Building communities

Story Rug by Sophie Blackall, illustrated by Phoebe Wahl (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 40 pages, grades K-3). Other classrooms may be noisy, but room 203 is silent as the kids indulge the…

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Perfectly imperfect

A Not So Perfect Start by Trudy Ludwig, illustrated by Maribel Lechuga (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 32 pages, ages 4-8). Thea’s starting school with some big feelings: excitement (to meet …

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The first day of school

I hope most educators who read this still have a week or two of summer vacation, but here in Springfield, Massachusetts, today is the first day of school. To get everyone back in the swing of thing…

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Magic books

The Ordinary and Extraordinary Auden Green by Corey Ann Haydu (Quill Tree Books, 336 pages, grades 4-7). Denny is dealing with a lot as her twelfth birthday approaches: her mom has relapsed with th…

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New series for Dog Man fans

Speed Reader by Matthew Cody, illustrated by Zack Giallongo (Andrews McMeel Publishing, 160 pages, grades 3-7). Despite his late superhero grandfather Felix Fast, Zander Fast isn’t exactly kn…

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Kids and their grown-ups

Pia in the Forest by David Bruggink (Holiday House, 112 pages, grades 1-4). We meet Pia early one morning as she’s drawing a pinecone creature. She’s so excited about her idea that she …

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Not-very-scary Halloween books

The Haunted Playground by R. J. Palacio, illustrated by Brett Helquist (Random House Books for Young Readers, 50 pages, grades K-3). Even ghosts need a break from being scary, so on Halloween night…

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Imaginary worlds, real-life issues

The Second Life of Snap by Erin Entrada Kelly (Greenwillow Books, 176 pages, grades 4-7). 12-year-old Zuzu lives in an impoverished camp in the shadow of Lockwood Corporation that controls life in …

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Three bears

Incredibly Fast and Not at All Fun by Tadgh Bentley (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 40 pages, ages 4-8). Did you know the first roller coaster was invented by accident? Bear just wanted a quick …

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Sporty types

Offside by Christina Diaz Gonzalez, illustrated by Mari Costa (Graphix, 208 pages, grades 4-8). This year’s middle school soccer team is open to girls for the first time, and just about every…

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Profiles in courage

When You’re Brave Enough by Rebeca Bendheim (Viking Books for Young Readers, 304 pages, grades 5-8). Back in Austin, Lacey mostly hung out with her best friend Grace whose two moms are also c…

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A couple of wacky books about dinosaurs

Unlikely Friends (Diary of a Dinoghost, book 1) by Monica Arnaldo (Scholastic, published August 4, 96 pages, grades 1-3). Cobble is a dinoghost–a brontosaurus who has been a ghost “sinc…

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Celebrating heritage

Celebrate We Gullah Geechee by Yvette R. Murray, illustrated by Tonya Engel (Free Spirit Publishing, 44 pages, grades 1-4). Five children introduce readers to the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage C…

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Sibling rivalry

The Band of Bigs (League of Littles, book 2) by Casey Lyall, illustrated by Sara Faber (Greenwillow Books, 128 pages, grades 3-7). When an older brother babysitter gets locked out of the house by h…

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Cats and dogs

The Unlikely Tale of Chase and Finnegan by Jasmine Warga (Balzer + Bray, 240 pages, grades 3-7). Finnegan is an abandoned dog, lost in the woods after a shameful incident with his previous owner th…

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Indigenous wisdom

You Are the Land by Steph Littlebird (Nancy Paulsen Books, 32 pages, ages 4-8). From the time she’s born, a Native girl is surrounded by love, both from her family members and the natural wor…

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Celebrating Black history and culture

We Are Joy by Chrystal D. Giles, illustrated by Kitt Thomas (Random House Books for Young Readers, 32 pages, ages 4-8). Each spread shows an extended family celebrating joy in some way: “We a…

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Making stuff

Turtle with a Toolbox by Beth Ferry, illustrated by Dudolf (HarperCollins, 32 pages, ages 3-6). Turtle’s toolbox (which is kind of weirdly built into his shell) contains everything he needs t…

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Understanding neurodivergence

Perfect Enough by Meg Eden Kuyatt (Scholastic Press, 352 pages, grades 4-7). In this follow up to Good Different, we meet Seleh as she’s preparing for some big changes in her life. Not only h…

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Let’s take a look at the 2026 Boston Globe/Horn Book Awards!

The 2026 Boston Globe/Horn Book Awards were announced on June 15, and I was thrilled that Nicholas Day won the nonfiction award for A World Without Summer, and Julie Leung and Angie Kang won the pi…

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Two series entries to read with Pride

Sebastian Metzger Solves a Sticky Situation (The Kids in Mrs. Z’s Class #11) by Kyle Lukoff (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 128 pages, grades 2-4). Sebastian loves going to the school…

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Girls and dogs

Strays by Gia Gordon (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 272 pages, grades 4-7). When Campbell sees a puppy dumped from a van, she knows only to well what is likely to happen: her dad is the head of animal…

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Fly me to the moon

Explore the Far Side of the Moon by Jenny Jacoby with consultant Dr. Sheila Kanani, illustrated by Lea Woo (Thames and Hudson, 64 pages, grades 2-6). Readers are invited on a mission to the far sid…

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Palling around

Otter Space (Pip & Pals #1) by Jen de Oliveira (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 80 pages, ages 6-9). Pip is a young otter who’s still learning to swim and tends to get tangled in the seawe…

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Geordie and Rubie

The Hidden Dominion of Geordie James by Mike Dawson (Union Square Kids, 256 pages, grades 3-7). 12-year-old Geordie is dealing with a lot of anxiety, especially when he has to interact with kids at…

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Science Friday

Honeybird Blue by Taunya English, illustrated by Raissa Figueroa (HarperCollins, 40 pages, ages 4-8). Honeybird and Pop get up before the sun to head into the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge in…

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Fun American history books for the Fourth of July

America’s Founding Myths…And What Really Happened! by Christy Mihaly, illustrated by Marta Sevilla (Barefoot Books, 40 pages, grades 2 and up). Each two-page spread covers a different e…

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Graphic novels from beloved authors

The Brainstormerz: Money Talks by Kwame Alexander and Cassidy Dyce, illustrated by Rashad Doucet (Little, Brown Ink, 248 pages, grades 3-6). Electric (Lex) is excited about his upcoming tenth birth…

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Science, art, and nature

Reaching Across the Sky: A Celebration of Bridges by Christy Hale (Christy Ottaviano Books, 48 pages, grades 2-6). The author’s note introduces readers to bridges, not only as structures that…

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Mysteries

Where Ella Went by Laurie Morrison (Harry N. Abrams, 304 pages, grades 5-8). The eighth-grade girls’ soccer team is eager to play their biggest rivals and avenge last year’s heartbreaki…

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