Spring 2026 School Library Journal Review Roundup
These slim titles explore familiar neighborhood locations. Readers are encouraged to find four specific terms and pictures in the book as they read, honing their visual discrimination skills and guiding purposeful reading. The prose is simple and the sentences brief, but pronunciation guides would have been helpful for some challenging words like aisles, receipt, or ambulance. The vivid visuals are a draw, and depict racially and ethnically diverse kids and adults. The volumes end with a “Did you find?” feature, which asks readers if they located the terms they were challenged to find. VERDICT This is an extremely rudimentary introduction to what occurs in neighborhood locations and whom children might expect to see there. More a matching exercise than a reading one.
Birds that readers may have observed in their own yards or in parks are the focus of these titles. As with the other “Spot” series, students are challenged on the first page to locate words and photos as they read. The photos are vivid and bold, and students will glean some interesting bird facts. Readers will practice reading words with short- and long-vowel sounds, vowel and consonant blends, and compound words. The visual layout makes the “finding” challenge easy for kids; the featured words and pictures are printed prominently in a larger typeface atop close-up photos throughout. The relevant items are depicted circled in small inset pictures on the final page in case students want or need to refer back to the book. VERDICT A very basic and not too substantive introduction to several wonderful birds, some of which may be familiar to youngsters. Adds a “seek-and-find” element to the reading process.
This gentle series introduces readers to real children who share what it is like to be an immigrant, move to a new city, gain a new sibling, or live in a single-parent household. Through personal narration, the children describe both the perks and the challenges of their situations, such as the joy of a younger sibling running into your arms after preschool or the added responsibility that comes with having one parent who must both work and manage the household. Large illustrations accompany the text, and each story concludes with a photograph of the child narrator, along with tips for supporting friends who may be experiencing similar circumstances. Each book also includes a glossary and a list of recommended books and websites. VERDICT A thoughtful, empathetic exploration of diverse family experiences.
Each volume in this series addresses the reader from the voice of a body system, six in all, narrating its function and impact on the body from head to toe. The charming illustrations in each title are rendered in a palettes of pink and turquoise, creating cohesion. Smiley faces added to blood cells or neurons further personify the body. The dynamic layout moves from double page spreads to inserts, zooming in for clarity or following the flow of food or air through the body. The series happily dives into gross bodily functions, and highlights endlessly repeatable fun facts that will surely get laughs. Titles conclude with a bullet point list of how to keep each body system healthy, and a glossary. VERDICT Highly appealing entry with strong subject coverage and charisma.
This early childhood nonfiction series takes readers to different familiar locations around the city. From the dentist’s office to the supermarket, the people and objects readers are likely to find in each of these places are highlighted in the glossy photos and list of vocabulary terms. Less obvious vocabulary, like recibo (“receipt”) and peto (“bib”) add novelty. The stock images feature a diversity of races and genders in the various environments and participating in the relevant professions. Large, easy-to-read text paired with the two to three sentences per page make this ideal for emerging readers and as supplements to classroom curriculums on community. VERDICT A reliable nonfiction series for building out subject coverage on communities.
This series relays safety tips for a variety of settings, including the pool, the playground, and the internet, in an appealing narrative format. Each title is told through the perspective of children, both as the learners and the teachers of these safety rules, but adults are depicted in supportive roles throughout. Speech bubbles for dialogue and humor add levity to the seriousness of the tips and avoid a didactic tone. The cartoon illustrations will appeal to younger readers, but some topics can spur conversations with older kids. Disappointingly, Ten cuidado con el agua and Ten cuidado con el fuego feature blonde female dolls with slim waists, even though the children are depicted in diverse skin tones. Final pages recap safety tips in bullet point format as quick reference, and a glossary concludes. VERDICT Surprisingly rare topic coverage, with sound safety tips for all.
This series spotlights real-life kids and their experiences with big life changes. The first-person narrative gives each title a personal tone, sharing the challenges and bright spots each child faces, like learning a new language, adjusting to a new sibling, and living with a single parent. Each title begins with the narrator indicating that they likely have a lot in common with the reader, an effort towards building empathy further emphasized in the “Respetar a los ninos que...” section included in the backmatter, which offers ways to support and demonstrate care to kids in similar situations. The ‘Conoce a...” section shares a brief biography of the real-life kid whose experience is featured in the book, and a glossary (“Terminos Utiles”) concludes. Digital illustrations are jewel-toned and stay true to the text. VERDICT A series that provides mirrors and windows with a great deal of empathy.
This fully illustrated series depicts children struggling with different skills related to their ADHD. Mateo struggles with organization, Margo has difficulty controlling strong emotions, and Gemma finds concentrating on a single task a challenge. For each protagonist, practical tips are shared for their specific challenge in a narrative format, and each solution implemented can serve readers with or without similar diagnoses. Different illustrators are used for several volumes and feature a diversity of skin tones, family structures, and supportive figures who discuss challenges and help find a solution that works best for the child. Each volume reinforces the others, structured so that readers can gather an array of helpful practices. An advice section at the end of each volume features tips like the ones used by characters in the story. VERDICT A practical and empathetic series depicting different aspects of living with ADHD, and offering ways to self-manage and offer support.
This Spanish-language nonfiction beginner series focuses on common garden birds in North America. Each title begins with guiding vocabulary, which highlights four terms and images featured throughout the book, prompting readers to search for them within the pages. The vocabulary emphasizes aspects of each bird, like the cresta (crest) for the cardinal and woodpecker. Other terms are used in various volumes and are recounted in the concluding “¿Lo encontraste?” section. The full-page photos and accompanying text describes the birds’ unique features, such as beak shape, markings, and colors, Some photos are close to scale, encouraging readers to go outside and find these birds. VERDICT A welcome title for spring displays, nature programming, and budding birders.
El TDAH y yo & Bienvenido a tu cuerpo
Two notable Spanish-language nonfiction series among these spring releases are “Bienvenido a tu cuerpo” and “El TDAH y yo,” both by Amicus. Through an engaging tone and warm and diverse illustrations, each of these series offer a refreshing and appealing treatment to topics that will build empathy, offer a laugh, and diversify subject coverage for nonfiction collections in classroom and library shelves.
Key Concepts in STEM: Chemistry
Readers will get a thorough grounding in key chemistry concepts and their applications with these titles. Each page is filled with detailed text organized under subheadings. “Nuclear Reactions” addresses isotopes, radiation, and unstable elements, for example. Sidebars on key scientists like Mendeleyev, related topics, such as nanotubes, and quick definitions of terms appear frequently. Helpful diagrams and photographs show the periodic table, the parts of a calorimeter, ionic versus covalent bonding, and similar images. A “Try This” feature offers experiments, such as testing for glucose in milk. A glossary, a list of suggested books and websites for further research, and an index are included in the back matter. VERDICT A useful purchase to support research projects in middle and high school.