Children’s books by current writers which are both well-written and captivating. We use 1975 as the cut off date for calling something ‘contemporary’ or classic; however, contemporary generally means today’s kids can identify with the characters.
Published: 2005
Themes: Mythology, Courage, Loyalty
Best for: 10 and up
“The next few days I settled into a routine that felt almost normal, if you don’t count the fact that I was getting lessons from satyrs, nymphs, and a centaur.” This wildly popular children’s book series, based on Greek mythology is non-stop action, not for the faint of heart…
Published: 2018
Theme: Indian Mythology, Courage
Best for: 9 to 11
People are a lot like magical pockets. They’re far bigger on the inside than they appear on the outside. And it was like that with Aru. She found a place deep within her that had been hidden until now… The first in a series on Indian mythology, similar to Percy Jackson, but much funnier and much lighter, and much more girl-friendly…
Published: 2004
Theme: Indian culture, Dealing with Divorce
Best for: Girls 10 and up
“Lakshmi Auntie drops Sumai off with us a couple of days later, and scurries a protesting Ashwin away for a haircut…The day promises to turn from plain hot to furnace hot.” In this multicultural children’s book set in India, a young girl grapples with the divorce of her parents, and memory loss of a family friend.
Published: 2017
Theme: Wildlife
Best for: 10 and up
“I’m a coward. There, I’ve said said it now. I’m a coward. It’s true. Dad never actually said it out loud but it was always in his eyes.” This is a wonderful children’s book, that combines growing up with standing up for your own values.
Published: 2018
Theme: Courage, Overcoming Differences
Best for: 11 and up
“Her father had a phrase for the way the sun catches things out against the darkness of a coming storm: the clear light of trouble, he called it.” This excellent historical fiction is a timely addition to educating children about the dangers of xenophobism…
Published: 2018
Theme: Unglorious War
Best for: 11-13
“He wasn’t sure why Ella had lied about texting her mom. All he knew was that she wasn’t the girl he’d thought she was. She was the girl who did magic tricks and listened to Mozart.” Great historical fiction children’s book, featuring two very likeable 7th graders, who end up liking each other…
Published: 2016
Theme: Community Activism
Best for: 7 to 9
“I know, I know. I’m giving away the ending. But here’s the thing. The point of a story is not the ending. The point is, What does it mean?” It’s time to educate the young people about the power of community activism, in a gentle way. This book does that…
Published: 2017
Theme: Cats and Kindness
Best for: 7 and up
“Edith sat back on her hind legs and licked her front left paw as she continued to speak. She stopped to examine the placement of each strand of fur every now and then.” A hilarious and profound look at cats, personalities, patience, and courage.
Published: 1997
Theme: Reality Check and Humor
Best for: Boys 9 to 11
“Now running away from home in the fourteenth century was by no means an easy thing to do. Everyone in the village would know exactly who you were… Nobody would be sitting inside watching television.” A funny book with a serious message- maybe knights are not all they appear to be on the surface, and war is war, never nice.
Published: 2018
Theme: Bravery
Best for: 10 and up
“I’m terrified to see my mother being taken away. I want to pull her out of there, and hold her hand as we run back to our apartment. I don’t do any of that. I’m sacred and angry and sad.” From beginning to end, this adventure in New York City brings us to see the immense courage of immigrant families under threat.
Published: 2015
Theme: Fantasy, Inner Strengths
Best for: 9 to 11
“Many times we carry our magic within us, an inner magic that takes many forms, such as love, friendship, courage, and tolerance.” . In this lovely children’s book, fantasy has been crafted to suit younger children, without the violence and scare factors.
Published: 2107
Theme: Japanese Culture
Best for: 5 to 10
“I just had to be able to help make mochi! I need to think of a way to convince my parents. Good think I had the perfect thinking spot…” Breaking the gender barrier- again, and this time, against the cultural grain.
Published: 2017
Theme: Baseball and Gender-equality
Best for: 9 to 12
“If she didn’t try announcing the game, she knew she’d regret it… Everyone wanted to be the announcer. It was one of the most important jobs in baseball.” Gender equality knows no bounds, and Amy G calls on her real-life experience to prove it.
Published: 2000
Theme: Women Heroines
Best for: 5 to 10
“In the dark time of the year, when the days are short and a cold wind blows from the north, a serpent came to live in an old cave on the mountain of Yung Ling…” From time to time, it’s great to read about a young girl who takes on the challenge of slaying the perennial serpent. This children’s book is a lovely collection of such stories.
Published: 2017
Theme: Multicultural Stories
Best for: 9 – 12
“You plead with the guys standing on the sidelines. “You gotta let me play, man. I can ball. I swear.” But these outbursts of self-promotion will fall on deaf ears.” This collection of short stories is part of the mission for Diversity.org, where every child can see themselves in the pages of a book. A great mission…
Published: 2012
Theme: Genuine Kindness
Best for: Third Grade
“I couldn’t believe myself. All of a sudden it was like there was no door between my brain and my mouth. As for Gerald Willis, he was a fifth-grader, a troublemaker, and a bully.” In this well-written children’s book, we find out that being kind is a 24/7 occupation, not reserved for winning points.
Published: 2009
Theme: Humor
Best for: 8 to 10
“I think,” Clyde said to his friends, “that bird is special. He has powers. Maybe…he’s psychic.” By the end of the day the word was all over school. Need some humor to lighten the day? Here’s a quick and lighthearted read…
Published: 1999
Theme: Finding oneself
Best for: boys 11 and up
“It was so beautiful it took his breath and he stood, his arms full of wood, staring at the sky until the sun, the star, and the light were gone, wanting it all to mean more.” A worthy sequel to the best-seller Hatchet, we find out how challenging it is to adapt to civilization that has lost its soul.
Published: 2017
Theme: Being oneself
Best for: 5th grade and up
“Some people had comfort food, but Alec has comfort books–stories so familiar that they made reading feel like coasting downhill on a bike, or water-skiing on a smooth lake…” This is a fabulous children’s book about fitting in, without losing ones own sense of self, and a little bit about coming of age…
Published: 2017
Theme: Holding Loss
Best for: 9 and up
” I closed my eyes, feeling a point of infinite love and infinite grief, and comfort in knowing, for the first time, that I have infinite space inside for both.” This well-written and creative book takes on the grieving process with skill and courage, and shows the beauty of a life can include both joy and sorrow.
Published: 2016
Theme: Defending the Truth
Best for: 12 and up
“The year I turned twelve, I learned that what I said and what I did mattered. So much, sometimes, that I wasn’t sure I wanted such a burden. But I took it anyway…” A worthy piece of literature for young readers, somewhat a milder version of Kill a Mockingbird, but with less brutality and perhaps more heart.
Published: 2017
Theme: Speaking up
Best for: 8 and up
“All through math I sucked on my braids and imagined all the awful things that would happen if I was caught with all those books in my locker. Every parent…would like up to sue me.” This is a not-to-be-missed book about helping children understand how to speak up against injustices, small and large.
Published: 2017
Theme: Content with Life
Best for: 7 to 9
“I remembered a large, fancy poster with a picture of my mother and James, looking happy and famous. How could she leave that behind to live on a farm in the middle of the prairie?” The magic of Patricia MacLachlan comes through again, this time with a young girl wondering how one can give up fame and still be happy!
Published: 2017
Theme: Girls and Science
Best for: 9 to 12
” ‘That’s all it took for you to cave in? You’re some kind of lousy negotiator. That’s what we get for sending a dumb girl to do a man’s job. …’ It was so unfair I could have smacked him.” This sequel continues to explore the theme of loving science and holding to one’s own truth…
Published: 1999
Theme: The Natural World
Best for: 9 and up
“Frightful awoke as the morning sun brought color to the ops of the trees. Still ravenously hunger, and growing weak from lack of food, she left the pine and circled above an alfalfa field.” This children’s book is written so deftly that we feel like we are hearing about the habits of a dear friend, rather than some dry science about falcons…
Published: 2017
Theme: Kindness
Best for: 8 and up
“The five kids started exchanging ideas for winning over the man on the third floor. Operation Beiderman had officially begun.” Each of the five siblings in this story have to dig deep to find out how to be kind to someone they don’t know…
Published: 2017
Theme: India’s Independence fight
Best for: 12 and up
“Ma handed Anjali one of the two prasad trays as they headed into the hall. Anjali gave a ladoo to her father and bowed to him in pranaam. He raised his hand over her head to bless her…” We journey to a village in India during the struggle for independence, and live with freedom fighters, including a young girl and her mother…
Published: 2002-2017
Theme: Math
Best for: 4th to 8th grade
Each illustrated children’s book in this large collection focuses on one math principal, develops it, ends with a witty comment, and helps illustrate and explain something mathematically important…
Published: 2017
Theme: Values, Humor, Science
Best for: 9 and up
“Now that I have proved that Earth does exist,” said Sputnik, “I have to prove that it should exist. Every planet has to have a reason…Useless planets are being shrunk all over the sky…” This book has a wonderful mix of good science, deep thought (Why are we here?) and sensitivity to the difficulty of aging…
Published: 2016
Theme: Science and Heart
Best for: 9 and up
“You’d think that going to your mum’s funeral on Tuesday would get you the rest of the week off, but not according to my dad. “We need to get back to normal,” he says when I try to protest.” This children’s book is a terrific merging of heart and mind, sincere feelings and contemporary science…