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.

Spy Camp

by Stuart Gibbs

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Teamwork, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Trust & Doubt, Self Discovery

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Action & Adventure, Children`s Literature, Horror & Suspense, Realistic Fiction, Humor

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Spy School

by Stuart Gibbs

Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Death, Loyalty & Betrayal, Friendship, Community, Teamwork, Safety & Danger, Memory, Daughters & Sons, Science & Technology, Childhood & Youth, Education, Power & Greed, Shame & Pride, Fear, Order & Chaos, Trust & Doubt, Perseverance, Good & Evil, Justice, Politics & Government, Appearance & Reality, Truth & Lies, Conflict, Fathers, Loneliness

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Action & Adventure, Children`s Literature, Realistic Fiction, Humor

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Squirm

by Carl Hiaasen

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Animals, Fathers, Family, Justice

Tags Children`s Literature, Action & Adventure, Realistic Fiction, Humor, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Animals

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Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You

by Ibram X. Kendi, Jason Reynolds

Publication year 2020

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Race, Justice

Tags Black Lives Matter, Civil Rights & Jim Crow South, Race & Racism, Children`s Literature, World History, Social Justice, Politics & Government

Jason Reynolds’s Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You (2020) is a nonfiction book by the American authors Jason Reynolds and Dr. Ibram X. Kendi. It is a self-described “remix” of Kendi’s 2016 National Book Award winner Stamped From the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America. An award-winning writer of young adult fiction and poetry, Reynolds frames America’s history of racist ideas for an audience of middle school and high school readers. Reynolds’s remix... Read Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You Summary

Stand Tall

by Joan Bauer

Publication year 2005

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Coming of Age, Family, Disability

Tags Realistic Fiction, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction

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Starfish

by Lisa Fipps

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Mental Health, Family, Shame & Pride, Childhood & Youth, Self Discovery, Beauty, Mothers, Friendship

Tags Realistic Fiction, Free Verse, Bullying, Children`s Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

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Stargazing

by Jen Wang

Publication year 2019

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Self Discovery, Hope, Family, Community, Fear

Tags Realistic Fiction, Children`s Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

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Stargirl

by Jerry Spinelli

Publication year 2000

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags Realistic Fiction, Bullying, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

Stargirl is a young adult fiction novel published in 2000 by the American author Jerry Spinelli. In a coming of age narrative, shy eleventh-grader Leo falls in love with Stargirl, a free-spirited newcomer at Mica High. When his fellow students turn against Stargirl—and Leo—he pressures her to become ordinary like everyone else. Over the course of the novel, Leo learns the importance of staying true to yourself. Spinelli explores themes of individuality, kindness, and the... Read Stargirl Summary

Stella

by McCall Hoyle

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Death, Friendship, Animals

Tags Realistic Fiction, Animals, Health, Grief & Death, Trauma & Abuse, Children`s Literature, Disability

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Stella by Starlight

by Sharon M. Draper

Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Gender Identity, Truth & Lies, Family

Tags Historical Fiction, Children`s Literature, World History

Set during the Great Depression in the segregated South, Stella by Starlight is a historical middle grade novel by award-winning author Sharon M. Draper. As the Ku Klux Klan exerts increasing influence over the residents of rural Bumblebee, North Carolina, 11-year-old Stella Mills must confront racism while navigating the challenges of school, family life, and friendship. First published in 2015, the novel won the Charlotte Huck Award, an honor for children’s fiction granted by the... Read Stella by Starlight Summary

Stepping on the Cracks

by Mary Downing Hahn

Publication year 1991

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Good & Evil, War, Friendship

Tags Historical Fiction, Bullying, World History, Relationships, World War II, Children`s Literature, Military & War, Realistic Fiction

Shy, 12-year-old Margaret and her high-spirited friend Elizabeth question their beliefs about WWII when they discover that the brother of their school nemesis is a deserter in Mary Downing Hahn’s middle grade historical fiction novel, Stepping on the Cracks (1991). The novel explores themes of moral ambiguity, war, friendship, and domestic abuse, drawing on Hahn’s childhood memories of growing up in College Park, Maryland. In a short biography at the end of the novel Hahn... Read Stepping on the Cracks Summary

Stone Fox

by John Reynolds Gardiner

Publication year 1980

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags Action & Adventure, Sports, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Animals, Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction

Published in 1980, John Reynolds Gardiner’s debut children’s novel, Stone Fox is a beloved children’s story. Included on the 1980 New York Times Notable Books of the Year listing, Stone Fox sold millions of copies and was even adapted into a television show in 1987. The short children’s novel tells the story of Little Willy, a young boy who lives on a farm in Wyoming with his grandfather and his dog, Searchlight. The story follows... Read Stone Fox Summary

Stormbreaker

by Anthony Horowitz

Publication year 2000

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Truth & Lies, Science & Technology, Coming of Age

Tags Children`s Literature, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Action & Adventure, Horror & Suspense

Stormbreaker, published in 2000, is the first novel in the Alex Rider series by British author Anthony Horowitz. It is a YA action-adventure novel that follows 14-year-old Alex Rider as he is recruited as a spy by MI6. The novel explores The Moral Complexities of Espionage, Perseverance in the Face of Difficulty, and The Interplay of Technology and Espionage. The book was adapted into the 2006 film Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker, although the movie made... Read Stormbreaker Summary

Storm Runners

by Roland Smith

Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Environment, Fate, Teamwork

Tags Action & Adventure, Children`s Literature, Realistic Fiction, Natural Disaster

In Roland Smith’s 2011 adventure novel, Storm Runners, three middle-grade students struggle to survive and find shelter during a hurricane after their school bus crashes. While a team of rescuers drives toward the disaster in search of the missing kids, the three students use all their skills and brainpower simply to stay alive.Award-winning author Smith spent decades working as a zookeeper and world-traveling animal rescuer. He has turned his experiences into award-winning novels and non-fiction... Read Storm Runners Summary