Juvenile Literature

The books in this collection navigate themes and ideas appropriate for younger readers. Whether you're looking for contemporary hits like Front Desk by Kelly Yang or beloved classics like Louisa May Alcott's Little Women, you can explore this collection to find a title that will excite the young readers in your life.

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Perseverance, Race, Self Discovery, Immigration, Friendship

Tags Historical Fiction, World War II, Latin American Literature, Jewish Literature, Race & Racism, Holocaust, Children`s Literature, Military & War, World History

Publication year 2009

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Race, Family, Immigration

Tags Historical Fiction, Life-Inspired Fiction, Immigration & Refugeeism, Military & War, European History, World War I, Children`s Literature, Russian Literature, Jewish Literature, Education, Education, World War II, World History

Karen Hesse’s young adult historical novel Letters from Rifka (1992) takes place between 1919 and 1920 and follows a young Jewish girl, Rifka, and her family as they escape persecution in Russia and begin a new life in America. The novel takes the form of letters Rifka writes, but cannot send, to her cousin in Russia, composed in the blank spaces of a volume of poetry by Russian poet Alexander Pushkin. The work thus combines... Read Letters from Rifka Summary

Publication year 1981

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Perseverance, Hate & Anger, Race, Siblings, Social Class, Economics, Justice, Equality

Tags Historical Fiction, Race & Racism, Great Depression, Children`s Literature, World History, Classic Fiction

Let the Circle Be Unbroken (1981) is part of the Logan Family Saga by author Mildred D. Taylor. The series follows the fortunes of a Black farming family, the Logans, through more than one generation as they experience the tribulations of life in the South before the Civil Rights era. The saga consists of 10 novels and novellas. The award-winning novels include The Land (2001), Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (1976), and The Road... Read Let The Circle Be Unbroken Summary

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Coming of Age, Friendship

Tags Children`s Literature, Animals, Realistic Fiction, Sports, Modern Classic Fiction, Humor

Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Truth & Lies, Conflict, Coming of Age, Family, Friendship

Tags Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, Humor

Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Mothers, Justice, Community, Self Discovery, Family

Tags Children`s Literature, Realistic Fiction, Bullying, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Coming of Age, Environment

Tags Historical Fiction, Survival Fiction, World War II, Action & Adventure, Children`s Literature, Military & War, World History

Publication year 2005

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Family

Tags Children`s Literature, European History, World War II, Military & War, World History, Biography

Life in a Jar: The Irena Sendler Project is a work of creative nonfiction written by Jack Mayer and originally published in 2010. The book tells two overlapping stories. One is about Irena Sendler, a Polish social worker who helped save 2,500 Jewish children in Warsaw from the Nazis during World War II. The other is about three high school girls—Liz Cambers, Megan Stewart, and Sabrina Coons. In 1999, the girls, with the help of... Read Life in a Jar: The Irena Sendler Summary

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Sexual Identity, Friendship

Tags LGBTQ+, Realistic Fiction, Bullying, Children`s Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

Lily and Dunkin by Donna Gephart was originally published in 2016. A coming-of-age novel set in contemporary America, the book tells the stories of two unique and inspiring teenagers who find themselves and each other. Lily and Dunkin was named one of NPR’s Best Kids’ Books of 2016, one of Amazon’s Top 20 Children’s Books of 2016, and one of YALSA’s picks for Best Fiction for Young Adults in 2017. This guide is based on... Read Lily and Dunkin Summary

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Race, Hate & Anger, Community

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, World War II, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Coming of Age, Grandparents, Language, Self Discovery

Tags Realistic Fiction, Asian Literature, Grief & Death, Food, Immigration & Refugeeism, Children`s Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Arts & Culture

Published in 2015, Listen, Slowly is the second novel from Thanhhà Lại, a Vietnamese American author who incorporates her experience as a refugee into her work. The novel was named a New York Times Book Review Notable Book, Publisher’s Weekly’s Best Book of the Year, and one of NPR’s Best Books of 2015. This middle-grade novel is the follow-up to her debut Inside Out and Back Again which won the National Book Award and Newbery... Read Listen, Slowly Summary

Publication year 1932

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family

Tags Historical Fiction, Children`s Literature, Western, World History, Classic Fiction

Little House in the Big Woods was published in 1932 by American author Laura Ingalls Wilder. The first in a nine-book series, the autobiographical narrative relates the story of a family of homesteading pioneers living and laboring in Wisconsin. The story is illustrated by Garth Williams, whose drawings of the Ingalls family are often considered iconic and an integral part of the reading experience.This is a classic children’s tale set during an era of western... Read Little House in the Big Woods Summary

Publication year 1932

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family

Tags Children`s Literature, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction, Western, World History

The Ingalls family—parents Charles and Caroline, known as “Pa” and “Ma” in the book, and daughters Mary (age seven), Laura (age six) and Carrie (a baby)—live in Wisconsin in the late 1800s near their extended families. Pa hears that Native American territory on the prairies of Kansas will soon open up to settlement by whites and decides to move there to claim a good plot of land before the selection gets too competitive. The family... Read Little House on the Prairie Summary

Publication year 1871

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Education, Friendship, Coming of Age, Forgiveness, Joy, Love, Femininity, Masculinity, Childhood & Youth, Animals, Environment, Place, Mothers, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Community, Loyalty & Betrayal, Religion & Spirituality, Truth & Lies

Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Children`s Literature

Publication year 1868

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family

Tags Children`s Literature, Classic Fiction, American Literature, World History, Historical Fiction, Romance

Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, originally published in two volumes in 1868, is set in New England and inspired by her own family and life events. It is a coming-of-age domestic novel about four sisters who grow up during the American Civil War. Due to its popularity, Alcott wrote two sequels: Little Men (1871) and Jo’s Boys (1886). The novel has been adapted many times for the screen, including the 1994 film for which Winona Ryder... Read Little Women Summary

Publication year 1985

Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction

Tags Education, Education, Children`s Literature

Gary Soto’s Living Up the Street, published in 1985, is a nonfiction coming-of-age tale depicting Soto’s life growing up in Fresno, California. Although the intended audience is young adults, it deals with the universal themes of love, friendship, and family. Soto’s work is told as a series of stand-alone short stories that function as vignettes of his early and young adult life. While the short stories can be read independently, they follow a linear timeline... Read Living Up The Street Summary

Publication year 2004

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Grief, Race, Coming of Age, Friendship, Equality, Economics, Justice, Religion & Spirituality, Community, Power & Greed, Fathers, Daughters & Sons, Hate & Anger

Tags Historical Fiction, American Literature, Grief & Death, Race & Racism, Religion & Spirituality, Children`s Literature, Realistic Fiction, World History

Gary D. Schmidt’s Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy (2004), an historical novel for young adults, received the Newbery Honor in 2005. It is based on actual events occurring on Malaga Island, Maine in 1912, when the government of Maine placed the residents of the island in a mental hospital and tore down their homes.Turner Buckminster is the son of a reverend living in Phippsburg, Maine in 1912. Turner has just relocated to Phippsburg from... Read Lizzie Bright And The Buckminster Boy Summary

Publication year 2003

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Family, Race, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Grief, Hope, Memory, Childhood & Youth, Animals, Friendship, Mothers, Siblings, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Education, Beauty, Literature, Order & Chaos, Religion & Spirituality, Trust & Doubt

Tags Realistic Fiction, African American Literature, Children`s Literature, Arts & Culture

Locomotion, Jacqueline Woodson’s 2003 novel in verse, follows the perspective of Lonnie Collins Motion, nicknamed Locomotion. After his parents die in a fire and his sister is adopted, Lonnie grieves and navigates life, first in a group home and then with Miss Edna, his foster mother. Through poetry, he slowly finds joy in life again, highlighting the themes of The Search for Identity and Belonging, The Healing Power of Writing, and The Enduring Support of... Read Locomotion Summary