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 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Self Discovery, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Fantasy, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Magical Realism, Children's Literature
Publication year 1973
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Society: Community
Tags Grief / Death, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Relationships: Family
Tags Children's Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, Sports
Publication year 2008
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Society: Community, Society: Education, Society: Politics & Government
Tags Children's Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Arts / Culture
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Grandparents, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Mothers, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Community, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Education
Publication year 1871
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Relationships: Friendship, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Fantasy, Classic Fiction, Christian literature, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Children's Literature, Victorian Literature / Period, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2014
Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict
Tags Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2002
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Class, Self Discovery, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Climate
Tags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, Education, Education
Written by Andrew Clements, A Week in the Woods is a middle-grade realistic survival fiction novel originally published in 2002. It is part of the Hardy Elementary collection of books by the same author. It focuses on the initially antagonistic relationship between an upper-class fifth grader named Mark and his classist science teacher, Bill Maxwell. The novel explores how the two characters eventually come to forgive and understand one another when they must help each... Read A Week in the Woods Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Animals, Children's Literature, Action / Adventure, Survival Fiction
Publication year 1973
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Siblings
Tags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Bullying, Children's Literature, Action / Adventure, Classic Fiction
A Wind in the Door, a science-fiction novel published in 1973, was written by renowned American author Madeleine L’Engle. L’Engle is the author of more than 60 books and winner of numerous awards, including the Margaret A. Edwards award for her lifelong contributions to teen readership. A Wind in the Door is the second novel of the Time Quintet and sequel to the acclaimed A Wrinkle in Time. While A Wind in the Door did... Read A Wind In The Door Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Magical Realism, Asian Literature, Children's Literature, Asian Literature
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Children's Literature, Fantasy, Humor, Mystery / Crime Fiction
Publication year 2015
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Relationships: Teams, Society: Education, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Regret
Tags Realistic Fiction, Science / Nature, Education, Children's Literature, Bullying, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Education, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Animals
Tags Children's Literature, Science / Nature, Animals, Action / Adventure, Survival Fiction
Publication year 1962
Genre Novel, Fiction
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Children's Literature, Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Classic Fiction
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle is a science fiction novel for young readers, published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux in 1962. The book follows Margaret “Meg” Murry, her brilliant younger brother Charles Murry, and Calvin O’Keefe on a journey across the universe to rescue Meg’s father from the clutches of a malignant presence. The novel won several children’s book awards, including the Newbery Medal (1963), the Sequoyah Book Award, and the Lewis Carroll... Read A Wrinkle In Time Summary
Publication year 2007
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Colonialism, Society: Class, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Society: Community, Society: Globalization, Society: War, Identity: Race, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Economics, Society: Immigration
Tags History: U.S., Social Justice, Politics / Government, Children's Literature, Education, Education, History: World
Publication year 2001
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Tags Children's Literature, Education, Education, Biography
Bad Boy is a 2001 memoir spanning roughly the first seventeen years of YA writer Walter Dean Myers’s life. In it, Myers explores how the time he spent growing up in a mixed-race, working-class family in 1940s-and-50s Harlem impacted his eventual career as a writer.To do so, Myers first explains his complicated family history: Myers’s biological parents were both black, but he was adopted at a very young age by his father’s first wife, Florence—a... Read Bad Boy: A Memoir Summary
Publication year 1936
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: The Future, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Literature, Society: Education, Society: Class
Tags Classic Fiction, Children's Literature, Historical Fiction, British Literature
Publication year 1999
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Environment, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags History: U.S., Health / Medicine, Animals, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, History: World, Biography
Publication year 2010
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Military / War, Asian Literature, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Class, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, History: World, Action / Adventure, Arts / Culture
Bamboo People by Mitali Perkins is a young adult, coming-of-age, historical fiction novel about two boys—one Burmese, the other Karenni—growing up during an intense period of violence between the Burmese military and the Karenni people. The book was named an “ALA APALA Honor Book, Indies Choice Honor Book of the Year for Young Adults, ALA Top Ten Book in Best Fiction for Young Adults, [and] International Reading Association Notable Book for a Global Society [and... Read Bamboo People Summary