BLOGS > SEPTEMBER 15, 2025
Keep students reading all year long by sprucing up your classroom’s library with these top titles from Orca!
By Joanne Levy
Audience: Upper Elementary
In this story about loss, protagonist Ruthie finds herself in a park where she meets an older woman who’s also grieving. They form an unlikely friendship, and Ruthie realizes there’s comfort to be found in the memories of those you’ve loved, and in expressing your grief.
By Tanya Boteju and Bithi Sutradhar
Audience: Middle School
This book teaches young readers how to work through realistic scenarios that show allyship in action and develop tools to become the best allies they can be to their peers.
By John Lekich
Audience: Middle School
After the death of a mutual friend, a boy and a talking dog team up to solve a mystery and take down criminals! Can they solve the mystery of his murder, or will they be next?
By Lana Button and Suharu Ogawa
Audience: Lower Elementary
Brianna is supposed to be “Helper of the Day,” but when a substitute teacher doesn’t know anything about it, her hopes are dashed. Readers join her on a journey to learning there’s more than one way to be helpful at school!
By Christopher Gudgeon
Audience: Upper Elementary
As experts in human body language and expressions, dogs understand humans better than any other animal! In this book, readers travel around the globe and through time to learn all about the story behind man’s best friend.
By Rachel Kehoe and Meegan Lim
Audience: Upper Elementary
From the development of ancient Greek ciphers to today’s CRISPR technology, codes and codebreakers have changed the course of history. In this title, readers explore why humans keep secrets and learn all about coding heroes like the Navajo Code Talkers from World War II.
By Leona Prince, Gabrielle Prince, and Sara General
Audience: Lower Elementary
This lyrical picture book reminds young readers of their cultural roots, the wisdom of their ancestors, and their own potential. Perfect for classroom discussions, it fosters a deep sense of belonging and pride by celebrating Indigenous heritage.
By Sara Cassidy and Julie McLaughlin
Audience: Lower Elementary
Humans need words to communicate, whether they are spoken, written, signed, or even sung. But what exactly is a word, and why does the way we use words continue to change? Learn how language came to be and explore the ways words reveal a whole new impression of the world around us.
Fall Library Planning Checklist for NYC Schools
August 3, 2026
The era of the “budget dance” is over for New York City’s school libraries thanks to the newly established baseline budget, giving librarians and media specialists greater budgetary confidence when planning collections. This summer, take advantage of this stability to...
Read more
An Author Interview with Ha Dinh
July 28, 2026
Ly-Lan Finds a Way is an illustrated early chapter book series for children ages 6-10 written by Vietnamese American author Hà Dinh. Through warm, relatable stories rooted in school life, family, and friendship, the series explores themes of resilience, empathy,...
Read more
July 17, 2026
Public libraries have spent the past year navigating a book vendor market in motion. If your library has been searching for a public library book vendor with real staying power – one whose ordering technology actually fits how your team...
Read more
Powering Summer Reading Through Partnership and Purpose
July 9, 2026
That’s the impact of this year’s Book Up Summer program, an annual literacy initiative led by Washington-based nonprofit Page Ahead that helps low-income students choose and take home books for summer reading.For the fifth consecutive year, Follett Content supported the...
Read more
New from Follett Content: tonies + Book Bundles Built for Library Circulation
June 23, 2026
New tonies® + Book Bundles from Follett Content are a playful addition to your Library of Things, turning storytime love into everyday reading – all without screens. The unique pairing of audio figurines and print books creates a novel new way...
Read more
An Author Interview with Pedro MartÍn
June 5, 2026
Pedro Martín is the Newbery Honor Award, Pura Belpre Author and Illustrator Award-winning creator of the graphic memoir MEXIKID, based off his online comic series of the same name. In this extraordinary graphic memoir companion, MEXIKID DREAMS, hilarious family hijinks, immigration...
Read more