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.
What We're Reading: Best of 2025
November 17, 2025
As the year wraps up, we’re highlighting the top books that sparked curiosity, inspired learning, and kept students turning pages in 2025. These eight standout titles – from award-winning historical fiction to imaginative adventures and engaging picture books – are...
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Get Ahead of the 2026 ALA YMAs with These 5 Must-Read Contender Titles
November 1, 2025
This month, we’re diving into the most buzzworthy books of the year – handpicked by our Curation Team from our ALA Youth Media Award Contenders book list. These standout titles are generating serious award chatter, and we’re reading them now to...
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Celebrate holidays with 12 seasonal titles!
October 13, 2025
Motivate students to read with these seasonally themed books from Capstone Publishing! Spark their interest with books focusing on holidays they know and love and give them the chance to discover new ones they’ve never heard of.A Bold Pumpkin PlanBy Katy...
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Why the Food Group Series Continues to Take the Cake
October 1, 2025
From The Bad Seed to The Smart Cookie, Jory John and Pete Oswald’s Food Group series has become a staple in classrooms and libraries across the country. With its clever characters, laugh-out-loud humor, heartfelt lessons, and captivating illustrations, the series has helped educators...
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Pippa Park Books Come to Life in Video Series!
September 19, 2025
Middle graders aren’t reading for pleasure like they used to, and educators, booksellers, and families want a solution to get them excited about reading and sharing stories with their peers again. One part of such a solution is to meet...
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Preview exciting fall 2025 eGalleys from Capstone!
September 15, 2025
We’ve partnered with Capstone and NetGalley* to provide digital access to 15 upcoming nonfiction and fiction titles releasing January 1, 2026. You’ll want to take advantage of this early access so you can then preorder the titles you love on...
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