Best Books for Kids 2023

52 Books Found

Filtered by 'Family'
  • Aniana del Mar Jumps In

    Recently diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis, Aniana must navigate the dual obstacles of chronic pain and the familial trauma that keeps her mother stubbornly opposed to the young athlete’s dreams of life as a professional swimmer.

    Cover of Aniana del Mar Jumps In
  • At the Drop of a Cat

    Art by Violeta Lópiz. Translated by Karin Snelson and Emilie Robert Wong | In this heartwarming story translated from French, lush illustrations provide a verdant backdrop as a young child lovingly speaks about his grandfather. Luis, a Spanish refugee living in France, never learned to read or write, nonetheless his grandson admires his many talents.

    Cover of At the Drop of a Cat
  • The Boy Who Tried to Shrink His Name

    Art by Michelle Pereira | Zimdalamashkermishkada starts at a new school and is afraid others will have trouble pronouncing his name. He tries many ways to shrink his name until his friends help him see it from a new perspective.

    Cover of The Boy Who Tried to Shrink His Name
  • Bábo

    Art by Anait Semirdzhyan | It's rug washing day! Tato and her siblings help Bábo soak, soap, and wash the family rugs clean in a story filled with lively action words that shows doing chores can be fun! Backmatter, including a glossary of Artsakh Armenian words, gives more detail on this family tradition.

    Cover of Bábo
  • Calling the Moon: 16 Period Stories from BIPOC Authors

    This empowering collection of short stories written by authors of diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds shares the joy, gravity, and humor of menstruation from an array of perspectives.

    Cover of Calling the Moon: 16 Period Stories from BIPOC Authors
  • Cape

    Art by Kitt Thomas | A young Black child draws strength from their beloved superhero cape after the death of a loved one. Evocative and immersive illustrations and gentle text convey the experience of grief from a child's perspective.

    Cover of Cape
  • Cross My Heart and Never Lie

    In this sweetly sensitive graphic diary, 12-year-old Tuva navigates the difficulties that come with being a tween: balancing kid stuff with growing up, exploring relationships and first crushes, all while figuring out who she is and what she wants.

    Cover of Cross My Heart and Never Lie
  • Curlfriends: New in Town

    Twelve-year-old military kid Charlie Harper is no stranger to being the new kid. Middle school means a fresh start, and she is convinced this is her chance to be cool. However, Charlie feels like fitting in might mean pretending to be someone she isn't.

    Cover of Curlfriends: New in Town
  • Do You Remember?

    A boy and his mother reflect on the past to bring comfort through a major life change. Poignantly illustrated vignettes depict the memories of birthdays, picnics, and heartfelt moments that help calm their spirits on their first night in a new home.

    Cover of Do You Remember?
  • Doodles from the Boogie Down

    In the Bronx circa 2000, it's time for eighth-grader Steph to apply to high school. Will she pick the private Catholic school chosen by her protective Dominican mother or LaGuardia, where she can pursue her own dreams of becoming an artist?

    Cover of Doodles from the Boogie Down
  • The Fire, the Water, and Maudie McGinn

    Neurodivergent Maudie settles into a small California town after wildfires force her to evacuate her dad's. As she learns to express herself through surfing, Maudie struggles with whether to confide in her dad about the physical and emotional abuse she experiences at her mom's house.

    Cover of The Fire, the Water, and Maudie McGinn
  • Frankie and Friends

    Art by Alea Marley | When Frankie's mom leaves to cover a breaking news story, Frankie copes by creating her own news show with the help of some imaginary pals and a furry friend. Can this news crew discover the source of the mysterious crying?

    Cover of Frankie and Friends
  • Ghost Girl

    Art by Alyssa Waterbury | While visiting their grandmother, 10-year-old Sly discovers the trapped spirit of a long-lost relative. Using their quick wit and intuition, Sly must decipher clues to free both their distant cousin and their grandmother from an eternity behind the mysterious mirror.

    Cover of Ghost Girl
  • Greenwild

    Before Daisy’s mother disappeared, she instructed her daughter to seek help in Kew Gardens should something go wrong. Now that everything has fallen apart and Daisy is on her own, she must travel to a magical world to find her mother, herself, and the many meanings of family.

    Cover of Greenwild
  • Hands

    Twelve-year-old Trev just wants to protect his family. When he learns his violent stepfather is scheduled to be released from jail, Trev feels torn between using his hands to fight or to make art. Compelling prose and complex characters create a story that hits hard.

    Cover of Hands
  • The House That Whispers

    Between growing family tension, an increasingly forgetful grandma, and being called a name that feels all wrong, Simon is miserable on a would-be fun trip to Nanaleen's. When a ghost hunting game gets too real, Simon must fix everything before his life completely falls apart.

    Cover of The House That Whispers
  • Just Like Grandma

    Art by Julie Flett | In this warmly illustrated tale about a Native American family, Becca admires her grandmother's traditional beading and Fancy Shawl dancing, while Grandma appreciates Becca's basketball skills. Together, they realize that they have more in common than they thought.

    Cover of Just Like Grandma
  • Lasagna Means I Love You

    Feeling disconnected from her roots when she finds herself in the New York City foster care system, Mo begins writing letters to her late grandmother. Inspired by a stolen cookbook, Mo builds a website and connects with others to share recipes and find her relatives.

    Cover of Lasagna Means I Love You
  • Link + Hud: Heroes by a Hair

    Imaginative brothers Lincoln and Hudson Dupré may have met their match when their parents hire a new, no-nonsense babysitter. Will Ms. Joyce put the boys in their place, or will Link and Hud retire yet another sitter?

    Cover of Link + Hud: Heroes by a Hair
  • The Lost Year

    During the Covid-19 pandemic, Matthew's Ukrainian American great-grandmother moves in. When Matthew discovers letters exchanged between cousins during the famine in 1930s Ukraine, his relationship with GG and understanding of her life and true identity are permanently altered.

    Cover of The Lost Year
  • Magia

    Una niña que crece en una finca de piñas en Mexico aprende el verdadero significado de la palabra magia y como esta puede encontrarse tanto en los momentos alegres y brillantes así como tristes y oscuros.

    Cover of Magia
  • Mama Shamsi at the Bazaar

    Art by Maya Fidawi | Samira is overwhelmed by the sights and sounds of the bazaar in Tehran. Through the fantastical lens of her grandmother's imagination and the comfort of her chador, Samira sees the joys and wonders of her bustling community and discovers that sometimes a little whimsy goes a long way.

    Cover of Mama Shamsi at the Bazaar
  • The Many Masks of Andy Zhou

    Andy has a lot on his plate: middle school, changing friendships, complicated family, and his own anxiety. Through a budding passion for art, Andy finds ways to help others in his life and discovers who he wants to be in this contemporary slice-of-life story.

    Cover of The Many Masks of Andy Zhou
  • Mehndi Boy

    Art by Jani Balakumar | Tehzeeb loves creating beautiful mehndi designs for his family and friends. When his uncle insists it's for girls, will Tez still enjoy practicing mehndi?

    Cover of Mehndi Boy
  • Mexikid

    As the first kid in his family to be born in the U.S., Pedro often feels more American than Mexican. While on a family roadtrip to bring his abuelito from Mexico to live in California, Pedro reconnects with his roots and learns more about the place his family calls home.

    Cover of Mexikid
  • Mil mariposas blancas

    Arte de Gina Maldonado, traducido por Carlos E. Calvo | Isabella acaba de mudarse de Colombia a los Estados Unidos y está entusiasmada con su primer día de clases. ¡Oh no! La escuela está cerrada debido a una tormenta de nieve. Con la ayuda de una amiga, ¿pudiese Isabella encontrar alegría en este nuevo clima?

    Cover of Mil mariposas blancas
  • My Baba's Garden

    Art by Sydney Smith | Tender illustrations tell the story of a young child and their grandmother. Despite the fact that they speak two different languages, they connect as they care for a garden together and, in the process, create a deep and lasting bond.

    Cover of My Baba's Garden
  • Nena, y Roberta ¿dónde está?

    Una conmovedora historia sobre una abuela y su nieta en una misión para rescatar momentos olvidados. A lo largo de su aventura, aprenden que aunque a veces la memoria se desvanece, el amor persiste.

    Cover of Nena, y Roberta ¿dónde está?
  • Nothing Else but Miracles

    Pop has gone off to fight in World War II. With no mother to keep them in line, Dory and her brothers rely upon the kindness of their Lower East Side community and their own ingenuity to outsmart a nosy landlord, solve a mystery, and hold things together until Pop comes home.

    Cover of Nothing Else but Miracles
  • Nuestro techo es azul

    Arte de Ashley Vargas | Después de que un huracán destruye su hogar en Puerto Rico, Antonio y su familia recurren a utilizar una lona azul como techo improvisado. Esta historia narra como dos hermanos encuentran consuelo tejiendo cuentos inspirados en el dosel azul que los cubre.

    Cover of Nuestro techo es azul
  • Papá's Magical Water-Jug Clock

    Art by Eliza Kinkz | Jesus is excited to go to work with Papa! Papa explains that when the water jug is empty, their work is done, so clever Jesus hatches a plan to distribute all the water by midday. Told through distinct, hand-drawn art, this story presents a balanced lesson about patience and ingenuity.

    Cover of Papá's Magical Water-Jug Clock
  • Parachute Kids

    When Mama's visa extension is denied, the Lin kids must stay behind in the U.S. while their mom travels back to Taiwan. With support from family friends, they must learn how to live in this new country, lean on each other, and handle tough life lessons together.

    Cover of Parachute Kids
  • The Party Diaires

    Art by Aaliya Jaleel | Contemplative Priya and her extroverted best friend plan a color-themed birthday party for Priya's aunt.

    Cover of The Party Diaires
  • Rainbow Shopping

    A recently emigrated Chinese family is usually too busy working to dine together. Textured illustrations provide a feeling of home as they take a long train ride to Chinatown to gather colorful ingredients for a meal that will bring them all together.

    Cover of Rainbow Shopping
  • Remember Us

    It's summer in "The Matchbox" Bushwick, and seventh-grader Sage just wants to play basketball. But outside the game, there's a world of changing friendships, sudden deaths, and homes lost and found. A gritty but lyrical look at what "once was" in 1970s Brooklyn.

    Cover of Remember Us
  • Ruby Lost and Found

    It's the worst punishment 13-year-old Ruby could imagine: being forced to spend the summer at her grandmother's senior center. As Ruby delves deeper into her Chinese American community, she grapples with her grandfather's death and concern for Nai-Nai's fading memory.

    Cover of Ruby Lost and Found
  • Salma Makes a Home

    Art by Anna Bron | Salma's father is finally reuniting with the family in Canada, but she fears he won't love their new home as much as he loves Damascus.

    Cover of Salma Makes a Home
  • Saving Sunshine

    Muslim twins Zara and Zeeshan can't seem to get along! While on a family trip, they find an ailing sea turtle and realize they must work together to save its life and unite against the prejudice they face.

    Cover of Saving Sunshine
  • Sisters of the Lost Marsh

    Six sisters beset by one curse. Young Willa isn't about to let superstition dictate her family's fate, nor her cruel father, the mysterious Full Moon Fayre, or even the Shadow Man.

    Cover of Sisters of the Lost Marsh
  • The Swifts: A Dictionary of Scoundrels

    Art by Claire Powell | The Swift family reunion gives young Shenanigan an opportunity to hunt for Grand Uncle Vile's hidden treasure. But when someone shoves Arch-Aunt Schadenfreude down the stairs, things take a dark and deadly turn, and Shenanigan employs her relatives' help to track down the killer.

    Cover of The Swifts: A Dictionary of Scoundrels
  • That Flag

    Art by Nikkolas Smith | Keira and Bianca are best friends, but only at school. At home, Bianca's family flies a Confederate flag, and their differing perspectives on the flag's meaning cause conflict. When a tragedy occurs in their community, they must grapple with the flag's impact and racist history.

    Cover of That Flag
  • These Olive Trees

    A young Palestinian girl is forced to leave her home at a refugee camp along with the precious olive trees her family has cultivated. In pages of moving prose and distinctive illustrations, she finds a way to continue her family's legacy and sustain a connection to her homeland.

    Cover of These Olive Trees
  • Things in the Basement

    Milo ventures into the labyrinthian depths beneath his new house and discovers a world of adventure he never anticipated.

    Cover of Things in the Basement
  • To the Other Side

    In search of safety, a young girl invents a game to help her brother endure the long, hard journey across the border to asylum in a new home. Despite fears of monsters and unknowns, the refugee children remain motivated and resilient, even when the game is no longer fun.

    Cover of To the Other Side
  • Two Tribes

    Since her Muskogee father and Jewish mother separated when she was three, Mia is constantly caught in between—out of place in her Jewish school and disconnected from her Indigenous roots. Can she find a way to forge an identity of her own and embrace all parts of herself?

    Cover of Two Tribes
  • The Umbrella Maker's Son

    In a city of unending rain, Oliver Buckle is expected to follow in his father's footsteps of umbrella-making. Fate, however, has different plans that will plunge Oliver and his best friend into a wild adventure on their way to the heart of a weather conspiracy.

    Cover of The Umbrella Maker's Son
  • The Unlovable Alina Butt

    Alina is a misfit: an awkward tween from Pakistan with frizzy hair, a nose she hasn't quite grown into, and a last name that is the "butt" of every joke. As Alina navigates new friendships and stands up to bullies, her confidence and self-understanding begin to take shape.

    Cover of The Unlovable Alina Butt
  • The Walk

    Art by E.B. Lewis | A young girl and her neighbors walk together to participate in an important act of democracy: voting! Photorealistic illustrations modeled after a real-life town highlight how the difficult journey to the polls can be made easier through the power of community.

    Cover of The Walk
  • When You Can Swim

    Beautifully rendered, warm, pastel and watercolor illustrations depict diverse families enjoying swimming in the outdoors. Lyrical prose affirms that all children have a safe, joyful place in nature.

    Cover of When You Can Swim
  • Where the Lockwood Grows

    In this skillfully spun futuristic story, two sisters set out to uncover the sinister truth behind the vines that keep their town in never-ending darkness.

    Cover of Where the Lockwood Grows
  • Window Fishing

    Art by Rudy Gutierrez | When a boy hangs a paperclip on a string out of his window, the artist downstairs draws a colorful fish for the boy to reel in. Whimsical, brightly colored art illustrates how their clever idea catches on and spreads delight throughout their East Harlem neighborhood.

    Cover of Window Fishing
  • You Are Here: Connecting Flights

    In this series of interwoven short stories by AAPI authors, Asian American families find themselves stranded in an airport during a storm. While they wait it out, these characters resist, resolve, and find solidarity against racism to show the world that they belong.

    Cover of You Are Here: Connecting Flights