2025 Summer Reading Guide: Teen Edition
July 8, 2025 § Leave a comment
I’m wrapping up my better-late-than-never Summer Reading Guide with a post for the teens! I’ve got twelve fantastic new YA picks for you, all of which published in the first half of this year. (Please note that none are graphic novels because I already included my two favorites in the Graphic Novels installment.) If you’ve got young teens, I also encourage you to check out some of the 10+ titles in my Middle Grade installment.
In this list you’ll find fiction and nonfiction, thrillers and romances, historical fiction and contemporary coming-of-age stories. What I admittedly didn’t do a great job of vetting for you is fantasy. I’m not including sequels here, which is why you won’t see Sunrise on the Reaping (but it’s soooo good), but I’ve heard Ava Reid’s Fable for the End of the World is the queer dystopian book we didn’t know we needed, and Divine Rivals fans have also been loving Laura Steven’s Our Infinite Fates.
I’ve read and loved all of these, with the exception of one I haven’t gotten to yet but my daughter adored; I indicate which one it is below. Some of these (Everything is Poison; Death in the Jungle; Truth, Lies, and the Questions in Between; Under the Same Stars) have tremendous crossover appeal for adults, so I encourage you to add them to your own TBR list as well!
Onwards! Remember that summer break comes with a chance at new routines, fresh starts, and screen-free trips, all of which can jump start reading for fun.
« Read the rest of this entry »2025 Summer Reading Guide: The Graphic Novels (ages 8-12 & 12+)
June 27, 2025 § Leave a comment
I’m back with another installment of this year’s Summer Reading Guide and this one is dedicated to graphic novels! It always bears repeating that graphic novels aren’t just what many of today’s kids prefer to read, they’re also helping to build the stamina for reading that is in increasingly short supply in this age of digital media and instant gratification. Lean in, I implore you!
I’m particularly proud of this list, because I’ve been generally less-than-enthused with graphic novels in the past year or so. The storylines, especially in contemporary realistic fiction, have started to feel painfully similar (and less and less well written). The YA graphic novels are just downright weird. I could go on, but I’m merely making the point that I am really, really excited about the titles I’ve picked below. These needles in the haystack feel fresh in the best sense, with unique storylines, stunning art, or twists on old favorites. Or, if they aren’t introducing anything new, they’re at least doing it as well as the Greats who made graphic novels so attractive to these kids in the first place.
Nine of the books below are for the middle-grade audience (ages 8-12), while two are for teens (Dan in Green Gables and Alanna). (If you’re looking for graphic novels for the 6-9 set, check out this earlier post.) I hope your kids love them all.
« Read the rest of this entry »2025 Summer Reading Guide: For the Middle-Grade Readers (Ages 8-14)
June 24, 2025 § Leave a comment
And we’re back with the second installment of this year’s Summer Reading Guide! This time I’ve got twelve new middle-grade standalones or series starters that I have read and heartily endorse for today’s picky elementary and tween readers! Included in this list are some titles that fall inside the traditional 8-12 years window and others that skew 10+.
As with all the installments of this year’s Summer Guide, my reviews are shorter than in the past BUT I’ve also linked to any full reviews that I’ve done on Instagram. Where illustrations play a key role in enhancing the story, I also include some interior shots.
« Read the rest of this entry »2025 Summer Reading Guide: For the Emerging Readers (Ages 5-10)
June 11, 2025 Comments Off on 2025 Summer Reading Guide: For the Emerging Readers (Ages 5-10)
Let me begin by apologizing to those of you who follow me here, as my almost full-time work at the bookstore these days has meant that I am much less present on this platform that I used to be. As many of you know, I continue to be very active on Instagram (@thebookmommy), posting several reviews each week, but I know that many of you have moved away from social media, and I also understand that! I’m not quite sure what the future of this blog will be, but I do know many of you have reached out asking if I would please at least continue to share my Summer Reading Guide and Holiday Gift Guides, and so here I am with the first installment of this year’s Summer Reading Guide (better late than never?). My reviews won’t be quite as long as in years’ past, though I will link to longer reviews that I’ve done so far on Instagram and pop in periodically to add links.
My 2025 Summer Reading Guide is pretty close to the one that has already launched at Old Town Books—and which I spearhead each year. I’m fortunate to have amazing colleagues at the bookstore who help me read for the guides, and I’ll often prioritize reading things that they’ve loved. But I also can’t get through everything, so there are some books on the shop’s guide that are not in my personal guide, simply because I only ever recommend books that I have personally read (and loved, of course).
This first installment highlights my favorite new short chapter books and early graphic novels for emerging readers. Note that these are all standalone titles or first in a series, but you should absolutely go back and read past guides because many of those books now have sequels out!
« Read the rest of this entry »2024 Gift Guide: For the Tweens & Young Teens (Ages 10-15)
December 13, 2024 § 4 Comments
Welcome to the fifth and final installment of this year’s Gift Guide! I apologize that it has taken me so far into December to finish these round-ups. Putting this Guide together every year is a bit like childbirth. When it’s over, I quickly forget how grueling it was. Then, smack into the middle of the following fall, I think, holy heck, why have I agreed to do this again?! I’m mostly kidding, because I do love the process of reading through fall releases, looking for standouts for different types of readers and different types of gift givers, but the thorough written reviews are in themselves a huge undertaking. I thank you for bearing with me!
Today’s list includes both upper middle-grade titles, a new but rapidly expanding category aimed at the tween reader (ages 10-13), and books on the softer, gentler side of YA (ages 13+), something not so easy to come by in a category only growing edgier in its aim to catch the attention of adult readers as well. To be clear, there is no difference in reading level across YA books; the age distinction is based entirely on how graphic the content is around sex, violence, or drugs, so don’t assume that an older teen wouldn’t like some of these selects, too!
For those of you straddling traditional middle grade (ages 8-12) and upper middle grade (10-13), be sure to check out the previous installment of this year’s Guide, too!
Speaking of older teens, I won’t be doing a list specifically for them this year, but I can direct you to the one my colleagues helped with at the bookstore, because their taste is impeccable. Many of these are being gifted to my own daughter (who just finished and adored the holiday romance, Make My Wish Come True! And, as always, if you keep your eye on my Instagram account, I do occasionally share reviews for older teens alongside all the other books I read and love.
As always, please consider supporting my work at Old Town Books by using the links below to purchase your books from us, either in person or online, though if you have an indie bookstore near you that you love, by all means give them your money! Our communities need its bookstores—places of escape, discovery, and inclusion—arguably now more than ever.
The books below are presented roughly in order from youngest to oldest.
« Read the rest of this entry »2024 Gift Guide: For Elementary Readers (Ages 8-12)
December 5, 2024 § 1 Comment
And we’re back, with another installment of this year’s Gift Guide, today with a whopping fifteen new books aimed at the 8-12 audience. (The next and final post will cover books for tweens and young teens and will encompass some upper middle-grade titles in addition to young adult.) Below, you’ll find graphic novels interspersed among traditional novels, though many of the latter have a strong visual component.
What a difference a year makes! Last year at this time, many of us were bemoaning the rising disconnect between today’s young readers, who are turning away from reading for fun at record rates, and the books being marketed towards them. What do today’s young readers actually want? Fun! Shorter page count! More illustrations! More boy protagonists! FUNNY without compromising solid storytelling! I’m thrilled to report that the books below deliver in spades.
I have to give credit to my marvelous colleagues at the bookstore, who read many of these first and insisted I move them up on my to-read pile.
As always, I’ve prioritized books that feel particularly gifty. All of these are hardcover editions, many with captivating art and special touches, and if you order from Old Town Books, you’ll find some of them even come with signed book plates and swag.
Though all the books below are targeted towards 8-12, some of them—ahem, Westfallen—are going to have legs for older kids as well. Stellar storytelling is stellar storytelling, after all.
« Read the rest of this entry »2024 Gift Guide: Short Chapter Books (Ages 5-10)
December 3, 2024 Comments Off on 2024 Gift Guide: Short Chapter Books (Ages 5-10)
After a break for the Thanksgiving holiday, we are back with another installment of this year’s Gift Guide, and this one is all about short chapter books. (In case you missed it, we’ve already done Novelty & Nonfiction and Picture Books.) In this post, you’ll discover a range of titles, from traditional early chapter books for those still mastering independent reading, to longer chapter books that would shine as read alouds for those ready to listen to longer stories. When selecting these titles, I have given priority to books that feel particularly gifty—not always an easy feat in this category—such as hardcover editions with special touches and captivating art.
I also want to mention that the books below, especially the ones towards the end, can also work brilliantly for kids who might test at a higher reading level but haven’t yet developed the stamina to delve into longer books in their own time. Parking a fixation on reading level and letting kids read what appeals to them in any given moment is the tried-and-true key to raising lifetime readers. If you read these books, you’ll see just what I mean: they’re a true delight, each and every one.
The books are loosely presented in order of ascending age/reading ability.
« Read the rest of this entry »2024 Gift Guide: The Picture Books
November 23, 2024 Comments Off on 2024 Gift Guide: The Picture Books
This year’s Gift Guide continues with twelve favorite picture books of the late summer and fall. I think this might be the best collection of picture books I’ve ever put on a Gift Guide: every single one is a book I would have happily bought for my own kids and never tired of reading (on repeat!). Many a night I lay in bed turning picture book titles over in my head to land on just the right combination. And I love where I landed. I really, really love these quirky, imaginative, beautiful, memorable books that enfold the listener in the magic and merriment of storytelling. (Spoiler alert: even when they smell like vomit.)
I wish you luck making the hard choices, because there are so many good options. As always, links will take you to Old Town Books, where I take great pride in curating the kids and teens collection, and I hope you will consider supporting us.
And PSST, if you’ve got a kiddo who is starting to come out of picture books, don’t miss the last one on this list: it’s long-form, wonderfully inventive, and proves once again that the Brits are in a class of their own when it comes to children’s stories.
« Read the rest of this entry »2024 Gift Guide Kicks Off: Novelty & Nonfiction Books
November 21, 2024 Comments Off on 2024 Gift Guide Kicks Off: Novelty & Nonfiction Books
It’s that time of year again, and I’m excited to kick off my Kids & Teens Holiday Gift Guide! This year’s guide will have five installments (Novelty & Nonfiction, Picture Books, Short Chapter Books, Elementary Books, and Books for Tweens & Young Teens), with over 65 recommendations for ages 2-15. As always, the focus is on books that published this fall, so you can be sure the young readers in your life won’t already have them. Every year, in preparation for this guide, I read hundreds of books with the aim of finding something for every kind of reader (and every kind of gift giver). This year, my amazing colleagues helped me vet what to read, particularly in the elementary and teen spaces.
We begin, as we do every year, with the showstoppers: these are the novelty or nonfiction books with mega gift appeal. Readers are born in browsable books like these: the fact that you don’t have to read them from cover to cover—you can flip through and pause wherever you fancy—puts readers in the driver’s seat of their own experience. At a time when we are seeing an unprecedented decline in kids reading for fun, owing largely to a decline in stamina, we should be embracing books whose very format is inviting, not intimidating. Reading is reading and nonfiction and novelty books prove that again and again.
If you’re inclined to purchase, I hope you’ll consider supporting my work as the buyer for Old Town Books, a delightful indie in Alexandria, VA, which this fall got a gorgeous new space for kids and teens (now you know the reason why I’m quieter on this blog than I used to be). If you can come in person, I promise you’ll feel like you’ve stepped into the magic of storytelling. If you can’t, I hope you’ll still let us ship you books. And if you don’t choose either of those routes, I hope you’ll support an indie bookstore near you, because bookstores will only remain places of discovery, passion, and expertise in our communities so long as we support them with our wallets. Thank you, kindly.
« Read the rest of this entry »2024 Summer Reading Guide: Tweens & Young Teens (Ages 10-16)
July 3, 2024 Comments Off on 2024 Summer Reading Guide: Tweens & Young Teens (Ages 10-16)
I may have made you wait for the final installment of this year’s Summer Reading Guide far longer than I had planned (apologies!), but at least I made sure it delivered. Today’s roundup includes a fantastically diverse list of new releases that span upper middle grade (ages 10-14) to young YA (ages 12+), making it the perfect resource for those getting ready to embark on middle school, those already well into it, and those on their way out. (Not that high schoolers won’t like the YA recs—they will—just that with YA encompassing such a broad range of ages and topics these days, I’m finding it increasingly helpful to curate some that aren’t quite as heavy or risque.)
If you’ve got teens who are ready for more mature content, I won’t have time to do a separate post, but I’ll list a few here that we chose for our Teen Summer Reading Guide at Old Town Books and that I enjoyed. These are all categorized by the publisher for 14 and up, which means they include more graphic language, violence, or heavier themes. That said, I’ve been comfortable letting my thirteen-year-old daughter read them, and they’ve been big hits. They are Holly Jackson’s The Reappearance of Rachel Price (same author as the perennial 12+ favorite, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, though heavier on the violence); Monica Hesse’s The Brightwood Code (gripping historical fiction about a telephone operator back from the frontlines of WW1, though heads up about an attempted sexual assault); Jas Hammonds’ Thirsty (a “cautionary tale”—my daughter’s words—about a girl who descends into alcoholism after rushing a sorority); and two edgy, dark, unique graphic novels: The Worst Ronin and The Deep Dark.
And now for the Main Event! The books below are presented in order of target ages, with the 12+ picks towards the second half.
« Read the rest of this entry »2024 Summer Reading Guide: Elementary Readers (ages 7-12)
June 6, 2024 Comments Off on 2024 Summer Reading Guide: Elementary Readers (ages 7-12)
Welcome to the second of three installments of my Summer Reading Guide! This round-up includes a whopping seventeen brand new middle-grade books for a range of readers, from animal lovers to Dog Man aficionados, fantasy seekers to summer camp dreamers, mystery solvers to history buffs, and everything in between. There’s even a touch of elementary-appropriate romance! The list spans a mix of traditional novels and graphic novels, and I’ve included an example of an interior spread where illustration factors into the enjoyment of the story.
Nearly all of these have been published in just the past few weeks or months. THAT SAID, I must encourage you to take a look at my Spring Break Reading Round-Up from earlier in the year, with what will undoubtedly end up being some of my very favorite middle grade of the entire year. If your kiddos haven’t found their way into the likes of The Liars Society, Max in the House of Spies, The First State of Being, or Not Quite a Ghost, consider them musts. Likewise, Katherine Marsh’s Medusa, an action-packed, thought-provoking story about a group of kids descended from Greek Monsters, is being met with such enthusiasm by my readers at the shop (and me!) that I’ve chosen it for Old Town Book’s inaugural Camp Bookworm. If you’re local, encourage your kids to read the book, then join us in person to discuss and meet Katherine Marsh herself (!) on Tuesday, August 27, at 6pm at the bookshop.
Now, a quick word for my fantasy lovers. There are two fantasies on the below list, but there should be more. One of my colleagues with a deep love of fantasy and a great eye for kid lit read and loved two additional fantasies that made it onto our shop’s Summer Reading Guide but are not included here, simply because I haven’t had time to read them yet. They are: Julie Kagawa’s Lightningborn: Storm Dragons, a series starter about a boy who finds a wild baby dragon, believed to be extinct, and becomes the focus of an evil sky pirate’s vengeance; and Ryan Graudin’s The Girl Who Kept the Castle, another series starter about a girl who must save her home from destruction when a not-totally-dead wizard’s inheritance competition goes awry (think Nevermoor meets Howl’s Moving Castle). It should also be said that every single fantasy on last year’s Summer Reading Guide—and there were some fabulous ones—now have sequels out (hello, Greenwild!).
OK, let’s gooooo! As always, the list is organized in ascending order of target ages.
« Read the rest of this entry »2024 Summer Reading Guide: Emerging Readers (ages 5-9)
May 30, 2024 Comments Off on 2024 Summer Reading Guide: Emerging Readers (ages 5-9)
The school year is wrapping up, which only means one thing (well, besides parental panic): it’s time for my Summer Reading Guide! This year’s guide, chock full of new releases, will have three installments: Emerging Readers (today!), Elementary Readers, and last but never least, Tweens & Young Teens. Keep your eyes here so you don’t miss all the fun!
If you’re local (or even if you’re not!), you can visit Old Town Books, where the guide is already on display and ready to shop (sneak peek of the entire guide here!). If you want personalized recommendations, I’ll be holding office hours this Saturday, June 1 from 10am-5pm; Friday, June 14 from 12-5pm; and Saturday, June 29 from 10am-3pm. Come shop with me: our shelves overfloweth with summery reads!
Emerging readers, the target of today’s round-up, is a broad classification: it encompasses a spectrum of readers from those who are just beginning to read on their own to those confidently reading but still happiest with slimmer stories and lots of illustrations. I’ve organized this list—a mix of early graphic novels, early chapter books, and young chapter books—from youngest to oldest, easiest to hardest. (I’ve also noted page count and included a picture of the interior so you can gauge level.) All of the books are starts to new series, many with second titles already out or out soon. As always, I’ve read them all and weeded out tons of others to bring you the best of the best!
Let’s get those new(ish) readers in love with reading and then build on that momentum!
« Read the rest of this entry »Spring Break Recs: New Middle Grade for 8-13
March 14, 2024 Comments Off on Spring Break Recs: New Middle Grade for 8-13
I’m not sure I’ve ever counted down to Spring Break quite as fervently as I have this year. I need a break. My kids need a break. And we all need to get off screens. Cue a device-free week of puzzles, hikes, board games, and lots and lots of reading. At least, that’s my plan. (Happy to accept all ideas for how to convince my teens to go along without pitching a knock-down-drag-out fit.) Seriously, though, and I speak from experience: vacations can do wonders for resetting our children’s relationship with recreational reading.
If you have middle-grade readers, then they are in for a treat, because the start to 2024 has been one of the strongest I can remember. At the risk of jinxing our luck, it finally seems publishers have gotten the memo that today’s readers are looking for more action and less heaviness, shorter page counts and bigger servings of humor. There are some big crowd pleasers here. There are also some quieter, thoughtful reads that don’t sacrifice good pacing. Below, you’ll find mystery, thriller, horror, realistic contemporary fiction, historical fiction, and even a touch of sci fi. My word, all that and it isn’t but three months into the year! I wouldn’t be surprised if next year’s Newbery winner was in this list.
Let’s dig in. (And PSST: if you’re local and want to drop by Old Town Books, we have signed copies of several of these titles while supplies last. You can see me while you’re at it, as I’ll be there all day on Saturday, March 16 for our Books in Bloom event!)
« Read the rest of this entry »Valentine’s Day: Self-Love Edition
February 8, 2024 Comments Off on Valentine’s Day: Self-Love Edition
In my opinion, Valentine’s Day greatly improved as a holiday when I started thinking of it as a chance to gift myself and my loves ones a new book (or three). Any great book will do, of course, but I do love something that approaches the idea of love in a clever, non-traditional way. Past favorites have included Viking in Love, All the Beating Hearts, and Brimsby’s Hats. (If you’re following me on Instagram, you’ll be getting a new recommendation every day between now and the 14th). But I think today’s picture book takes the (heart-shaped) cake for Most Unlikely Book to Gift for Valentine’s Day.
Pepper & Me is a story about a scab. You heard me. Well, more accurately, it’s a story about a girl who gets a scab from falling down—and then goes on to name that scab, talk to that scab, and befriend that scab. Is that weird? Yup, it’s super-duper weird. Does it also feel authentic, like could I picture my own children doing something like this when they were younger? Absolutely. (I mean, my son did warm to a restaurant straw wrapper that he kept on his bedside table for months.) Is it all kinds of delightful because the story is written and illustrated by the magnificent Italian storyteller, Beatrice Alemagna, the talent behind one of my forever favorites, On a Magical Do-Nothing Day? You better believe it.
All those points aside, what could Pepper & Me possibly have to do with Valentine’s Day? Well, here’s the thing. Initially, our protagonist is repulsed by this scab on her knee. “Hideous scab,” she calls it. She feels marred by its presence and fearful of its persistence. And yet, as the days go on, she turns her curiosity on the bloody aberration and, in doing so, begins to accept, even embrace, it as part of herself. Ultimately, what makes this story one of love is the way it showcases the girl’s emotional journey from resistance to re-framing. It may be the quirkiest expression of self-love to grace the pages of a picture book, but it’s a marvelous way to introduce the idea of what might happen if we learn to love all our parts, even the ugly ones.
« Read the rest of this entry »What Lunar New Year Teaches Us About January
January 25, 2024 § 1 Comment
I’m gaga over the book I’m showcasing today: a cultural lesson, a visual feast, and a dream for kids who miss the interactive flaps of their toddler years. But before I get to that, let’s step back for a second.
Earlier this month, I was sitting next to a friend at my daughter’s basketball game. We were discussing the pressure to get our act together every January. I’m not setting any New Year’s resolutions, I told her. I’m exhausted from the holiday season at the bookstore. I’m exhausted from the holidays themselves. I’m exhausted from travel and making nice with family and eating. I don’t even want to make my bed this month, much less reinvent myself. I definitely don’t want to give up wine.
She shared something she had just read in a newsletter from wellness guru and author, Danielle LaPorte. The lead-in was this: “Hold Up! January is *NOT* the New Year…not actually. Not seasonally, not energetically, not for thousands of years according to the LUNAR NEW YEAR. So, stay in your jams and hold off on the resolutions.”
LaPorte goes on to explain that our American calendar is a mash-up of the western Georgian calendar (365 days in a year) and the eastern Lunar calendar (254 days), which is why some holiday dates are set and some fluctuate with the year. Our calendar might decree January 1 as New Year’s Day, but many of our citizens whose cultural heritage hails from Eastern Asian countries follow the lead of China and celebrate on the first new moon of every year, otherwise known as Lunar New Year. This puts those New Year’s celebrations squarely in the middle of February, with this year’s beginning on Saturday, February 10.
For those who recognize Lunar New Year as the start of the new year, January is not a time for revving up internal engines. It’s a time for rest. A time for incubation. A time for sweeping away dust and fluffing up our nests. A time for taking stock. In that light, the fact that our bodies want to cling to the blanket on the couch, that our brains want the escape of a book more than a list of “to dos” in a shiny new planner, isn’t something to feel guilty about. It’s the cosmic order of things.
(Apparently, there’s also a whole Mercury in Retrograde thing going on this year that makes it even harder to get anything of significance accomplished in January.)
As my friend introduced this idea, and as I read more about it, a tightness inside me released. We don’t have to celebrate Lunar New Year to learn from its traditions. Curiosity is almost always rewarded with new insights about human behavior and the world we share. And what I was hearing made such intuitive sense.
In recent years, there have been some fantastic children’s books released on the subject of Lunar New Year, not just for those who celebrate but for the rest of us to learn about it, too. (Michelle Sterling’s A Sweet New Year for Red and Dane Liu’s Friends Are Friends, Forever are two favorite picture books you might remember if you follow me on Instagram.) Of the numerous releases this year, there is one that ascends to the top, an extraordinarily illustrated primer on Lunar New Year, including the days leading up to it, encased in a box-like, gold-trimmed cover and boasting not 10 but more than 140 itty-bitty flaps in its pages. The Lucky Red Envelope (ages 4-8) is written and illustrated by Vikki Zhang, a renowned artist trained in traditional Chinese painting, born in China and residing today in both Shanghai and New York. And what a talent she is!
« Read the rest of this entry »2023 Gift Guide: Board Books for Ages 0-4
December 14, 2023 Comments Off on 2023 Gift Guide: Board Books for Ages 0-4
We’ve done it! We’ve made it to the end of this year’s Gift Guide! And by “we” I mean a very tired, very grateful, me. Thank you for showing up, once again, with lots of enthusiasm for this year’s Guide. It is an enormous amount of work, but it always feels worthwhile when I hear about the gems you’re gifting and how well the books are received. A special thanks to those of you near and far who have supported my work at Old Town Books by choosing to purchase your books there. Indie bookstores forever!
Thankfully, I’m not too tired to sing the praises of some of my favorite board books of the year. Last year, I didn’t do a board books installment on the Gift Guide, and y’all begged me to bring it back. I hope these picks bring a big smile to the littlest people in your life! (I know my nephews will be quite excited.)
This is by no means a comprehensive list. But it is a list of some of the most original, interactive titles of the year, including those with extra-special gift appeal. Many are part of a series, so I’ve listed any additional titles in the reviews.
I know you’re shocked, but I’m not going to regale you with long descriptions of each. (See tired me.) But they’re board books! They barely have any words! Plus, the art speaks for itself!
Finally, a note on ages. We typically think about board books as serving babies, and that’s certainly true for some of these titles. But I’m also including some that are geared towards the toddler and even preschool audiences! Age ranges are noted in the headlines, and the books are presented in no particular order. Here we go!
« Read the rest of this entry »2023 Gift Guide: Young Adult Books for 12 & Up
December 8, 2023 Comments Off on 2023 Gift Guide: Young Adult Books for 12 & Up
We’re closing in on the finish line, with only two posts left! Today is my Young Adult roundup, with terrific fiction and non-fiction titles for teens (excluding graphic novels, which were included here). It’s a killer list, with a wide range of topics and styles (though it’s still me, so plenty of prickly protagonists and social justice themes, and also I can’t help it if not a lot of boy protagonists are being written so don’t come at me). It also has a fair bit more 12+ titles (versus 14+) than in years past, and that’s by design. With the young adult category growing increasingly more mature (due to it being consumed by more and more adults), middle schoolers especially are at a loss for age-appropriate recommendations. Of course, I’ve also got great ideas here for high schoolers, too (yes, and adults).
My only regrets are that I didn’t get to read Pascale Lacelle’s Curious Tides (14+), a buzzy new dark academia thriller that has been getting rave reviews and that my co-workers loved (think Ninth House with less violence), and Brandy Colbert’s The Blackwoods (14+), a character-driven novel about the price of fame, with a multi-generational window into Black Hollywood (another one that my co-workers loved). Had I had time to read these two books, I feel certain they’d be on this list. Also, for your dragon fantasy lovers, there’s a new story in Christopher Paolinni’s Eragon world; it’s Murtagh (and we have signed copies at Old Town Books!).
If you’re looking for more ideas for young teens, there are some fantastic recommendations from earlier this year on my Summer Reading Guide.
Most of the books below are new this fall, with the exception of three. We Deserve Monuments came out in late December of last year, but I haven’t sung its praises on the blog before and that needs to change. The others are Star Splitter and Warrior Girl Unearthed, which came out this past May and, again, are too good not to include.
As always, please shop the Gift Guide at Old Town Books or at a favorite indie near you!
Titles presented in order of target ages.
« Read the rest of this entry »2023 Gift Guide: Graphic Novels for Kids & Teens
December 1, 2023 Comments Off on 2023 Gift Guide: Graphic Novels for Kids & Teens
The fifth installment of the Gift Guide is packed with graphic novels! I’ve got some terrific selects for you, both fiction and non-fiction, including some for kids and some for teens. Nearly all are new this fall! As was the case with my middle-grade installment, I gave a lot of thought to things with ultra-kid appeal that still felt original or meaty or really, really beautiful.
Please note that I never include sequels in these lists, and this fall has seen some awesome new titles in favorite series, including The First Cat in Space and the Soup of Doom, Above the Trenches (the latest in one of my kids’ favorite series, Hazardous Tales), and Huda F Cares? (sequel to the hilarious YA graphic novel, Huda F Are You?, a Gift Guide pick from a few years ago). Not to mention the new Cat Kid, just out…
These lists are not necessarily Best of the Year lists, either, because if they were I would include some of the graphic novels I covered in this year’s Summer Reading Guide (part one and part two) or Spring Break Round Up, exceptional titles that are beloved in our house, like Parachute Kids and Lo and Behold. It would include A First Time for Everything, which just won the National Book Award, and Sunshine, which just took home the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, because we love, love, love those.
All this is to say that it has been another banner year for graphic novels, and another year to remind ourselves that with their wide-ranging vocabulary, clever construction, complex characters, and truly incredible art, graphic novels are worth celebrating, not censoring. And with so many of today’s readers ga-ga over them, they’ll make some of the most popular gifts under the tree.
Presented in order of age, with teen titles towards the bottom.
« Read the rest of this entry »2023 Gift Guide: Middle Grade for Ages 8-14
November 28, 2023 Comments Off on 2023 Gift Guide: Middle Grade for Ages 8-14
In the fourth installment of this year’s Gift Guide, we’re turning our attention to middle-grade reads that aren’t graphic novels (those will get their own installment next!). I’m especially proud of this grouping, which includes standard middle grade (ages 8-12), as well as upper middle grade, an expanding category aimed at middle schoolers who might not be ready for the comparative heaviness of young adult literature. All but two are new this fall. (I had to throw in The Swifts and What Happened to Rachel Riley? even though they were included in round-ups earlier in the year, because they are too good not to recommend one more time for the people in the back.)
I was especially picky when choosing these titles—translate: I read and rejected, read and rejected—because I’m finding an increasing disconnect between what publishers are publishing and what today’s young readers want to read. Many of you have echoed my struggle to find shorter, faster-paced stories that hook readers straight out of the gate, that are funny and fun but still amount to something meaningful and authentic. Others have readers who tear through books so quickly that the challenge becomes finding something meaty, challenging, original. Some of you have complained that there aren’t enough realistic middle grade with boy protagonists (you’re correct). Others have kids who only read fantasy or nonfiction. I hope you will find all of these needs answered in the collection below, which truly offers something for every kind of reader.
All these books are in stock at Old Town Books, where I work as the children’s buyer, so especially if you’re local, I hope you will consider supporting our beautifully curated store!
And for those looking for more stand-out 2023 middle grade, check out my Summer Reading Guide here and here and my Spring Break Reading Round-Up here.
Titles are arranged from youngest to oldest, so if you have readers closer to ages 12-14, you’ll want to scroll down.
« Read the rest of this entry »2023 Gift Guide: Illustrated Chapter Books for Ages 5-10
November 17, 2023 § 2 Comments
Today’s installment of the Gift Guide is a small but mighty selection of books perfect for reading aloud or building the momentum of emerging or newly confident readers. This is the first time my Gift Guide has included a collection like this, simply because these types of books don’t typically look or feel particularly gifty. But this year offered some gems, including re-released, souped-up classics, as well as new series written or illustrated by some of the finest and funniest creators today.
There’s an array of ages and levels represented, with some titles considered early chapter books and others designed for strong readers overwhelmed by the longer, more serious titles of traditional middle-grade. The headlines will give you age range suggestions, while the interior photos will help you gauge language and words per page.
Everything below is either a stand-alone story or the first in a series. So, before we go any further, you need to know that three of the very best chapter series for emerging readers (also for reading aloud) got new installments this year, so if you haven’t gotten your hands on Dory Fantasmagory: Can’t Live Without You, Cornbread & Poppy at the Museum, and Anne Dares, add these to your gift list. And if you don’t know these series, remedy that immediately, I implore you.
As always, titles are in stock at Old Town Books, though I encourage you to support an indie near you.
Let’s begin! And remember, those with more mature readers may want to scroll past the first two titles here and get straight to the meatier stuff.
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What to Read to Your Kids 