School Library Journal (@slj.com)

School Library Journal

@slj.com

School Library Journal is the premiere publication for librarians and information specialists who work with children and teens. A source of quality, award-winning journalism and reviews for 70 years, SLJ publishes 5,000+ reviews annually.

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School Library Journal

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‘Mortal Things’ by Marie Lu Tops Holds Lists | Book Pulse www.slj.com/story/Mortal...

slj.com'Mortal Things' by Marie Lu Tops Holds Lists | Book Pulse | School Library JournalMortal Things by Marie Lu leads holds this week. Also in demand are titles by CG Drews, Daniel Nayeri, Andrew Joseph White, and Sue Lynn Tan. Barnes & Noble shares its 2026 Book of the Year finalists....

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'One Word, Six Letters' and the Newbery Age Level Question | Heavy Medal heavymedal.slj.com/2026/10/26/o...

heavymedal.slj.comOne Word, Six Letters, and the Newbery Age Level QuestionThe Newbery Medal age range goes as high as fourteen years old, but most award books are for readers younger than that. Could Adib Khorram's ONE WORD, SIX LETTERS break that trend this year?

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Skills to Build | 13 Decodables Fiction Series www.slj.com/story/skills...

slj.comSkills to Build | 13 Decodables Fiction SeriesA collection of decodable sets for learning to read.

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Jen Loren and Caldecott Winner Rebecca Lee Kunz Discuss 'Ruth Muskrat and the So-Called Indian Problem' | A Fuse #8 Production afuse8production.slj.com/2026/10/22/a...

afuse8production.slj.comA Family Connection in More Ways Than One: Jen Loren and Caldecott Winner Rebecca Lee Kunz Discuss Ruth Muskrat and the So-Called Indian Problem - A Fuse #8 Production"..this book wouldn’t really be a traditional biography or a traditional picture book. It’s something different. This book would take us back and forth through time and generations, to help readers un...

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Zinn Education Project Survey Shows Impact of Censorship, Political Pressure on Educators www.slj.com/story/newsfe...

slj.comSurvey Shows Impact of Censorship, Political Pressure on EducatorsMore than 610 educators responded to the Zinn Education Project survey, which documented teachers second-guessing lessons, choosing less “controversial” books, and softening discussions of race and ge...

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Comedy and Capers | 51 Chapter Books Fiction Series www.slj.com/story/comedy...

slj.comComedy and Capers | 51 Chapter Books Fiction SeriesThese titles include plenty of silly, absurd, and downright gross scenarios to keep the pages turning.

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Escape into Reading | Fiction Series Editorial www.slj.com/story/escape...

slj.comEscape into Reading | Fiction Series EditorialSeries fiction that transports readers again and again.

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Annie Norman, Former State Librarian of Delaware, Running for State House www.slj.com/story/Annie-...

slj.comAnnie Norman, Former State Librarian of Delaware, Running for State HouseDemocratic candidate for Delaware District 34 supports education reform, addressing the state’s cost of living, and improving healthcare access and affordable housing options, among other statewide is...

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Applications Open for Laura Bush Foundation Grants www.slj.com/story/Applic...

slj.comApplications Open for Laura Bush Foundation GrantsThe funding is open to any Title 1 public school, including charters and magnets, as well as any private or parochial school with 50 percent of their student body qualifying for financial aid.

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Four Sweet Picture Books for Giving Thanks www.slj.com/story/Four-S...

slj.comFour Sweet Picture Books for Giving ThanksCheck out these new titles for Thanksgiving festivities, including a nonfiction title on pumpkins and a picture book about a queer Friendsgiving.

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Three Diwali Titles to Celebrate the Festival of Lights www.slj.com/story/Three-...

slj.comThree Diwali Titles to Celebrate the Festival of LightsThese books run the gamut from board book to YA. Display and share for Diwali on November 8.

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Starting Blocks | Maker Field Guide www.slj.com/story/Starti... #TLSky #Skybrarians #EdTech

slj.comStarting Blocks | Maker Field GuideReviewers cover tools that may be familiar to long-time makerspace users, but could be key products to consider for libraries that are just getting started with a new space.

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An all-school read of 'Awkward' launched culture-changing school clubs at a Virginia middle school. Read about the initiative spearheaded by librarian Danielle Shafer. www.slj.com/story/All-Sc...

slj.comAll-School Read Sparks Impactful New TraditionAfter reading Awkward by Svetlana Chmakova, students at Salem Church Middle School in North Chesterfield, VA, submitted proposals and started clubs, which have transformed the school's culture for the...

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All-School Read Sparks Impactful New School Club Tradition www.slj.com/story/All-Sc...

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The ELA debate continues without clear consensus on where teaching is trending and how school librarians factor into the equation. Read more of our coverage on excerpts vs. full texts: hubs.la/Q04BrPwz0

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Q&A: ‘Time is Everything’ says YA Author Lygia Day Peñaflor www.slj.com/story/q-and-...

slj.comQ&A:SLJ spoke with Peñaflor about her love of time travel movies, how music triggers memories, and why she likes to write for young adults.

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Two at the Top: A closer look at the most frequently nominated Mock Newbery books so far. heavymedal.slj.com/2026/10/16/t...

heavymedal.slj.comTwo at the Top: A closer look at the most frequently nominated Mock Newbery books so far.Today we take a closer look at two of the leading titles on our Mock Newbery list: A SCAR LIKE A RIVER by Lisa Graff and THE LIONS' RUN by Sara Pennypacker.

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Good Comics for Kids Review: Film Nerds goodcomicsforkids.slj.com/2026/10/15/f...

goodcomicsforkids.slj.comFilm Nerds | ReviewSofia Warren's first graphic novel for kids follows a pair of middle school BFFs who bond over the making of a movie while the circumstances of school seem to push them apart.

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58 Must-Have Titles from Katherine Applegate, Nicola Yoon, and More | Starred Reviews, October 2026 www.slj.com/story/58-Mus...

slj.com58 Must-Have Titles from Katherine Applegate, Nicola Yoon, and More | Starred Reviews, October 2026This month's starred offerings include selections from our Fiction Series Made Simple supplement and a roundup of children's music albums.

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Serving Youth with Dyslexia www.slj.com/story/Servin...

slj.comServing Youth with DyslexiaBroad library collections and specific reading tools can help young patrons and students with dyslexia.

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Two YA Rom-Coms with Dating Challenges www.slj.com/story/Two-Ro...

slj.comTwo YA Rom-Coms with Dating ChallengesIn Avachat’s novel, Lakshmi’s goal is to break the heart of her former BFF—while his goal is to make her fall in love with him. In Jo’s novel, Poppy tries to date Cam longer than two months, while Cam...

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The Penguin Young Readers School & Library team is back to share more reviews from their Penguin TBR (To Be Reviewed): Teen Galley Program. Read what teens, librarians, and educators had to say about some of their most anticipated Fall titles: hubs.la/Q04B6Crz0 #Sponsored #SLJ #EduSky

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Reclaiming the Soul of ELA | From the Editor www.slj.com/story/Reclai...

slj.comReclaiming the Soul of ELA | From the EditorSchool librarians are indispensable allies in literacy instruction.

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A Curricular Conversation: Excerpts vs. Full Texts The ELA debate continues without clear consensus on where teaching is trending and how school librarians factor into the equation. www.slj.com/story/A-Curr...

slj.comA Curricular Conversation: Excerpts vs. Full TextsThe ELA debate continues without clear consensus on where teaching is trending and how school librarians factor into the equation.

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"I read this book to my nephew and he didn’t like and neither did i it was a cheesy book. he didnt like it because they keep on picking on number 0. He doesnt like when someone gets picked on." 100scopenotes.com/2026/10/09/o...

100scopenotes.comOne Star Review, Guess Who? (#237)Can you guess the children’s book by its scathing one-star review on Goodreads?

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A Q&A with Banned Books Week Youth Honorary Chair Marshall Romero www.slj.com/story/Q-A-Ba... #BannedBooksWeek #TLSky #EduSky

slj.comA Q&A with Banned Books Week Youth Honorary Chair Marshall RomeroMarshall Romero spoke with SLJ about Banned Books Week, SEAT, and inspiring young people to get involved.

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Good Comics for Kids Review: And Then There Were None (The Manga Adaptation) goodcomicsforkids.slj.com/2026/10/09/a...

goodcomicsforkids.slj.comAnd Then There Were None (The Manga Adaptation) | ReviewThe first volume of the manga adaptation of Agatha Christie's famous mystery novel does an excellent job capturing the suspense.

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Writing About Alcoholism for Teens in the Book Ban Era, a guest post by Jen Ferguson teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2026/10/06/w...

teenlibrariantoolbox.comWriting About Alcoholism for Teens in the Book Ban Era, a guest post by Jen FergusonBooks are like travel in that they reveal other cultures and other ways of thinking. It’s one of the reasons that the attacks against books, especially books by BIPOC, queer and trans, disabled and ot...

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Applications Open for Mathical Collection Development Awards Grants for Title I Schools www.slj.com/story/Applic... #EduSky #TLSky #Skybrarians

slj.comApplications Open for Mathical Collection Development Awards GrantsUp to 65 Title I schools will receive $850 grants to purchase books from the Mathical Book Prize list.

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What’s Your Chaos Tolerance Level? (Or When the Read Aloud Works TOO WELL) 100scopenotes.com/2026/10/08/w...

100scopenotes.comWhat’s Your Chaos Tolerance Level? or When the Read Aloud Works TOO WELLEvery school librarian has a different chaos tolerance level when it comes to storytime, and I've seen them all.

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Penguin Random House’s Save Our Stories Supper brought publishing powerhouses together in the ongoing battle against censorship. www.slj.com/story/Author... #TLSky #Skybrarians #BannedBooksWeek

slj.comAuthors, Activists, Educators Speak on “The Fight of Our Lives”Penguin Random House’s Save Our Stories Supper brought publishing powerhouses together in the ongoing battle against censorship.

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Authors, Activists, Educators Speak on “The Fight of Our Lives” | Banned Books Week 2026 www.slj.com/story/Author...

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A Q&A on “Let Books Be” Campaign | Banned Books Week 2026 www.slj.com/story/A-Q-A-...

slj.comA Q&A on "Let Books Be" | Banned Books Week 2026School Library Journal’s editorial director Hallie Rich caught up with Roger Frank, managing partner at Little Jacket, about his firm’s work on the “Let Books Be” campaign.

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A Picture Book Resource for Navigating Pregnancy Loss: In Conversation with the Author and Editor of ‘Ours’ www.slj.com/story/A-pict...

slj.comA Picture Book Resource for Navigating Pregnancy Loss: In Conversation with the Author and Editor of ‘Ours’October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. Author Mandy Settembre and editor Kandace Coston discuss what inspired Ours, a picture book about a child grieving the loss of their unborn siblin...

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20 Outstanding Selections from Jack Wong, Meg Cabot, and Neal Shusterman | September 2026 Web Starred Reviews www.slj.com/story/20-Out...

slj.com20 Outstanding Selections from Jack Wong, Meg Cabot, and Neal Shusterman | September 2026 Web Starred ReviewsThis month's web-exclusive reviews herald new titles from the celebrated Juana Martinez-Neal, Shifa Saltagi Safadi, and Chloe Gong and the first in a YA rom-com series from Meg Cabot.

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From Selkies to Demons: 7 YA Picks for Paranormal Fans www.slj.com/story/From-S...

slj.comFrom Selkies to Demons: 7 YA Picks for Paranormal FansSupernatural creatures take center stage in these thrilling YA stories, including the latest from K. Ancrum, Trang Thanh Tran, and S. Hati.

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ALA Releases 150 Most Challenged Books from 1990–2025 www.slj.com/story/ALA-Re...

slj.comALA Releases 150 Most Challenged Books from 1990–2025Maia Kobabe's Gender Queer: A Memoir is No. 1 on the list.

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National Book Award for Young People’s Literature Finalists Announced www.slj.com/story/Nation...

slj.comNational Book Award for Young PeopleElana K. Arnold is a finalist for the second time. The winner will be announced on November 18.

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9 Kid-Friendly Board Games to Foster Community Through Play www.slj.com/story/newsfe...

slj.com9 Kid-Friendly Board Games To Foster Community Through PlayThis month’s roundup has something for everyone: board games that have players taking the wheel in a deadly postapocalyptic race or peacefully arranging their book collections and tabletop role-playin...

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PEN America Report: 2025–26 School Year Broke Book Ban Records www.slj.com/story/PEN-Am...

slj.comPEN America Report: 2025–26 School Year Broke Book Ban RecordsNearly 12,000 books were banned from public school shelves, accounting for 7,370 unique titles and the work of more than 4,000 authors, illustrators, and translators.

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Four Delightful Children’s Books About Día de los Muertos/Day of the Dead www.slj.com/story/Four-D...

slj.comFour Delightful Children’s Books About Día de los Muertos/Day of the DeadFrom a vibrant celebration of traditional culture and food to a playful multigenerational adventure, these works will charm and engage young readers and their families.

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Iowa Librarians Work to Decipher Muddled Book Law Mandate www.slj.com/story/Iowa-L...

slj.comIowa Librarians Work to Decipher Muddled Book Law MandateThroughout an ongoing court battle, the burden of enforcing SF 496 has largely fallen on districts and school librarians, who must scour shelves for “obscene” material and report removed books.

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Banned Book Week starts Sunday. Could Congress Create a National Book Ban? www.slj.com/story/Could-...

slj.comCould Congress Create a National Book Ban?A look at three proposed federal bills.

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The Uncanny: Five Questions for Aaron Starmer on You Are Now Old Enough to Hear This afuse8production.slj.com/2026/10/02/t...

afuse8production.slj.comThe Uncanny: Five Questions for Aaron Starmer on You Are Now Old Enough to Hear This - A Fuse #8 ProductionWhen one of the most engaging novels for kids of the year involves severed pinky toes, ominous packs of wild dogs, and rusty, unsettling metal buckets, then it's time to ask its author some questions.

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Join us in Vegas! Travel grants are available. www.slj.com/story/SLJ-Su...

slj.comSLJ Summit Will Bring School Librarians Together in Las VegasJoin your peers in November for the annual conference dedicated to school librarians and the issues that matter most to the profession.

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Teaching About the Freedom To Read Starts Early www.slj.com/story/Teachi...

slj.comTeaching About the Freedom To Read Starts EarlyYoung children may not understand censorship or the First Amendment, but librarians say they already understand the basic tenets of intellectual freedom: choice, fairness, curiosity—and that different...

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Missouri Supreme Court Hears Case on Constitutionality of Book Ban Law | Censorship News www.slj.com/story/Missou...

slj.comMissouri Supreme Court Hears Case on Constitutionality of Book Ban Law | Censorship NewsThe Missouri Association of School Librarians and the Missouri Library Association sued over the constitutionality of the law that has removed books from shelves; Florida Education Commissioner wants ...

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16 Resonant Middle Grade and YA Novels That Center Mental Health Stories www.slj.com/story/16-res...

slj.com16 Resonant Middle Grade and YA Novels That Center Mental Health StoriesShare these books for older readers in advance of World Mental Health Day on October 10.

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SLJ Summit Will Bring School Librarians Together in Las Vegas www.slj.com/story/SLJ-Su...

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Good Comics for Kids Review: Shinobi Undercover Vols. 1-2 goodcomicsforkids.slj.com/2026/09/29/s...

goodcomicsforkids.slj.comShinobi Undercover Vols. 1-2 | ReviewYodaka is as hopelessly socially awkward as he is brilliant in a fight, which makes his new undercover assignment a challenge: In order to protect a schoolgirl, he must attend high school himself.