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 1891
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Masculinity, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Action / Adventure, Medieval Literature / Middle Ages, Politics / Government, Children's Literature, History: World, Fantasy
Men of Iron is an 1891 young adult novel written and illustrated by Howard Pyle. Pyle was born in Delaware in 1853, and after years of training—beginning with a childhood passion for art—he taught illustration at Drexel University before establishing his own institute, the Howard Pyle School of Illustration Art. His style of art, which he himself was instrumental in developing, was named the Brandywine School after the mid-Atlantic region from which the artists in... Read Men of Iron Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Aging, Identity: Gender, Relationships: Family
Tags Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Class, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Modern Classic Fiction, Arts / Culture
Merci Suárez Changes Gears (2018), a contemporary middle-grade novel by Meg Medina, centers on a young girl facing major changes to her family dynamics. The book won numerous awards, including the 2019 Newbery Medal. Medina, a founding member of the “We Need Diverse Books” movement, has written many picture books, young adult books, and middle-grade novels about strong girls who overcome adversity and step up to challenges.Plot SummaryEleven-year-old Merci Suárez is the child of Cuban... Read Merci Suárez Changes Gears Summary
Publication year 2004
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Self Discovery
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Children's Literature, Action / Adventure, Classic Fiction
Messenger (2004) by Lois Lowry is the third book in The Giver Quartet, which includes The Giver (1993), Gathering Blue (2000), and Son (2012). Lowry is the author of over 30 books for children and young adults and has won the John Newberry Medal, the Regina Medal, and the Golden Kite Award for Fiction. Messenger is a young adult science fiction and fantasy novel that addresses themes like the value of honesty in community, selfishness... Read Messenger Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Graphic Memoir , Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Identity: Language, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Society: Immigration
Tags Children's Literature, Humor, Biography
Publication year 1995
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings, Emotions/Behavior: Grief
Tags Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, Grief / Death, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Historical Fiction, Race / Racism, Civil Rights / Jim Crow, Children's Literature, History: World, Arts / Culture
Publication year 2017
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hope
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Action / Adventure, Race / Racism, Social Justice, Children's Literature, Fantasy
Publication year 2003
Genre Novel, Fiction
Tags Historical Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education, WWII / World War II, Military / War, History: World
Milkweed is a young adult historical fiction novel by Jerry Spinelli. Published in 2003, Milkweed won the 2004 Golden Kite Award and 2003 Carolyn W. Field Award in fiction. The novel follows a young, unnamed boy’s life in Warsaw, Poland, during the Holocaust. Orphaned at a young age, the unnamed protagonist runs wild in the streets of Warsaw, stealing bread from unsuspecting passersby. The boy identifies himself as “Stopthief,” but he remembers almost nothing about... Read Milkweed Summary
Publication year 2009
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Family
Tags Realistic Fiction, Sports, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Mike Lupica’s 2009 novel, Million-Dollar Throw, is about Nate Brodie, a 13-year-old quarterback who is the star of his eighth-grade football team. The novel is geared towards middle schoolers, with simple language and a straightforward plot. Although it can be considered a sports novel due to its heavy emphasis on the play-by-play actions of Nate Brodie’s football games, it is also a novel about friendship, enduring hardship, and sacrifice. Nate Brodie’s nickname is “Brady” because... Read Million Dollar Throw Summary
Publication year 1956
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Community, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Animals
Tags Historical Fiction, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, History: World, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2002
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Relationships: Fathers
Tags Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education, History: World, Historical Fiction
Chris Crowe’s Mississippi Trial, 1955 (2002) is a piece of historical fiction based on a true story about Emmett Till that took place in the Mississippi Delta right on the brink of Civil Rights Movement. Visiting family in Money, Mississippi, in the summer of 1955, Till was abducted and murdered for “allegedly whistling at a white woman in the Bryant’s Grocery and Meat Market” (231). The all-white male jury acquitted the two men who were... Read Mississippi Trial, 1955 Summary
Publication year 2013
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Humor, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Children's Literature
Publication year 1947
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Family
Tags Children's Literature, Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Animals
Publication year 2010
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: Disability
Tags Realistic Fiction, Disability, Mental Illness, Grief / Death, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Romance, Disability, Bullying, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2001
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Society: Class, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family
Tags Realistic Fiction, Poverty, African American Literature, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Urban Development
Money Hungry is a 2001 middle-grade novel by American author Sharon G. Flake published by Little, Brown and Company. A Coretta Scott King Honor book, Money Hungry is the first book in Flake’s Raspberry Hill series. It explores 13-year-old Raspberry Hill’s hunger for money and the lengths to which she will go to acquire it. Stemming from a period of homelessness in her childhood, Raspberry will do almost anything to earn enough money to move... Read Money Hungry Summary
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Teams, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Self Discovery
Tags Realistic Fiction, Animals, Children's Literature
... Read Moo Summary
Publication year 2010
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Past, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Society: Class, Society: Economics, Society: Immigration, Society: Education, Society: War, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Historical Fiction, Children's Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Realistic Fiction, History: World
Moon Over Manifest is a 2010 novel by author Claire Vanderpool. It relates the story of 12-year-old Abilene Tucker, a drifting girl in search of her father, a home, and a sense of belonging. When the novel starts, her father, Gideon Tucker, has just sent Abilene to the Kansas town of Manifest, claiming that he can’t take her to Iowa, where he is allegedly taking a railroad job. It is 1936, and the Great Depression... Read Moon Over Manifest Summary
Publication year 1999
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Siblings, Identity: Indigenous, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family
Tags Historical Fiction, Children's Literature, History: World
Publication year 1988
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Community
Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Animals, Children's Literature, Classic Fiction