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 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

Publication year 2005

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Hope, Indigenous Identity, Coming of Age, Future, Animals, Self Discovery, Colonialism

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

The Game of Silence is work of middle-grade historical fiction by contemporary American author Louise Erdrich. Published in 2005, it is the second novel in Erdrich’s Birchbark House series. The first novel in this series, The Birchbark House (1999), is set in 1847 and introduces Omakayas and her family. The Birchbark House was a finalist for the prestigious National Book Award. With The Game of Silence, Erdrich continues the saga of Omakayas’s family, and this... Read The Game of Silence Summary

Publication year 1999

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Revenge, Childhood & Youth, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Social Class, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Courage

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, World History, Japanese Literature, Action & Adventure

The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn (1999), by Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler, is the first novel in the Samurai Detective young adult series, currently comprised of seven books. The novel follows Seikei, the son of a merchant who aspires to be a samurai, as he helps the judge investigate the theft of a ruby from a samurai lord. It explores the themes of Personal Ambition Versus Societal Expectations, The Deceptiveness of Appearances, and The Importance... Read The Ghost In The Tokaido Inn Summary

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Family, Memory

Tags Fantasy, Children`s Literature, Science Fiction, Action & Adventure

The Girl Who Drank the Moon is a 2016 fantasy novel for middle school readers by American author Kelly Barnhill. The story follows a young girl named Luna, who is accidentally enmagicked as a baby. As Luna grows, she struggles to recover important things she has lost: her memories, her mother, and her magic. With rich, lyrical language and gentle humor, Barnhill creates a fairytale-like world very different from ours, but one that faces similar... Read The Girl Who Drank the Moon Summary

Publication year 1993

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags Science Fiction, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

The Giver is a work of young adult fiction. It is the first installment in The Giver Quartet, which also includes Gathering Blue (2000), Messenger (2004), and Son (2012). Author Lois Lowry received a 1994 Newbery Medal for her dystopian novel, although the text, with themes considered possibly too dark for the reader's age group, was challenged throughout the 1990s. The Giver takes place in the future, in a carefully-designed community that is extremely safe... Read The Giver Summary

Publication year 1994

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family

Tags Children`s Literature, Race & Racism, Education, Education, Social Justice, World History, Historical Fiction

The Glory Field, published in 1994, is the story of an African-American family’s journey from slavery towards equality. It follows six young members of that family at different times in American history. The individual lives of these characters appear as six separate but interconnected stories within the novel, spanning the years from 1753 to 1994, and from Sierra Leone to Harlem. The first story starts in 1753, when eleven-year-old Muhammad Bilal, the family’s documented member... Read The Glory Field Summary