family

Black Bird, Blue Road is set in a neglected period of world history and explores the subject of death through a lens of Jewish mythology. ...

Across the Desert is a harrowing survival tale of determination and hope, as one girl attempts a dangerous rescue. Across the Desert by Dusti Bowling. ...

A shy, timid girl learns that "the most perfect thing in the universe" is right under her nose. *The Most Perfect Thing in the Universe ...

The familiar “child of destiny” trope receives a fresh, funny, and magical twist in The Stolen Prince of Cloudburst. The Stolen Prince of Cloudburst by ...

Saucy, a smart, obstreperous, and very large pig tests the patience of the parents and the coherence of a set of quadruplets. Saucy by Cynthia ...

Zoe Washington's peaceful life is disturbed by word from her incarcerated father--who may be innocent. From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks. HarperCollins ...

Leaving Lymon is the heartfelt story of a child who feels abandoned by irresponsible parents. Leaving Lymon by Lesa Cline-Ransome. Holiday House,  2020, 193 pages ...

A foster child with a troubled past dares to hope for "Impossible Things" to change her course. All the Impossible Things by Lindsay Lackey. Roaring ...

Beverly Tapinski, the sharp-edged friend of Raymie Nightingale, overcomes a rough upbringing in the final volume of DiCamillo's series. Beverly, Right Here by Kate DiCamillo. ...

In Some Places More than Others, a pre-teen girl tries to fill the gaps in her sense of place and family. Some Places More than ...

A black girl adopted into a white family struggles with her own disability and her mother's instability. For Black Girls like Me by Mariama J. ...

Beneath its crazy premise, Finding Orion is a touching look at family reconciliation. Finding Orion by John David Anderson.  HarperCollins (Walden Pond), 2019, 352 pages. ...

A roundup of recent middle-grade novels about family formation and dissolution. Stories, like people, begin at home, and no matter how fanciful or adventurous middle-grade ...

Nine Months shows the development of human life, from embryo to newborn, in gentle rhymes and beautiful paintings. Nine Months: before a Baby Is Born ...

Biracial siblings connect with their estranged grandparents in Caterpillar Summer. Caterpillar Summer by Gullian McDunn.  Bloomsbury, 2019, 291 pages Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12 ...

Wicked Nix, “foulest of the fairies,” encounters a magic that resists all the standard fairy spells: the power of human love. *Wicked Nix by Lena ...

An instant friendship leads to potential trouble in this engaging, character-driven story for middle grades and early teens. The Season of Styx Malone by Kekla ...

Enjoy both Handel's Messiah and the season of Advent with this succinct-yet rich-guide to both. A good Advent family devotional option for busy families! *Hallelujah: A ...

How a sensitive boy handles death and guilt is the subject of The Dollar Kids: one of our “discussion starter” titles.  Ages 10-15 The Dollar ...

The five Vanderbeeker children are back, with irrepressible high spirits, good intentions and miscalculations intact. *The Vanderbeekers and the Hidden Garden by Karina van Glaser.  ...

The Sky at Our Feet treats the immigration issue fairly and compassionately, through the perspective of an Afghan-American boy on the run.  Ages 10-15 *The ...

Secret Sisters of the Salty Sea is a beach vacation between two covers, told from an artless childlike perspective.  Ages 7-10 Secret Sisters of the ...

The Hate U Give, one of this year’s most acclaimed YA novels, offers a well-rounded, realistic picture of challenges faced by the black community (see ...

A trio of siblings and their detached father come to the breaking point with their mother’s hoarding habit. Family Game Night and Other Catastrophes by ...

Honey for a Child's Heart was one of the first books advocating for building a Christian family culture around books. *Honey for a Child's Heart by ...

Family devotionals centered around the Heidelberg and Shorter catechism are based on Scripture and are designed to help families memorize the catechisms. *Comforting Hearts, Teaching Minds: ...

Slider uses the world of competitive eating as a context for exploring the agony and ecstasy of family relationships. Slider, by Pete Hautman.  Candlewick, 2017, ...

In this appealing multicultural novel, three generations of a Bengali family find life and love in America. *You Bring the Distant Near  by Mitali Perkins.  ...

Just in time for Father's Day, this picture-book collection of poems celebrates the daily presence of a loving dad in the household. *My Daddy Rules ...

Storm Horse pits a boy and a horse against a greedy land developer in the modern-day Netherlands. Storm Horse by Nick Garlick.  Scholastic, 2017, 242 ...

This time-traveling novel requires a large suspension of belief, but rewards the reader with several moments of nail-biting suspense. Time Traveling with a Hamster by ...

Two middle-grade summertime stories, both by Newberry-winning authors: Half a Chance, by Cynthia Lord. Scholastic, 2014, 218 pages. Age/interest level: 10-14 Lucy is used to ...

The Snow Queen, by Hans Christian Anderson, illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline.  Harpers, 2013, 34 pages.  Reading level: Middle Grades, 10-12 Maturity Level: All Bottom line: ...

I'm sitting in an upstairs bedroom as the smell of pumpkin pie wafts up the stairwell. Tomorrow the family will arrive, starting around noon: not ...