures the emotions and challenges of middle school. Highly recommended for all library shelves as many resonant topics are expertly woven into one satisfying story.
A graceful homage to theater as both a space and an art form, lovingly broken down to its individual parts to give each its moment in the spotlight.
PREMIUM
12 Strays of Christmas
Readers don’t need to be animal lovers to pick up this story about love after loss.
This visually appealing anthology provides interesting new seasonal read-alouds perfect for December story times or family reading traditions. Librarians will appreciate the variety of selections that can be incorporated into holiday programming.
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