The ELA debate continues without clear consensus on where teaching is trending and how school librarians factor into the equation. Susan Barber was shocked at what she was hearing at her district ...

School librarians are indispensable allies in literacy instruction. Amid mounting anxiety over literacy scores, reports of fewer students reading for pleasure, and fractured attention spans, the ...

Nearly 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. The 2025–26 school year saw ...

Maia Kobabe's Gender Queer: A Memoir is No. 1 on the list. The American Library Association (ALA) is marking its 150th anniversary and Banned Books Week 2026 by releasing its list of 150 Most ...

VERDICT Readers across the board will flock to this book that has something for nearly everyone—humor, bullying, self-acceptance, cross-generational relationships, and a smartly fateful ending.

42p. 978-1-58089-208-7.

VERDICT This book will resonate with readers who are navigating the trials of adolescence and the difficulty of embracing the unknown, as well as those interested in space and mythology.

A public librarian’s interaction with teens affirms her faith in bibliotherapy, as does her research. Read her story, along with a recommended list of realistic YA fiction. We invite you to suggest ...

VERDICT An important book for middle school shelves, and for any reader seeking a positive role model demonstrating courage and strength in the face of challenging situations—even when it’s family who ...

From moving tales in verse to romantic romps to stories of monsters both real and fantastical, these 25 YA novels represent the best of teens living, loving, surviving, and thriving in worlds and ...

Pushing between snack time and reading group, Zack, a third-grade boy, ducks into our school library while another class is beginning to check out books. Pushing between snack time and reading group, ...