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 1968

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Community, Coming of Age, Family

Tags World History, World War II, Relationships, Russian Literature, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Military & War, Historical Fiction

The Endless Steppe is a young adult memoir in which Esther Hautzig, the author, details her five-year exile in Siberia, from June 1941 to March 1946. When the American politician and diplomat Adlai E. Stevenson visited the village of Rubtsovsk and wrote about it, Esther Hautzig wrote to him to tell him about her time living there. Stevenson suggested that Esther write about her experience. Published in 1968, during the Cold War, the book resonated... Read The Endless Steppe Summary

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family

Tags Realistic Fiction, Children`s Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Arts & Culture

The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora is a novel for middle graders by Cuban American writer Pablo Cartaya. This study guide refers to the original 2017 Viking edition.Plot SummaryIt is the beginning of summer in Canal Grove, a Cuban enclave in modern-day Miami. For 13-year-old Arturo Zamora, the novel’s narrator, this is usually a season of lazy pastimes, but surprises are in store. When he becomes lovesick over a Spanish girl named Carmen Sánchez, and... Read The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora Summary

Publication year 2001

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Siblings, Good & Evil, Justice, Literature, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Truth & Lies, Trust & Doubt, Order & Chaos, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Love, Childhood & Youth, Appearance & Reality, Friendship, Family, Teamwork

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

Publication year 2009

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Femininity, Coming of Age, Animals, Environment, Plants, Grandparents, Social Class, Science & Technology

Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age, Science & Nature, Children`s Literature, Realistic Fiction, World History

Published in 2009, Jacqueline Kelly’s The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate is a middle grade novel that follows the life of a young Calpurnia as she explores her love for science in the highly patriarchal society that dominated Texas in the late 19th century. The novel received praise from both readers and critics for its thematic emphasis on discovery and personal growth, earning it the Newbery Honor Award in 2010. This guide refers to the 2011... Read The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate Summary

Publication year 1990

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family

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

Caroline B. Cooney’s The Face on the Milk Carton is a work of young adult fiction originally published in 1990. The first of “The Janie Books,” it has sold over 4 million copies, spawned five sequels, and was adapted into a 1995 TV movie starring Kellie Martin. The novel was often challenged or banned after its publication due to its references to cults and sexual activity. This guide references the 2012 paperback edition.Plot SummaryFifteen-year-old Janie... Read The Face on the Milk Carton Summary

Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Shame & Pride

Tags Fantasy, Children`s Literature, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Action & Adventure

The False Prince, by Jennifer A. Nielsen, is a YA fantasy novel published in 2012 by Scholastic Books and the first book in the Ascendance Trilogy.The story opens with Bevin Conner, a powerful regent in King Eckbert of Carthya’s court, arriving at Mrs. Turbeldy’s Orphanage for Disadvantaged Boys. Conner is there to collect Sage, the narrator of the story, for a royal mission, though the exact nature of the mission is unclear. Sage is a... Read The False Prince Summary

Publication year 2014

Genre Book, Nonfiction

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

First published in 2014, Candance Fleming’s The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion and the Fall of Imperial Russia is a young-adult nonfiction book detailing the last generation of Romanovs to rule Russia from 1894 to 1917, and the fall of Russia’s autocracy through the Russian Revolution. The Family Romanov won both the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Young Adult Literature and the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for nonfiction. In The Family Romanov, Fleming combines her nonfiction... Read The Family Romanov Summary

Publication year 1958

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Shame & Pride, Social Class

Tags Historical Fiction, Poverty, Special Occasions, Children`s Literature, French Literature, Classic Fiction

The Family Under the Bridge is a work of realistic historical fiction set in Paris in the early 1900s. It was originally published in 1958 and then reprinted in 1989. The author, Natalie Savage Carlson, is an American of French-Canadian descent who spent many years living in Paris. The book, which follows an unhoused man as he meets and befriends a young family, won a Newbery Honor Award in 1959 and a Horn Book Fanfare... Read The Family Under The Bridge Summary

Publication year 1993

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes War, Conflict, Hate & Anger, Love, Revenge, Gender Identity, Coming of Age, Friendship, Self Discovery, Social Class, Colonialism, Community, Nation, Politics & Government, Justice

Tags Historical Fiction, Children`s Literature, American Revolution

Publication year 1984

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes War, Coming of Age, Justice

Tags Historical Fiction, Children`s Literature, Military & War, American Revolution, World History

The Fighting Ground, a novel by children’s writer Avi, tells the story of a 13-year-old boy who runs away from home to join the American Revolution. The book gives a minute-by-minute account of one day in the boy’s life and the hard lessons he learns about war. First published in 1984, the novel won several honors, including the Scott O’Dell Award, but it was also challenged or banned in some school districts for its use... Read The Fighting Ground Summary

Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Teamwork, The Past, Grief

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

The Final Four is a 2012 young adult novel by Paul Volponi. The book portrays the semifinal of a prestigious college basketball tournament, exploring the lives of four of the players.Other works by this author include Black and White, Rikers High, and Rucker Park Setup.Plot SummaryThe Final Four tells the story of the Michigan State Spartans and the Trojans of Troy University, two college basketball teams who reach the semifinal of the Men’s NCAA Basketball... Read The Final Four Summary

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Gender Identity, Family

Tags Realistic Fiction, Children`s Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Music, Arts & Culture

The First Rule of Punk is Celia C. Pérez’s 2017 debut YA novel. It was a 2018 Pura Belpré Author Honor Book, a 2018 ALSC Notable Children’s Book, and a 2018 Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award Winner. Pérez, as a long-time punk zine author and Mexican Cuban woman, drew from her adoration of “outsiders” and “weirdos” to craft her first novel. Pérez then penned her second YA novel, Strange Birds: A Field Guide... Read The First Rule of Punk Summary

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Teamwork, Childhood & Youth, Family

Tags Realistic Fiction, Action & Adventure, Trauma & Abuse, Children`s Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Death, Science & Technology, Fame, Mothers, Daughters & Sons, Friendship, Aging, The Past

Tags Fantasy, Science Fiction, Children`s Literature, Humor

In 2014’s The Fourteenth Goldfish, by Jennifer L Holm, an aging scientist turns himself into a teenager who must re-enter middle school alongside his granddaughter while they plot to get him back into his lab to finish his brilliant work. A humorous science-fiction novel for middle-grade readers, The Fourteenth Goldfish is the first in a two-book series.   New York Times Bestselling author Holm has written nearly 60 books for young readers, including the May Amelia... Read The Fourteenth Goldfish Summary

Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Trust & Doubt, Loyalty & Betrayal, Coming of Age, Friendship

Tags Realistic Fiction, Humor, Bullying, Coming of Age, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Action & Adventure

The Fourth Stall is a 2011 contemporary realistic middle grade novel by Chris Rylander. With the help of his best friend and business manager Vince, sixth grader Mac runs a secret business as a “fixer” in his elementary school: He solves problems and provides services for fellow students—for a price. When Mac takes on a customer requiring protection from Staples, a legendary local criminal, he must decide the best way to deal with Staples’s harmful... Read The Fourth Stall Summary