What a wonderful world we live in to see so much great representation in middle grade.
You know, what we’re really talking about is empowerment—feeling like even the smallest parts of us have power and worth. That could be super important to a middle school kid.
These books all share anxiety as a theme, but in conversation with each other they feel like they are capturing something essential about the power of middle grade books.
Teen Librarian Karen Jensen outlines a poetry themed album release party for Taylor Swift's The Tortured Poets Department
Teen Librarian Karen Jensen outlines a poetry themed album release party for Taylor Swift's The Tortured Poets Department
Librarian Angela Frederick discusses graphic novels perfect for foodies and those who like to cook, or eat, food
Just in time for National Poetry Month, check out these novels in verse!
An excellent, Spanish-language choice for the elementary civics curriculum, especially leading up to the election season, that can be used for read-alouds or independent reading.
Gravel’s effort to include all types of families and professions makes this an important read to break down how gender barriers divide people instead of bringing them together. Purchase where there’s a need for accessible, informational titles about gender in Spanish.
An additional purchase where novelty titles are popular.
Not a recommended purchase.
An additional purchase where secular Christmas books are in high demand.
A sweet countdown to the holiday, this could be an additional purchase for large board book collections.
All aboard! This is a fun and informative book about locomotives for Spanish-language early elementary collections.
For nap time collections or for roundups about love of many kinds, this book offers a surprising platform for meaningful discussions about life’s most important values.
An awkward but gentle inquiry into self-esteem, imagination, and self-governance, done with humor and wonderful watercolor-like paintings.
With imaginative world-building, impactful action, and underdog leads, this book stays true to the spirit of shonen manga while carving out its own unique identity.
A strong selection for libraries looking to increase the disability representation on their Spanish language shelves.
A first purchase for all libraries; there are too few beautiful portraits of beloved Persians.
Use this in Spanish language STEM story time and nature exploration.
Packed with witty humor and thrilling adventure, this graphic novel will draw fans of “Captain Underpants” and belongs on middle grade library shelves.
This is a great book with a well-developed storyline and characters. Highly recommended for middle grade collections in school and public libraries.
A great addition to nonfiction collections covering dams, ecology, and history of the Southwest.
A coming-of-age classic set in Regency England. A must-have for teens and adults alike.
Recommended for all libraries and collections.
A must-buy for all libraries that serve teens.
This book needs to be on every classics shelf.–
A Regency-era, satirical romance with themes that have stood the test of time. A staple for all teen collections.
It's been an embarrassment of podcast riches over on The Yarn recently. Here are five recent episodes for your listening pleasure.
Teamwork, competition, and the glory of team sports drive these graphic novel stories for elementary through high school readers.
These YA novels pair a lyrical verse format with engaging narratives of teen girls coming of age.
In the latest Adult Books for Teens roundup, find 10 titles published for adults with strong crossover appeal to teens.
Isabel in Bloom will be my fourth middle grade novel (my first one in verse). When I began writing it, a few intriguing images had come to me: a girl on a plane, a dried-up school garden, and a balikbayan box.
These Take Five lists can help you with collection development, displays, reading lists, and more
A wonderful addition to library collections; this book is perfect for budding historians and those who enjoy learning new facts on a range of subjects.
This fun, easy-to-follow Kawaii drawing guide will have wide appeal among kids and tweens.
A sweet story of friendship across generations about a timely and tough topic, with broad appeal.
A solid romantasy purchase for any collection and ideal for fans of Lauren Roberts and BookTok trending books.
The tone and content may not be entirely suitable for this book’s intended audience, and the execution leaves much to be desired and misses the mark in delivering a delightful holiday read.
Not an essential purchase.
A solid purchase for collections on grief.
Not a priority purchase, but a fun addition to collections serving teens in their vintage dystopian era.
This romance, with gentle but explicit sex scenes, deals realistically with teens’ denial after the loss of a loved one. Recommended for mature YA audiences of all collections.
Share these two picture books, which present two different interpretations of the same tradition, with young readers who are gearing up for Passover.
Fifteen outstanding books of poetry and seven novels in verse have been recognized as 2024 Notable Books. Selections include a range of formats—lively nonfiction, fantasy, and moving verse novels—written by familiar poets and debut authors.
This modern classic about sexual assault, bullying, and mental health is for everyone, and a must in every collection. Libraries should also include the recent graphic novel adaptation.
This timeless classic is as relevant today as it was when it was written. Be sure to have multiple copies in any library that serves middle and high schoolers.
An archetypal Gothic romance with a refreshingly modern air, this one is a shoo-in for libraries serving middle and high schoolers.
A key document of African identity and decolonization that comes within a propulsive, eye-opening hero quest, strongly recommended for all high school libraries.
Due to the complexity of topics and discussion of sexuality and torture, this book is recommended for older teens.
Orr’s latest will delight middle grade readers searching for escape and home simultaneously. Highly recommended for middle grade fiction collections.
This picture book is a perfect model of text and illustrations coming together to produce a stunning final product for children. Highly recommended.
A powerful and important read.
Three poetry books are starred this National Poetry Month, as well as biographies of Mae Jemison and Chadwick Boseman.
It's a quiet story, but one that makes it clear that Cecil is seen, that kids like Cecil are seen. I look forward to more from Jonathan Todd.
If AI becomes capable of writing unique novels, just for you, that are better than anything you've ever read before, what would become of the shared experience of a beloved book?
From poems about planets and trees to poems about LGBTQIA+ heroes, young readers from elementary through high school will find something to enjoy here. Share these titles for National Poetry Month and all year long.
The concept of liminality plays a crucial role in Otherworldly, and as such, many of the important moments happen in liminal spaces.
This graphic novel will fit nicely into the collection that already has graphic novels with LGBTQIA+ characters and where the previous volume is popular.
An excellent addition to poetry collections, this volume will excite and engage, and—most importantly
A great example of an escape room thriller, tailor-made for a teen audience. Not only will it “escape” your library shelves often, but it may lead to a desire for escape room programming.
Interesting illustrations crawling with bugs will be enjoyed by budding entomologists.
Learning to stand tall and live their truths are lessons all teens need; this glimpse into a world of music and friendship will resonate with many readers searching the library for unique stories to fit them, or suit anyone who desires to express themselves, but finds the challenges of life getting in the way.
A book that starts simple and ends with complicated notions of identity, scaled to children’s own questioning, ever-evolving minds. Perfect.
A fast-paced journey through STEM and WWII history.
A riveting, unique, and delightfully queer adventure. Recommended for all libraries.
Tender and affectionate, with enjoyable illustrations and lovely figurative language, this book will bond caregivers to children and make story hours a riot.
Recommended as a read-aloud for preschoolers and a warm introduction to one joyful aspect of Jewish life.
An eccentric conversation about self-identity, recommended for school and public libraries.
This attractively illustrated picture book about bravery is a secondary purchase for most collections.
Story hours with a lead-in to naps can take a cue from this weary crew; here’s one for the bedtime shelves that carries the subtle message that after industry comes sleep.
A beautifully detailed Gothic fantasy that explores how ignorance and deceit can crumble a community.
A charming story whose social media star makes this an endorsed but optional purchase where demanded by circulation trends.
An excellent purchase for collections, especially where food manga and fantasy romances are in high demand.
A decent addition to nonfiction collections seeking more books about the ocean and marine ecosystems.
Recommended for poetry collections, although it is best suited for guided reading.
As parable or otherwise, this is too subtle and undeveloped for young readers. Not recommended.
Fans of Karen M. McManus will find much to enjoy here. Recommended for thriller/mystery collections.
A fun and vocabulary building edition of the can-do spider. Recommended.
A witchy series book that can easily be enjoyed as a standalone.
A flat-out stunner, this book is a loving ode to strength and potential, enthusiastically recommended for all libraries.
SEL at Broadway levels, this is recommended for collections needing a boost in stories about processing difficult emotions.
A humorous and fun-filled story, and an excellent shared reading experience likely to resonate with the youngest learners.
The format of the pages will delight readers.
Fans of Karen M. McManus will love debut author Lundy’s well-developed mystery with plenty of thrills.
A first chapter book that combines pets, potions, and a happy ending; perfect for readers who enjoy lighthearted mischief and canine cuddles.
A small dose of SEL set in a lizard’s ordinary day, this book gives children permission to switch off and stretch out. Make it a story hour favorite.
A potent portrait of grief and loss, for stout-of-heart teenagers only.
Multiple artists have passionately brought to life a great story that adds another element for members of the game’s base—and those new to it
For older board book audiences, this is informative and entertaining. Recommended.
Purchase for collections serving high schoolers where there is a love of dystopian mysteries.
A great addition to any children’s collection.
This is a heartwarming Sapphic love story with a gauzy heist plot for cozy-fantasy lovers and art fans.
Put this book of poems in the hands of talented science teachers.
This book is especially suited for school libraries in the Pacific Northwest or any collection expanding its Indigenous collections.
Fans of Diana Wynne Jones’s Howl’s Moving Castle or Catherine Bakewell’s Flowerheart may enjoy this one, but it’s not recommended for general fantasy readers.
A must-have for tween and teen libraries.
A heartwarming and nerve-racking poem that accurately portrays one family’s emotional roller-coaster, told in the voices of its feline and canine companions, and a must-have for libraries.
Distance does not diminish the love of family. This is a wonderful book that will be highly relatable to many families. A must-have for any picture book collection.
Themes of misinformation on social media, cultural appropriation, and critical thinking make this debut from poet Feinstein one to give older teens looking for a unique, relatable issue- and character-driven book.
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