Related
PREMIUM
Afro Unicorn: A Magical Parade
A sweet and straightforward story, ideal for early reader collections.
PREMIUM
Grumpy Monkey: Too Many Bugs
An energetic early reader with humorous illustrations that young readers will return to again and again.
A cottagecore graphic novel for all ages that is sure to please during story time or while young readers choose to explore the Hundred Acre Wood on their own.
PREMIUM
Makeda Makes a Home for Subway
A solid purchase for early reader collections, especially those seeking books with children of color having majority representation.
PREMIUM
Tiny Tales: Firefly Night
A tiny tale that teaches a big lesson: often the journey has more value than the destination.
PREMIUM
I See a Rat
A great addition to library collections. Children will enjoy hearing this read aloud to them over and over again until they are able to read it for themselves.
PREMIUM
Pet-a-Palooza
This title is a welcome addition to early chapter book collections, and a surefire hit for animal lovers.
PREMIUM
Uni’s First Recital
A highly relatable and entertaining tale, and a recommended purchase for early reader collections.
A sweet new installment of the “Little Critter” series.
Give this story to children everywhere. A powerful story of finding your voice and using it to advocate for yourself.
PREMIUM
Picture a Girl
Readers will root for Adelaide to catch a break and be able to return to the life of an 11-year-old instead of an overwhelmed person with adult responsibilities. Recommended for realistic fiction shelves.
Fans of Lemony Snicket and Western fairy tales will devour this darkly humorous read.
PREMIUM
Olive Blackwood Takes Action!
An important message about overcoming anxiety is muddled in a busy plot. Purchase for larger collections.
An important novel for every library to have. Readers will find they’re not alone in dealing with a loved one’s addiction, as an estimated one in eight children have a parent dealing with substance abuse.
It’s not a perfect summer at the beach, but Winnie’s feelings are perfectly real, and the resolution is satisfying and hopeful. Highly recommended.
PREMIUM
Halfway to Harbor
Fans of the series will love Harbor and her family, and will root for her on and off the court.
PREMIUM
The Spindle of Fate
A worthy addition to any library where readers are gobbling up fantasy, and more importantly, a poignant story about family grief and love.
PREMIUM
Vega’s Piece of the Sky
A multiple-viewpoint realistic novel with broad appeal recommended for most upper elementary, middle school, or public libraries.
PREMIUM
The Girl in Question
A vengeful adventure that ties up loose ends just tightly enough; a must-purchase for any collection containing the first volume.
PREMIUM
The Merciless King of Moore High
A fun but dense read; for fans of gruesome monsters and political drama.
PREMIUM
A Crane Among Wolves
An intense mystery and slow-burn romance that highlight a historical moment. Recommended for all YA collections.
PREMIUM
Lights Along the River
This Canadian historical picture book may find a home in units on unearthing family stories or in writing creative nonfiction.
PREMIUM
Everything We Never Said
A dark romantic thriller with a surprise plot twist, this is a welcome addition to collections for mature teens, due to sexually explicit scenes.
Ripped from the headlines, Ahmed’s latest novel frames the fight against book banning as a hopeful endeavor in active civic engagement that a wide audience would benefit from reading.
PREMIUM
Bijan Always Wins
In this excellent addition to SEL shelves, children will find themselves learning from Bijan and enjoying his story at the same time.
Whether teens enjoy mysteries, historical fiction, or both, this is one to get into their hands.
PREMIUM
Under This Red Rock
Haunting and enormously gripping, but the suicide content deserves consideration for sensitive readers.
PREMIUM
Gaga Mistake Day
This homage to the eccentricities and charm of special grandparents ticks a lot of boxes. Highly recommended
PREMIUM
The Lamplighter
A gloomy horror novel, perfect for middle schoolers too old for “Goosebumps,” but not yet ready for more terrifying fare.
A humorous addition, though not an essential purchase, to picture book collections.
A reassuring book for the very young that allows for ambition, curiosity, and homecoming in equal measure, and the knowledge that someone watchful is nearby, if needed. Lovely.
PREMIUM
Lie Until It’s True
For fans of Weaver’s first novel, especially those who enjoy a complex mystery à la Knives Out with a hint of the paranormal.
PREMIUM
Have You Seen This Girl
Hand to fans of Ellie Marney’s None Shall Sleep and Jennifer Lynn Barnes’s “The Naturals” series.
A phenomenal work, weaving together elements of fantasy, self-discovery, and the quest for identity, making it a compelling read for teens grappling with their sense of self.
PREMIUM
Wild About You
Witty and amusing prose will take readers on a romantic journey that realistically addresses anxiety.
PREMIUM
The Stricken
The novel adds parallel worlds to the magic and love story of this romantasy. Readers will adore the strong female protagonist and her mission to save her world and those she loves.
PREMIUM
Pretty Furious
A slice-of-life thriller with a compelling concept but underwhelming execution.
PREMIUM
The Flower Sisters
Anderson creates an engrossing story of tragedy, change, and laying the past to rest, with a fascinating cast of characters. Good first buy for larger libraries.
PREMIUM
The Reappearance of Rachel Price
Jackson continues to beguile and intrigue readers with this absorbing mystery. Recommended.
A manual for constructing a contented life, this book makes children look deeper and behave with deliberation. And when they do, Henkes says, they are lucky.
PREMIUM
The Last Love Song
A sweet coming-of-age debut for fans of books about music, this novel is reminiscent of Maureen Johnson’s 13 Little Blue Envelopes and a solid choice for readers of Nina LaCour’s Everything Leads to You.
PREMIUM
Abuela’s Library
A story teaching the valuable lesson of making lemons out of lemonade. Recommended.
PREMIUM
Promchanted
Recommended. Grab this one for your Disney readers and for those who enjoy a great prom story.
A deeply satisfying standalone readers will race through and a rare Pacific Island–inspired fantasy that belongs in all YA collections.
A beautiful story that should be sitting on the shelves of school counselors and child therapists everywhere.
PREMIUM
Dare to Be Daring
The creators have come up with an excellent book for caregivers and children who are struggling with their fears, for discussion or as a guide to pushing through.
An unusual addition to a baby’s first books and may be particularly useful in a public library setting to see who gravitates toward it; especially recommended for parents interested in immersing their slightly older child in a STEM-related field.
PREMIUM
Garbage Gulls
While this is not a necessary purchase, it buoys shelves dedicated to the imagination and shows another side of summer vacation that requires no money and no adults to be a success.
PREMIUM
Curlilocks & the Three Hares
A fun tale that will appeal to reluctant readers and fans of fractured fairy tales.
PREMIUM
Shared Space
This humorous and inventive comic book will entertain young readers and provide them a ready road map for conflict resolution and positive social skills.
PREMIUM
Lion of the Sky
A fantastic addition to any collection, a much-needed reminder that, “We don’t need your kind and my kind...only kindness.”
B’s struggle to find home and acceptance will have readers rooting for them and Gooseberry the dog. A must-purchase realistic fiction title for all middle grade collections.
PREMIUM
The Secret of the Bloodred Key
An engaging, fast-paced book well suited for fans who enjoy fantasies similar to Philip Pullman’s "His Dark Materials."
PREMIUM
The Kid
The wide-ranging narrative requires a patient reader to engage with the story until the dusty roads converge, but hang on until the showdown at high noon for a smartly satisfying Western adventure.
PREMIUM
Noah Frye Gets Crushed
A fun and affirming coming-out story with relatable characters. Recommended.
Genre-blending books offer readers the opportunity to comfortably expand across boundaries and try something different while still in the safety of their preferred reading choice. Here are 14 middle grade graphic novels that blend genres to perfection.
PREMIUM
La Mala Suerte Is Following Me
A humorous and unique discussion starter for similar superstitions and a worthy addition to picture book collections.
An unsuccessful adaptation of a well-loved show. Not recommended.
While the message celebrating reading is commendable, the execution is unsatisfying.
PREMIUM
Monolith
An enjoyable if mild comfort read with few surprises, this book is recommended as a secondary purchase where books by K.A. Holt or Gary Schmidt are popular.
PREMIUM
¡Mi amigo Robot!
An excellent addition to Spanish-language picture book collections, and a solid choice for young fans of science, technology, and robots!
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.
PREMIUM
Love Is My Favorite Color
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.
PREMIUM
Harriet’s Reflections
An awkward but gentle inquiry into self-esteem, imagination, and self-governance, done with humor and wonderful watercolor-like paintings.
PREMIUM
Ian: Mirar más allá
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.
PREMIUM
The Case of the Pilfered Pin
This is a great book with a well-developed storyline and characters. Highly recommended for middle grade collections in school and public libraries.
PREMIUM
Sense and Sensibility
A coming-of-age classic set in Regency England. A must-have for teens and adults alike.
PREMIUM
Pride and Prejudice
A Regency-era, satirical romance with themes that have stood the test of time. A staple for all teen collections.
Use this in Spanish language STEM story time and nature exploration.
Teamwork, competition, and the glory of team sports drive these graphic novel stories for elementary through high school readers.
PREMIUM
Tree. Table. Book
A sweet story of friendship across generations about a timely and tough topic, with broad appeal.
PREMIUM
Compass and Blade
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.
PREMIUM
Sky’s End
Not a priority purchase, but a fun addition to collections serving teens in their vintage dystopian era.
PREMIUM
The Atlas of Us
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.
PREMIUM
Speak
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.
articles
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER? LOG IN
We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER? LOG IN
Thank you for visiting.
We’ve noticed you are using a private browser. To continue, please log in or create an account.
