Category: The Kids Are All Right

Until I read this book, I did not know much about the special soup that Haitians all over the world eat to ring in the new year, a tradition dating back to the Haitian Revolution. In this book, Ti Gran is teaching Belle how to make Freedom Soup, just like she was taught when she was a little girl. Together, they dance and clap as they prepare the holiday feast, and Ti Gran tells Belle about the history of the soup, the history of Belle’s family, and the history of Haiti, where Belle’s family is from. I loved this joyful, celebratory story!

This is one of my favorite picture books! In this story, a Chinese-American girl is embarrassed by her mom’s garden of bumpy, ugly vegetables. Her neighbors’ gardens look so much prettier and so much more inviting than the garden of “black-purple-green vines, fuzzy wrinkled leaves, prickly stems, and a few little yellow flowers” that she and her mother grow. Nevertheless, mother assures her that “these are better than flowers.” Come harvest time, everyone agrees as those ugly Chinese vegetables become the tastiest, most aromatic soup they have ever known, and the neighborhood joins them for a delicious meal.

I adore all of Oge Mora’s books! This one is about Omu’s delicious soup and how it draws the neighborhood toward the delicious aroma. Omu cannot help but share her soup until the pot is empty. Is there nothing left for her? This book, like the previous two on this list, is all about how food can bring together a community. This book was the winner of the Caldecott Honor!

This wonderful book is all about how a group of volunteers come together creates a meal for their community each week. With a garden full of produce, a joyfully chaotic kitchen, and a friendly meal shared at the table, Our Little Kitchen is a celebration of full bellies and looking out for one another. At the end of the book, there are recipes as well as an author’s note about her experience as a volunteer.

This stunning book is about how fry bread serves as an important part of Native American food culture and history. The text and illustrations depict the diversity of indigenous peoples (check out the gorgeous end papers!), the role of continuity between generations, and the adaptation over time of people, place, and tradition.

I think we can all relate to the importance and impact of a neighborhood corner store. In this gorgeous book in verse, Stanstones corner store is the heart of the neighborhood for the brother and sister. They help to close the store every Saturday and save their pennies to buy candy. The store is the source of many adventures, where they spend a memorably spooky Halloween, play tricks on Mr. and Mrs. Stanstones, and form a search party to find Toby the store cat when he goes missing. What will happen to their beloved corner store when a brand-new supermarket opens up in town?

Go on a trip around the world with the wind in this cute picture book that encourages the celebration of the world, blowing with the wind across various locations and viewing all the wonders the world has to offer.

New LLama LLama! New Llama Llama! (I love Llama Llama.) This new installment has our titular llama anxiously waiting for his loose tooth to fall out, and it’s adorable.

This picture book introduces little ones to Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson, the two trans women who kickstarted the Stonewall Riots and left a permanent mark on the fight for LGBT rights in the United States.

This picture book is set in Istanbul, following a little girl on her journey through the beautiful city. It’s lyrical, whimsical, and beautifully illustrated, with a heartwarming tale of community and kindness.

For superhero fans, this fun graphic novel follows a group of sidekicks who get sick of doing all the grunge work for their grownup superhero partners and decide to set out on their own. But they have to prove themselves to their superhero partners first, and they get just the chance when their new friend is kidnapped.

Translated from Italian, this historical mystery is told via diary entries, photos and maps. It picks up where Hitler’s Germany invades the Soviet Union, pushing children onto trains that will hopefully carry them to safety. Twins Nadya and Viktor are separated and embark on a journey to find one another.

This latest installment in the Keeper of the Lost Cities series is both a continuation and a guide for super fans! This book picks up right where Legacy left off and includes a guide featuring new details of the world and characters, plus full-color illustrations, themed recipes, and a bonus map.

If you’re looking for something more artistically satisfying but still educational (gift giving season is upon us after all!), this guide might be just the thing for you. This colorful introduction to the periodic table is great for curious kids and it manages to be both accessible and comprehensive.

These bestselling books are beautifully packaged in a boxed set inlaid with gold foil. GOLD FOIL! The books include What Do You Do With an Idea?, What Do You Do With a Problem?, and What Do You Do With a Chance? I love the messages of these books, which encourage children to try, fail, think, and persevere.

I have been a huge fan of Jon Klassen’s art for years. I Want My Hat Back is one of my all time favorite stories. The subsequent stories in this trilogy, This Is Not My Hat and We Found a Hat, are just as charming. Who knew stories about hats could be so fun? The bear’s hat is gone, and he wants it back. A fish has stolen a hat; will he get away with it? Two turtles have found one hat, but the hat looks good on both of them. What to do?

These chapter books are a perfect mix of humor, fun story, and beautiful illustrations – a home run for newly independent readers. Foiling a robber, driving a car, squeezing into a tutu—is there anything the porcine wonder won’t do in her single-minded pursuit of treats, buttered toast, or just a rollicking fun time? And who knows what other adventures twinkle in her mischievous eyes?

I recommend the Dory Fantasmagory series to everyone who has a newly independent reader in their home. Dory is one of my favorite characters, a little rascal with a big personality and an imagination to match! As the youngest in her family, Dory really wants attention, and more than anything she wants someone to play with. But she’s too much of a baby for her big brother and sister, so she’s left to her own devices–and soon enough, Dory is busy with friends both real and imaginary. This box set contains the first four books: Dory Fantasmagory, The Real True Friend, Dory Dory Black Sheep, and Head in the Clouds.

The eight book graphic novel set is stunning. The drawings and colors and packaging make this a perfect gift for graphic novel fans. After tragedy strikes their family, Emily and Navin move with their mother into the old, mysterious home of their great-grandfather. On their first night in the strange house, Emily and Navin’s mom is kidnapped by a tentacled creature. Determined to rescue her, Emily and Navin are led into a world of robots, talking animals, flying ships, new friends… and enemies. I found this series to be particularly popular among third to fifth graders!

Speaking of graphic novels, you cannot go wrong with books by Raina Telgemeier. I love this set of graphic memoirs, covering issues that range from health, friendships, anxiety, and sibling rivalry. Raina perfectly captures the feelings of growing up, giving readers today a book they can laugh with, relate to, and be encouraged by.

I absolutely love this middle grade series! Rita Williams-Garcia has a beautiful way of capturing family and sisterhood, while exposing readers of today to what life was like in the 1960s. The books follow eleven-year-old Delphine and her younger sisters, Vonetta and Fern, as they visit their kin all over the rapidly changing nation—and as they discover that the bonds of family, and their own strength, run deeper than they ever knew possible.

This stunning series for middle grade readers follows the lives of four runners: Ghost, Patina, Sunny, and Lu. Together they make up a relay group on an elite track team. While they couldn’t be more different, they have to trust each other in order to accomplish their shared goals.

Well, it’s November so it might as well be winter time so get a head start on the wintry fun with this cute picture book about Sofia, a girl who ventures out into a fresh snow to dance her own snow ballet. At least until her solitary dance is interrupted by other children looking to play.

For those who want something bold, artistic and unusual, this new picture book tackles the concept of infinity, and all of its mystery. Combining art, math, science, literature, and philosophy, this is a book meant to stimulate imagination and encourage contemplation.

This beautifully illustrated picture book tells the story of a young Korean boy, June, whose father works far away from home. Like a goose, June’s father flies away for long periods of time. When June’s father plants a tree with him, it becomes June’s responsibility while his father is away.

Ruby Bridges, known for integrating a segregated school as a first-grader, pens this nonfiction picture book. Written as a letter, it recalls Bridges’ harrowing experience, the inspiring children she’s met, and provides context and insight to present-day protests across the country.

Ah, yes, we are entering the era of the Covid-19 book. This one is a sweet poem reflecting on the early days of the virus’s appearance across the world and the many ways people passed their time in isolation, making a difficult choice for the betterment of the planet.

In this fun graphic novel, Kirby is a hero at his school, known for his clever plots to stop bullies and bring the school together and for his “7 Good Reasons Not To Grow Up” which make fun of adults. But Kirby isn’t all he appears to be, and when his friends learn his secret, they’ll have to grow up.

For middle grade readers looking for a fast-paced thriller, this one might be perfect. Roisin just moved to Boston from Ireland and is being bullied by classmate Zara. Her only relief is in her new online friend Haley, at least until Zara suffers a strange and terrible accident, leading Roisin to suspect her new friend isn’t what she seems.

Thank You, Miyuki has some of the most beautiful illustrations I’ve seen in a picture book. In this story, Miyuki’s curiosity is piqued by her grandfather’s morning meditation routine, and she is eager to learn this new skill. Her wise and patient grandfather first takes her on a walk in the garden, enjoying the warm sun and stopping to smell a rose while inviting Miyuki to join him. Their walk in the garden, filled with many tender moments, heightens their gratitude for each other and for the world around them. Miyuki comes to understand that in the small acts of mindfulness throughout her day, she learned how to meditate.

This is a lovely book that reminds us that nature is working wonders in every moment. Every day, hour by hour, magical transformations happen right in front of you. While it’s not always easy to spot these changes, this book provides fifty examples for readers to reflect on and then think about when they go outside.

I Am Peace: A Book of Mindfulness is from a series of books that include I Am Peace, I Am Love, and I Am Human. This book examines Mindfulness, which means being fully in the present moment. Children can learn how to manage their emotions, make good choices, and balance their busy lives by learning to be mindful, express emotions through speech, find empathy through imagination, and wonder at the beauty of the natural world.

This book is a celebration of mindfulness, meditation, and enjoying each moment. This beautifully illustrated picture book is a great tool for engaging children in observing their world around them and managing anxieties. I love how each page turn gives the reader many things to think about and observe on the page.

A Handful of Quiet: Happiness in Four Pebbles helps young readers learn how to practice pebble meditation, a playful and fun activity that parents and educators can do with their children to introduce them to meditation. This meditation practice can help relieve stress, increase concentration, nourish gratitude, and can help children deal with difficult emotions.

From a classic author comes this retelling of a classic tale that replaces the love story with a friendship one instead. When mermaid Melody spots a girl on shore and wants to befriend her, the Sea Witch offers to exchange Melody a pair of legs for her voice. But when the Sea Witch attacks the kingdom Melody left behind, she must go back and help save the day.

It still feels a little early for wintry books to me (what is time? what are seasons?) but there will be snow soon enough (and some of us already got some). This fun, wintry read is set in an Icelandic town where Henry discovers a lost polar bear and must find a way to get it home.

This is a sweet read set in Morocco, where Miriam and her family celebrate Mimouna, a holiday that takes place as Passover ends. This is a nice introduction for kids who might be unfamiliar and a sweet celebratory read for Jewish kids who celebrate.

More snow! More winter! Plus grandmas! In this tranquil and loving book, Lina counts the ways to hear snow, the way her grandma (who is losing her sight) now experiences the remnants of a snow storm.

I love a good picture book biography, and this one about iconic performer Rita Moreno is fun, colorful, and inspiring. It tracks Moreno’s childhood to an acting career where she was asked to portray numerous stereotypes to her Oscar win for West Side Story.

This middle grade read is a great friendship story about girls navigating their complicated social sphere. Though Phoebe and Izzy have been friends for years, they aren’t anymore. Phoebe’s hanging around with Daphne, who’s popular but mean and who always makes a point to exclude Izzy. When Izzy’s parents announce they’re renting out their house for a week, Izzy meets Wren and has the potential for a new friend, though their first meeting hits a snag.

This middle school novel is about friendship and coming into oneself. When Serena’s best friend starts spending more time with another girl in their class, Serena begins to feel left out. In an effort to focus on something else, Serena starts a vlog where she pours out her feelings and begins to rebuild her confidence and self-worth.

Recent media attention has cast a light on water inequality, particularly on native lands. One of the most prominent cases has been on the Standing Rock Reservation, located in North Dakota and South Dakota. When the proposed pipeline for the Dakota Access Pipeline was moved to enter reservation land, millions of people protested the construction. This beautiful picture book is an urgent rallying cry to safeguard the Earth’s water from harm and corruption.

This absolutely gorgeous picture book is about change and community. When a young girl moves from the country to a small town, she feels lonely and out of place. But soon she meets an elderly woman next door who shares her love of arts and crafts. Can the girl navigate the changing seasons and failing health of her new friend? The illustrations reveal the theme of change beautifully through the scenery and the intergenerational relationship between the girl and her neighbor.

Acclaimed author Cynthia Leitich Smith writes a stunning chapter book, perfect for newly independent readers. The book centers around one questions: What do Indian shoes look like? While some people might say moccasins, Ray Halfmoon prefers hightops. But Grampa Halfmoon likes moccasins, so Ray wears them. After all, it’s Grampa Halfmoon who’s always there to help Ray get in and out of scrapes—like the time they teamed up to pet sit for the whole block during a holiday blizzard! You should definitely check out this beautiful intergenerational story!

This wonderful middle grade book is about 10-year-old Regina Petit who lives with her family on the Grand Ronde reservation in the 1950s. But when the federal government signs a bill into law that says Regina’s tribe no longer exists, Regina becomes “Indian no more” overnight, even though she was given a number by the Bureau of Indian Affairs that counted her as Indian, even though she lives with her tribe and practices tribal customs, and even though her ancestors were Indian for countless generations. The family moves to Los Angeles, and Regina has to adjust to a whole new life without her tribal community and land.

This exciting fantasy middle grade novel is about seventh grader Nizhoni Begay. When she meets Mr. Charles, her dad’s new boss at the oil and gas company, he’s alarmingly interested in Nizhoni and her brother, Mac, their Navajo heritage, and the legend of the Hero Twins. Nizhoni, who has always been able to detect monsters, knows he’s a threat, but her father won’t believe her. When Dad disappears the next day, leaving behind a message that says “Run!”, the siblings and Nizhoni’s best friend, Davery, are thrust into a rescue mission that can only be accomplished with the help of Diné Holy People, all disguised as quirky characters.