Category: The Kids Are All Right

This exquisite book is gorgeously illustrated by Cozbi A. Cabrera and recounts the life of Gwendolyn Brooks, the first Black person to win the Pulitzer Prize, receiving the award for poetry in 1950. Her poetry, about “real life”, included themes of love, loneliness, family, and poverty. This is a captivating picture book about a captivating writer.

Most people know Jane Austen as the witty writer of many books. As a young girl, she delighted in making her family laugh with tales that poked fun at the popular novels of her time, stories that featured fragile ladies and ridiculous plots. Before long, Jane was writing her own stories–uproariously funny ones, using all the details of her life in a country village as inspiration. Her books are now some of the most beloved around the world.

This has got to be one of my favorite books about a writer… and it’s written by the writer herself! Jacqueline Woodson is my literary hero, and her early life is fascinating. Raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and her growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement. I particularly love those poems that touch on her early desires to be a writer. So powerful!

As a young girl, Zora Neale Hurston wanted nothing more than to be surrounded by stories. Her mama always told her that if she wanted something, “to jump at de sun”, because even though you might not land quite that high, at least you’d get off the ground. So Zora jumped from place to place, from the porch of the general store where she listened to folktales, to Howard University, to Harlem. Her stories included tales about people that no one had paid attention to before, until she wrote them down.

This incredible book follows the life of E.B. White, the legendary author of Charlotte’s Web and The Trumpet of the Swan (my personal favorite of his stories). Melissa Sweet does an incredible job distilling his life for young readers, and her illustrations are fantastic. Check this one out!

For alphabet lovers out there, this fun picture book takes readers on a journey across the globe and introduces them to a different girl from every country.

This is a sweet picture book about finding oneself across two cultures. Shanti misses India, and is trying to adjust to life in America. At home, it feels just like being back in India, even if everything outside is different, and Shanti begins to wonder what her home really is.

For chapter book readers, this is a fun new series following third grader J.D. When his mom gives him a home haircut, J.D is the target of all kinds of teasing from his classmates. So J.D decides to cut his own hair and finds he’s pretty good at it, even good enough to start his own barbershop. But J.D’s drawing away clients from the only other barbershop in town, and the owner intends to shut J.D down so they compete in a great barber battle to determine who’s the best.

This is a colorful collection of biographies of inspiring Latina women. This includes handpainted artwork and biographies of famous women such as singer Selena Quintanilla, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, and author Isabel Allende to educate and inspire.

This guide for young readers introduces kids to ways to get involved in the preservation and protection of our planet. This both shows where we are in the fight for climate justice and also how other kids are leading the charge in the climate movement.

This quiet book is set on a late winter night when a young girl and her father go looking for owls. The father makes an owl call, but there is no response. Wordlessly the two companions walk along, for when you go owling you don’t need words. You don’t need anything but hope. Sometimes there isn’t an owl, but sometimes there is.

Siblings take a walk through their town, taking the time to observe the changes in the seasons and to greet the coming winter. This is part of a four picture book series from author-illustrator Kenard Pak who has a book for each season. I love reading these books as the weather changes!

This charming picture book captures the joy of snow and exploration. A young girl heads out to explore to the new snow, following tracks that she does not know if her own. This book and its beautiful illustrations transport the reader to those quiet winter days.

At the first sign of snow, all the animals need to get ready by storing up food or migrating to warmer weather or growing a thicker coat. But fox is unsure what to do until he finds his friend who has the perfect idea to celebrate the snowfall.

Oh how I love this book! Newbery Medal Winner Susan Cooper’s evocative poem is laid out in picture book form and beautifully illustrated by Caldecott Honor winter Carson Ellis. The words capture the magic behind the returning of the light, the yearning for traditions that connect us with generations that have gone before, and the hope for peace that we carry into the future. 

Do you remember that duck that had New York City in a tizzy back in 2018? Well, if you forgot there’s a book about it now, written by Bette Midler. This is a modern fable about recognizing the remarkable things right in front of them.

This whimsical picture book follows a shy cat whose favorite place to be is inside a mail box where she’s nice and safe. But when a letter is delivered, addressed to the moon and asking it to shine brightly the next day, Willow ventures out beyond her mail box to deliver it.

This sweet picture book follows sibilings Maisie and Jonah, along with their dog Tinker, on a walk through their neighborhood that intertwines reality and imagination.

This beautiful picture book follows An, a young Vietnamese boy on a journey across the Mekong Delta. With a backpack and a single oar, An sets out for his first day of school.

This novel-in-verse follows Stevie, an 11-year-old who has found that knowing as many facts as possible helps her anxiety feel more in control. But for all the things Stevie understands, what she’s struggling to make sense of are new feelings for her friend Chloe.

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is one of America’s most iconic buildings, but how much do you know about what goes on inside? Who helps keep this historic house running? This informative book covers everything from its Residence workers, first ladies, presidential pets, and even a couple of ghosts (!!!). The book also includes photos and fun facts.

When Kamala was growing up in Oakland, California, her family marched for justice. And when Kamala went to school, she fought for the use of a soccer field in middle school. And after she graduated law school, she fought for the people in her home state of California in Congress. Now, Kamala uses her voice as the first woman to hold the office of Vice President of the United States. This stunning book tells Kamala’s story.

This truly charming book follows the lives of Champ and Major, the first dogs of the United States of America. While Champ is used to the White House from his time there when his dad was the Vice President, Major was adopted afterwards and Champ has a lot to teach him! Watch how Major prepares Champ for his role as First Dog!

Former First Lady Michelle Obama wanted to grow the largest kitchen garden ever at the White House, but there was one problem. She had never gardened before. But every big project takes a village, so she enlisted help from local students, the White House staff, and even her husband, President Barack Obama. Her mission to inspire young people to adopt healthy eating habits continues now with her new Netflix show, Waffles + Mochi!

Joe Biden grew up in Scranton, Pennsylvania, the oldest of four children. He struggled with a stutter growing up, so he read aloud every day to overcome it. When he moved to Wilmington, Delaware, he become one of the youngest state senators to ever be elected at age 29 and later become Vice President under President Barack Obama. Now, he is the current President of the United States!

This beautiful book is Barack Obama’s tribute to thirteen groundbreaking Americans who have inspired and shaped our nation. From the artistry of Georgia O’Keeffe, to the courage of Jackie Robinson, to the patriotism of George Washington, Obama sees the traits of these heroes within his own children, and within all of America’s children. Loren Long’s gorgeous illustrations bring the book to life!

Dovey Mae and her grandmother traverse the woods in the early hours of the morning to find the sweetest blackberries. This picture book takes a beautiful snapshot of a Roundtree’s life with her grandmother and how they managed to find moments of happiness even in the Jim Crow south.

This fun picture book takes an animal spin on artist Banksy. A mysterious mouse dots a city with art, inspiring the other animals to create art of their own.

Adapted for kids from the original, this is a smart, witty guide to writing and all that goes along with it: grammar, punctuation, spelling, all presented in a way as entertaining as it is instructive.

For kids looking for more anthologies is this one of stories and poems celebrating the voices of Indigenous writers from the U.S and Canada. The stories balance personal struggles with joy and humor and feature stories from varied nations.

In this fun graphic novel, ghost Simon and human child Chester decide to become detectives. Though they have trouble finding clients, they do discover a dog in their house and get to work unraveling the mystery of where it came from.

I love Brendan Wenzel’s striking art, which I think will draw the attention of the youngest readers. This board book edition contains the same gorgeous illustrations as the original picture book, introducing readers to the striped tiger and the spotted leopard and the lovely patterns found on tortoise shells and pangolin backs.

This great board book has a lovely graphic illustration quality, showing Black hairstyles including a ‘fro-hawk, mini-twists, crisp cornrows, cool curls, waves, and afros. With every page, the words proclaim, “I am born to be awesome!” Can you think of a better sentence to be reading to a brand new human?

This rainbow-filled board book has a wonderful message on every page. Ten relatable emotions are each followed by a centering exercise and a positive affirmation to be recited, as a practice in mindfulness. Young readers are encouraged to find their inner strength by recognizing and addressing their emotions, instilling a sense of power and self-confidence.

When I was young, I loved examining each page of Richard Scarry’s wonderful books. There is so much to take in, and I love Scarry’s humorous drawings and how he conveys a sense of motion and movement. Little ones are sure to love this durable board book version of his busy people series.

This inventive board book gives young readers much to touch and explore with kid-safe puzzle-like play pieces and bold shapes and colors.