Category: The Kids Are All Right

In this body positive picture book, the multitudes of the human body are presented in rich and vibrant illustrations to show just how varied and cool people really are.

In this fun and colorful picture book, a boy races to the paleta cart to enjoy his favorite summertime treat only to find that his money is missing.

In this autobiographical picture book, Congresswoman Sharice Davids recalls her upbringing, and tells the story of how she came to be elected as one of the first Native American women and one of the first out lesbians in Congress.

This biographical picture book retells the story of Shirley Chisholm’s early life watching her parents discuss politics in their Brooklyn neighborhood and her growing political activism. She runs for the New York State Assembly and then eventually for Congress, making history as the first Black woman elected.

So I just finished playing Spider Man: Miles Morales on PS4. Even for diehard Peter Parker fans, Miles is just so sweet and earnest and a perfect Spider-Man. This graphic novel finds him contending with his family’s work to raise money for Puerto Rico, Miles’s mom’s home, after a terrible earthquake. Meanwhile, a new super-powered duo is wreaking havoc, and Miles’s new friend, and her missing dad, might be involved.

When I was a kid, I read The Clique series by Lisi Harrison, about middle schoolers locked in various rich, middle school kid dramas. That was approximately a billion years ago, but Lisi Harrison has a new series set in an entirely different middle school but with similar dramas. This time against the backdrop of Charm House, a school where girls are sent to tame the magical, animal light inside them. Sadie’s a new student and when she learns she possesses a powerful animal light, she’s invited to join the infamous Pack, led by the school’s resident It-girl. As Sadie deals with new friendship trials and her crush on an off-limits boy, someone threatens Charm House and risks destroying the Pack for good.

Before Vera Rubin discovered most of the universe, she loved watching the night sky and would fall asleep dreaming of the mysteries she couldn’t see. When she got older, she presented her research at a conference and the male astronomers called her ideas “outlandish”. Their comments only made her more determined to study faraway galaxies that no one was interested in. She made groundbreaking and incredibly significant discoveries that scientists have only recently been able to really appreciate—and she changed the way that we look at the universe.

Chuck Whipplethorp is bored living at his new home on Normal Street. As he unpacks some of the moving boxes, he finds his grandfather’s first bug collection. His dad even tells him that his grandpa discovered a new species of insect! All the talk of his Grandpa’s achievements makes Chuck feel sad at the ways he falls short, but with a little help from his nurturing father, Chuck finds his own source of strength and individuality through creativity.

After a storm, the lights go out and Roger is afraid. But then his aunt Rachel suggests that they take a walk so they can see the beauty of the natural world at night. Roger puts rain gear on right over his pajamas, and together he and Rachel head down the rocky path to the sea. On the way they discover many marvels–a screech owl calling to its mate, ghost crabs tunneling in the sand, and most incredibly, the luminous life that lights up the water.

This book follows that classic conversation among kids: “What will you be when you grow up?” When a young girl goes to her Abuela to ask for advice, her Abuela points to the girl’s heart and says, “Listen”. The girl closes her eyes and listens to her heart, letting her dreams take flight to all the possibilities ahead of her.

When a young girl stares out in to the night sky and notices a star shining brighter than any other, her mom tells her that the star is a supernova. The young girl feels sad for the star that is slowly losing its light, so every night she assures the star that it is not alone. As she grew up, she learned more about the supernova, doing every she could to study the star until one day she stepped aboard a space shuttle and flew far beyond Earth’s atmosphere.

In this fun picture book, a young business owner looks for the perfect spot to set up their lemonade stand. But it looks like all the good spots have been taken, until the narrator takes an accidental tumble and the stand stops at a river, which brings with it a steady stream of aquatic customers.

This minimalist and rhythmic picture book is full of animals and creatures that play much like humans do. This also includes words from the Cree language and a translation guide for readers.

In this delightful portal fantasy, Flick is inducted into the Strangeworlds Society, a group of people who use magical suitcases to travel to different worlds. Her new friend Jonathan is a member, and Flicka joins him in his search for his missing father.

In this graphic novel, goblin sisters embark on a journey to confront the Earth Queen and save their underground city. Worrisome Bix has always looked after her headstrong sister Pella, and when Pella ventures out into the Enchanted Forest, Bix has no choice but to face her fears and go after her.

This graphic novel follows a lonely Jo and her new friend, a dog named Pawcasso wowing their community as the shopping dog. Everyone assumes Jo is Pawcasso’s owner, and with Pawcasso’s fame bringing new friends for Jo, she doesn’t correct them. But as more time passes, Jo struggles with telling the truth or losing her new friends.

Like a dandelion, a young girl and her mother make a new home across an ocean, putting down roots in an adopted country. Soon they blossom in their new home, strong and beautiful among hundreds of others just like them. This beautiful story is based on Huy’s own childhood experience of moving to the US as a Cambodian refugee.

This sweet picture book tells the story of one girl’s anticipation for summer. Summer is when her lola, her grandmother from the Philippines, comes for a visit and fills the house with the aroma of mango jam, funny stories of baking mishaps, and her quiet sweet singing in Tagalog. And in turn, her granddaughter brings Lola to the beach, to view fireworks at the park, and to catch fish at their lake. The illustrations in this book are lovely – check out that gorgeous cover!

Inspired by the author’s grandfather, this beautiful book follows a young man growing up in a shtetl in Russia in the early 1990s. Nathan is always singing, and when he hears a famous opera soloist perform in a nearby town one day, he realizes that music could be his future. But he’ll need to travel far from his loved ones and poor village in order to pursue that cherished goal. With his family’s support, he eventually journeys all the way to New York City, where hard work and much excitement await him.

This beautifully illustrated, sparse story about one Vietnamese family’s search for a new home is inspired by actual events in the author’s life. Told through the eyes of a young girl, the story chronicles a family’s difficult and powerful journey to pack up what they can carry and to leave their world behind, traveling to a new and unknown place in a crowded boat. 

Each page turn in this gorgeous book is treat for the eyes. It’s rainy season in the Mekong Delta, and An, a young Vietnamese boy, sets off on his wooden boat. He rows through both beautiful and dangerous waters, finally ending up safely in at his destination. I loved this book so much!

This fun picture book is from actress Gabrielle Union and basketball star Dwayne Wade, and is inspired by their daughter. Told in rhyme, this follows Shady Baby through a stylish and energetic day.

This sweet picture book makes for perfect summer reading. For the grandchild in this book, the season doesn’t officially start until their lola (grandmother) arrives, filling days with traditional Filipino food, fireworks, and spending time together.

Another perfect summer picture book, this one capturing the fun and wonder of the pool during summertime.

In this middle grade debut by Justina Ireland (one of my personal favorite YA authors) is this historical paranormal mystery. Ophie learns she can see and communicate with ghosts the night her father is murdered and her family forced to flee to family in Philadelphia. Working in an old manor for one of the city’s richest families, Ophie learns how to appease her cranky employer with the help of Clara, a ghost, and to repay her, Ophie searches for the answer as to how Clara died.

This Raina Telgemeier-esque graphic novel follows middle schooler Tara. Dealing with her parents’ unhappy divorce and the coming end to eighth grade, and all the changes that accompany it, Tara finds peace in the fantasy book she’s writing.

Told in four voices, this beautiful book shows how four kids living very different lives find points of connection through a single act of kindness. I loved how nuanced each of the characters are, each with their own struggles, unique family situations, and coping mechanisms. I know this book will resonate with all kinds of readers.

This touching novel-in-verse centers around Reha, the only Indian American student in her school. At home, she is surrounded by family and their traditions as well as her parent’s strict expectations. In particular, Reha feels disconnected from her mother, or Amma, although their names are linked—Reha means “star” and Punam means “moon”—but they are a universe apart. Then Reha finds out that her Amma is sick, and Reha is determined to make her Amma well again.

When Jenna gets dumped by her boyfriend halfway through seventh grade, she is determined to move forward without boys. She is going to study and work for a coveted newspaper scholarship. But it’s hard to stay cool when so much is going wrong. Her ex is vying for the same scholarship and her best friend is too busy with her own boyfriend, so Jenna starts going to a Broadway-themed diner after school to drown her troubles in milkshakes. There she meets a mysterious boy, who might be more interesting than she first thought!

This is a story about standing up and believing in your truth. When Junie Kim sees racist graffiti at her middle school, she needs to make a decision about whether to ignore it or speak up. Then her history teacher assigns an oral history project, and Junie learns more about her grandparents and their experiences as children living through the Korean War. Through those stories, Junie finds the strength to do what she needs to do at school.

I am a huge fan of Reem Faruqi’s picture book, Lailah’s Lunchbox, so I was very excited to see this book come across my desk. Unsettled is a beautiful novel-in-verse that spans two countries: Pakistan and Georgia. When Nurah’s family moves to Peachtree City from Karachi, she stands out in every way from her brightly colored clothes and accent. But where she most wants to stand out is in the swimming pool, where she wants to win medals like her brother.

This fun alphabet book follows a kid and their parents and their dog to the Pride parade. When the dog gets loose, a chase begins to reunite pet with family.

This gorgeously illustrated picture book follows Sarah Gerhardt, the first woman to surf the legendary Mavericks, making her way in a male-dominated sport.

The Franklin Brothers (Franklin Brothers Investigation) put their heads together to steal a lollipop from the kitchen cupboard. But all their plans prove useless when they realize Secret Angel Girl (their sister) has her own designs on the lollipop.

In this first book in a new chapter book series Jo Jo lives on the fictional Pembina Ojibwe reservation, worrying about her cat Mimi’s upcoming vaccinations and why her best friend isn’t sitting with her at lunch anymore.

Ibram X. Kendi’s Stamped From the Beginning has a kids’ version. If you’ve been looking for a more accessible way to begin conversations surrounding racism and antiracism, this may be a good place to start.

This middle grade book is an emotional coming of age about two boys in Nova Scotia leaning on each other as they struggle through seventh grade. Brian’s already socially anxious when his father leaves home and his mom’s suicide attempt leaves him to care for his younger brother, but when he meets Ezra, he also finds a friend.

This moving and emotional middle grade follows two kids coping with the same tragedy. Cora’s mourning her sister’s death in a school shooting, and Quinn looks for a way to cope with her brother’s horrific actions. The girls come together when Cora thinks she’s found a way to fix everything: a worm hole that would allow them to travel back in time and stop the shooting.