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Children's Book Reviews

Check out these book reviews for child readers:

Nonsense: The Curious Story of Edward Gorey by Lori Mortensen

This picture book biography introduces children to eccentric American artist and author of the whimsical and the macabre, Edward Gorey.

Stella By Starlight by Sharon Draper

This historical fiction middle-grade novel introduces readers to Stella, a fifth-grade African-American girl living in Bumblebee, North Carolina in 1932 during the Jim Crow era.

What Happened to Rachel Riley by Claire Swinarski

Anna Hunt is a new student starting eighth grade at East Middle School in Wisconsin. Anna and her family moved from Chicago to a small town in Wisconsin and Anna, who is bookish and sensitive, is struggling to adjust and make new friends at her school.

Frankie's World by Aoife Dooley

This middle-grade graphic novel introduces readers to Frankie, a sixth grader who lives in Ireland with her mom, step-father, and younger sister. Frankie has always felt a little different from other kids.

Jennifer Chan is Not Alone by Tae Keller

Mallory, a seventh grader has recently become friends with popular girls Reagan and Tess. She has learned the only way to survive middle school is to fit in.

Anya's Secret Society-illustrated and written by Yevgenia Nayberg

Anya is born in Russia and is left-handed. From a very young age, Anya did everything with her left hand like rolling a ball, drawing, and writing. Being left-handed in Russia was frowned upon and not accepted.

Just a Girl: A True Story of World War 2 by Lia Levi

In this memoir adapted for young readers, Lia Levi tells her story of growing up as a Jewish girl living in Italy in 1938 with war on the horizon.

Only the Stars Know Her Name- by Amanda Marrone

It is April 1693, one year after the Salem Witch trials. This middle-grade historical fiction book is told from the perspective of Violet Indian, daughter of Tituba, the enslaved Arawak woman who was accused of witchcraft then sold after her confession along with her husband John Indian.

The Book Itch: Freedom, Truth, and Harlem's Greatest Bookstore

This historical fiction picture book introduces readers to the National Memorial African Bookstore in Harlem, NYC.

Attack of the Black Rectangles-by Amy Sarig King

Six-grader Mac lives in a small town in Pennsylvania with a lot of rules and restrictions, no Halloween, no junk food, no bad words, to name a few.

Everything in Its Place by Pauline David-Sax

Shy Nicky would rather spend school recess in the school library reading books and shelving them. She does not fit in with any group of children during recess and prefers the quiet atmosphere and companionship of Ms. Gillam, the school librarian.

The List of Unspeakable Fears by J. Kasper Kramer

This spooky, historical fiction middle-grade novel takes place in 1910 in New York City. Ten-year-old Essie and her mother are moving from a crowded tenement in the Bronx to North Brother Island in the East River, where her new stepfather, Dr. Blackcreek runs a quarantine hospital for mostly poor immigrants who have incurable diseases.

Lola Out Loud by Jennifer Torres, illustrated by Sara Palacios

This picture book is inspired by the childhood of civil rights activist and labor leader Dolores Huerta.

How to Find What You're not Looking For by Veera Hiranandani

Told in the second person point of view, this historical fiction novel introduces readers to 12-year-old Ariel, her older sister Lena, and her parents in the summer of 1967.

Too Bright to See by Kyle Lukoff

This middle grade coming of age novel told in the first person introduces readers to Bug, living in Vermont with her mother.

Clovis Keeps His Cool by Katelyn Aronson, illustrated by Eve Farb

Clovis is a bull who works in his grandmother’s china shop. Clovis is very careful when handling all the porcelain in the shop, never dropping one cup or dish. However, Clovis “had a temper as big as he was”. As a former football player, he would lose his temper both on and off the field.

It Began with a Page- by Kyo Maclear, illustrated by Julie Morstad

This picture book biography introduces young readers to Japanese-American illustrator and children’s author Gyo Fujikawa.

Nana Akua Goes to School by Tricia Elam Walker and April Harrison

It's Grandparents Day and Zura and her classmates are asked to bring their grandparents to school to share what makes them special.

The Genius Under the Table by Eugene Yelchin

This middle-grade autobiography by children’s author Eugene Yelchin (Newbery Award Honoree and National Book Award Finalist) tells the story of his childhood and early adolescence growing up in Leningrad, USSR before the fall of the “Iron Curtain”.

Kafka and the Doll by Larissa Theule, illustrated by Rebecca Green

This delightful historical fiction picture book introduces young children to author, Franz Kafka, by exploring a lesser known event in his life that occurred in 1923.

Seb and the Sun written and illustrated by Jami Gigot

This mysterious picture book tells the story of Seb who lives in a nameless, remote coastal town far in the north, most likely near the Arctic Circle, where there is six months of darkness in the winter.

Samira Surfs by Rukhsanna Guidroz

Viewing the Rohingya conflict through 11-year-old Samira’s eyes, the reader is thrust into the life of a refugee struggling to survive in an unfamiliar country. Samira and her family have arrived in Bangladesh after Rohingyas have been forced out of their homes in Burma. Samira wants to help her family, but she yearns for more than what is expected of her as a Muslim girl....

A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll

Eleven-year-old Addie lives in the small village of Juniper in Scotland. Addie is autistic and is bullied by her classmate Emily, and her teacher Ms. Murphy who defends Emily whenever there is a conflict between Addie and Emily. Told in the first person, we learn of Addie’s struggles to understand neurotypical behavior and the “masking” she does to fit in with her classmates and when she.....

Oskar and the Eight Blessings by Richard and Tanya Simon

It’s the seventh day of Hanukkah in New York City in 1938. Oskar, a Jewish child refugee from Nazi Europe has just arrived in Manhattan alone with a photograph of his Aunt Esther, who he has never met. Oskar, not knowing a word of English must walk the length of Manhattan on this cold night without food or money to his aunt’s home uptown before she lights the Shamash candle on the menorah for H

Rosetown Summer by Cynthia Rylant

This sequel continues the story of 10-year-old Flora and her friends Yury and Nessy in the summer of 1973 in Rosetown, a small, quiet town in Indiana, where very little changes. Introverted Flora loves spending time reading with Yury in Wings and a Chair Bookshop and volunteering in the children’s room at the library...