Juvenile Literature

The books in this collection navigate themes and ideas appropriate for younger readers. Whether you're looking for contemporary hits like Front Desk by Kelly Yang or beloved classics like Louisa May Alcott's Little Women, you can explore this collection to find a title that will excite the young readers in your life.

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Gender, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil

Tags Fantasy, Mythology, Action / Adventure, Asian Literature, Children's Literature, Asian Literature


Publication year 2005

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Natural World: Environment, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: The Future

Tags Parenting, Education, Psychology, Children's Literature, Education, Science / Nature, Psychology


Publication year 1998

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Music, Life/Time: Mortality & Death

Tags Historical Fiction, Children's Literature, WWII / World War II, Sports, History: World, Humor

The Last Days of Summer is an epistolary novel written by Steve Kluger and published in 1998. The novel offers a view into the life of Joey Margolis, an articulate, resourceful, tender-hearted young Jewish baseball fan who resides in Brooklyn, New York during the 1940s. His parents’ divorce results in Joey’s estrangement from his father, who marries a Manhattan socialite and fails to maintain contact with his son, as well as relocation from the Hasidic... Read Last Days of Summer Summary


Publication year 2005

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Courage

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Sports, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction

Last Shot: A Final Four Mystery (2005) is a sports and mystery novel for young readers by John Feinstein. A sports journalist, Feinstein has written for a variety of publications, including The Washington Post, Golf Digest, and Sports Illustrated. He is also the author of 45 fiction and nonfiction books about sports. His debut nonfiction book, A Season on the Brink (1986), focused on the 1985-86 college basketball season of the Indiana Hoosiers and their... Read Last Shot Summary


Publication year 2007

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Society: Economics, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Teams

Tags Humor, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, Business / Economics, Class, American Literature, Education, Education

Lawn Boy, a novella by Gary Paulsen published in 2007, is a middle grade chapter book about a 12-year-old boy who receives an old lawn mower as a birthday gift from his grandmother. As underwhelming as the gift appears, this moment launches a sequence of events that ends with the boy owning $480,000 and being the sole investor of a heavyweight boxer. Full of quirky humor and digestible lessons in capitalism, Paulsen’s story leads the... Read Lawn Boy Summary


Publication year 1945

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Art, Life/Time: Mortality & Death

Tags Fantasy, Classic Fiction, Children's Literature, British Literature, History: World, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 1938

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Action / Adventure, Classic Fiction

Viennese author Carl Stephenson (1893-after 1960) published “Leiningen Versus the Ants” in the December 1938 issue of Esquire magazine. Stephenson, who often wrote under the pseudonym “Stefan Sorel,” translated the story into English himself. Stephenson wrote and edited prose from 1954-1967, verifying that he likely died sometime in the 1960s. His death date is often confused with that of the American historian and leading medieval scholar, Carl Stephenson.The story opens with Leiningen, a plantation owner... Read Leiningen Versus the Ants Summary


Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Grandparents, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Teams, Society: Community, Society: War

Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Grief / Death, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, History: World


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Animals, Humor, Children's Literature


Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Natural World: Animals, Society: Community

Tags Children's Literature, Humor, Action / Adventure, Animals


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Race, Self Discovery, Society: Immigration, Relationships: Friendship

Tags Historical Fiction, WWII / World War II, Latin American Literature, Jewish Literature, Race / Racism, Holocaust, Children's Literature, Military / War, History: World


Publication year 2009

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Race, Relationships: Family, Society: Immigration

Tags Historical Fiction, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Immigration / Refugee, Military / War, History: European, WWI / World War I, Children's Literature, Russian Literature, Jewish Literature, Education, Education, WWII / World War II, History: World

Karen Hesse’s young adult historical novel Letters from Rifka (1992) takes place between 1919 and 1920 and follows a young Jewish girl, Rifka, and her family as they escape persecution in Russia and begin a new life in America. The novel takes the form of letters Rifka writes, but cannot send, to her cousin in Russia, composed in the blank spaces of a volume of poetry by Russian poet Alexander Pushkin. The work thus combines... Read Letters from Rifka Summary


Publication year 1981

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Identity: Race, Relationships: Siblings, Society: Class, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Equality

Tags Historical Fiction, Race / Racism, Great Depression, Children's Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction

Let the Circle Be Unbroken (1981) is part of the Logan Family Saga by author Mildred D. Taylor. The series follows the fortunes of a Black farming family, the Logans, through more than one generation as they experience the tribulations of life in the South before the Civil Rights era. The saga consists of 10 novels and novellas. The award-winning novels include The Land (2001), Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (1976), and The Road... Read Let The Circle Be Unbroken Summary


Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Friendship

Tags Children's Literature, Animals, Realistic Fiction, Sports, Modern Classic Fiction, Humor


Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship

Tags Children's Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, Humor


Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Community, Self Discovery, Relationships: Family

Tags Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, Bullying, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2018

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Environment

Tags Historical Fiction, Survival Fiction, WWII / World War II, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, Military / War, History: World


Publication year 2005

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Family

Tags Children's Literature, History: European, WWII / World War II, Military / War, History: World, Biography

Life in a Jar: The Irena Sendler Project is a work of creative nonfiction written by Jack Mayer and originally published in 2010. The book tells two overlapping stories. One is about Irena Sendler, a Polish social worker who helped save 2,500 Jewish children in Warsaw from the Nazis during World War II. The other is about three high school girls—Liz Cambers, Megan Stewart, and Sabrina Coons. In 1999, the girls, with the help of... Read Life in a Jar: The Irena Sendler Summary


Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Friendship

Tags LGBTQ, Realistic Fiction, Bullying, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

Lily and Dunkin by Donna Gephart was originally published in 2016. A coming-of-age novel set in contemporary America, the book tells the stories of two unique and inspiring teenagers who find themselves and each other. Lily and Dunkin was named one of NPR’s Best Kids’ Books of 2016, one of Amazon’s Top 20 Children’s Books of 2016, and one of YALSA’s picks for Best Fiction for Young Adults in 2017. This guide is based on... Read Lily and Dunkin Summary


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Friendship, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Historical Fiction, Action / Adventure, Military / War, WWI / World War I, Children's Literature, History: World