Back to School is here! This season brings a wide range of emotions for children. Whether they are excited or nervous, a great read aloud can help them to understand their feelings, connect with new situations, feel comfortable with change, and maybe even laugh about silly school shenanigans. The following books published in 2026 have stood out to me as great choices for this time of year.
Tag: picture books
#ALAAC26: Songbird in the Light and a Room Ready to Listen
A child can be celebrated at home and still lose confidence in a school hallway. Billy Porter’s ALA Annual Main Stage appearance featured Songbird in the Light, written by Porter with Chris Clarkson and illustrated by Charly Palmer. The picture book follows a child whose voice is loved at home, mocked at school, and strengthened through the encouragement of a choir teacher. The conference program described the book as a story about learning to love yourself.
Hi, I’m New Here
New kid. Outsider. For young people who may feel like they have a foot in two worlds, such familiar social emotional themes touch on experiences that resonate with all kind of youth. That’s why they continue to be popular! With July 4 on the horizon, summer is a great time to honor the many kinds of journeys families take to the United States. Sharing stories opens doors!
My Favorite Picture Books for Class Visits!
As the school year starts to wrap up, my library has had back-to-back classes visit us. When I have younger classes visit (grades Pre-K to Second Grade), we provide a storytime, craft, and a tour of the children’s department. The children find the storytime to be engaging and it gets them excited to check out their own books. In this post, I will highlight some of my favorite picture books for class visits!
Continuing the Conversation: Books that Spotlight Book Banning
In January, the ALSC Intellectual Freedom Committee posted about using picture books to discuss censorship. This is a timely topic, so we wanted to keep the conversation going and resources flowing. Books on book banning invite children to think about what happens when a book disappears from a bookshelf. These titles would be perfect for reading aloud and discussing how each of us has different beliefs and whether our beliefs should infringe on others. If we continue to ban or reject books, our library and classroom shelves may eventually be empty. Same Page by Elly Swartz (2025). Bess and her friend June become sixth grade class president and vice president. They get the PTO to purchase a book vending machine, but when some books are removed from the machine due to a parent’s complaint, Bess and June’s friendship is on the rocks. The parent is June’s mom. Bess doesn´t understand…
Mindfulness: Books for Young Readers
I am the Youth and Teen Collections Librarian for the eight locations that comprise my library system, and I am responsible for purchasing all materials for ages 0-17. In the past few years, I have noticed an increase in materials addressing mindfulness, meditation, and calming activities for all age groups. Researchers and health professionals are sounding the alarm regarding the increased prevalence of depression and anxiety for children ages 3-17. While the pandemic had a huge impact on mental and emotional health, the current state of the world has continued to contribute to the concerning rise of stress in young children. The following booklist offers a variety of books for young readers to help navigate emotional challenges. I am hoping you will find some helpful titles to offer patrons, caregivers, and readers insight and guidance. Several books offer instructions for mindful breathing and calming movements. Many of the practices covered…
Mixed-Age Storytime: When One Size No Longer Fit
When I started storytime at my new library, I brought a rule with me that I’d held onto for years:three picture books, every time. It was familiar. It felt “right.” It was what I knew worked. But my audience had changed. At this library, I needed to shift gears for a mixed-age storytime. My storytime crowd regularly includes babies in caregivers’ arms, toddlers on the move, preschoolers ready to shout out answers, early elementary kids who want more depth—and occasionally children as old as ten. Trying to make three picture books work for everyone left me constantly adjusting on the fly, and honestly, feeling a little stressed. So I made a change that made me nervous. Now, I plan for two picture books and one board book. And it has worked far better than I expected. Why the Change Felt Risky Like many librarians, I worried about how this would…
Housing Diversity in Picture Books
When we select books for story times and other programs, we consider the race and ethnicity of the characters, their dis/ability, gender identities and other factors so that our programs are representative and reflective of our diverse communities. Something we may not consider is how housing and home is depicted in picture books. In 2015, I was awarded a fellowship to examine this idea at the Marantz Picturebook Collection for the Study of Picturebook Art in the Reinberger Children’s Library Center at Kent State University. During my time here, and in 2020 when I completed the study, I reviewed a sample of 185 picture books published in the United States from 1999 to 2019, including award-winning books and those featured on notable or recommended book lists. What I found was perhaps not surprising: 138 books in the sample included images of home (human, animal, or other) of some kind and…