Children's Books to Inspire Reading and Foster Imagination
These books are great to read aloud to a younger reader, and is an especially fun time for grandparents. It’s never too early to start!
Published: 2016
Theme: Learning Something New
Best for: 6 to 9
“My name is Juana. It is spelled J-u-a-n-a, and it is pronounced Who-Ah-Nah…Bogota is where I am. And where school is and where Mami and my abuelos and Lucas are…” This perfect multi-cultural children’s book introduces us to Juana, who needs to learn English for her trip to the USA, and resists it.
Published: 2016
Theme: Biography
Best for: 5 to 8
“John loved to tell the chicks the Good News. When he fed and watered them, he spoke about the value of hard work and patience…” The illustrations alone could make this an important book, but the subject matter is what we really want to read…
Published: 2016
Theme: Adventure and Chinese Tales
Best for: 8 to 12
“When it is time for you to do something, you will do it..Amah’s words echoed, untying and smoothing the knotted string of Pinmei’s voice. She took a deep breath, and, with a whisper, she started the story.” “Storytellers can make time disappear…” and with this wonderful children’s book, the readers can lose themselves in a magical past…
Published: 2008
Theme: Wildlife in Africa
Best for: 6 to 9
“They came to a halt beside the hut… It had been made out of tree branches and the trunks of saplings, all tied together with twine and then poked firmly into the ground.” The small first chapter book is set in the bush in Africa, and gives wonderful images of African children, wildlife, and insights into baboon behavior.
Published: 2016
Theme: Biography, Equality
Best for: 6 and up
“Boys were expected to grow up, go out in the world, and do big things. Girls? Girls were expected to find husbands.” This very appealing illustrated children’s book is perfect because it can spark important family conversations about justice…
Published: 2016
Theme: Children, Poets, and Dogs
Best for: 7 to 10
“I’m a dog. I should tell you that right away. But I grew up with words. A poet named Sylvan found me at the shelter and took me home. He laid down a red rug for me by the fire…” Prepare to have your heart strings plucked by master storyteller MacLachlan, as a dog and two children comfort each other.
Re-Published: 1993
Theme: Dealing with Obstacles
Best for: 5 to 8
“Ming Lo and his wife lived in a house at the bottom of a large mountain. They loved their house, but they did not love the mountain.” This story reads like a classic Chinese folktale. It’s filled with lovely Asian artwork, and it offers a simple life lesson…
Published: 2014
Theme: Biography Henri Matisse
Best for: 4 to 6
“If you were a boy named Henri Matisse who lived in a dreary town in northern France where the skies were gray, and you wanted color and light and sun, what might you become?” The images and wonder of Matisse’s imagination come to life in a beautifully crafted children’s book.
Published: 2001
Theme: Math Riddle
Best for: 5 to 8
“Aziza learned all there was to know. But her favorite subject was numbers. And her favorite game was riddles.” This is a simple and enjoyable way to present numbers and riddles to young children who are already showing signs up interest in numbers.
Published: 2010
Theme: Be Yourself
Best for: 6 to 9
“Blue Jay Girl had a good family who loved her, and a little dog of her own. He was called Kiyu. Until now, her life had always pleased her. But today she was the very saddest girl in the village.” This small children’s book is a great addition to Native American folk literature. It reads like an oral story that has been converted to a children’s book.
Published: 1967
Theme: Faery
Best for: 7 – 10
“There was a village once, not very long ago for those with long memories, not very far away for those with long legs. Wootton Major it was called because it was larger than Wootton Minor…” A truly magical yet profound tale of the skeptic world and those who ‘do believe in fairies’…
Published: 1998
Theme: Fantasy
Best for 8 and up
“Not every old man with ragged trousers is a bad old man: … a few, a very few, are wizards prowling round on a holiday looking for something to do. This one was a wizard, the one that now walked into the story.” Early on, Tolkien crafted several short novellas out of stories that he made up for his own children, and Roverandom is one of them.
Published: 2008
Theme: First Chapter Book
Best for: 6 to 8
“They sat down for lunch at a cafe. “Bonjour,” said the waiter. “That means ‘Hello'”, Dodsworth told the duck. “Oh well then, ‘banjo’ to you, too,” said the duck.” As a first chapter children’s book, this little book is more than meets the eye, with lovely illustrations, and authentic information about Paris.
Published: 1998
Theme: Gentleness and Bravery
Best for: 6 to 10
“‘A tridrake,’ the dragon repeated. ‘A three-headed dragon.’ Only then did the children notice that the dragon had two other necks, branching off on either side of the first neck, and two other heads… both sound asleep.” This book reads like an old fashioned tale, as each head of the dragon tells of an earlier encounter with a child who trusted and helped the dragon.
Published: 2015
Theme: Friendship
Best for: 5 – 8
“Diva was the gardienne’s dog, which mean that Diva was practically responsible of the whole of 11 avenue Le Play, including the courtyard. It was a very big job for a very small dog.” Hooray! An enchanting first chapter book for children that delights, amuses, is readable, and even stretches our reading muscles to read some French words.
Published: 2015
Theme: Following a Dream
Best for: 7 to 9
“Firefly didn’t know if she should zoom straight up into the air or take shelter behind Cricket. There was no time to think, because with one step of his huge legs, the miniature giant was there.” If you are looking for a message about staying in one place where you belong, this is not the children’s book for that. This is adventuring, a la Wind in the Willows.
Published: 1947
Theme: Childhood Behavior
Best for: 5 to 8
“Pretty soon down the stairs came a terrible old witch with a long black dress, a tall black hat and a big gnarly black cane. Mary Lou was very scared until she saw the sparkly eyes of Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle under the black hat.” Everything about this children’s book reminds me of Mary Poppins, and a spoonful of sugar with the medicine…
Published: 2015
Theme: Value of Community
Best for: 9 and 10
“Burdock knew perfectly well he was strictly a barn cat. A barn cat, not a house cat, not even a sometimes-allowed-in-the-house barn cat. But Burdock loved warmth more than just about anything…” The banding together of the animals for a common cause – to save themselves from an impending fire- is the heart of this newly published children’s book.
Published: 2005
Theme: First Chapter Books
Best for: 6 to 9
“Mr. Gaskitt was minding the baby. It was his turn. And doing the grocery shopping and opening the trunk and feeling in his pocket for the parking-lot ticket and tying his shoelace… and looking the other way.” Imagine the above sentence written with only 4 or 5 words on a line, and you can see why these first chapter children’s books are great for new readers
Published: 2015
Theme: Family
Best for: 7 to 9
“Appleblossom’s brothers and sisters move closer to one another as Mother Possum continues: “The first kind of monster is made of metal. They have wheels and bright eyes when they are out after dark. These eyes are blinding.” I liked the possum point of view in this recently published children’s book, that is sprinkled with enticing pencil sketches throughout…
Published: 2006
Theme: Historical Fiction Hero
Best for: 7 and up
“Once there was a boy who could not claim his Father. Kil Dong, as he was called, was the second son of a wealthy and powerful advisor to the king, Minister Hong. But Kil Dong’s mother was not the noble wife of the minister…” This historical fiction, beautifully illustrated ‘graphic’ novel, set in 16th century Korea, tells of the Korean Robin Hood…
Published: 2014
Theme: Parody
Best for: 7 and up
“To the Carpet people, the Carpet was bigger than a forest,… full of cities, towns, small villages, castles, and all sorts of tiny animals in the really thick parts that weren’t swept often…In the village of the Fallen Matchstick, the Carpet-dwellers were preparing to leave.” Here’s a glorious children’s book to discover…short stories written by renowned author Terry Pratchett when he was a teenager!
Published: 1983
Theme: Independence
Best for: 10 and up
“They saw hundreds of horses charging through the forest until the ground rang under their hooves…They’re not frightened- they’re just running winter out of their bodies.” This magical children’s book is like stepping into an ancient fairytale, from who knows where, and who knows when. It has an eternal quality about it…
Published: 2012
Theme: Ice Skating and Nature
Best for: 7 and up
“The first ice came on the sheep pails in the barn- a skim of ice so thin that it broke when we touched it.” Twelve Kinds of Ice is a small, inspiring ode to the beauty and simplicity of ice, ice-skating, children, nature, and simple living.
Published: 2003
Theme: First Chapter Book
Best for: 6 to 9
“And the strange thing was – which Horace noticed- the strange thing was, the baby carriage…was barking.” This “first chapter book” is a treat – it has some humor, as well as unusual elements such as maps and timetables for the reader to follow. It has a simple plot, with an attempt for the story to be a mystery to be solved, but the clues are present on every page.
Published: 2010
Theme: Live your dream
Best for: 8 and up
“He peeked out… and saw that the wind had also possessed his mittens. They looked like ghostly hands waving good-bye in the Chilean sky. Where were they headed? Whose hands would they cover next? ..’Where is the storehouse of lost and found?'” As I put this exquisite children’s book down, I wiped my eyes, and marveled at the quick journey I had just taken into the heart and mind of Pablo Neruda…
Published: 2012
Theme: Boxcar Children prequel
Best for: 7 to 9
“They heard the sound of Papa’s old gray car in the driveway. Jessie and Henry climbed down the ladder and watched Papa walk up to the barn, carrying a cloth sack of nails and some boards for the stalls.” If you have children who are devoted to the Boxcar children series, and want to have a ‘prequel’, MacLachlan’s children’s book is just right.
Published: 2015
Theme: Friendship
Best for: 7 and up
“Dragons weren’t the only ones who were mistreated so the different magicals agreed to keep their powers secret or hide from humans altogether. We’ve done such a good job that most humans consider all magicals imaginary.” I smiled and often laughed out loud as I read this very silly fantasy book, peopled with all kinds of magical creatures, as well as a very admirable 10-year-old girl…
Published: 2014
Theme: Perseverance
Best for: 5 to 8
“This is a regular girl and her best friend in the whole wide world. They do all kinds of things together. They race. They eat. They explore. They relax…” Right from the opening lines, you fall in love with this nameless little girl and her best friend, a very quirky looking dog …
Published: 2012
Theme: Light-hearted Mystery
Best for: 6 to 9
“Nice people smile a lot, and Precious Ramotswe was one of the nicest girls in Botswana. Everyone said so.” Oh joy! My favorite adult author, Alexander McCall Smith, has recreated his No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency as a series for young children.