Even those of us who’ve left school far behind can’t help recognize that pencils-at-the-ready feeling that comes at the end of summer. Fall just feels like the time to get serious, whether you have to go back to class or not. Some of our favorite new back-to-school books tackle difficult issues — voter fraud, ADHD and education. So while the books below don’t offer light reading, they do offer plenty to chew on.

For something more lighthearted, check out the latest in back-to-school books for the kids. We’ve got one brilliant picture book, one new graphic novel from a best-selling author and two smart novels for middle-grade readers to highly recommend. It may not get kids psyched for homeroom, but it may make any early-September dread easier to stomach.

Pamela Paul

Editor of The New York Times Book Review

THE GREAT SUPPRESSION: Voting Rights, Corporate Cash, and the Conservative Assault on Democracy, by Zachary Roth. (Crown, $26.) Still trying to make sense of our current electoral map? This important new book offers a comprehensive look at Republicans’ strategies to tilt elections their way, including gerrymandering and voter ID laws.

NECESSARY TROUBLE: Americans in Revolt, by Sarah Jaffe. (Nation Books, $26.99.) Jaffe examines the rebirth and re-envisioning of activism over the past decade by groups on both right and left. There’s a reason for all the tumult.