A ghost story marred by plotting and characterization issues. Not recommended.
A gentle romance and friendship tale for all BFFs (especially Swifties), with fantastic messages about honest communication and standing up for oneself and what is right.
From the informative bilingual poems to the incredible artwork, this title is a great choice to learn more about these important peoples. A must-have for children’s book collections.
This tender story about empathy, war, and family is a must-buy for libraries with readers who already love Applegate’s dynamic repertoire.
This book could be relevant to early discussions around emotional awareness and self-acceptance; an additional purchase for collections where SEL-themed books are valued.
Readers should get ready to laugh and cry as they spend the summer helping Glory and Gus solve the mystery of belonging.
This guide is a smart, accessible blueprint for youth and caregivers interested in making positive changes in their communities by providing sound advice and plans, moderated by the reality that creating change can be challenging. A great first buy for all libraries.
A vibrant celebration of life’s simple moments for quieter story hours, reminding children to go slow, to pause, notice, and cherish their worlds.
A deeply affirming portrayal of sibling dynamics and growing up. Highly recommended for collections exploring family, emotional resilience, and love in all its quiet forms.
This gorgeously illustrated picture book about sisterhood is a must-purchase for all collections.
For libraries with an established audience for these popular books, this installment is a worthwhile purchase.
A concise, nondenominational primer for the Christian celebration of Christmas.
This easy-to-enjoy story of two temperature-challenged creatures will be enjoyed on a hot summer day and throughout the year.
Hand this collection to any reader who is looking for a place made for them; they will find it between these pages.
For story hours and read-alones, this is for dinosaur lovers and all readers
A standout interactive and informational board book about Hanukkah that posits very young children as capable and confident learners.
Gentle and loving, this is a ghost story for readers who are looking for something beyond the traditional scary ghost story for a tale of everlasting connection. Wistful and wish-fulfillment personified: What reader has not hoped that a loved one long gone is near?
A peppy introduction to Hispanic Christmas traditions for young readers.
This whisper-thin story is flat, lacking beauty and nuance, making this an optional purchase for school libraries.
Destined to be a favorite among spooky season enthusiasts young and old. A recommended purchase.
Simple language and a straightforward, low-stakes plot works as a read-aloud in classrooms or libraries and fits neatly into story time themes about food, community, and working together. It offers equal parts delight and gentle life lessons.
A fantastic purchase for YA collections.
This powerful tale of race and American culture and history seamlessly weaves a popular middle grade topic, football, with crucial lessons about justice and humanity for tween and younger teens. This is Barnes at his best and is a required purchase for middle school libraries.
A rollicking good tale with all the magic, dragons, and talking cats to recommend to any young fantasy reader who enjoyed the first installment.
Fans of Jasper Rabbit will love this new addition to the popular series.
This is an elegant novel that offers an authentic view of family and community life.
While cozy in tone, the story follows a well-worn holiday arc grounded in magic, loss, and wish fulfillment.
An unnecessary purchase for library collections.
A visually appealing introduction to winter and Christmas, perfect for adults to share with toddlers and early school-aged children.
A warm, visually appealing addition to holiday collections.
This solid addition to most holiday board book collections will be an extra hit with the youngest dinosaur fans.
A well-fit addition to any Christmas holiday literature collection.
Sullivan and Persico make these friendly monsters heartwarming; readers will enjoy welcoming them to their holiday storytimes.
Lovers of historical fiction will thoroughly enjoy this novel, which is recommended for all junior high and high school collections.
Colloquialisms will primarily appeal to readers in upper-elementary and middle school, but teens breaking into crafting zines will benefit from ingesting the story arc and the author’s endnotes. A must-purchase.
A first purchase, especially where the English version circulates well.
This fun, Spanish-language search-and-find is sure to provide enjoyable moments, especially during the holidays. A great addition to picture book collections.
A sweet romance with underdeveloped worldbuilding for general purchase.
A strong addition for library collections looking to expand their Sapphic sports and rom-com offerings.
An excellent choice for Spanish-speaking communities and libraries.
A breathtaking picture book about the beauty of the water and the magic of swimming, perfect for Spanish-language collections for children.
A deeply human, absolutely riveting, and expansively inclusive marine biology nightmare.
A whimsical novel for readers who enjoy more character-driven work. Consider as an additional purchase.
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.
A serious commentary on the obstacles, institutions, and society that teens face, offering a mirror and important issues. To be recommended with caution.
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.
This book will appeal to readers looking for a Christian faith-based historical crime thriller with fantastical elements.
Recommended for general purchase in a holiday board book collection.
A perfect book to include in any young adult holiday display year round.
Perfect to read with a family member around the holidays.
Not an essential buy for libraries, but may be useful if additional holiday craft and family activities are needed.
Festive and educational, this title is an excellent choice for expanding holiday collections and introducing young readers to the traditions and spirit of Hanukkah.
This sensitive book addresses family change during an emotional time of year. A recommended purchase for social-emotional collections.
A sweet, realistic story of family, culture, and emotional resilience.
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.
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.
A skillful tale of family lost and found, one that skillfully weaves discussion of heavier and relevant topics into a comedic plot.
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.
A solid purchase, this story will resonate with middle schoolers who have endured similar shifting family structures.
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.
A plucky, engaging series debut that will resonate with theater-loving tweens. Perfect for middle school collections where Wicked is the musical du jour.
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.
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.
Joyful illustrations and vibrant backgrounds make this a delightful addition to holiday collections.
This is a comprehensive, attractive, and accessible volume, similar in format and scope to Marilyn Singer’s Awe-some Days, Leslie Kimmelman’s Dance, Sing, Remember, and Alfred Kolatch’s Let’s Celebrate Our Jewish Holidays.
A lovely holiday story that speaks to the power of bringing community together during the holidays.
A short, sweet holiday board book for babies and toddlers, who may find the book’s odd shape appealing.
This picture book is a good fit for religious collections, especially in schools or libraries seeking Nativity stories with a contemporary flair and a strong, relatable heroine.
Though a touch saccharine in its conclusion, a charming and vibrant addition to most holiday collections.
A fine addition for libraries looking to add some lighthearted Christmas cheer to joke book collections.
Pokémon enthusiasts can deck the halls with their favorite characters in this interactive work, great to share with a buddy or enjoy independently.
Add this to the construction shelves, Christmas or not.
A highly recommended Christmas story that captures the magic of friendship, this title has something for the young at heart of all ages and is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.
A must for holiday collections. This book will charm young children.
A fun and festive choice for holiday collections.
A gently playful addition for collections needing fresh holiday cheer for babies.
A fun and festive dive into Christmas celebrations with diverse families. Recommended for all libraries, especially where the authors’ other book is popular.
Recommended for story hours revolving around Christmas.
Though the rhyming is sometimes clunky, this book is recommended for all collections, and encourages families to teach small children about Kwanzaa.
A recommended purchase for holiday picture book collections.
Recommended as a general purchase for a holiday collection for the youngest readers. The unique layout of pages will certainly be appealing to toddlers and beyond.
An engaging book depicting a family’s fun and unique spin on their Hanukkah celebrations.
A modern city twist on a Christmas classic.
A heartfelt ode to the celebration of chosen family to welcome into every holiday library collection.
This rhyming Christmas story will appeal to young children who love dinosaurs.
A great addition to any picture book collection.
An adorable, romantic, sapphic rom-com perfect for fans of the original, but still accessible for new readers who just want a quick, fun romp.
An appealing and authentic introduction to Dongzhì for readers of any background.
A joyful title that emphasizes the importance of connection and togetherness, whether with family or found family.
A cozy, inclusive celebration of the season.
Look no further for fresh festive fun where search-and-find books are popular.
Freshen up holiday board book collections with this joyful read-aloud that encourages families to read, sing, talk, write, and play together
An excellent secular selection for any library serving young children.
Only fans of the show will enjoy this simple, short story that celebrates how life is sweeter with friends by your side.
Fans of the Christmas holiday and Adam Wallace’s “How to Catch” series will appreciate the story’s formula.
Children will love the beautiful artwork and hidden images in this heartfelt holiday book.
Full of humor and holiday spirit, this is sure to please Fenske’s existing fans and is a perfect suggestion for fans of Jan Thomas and Bob Shea.
An adorable mash-up of peas and the joy of Christmas activities with family and friends.
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