Classics, Nonfiction, and Children's Literature
The Light in the Forest by Conrad Richter (published 1953) tells the story of a boy raised by Indians in Colonial New England who must come to terms with his dual nature upon reaching his teen years. After being kidnapped from his Pennsylvania fields during a raid, John Butler has been renamed True Son and
The Trouble with Heroes by Kate Messner (Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 2025) somehow seamlessly ties trauma from 9/11 with the pandemic of COVID-19, all while supporting a mischief-making boy as he finds new meaning in his life. For Finn, losing his firefighter dad in New York City during the early months of COVID-19 (two years before)
I got an introduction to the sport of fencing in It’s All of Nothing, Vale by Andrea Beatriz Arango (Random House Books for Young Readers, 2025), a middle grade novel about a young women struggling to come to terms with her injured leg, which stops her from excelling in her favorite pastime. Written in free
Will’s Race for Home: A Western by Jewell Parker Rhodes (Little, Brown and Company for Young Readers, 2025) captures the excitement of the Kansas land rush in 1889 from the perspective of a young Black boy and his father. Sharecropping in Texas doesn’t feel any different from slavery for the family, so now Will and
The titular character in Vaino: A Boy of New Finland by Julia Davis Adams (published 1929) faces war as his country declares independence from Russia, which is in the midst of a revolution itself. With his cleverness, Vaino is helpful to both his mother and his older siblings as they join the rebels (“Whites”) from
Dry by Neal and Jarrod Shusterman (Simon & Schuster for Young Readers, 2018) is futuristic dystopian young adult novel, but it portrays what could be real life in the Western United States. Water becomes a scarce commodity in California when neighboring states turn off access to their water reserves. When the “Tap-Out” begins, the whole
Pran of Albania by Elizabeth Miller (published 1929) is a Newbery Honor book about a teenager in Albania whose world is changing as war comes to her region. After the author gives us a glimpse into the unique lifestyle of mountain-dwelling people, Pran and her family become refugees as the women and children flee the
If you love Beverly Cleary’s books, then you’ll love reading about the author herself in the picture book Just Like Beverly: A Biography of Beverly Cleary by Vicki Conrad (illustrated by David Hohn; Little Bigfoot, 2019). My daughter, who is one that is knows Cleary’s books backwards and forwards, was delighted to learn about the
Emily’s Runaway Imagination by Beverly Cleary (published 1961) is a funny semi-autobiographical historical novel about a girl in the 1920s living in rural Oregon, written by the esteemed and well-beloved Beverly Cleary. I hadn’t know Cleary had written any historical fiction books; I’d only been familiar with her Ramona and Henry Huggins books, some of
The picture book Turtle, Turtle, Watch Out! by April Pulley Sayre (illustrated by Annie Patterson; Charlesbridge, 2010) emphasizes the human and animal dangers to turtles, and the ways humans can help. The refrain “Turtle, turtle, watch out!” echoes throughout. Watercolor illustrations make this a friendly read, despite these dangers.
Beverly Cleary is best known for her Ramona Quimby stories and her Mouse and the Motorcycle books. But she has a repertoire of other stories. One two-book series that my daughter and I found begins with the story of Ellen Tebbits, a very good girl who finally finds a best friend. The sequel book is
The stray dog Bob finally got to tell his story in The One and Only Bob by Katherine Applegate (Storytide, 2020). Bob was the friend of the gorilla Ivan, who spent 27 years in a cage at an interstate exit mall, and a baby elephant named Ruby. As Bob talked about his early days, his
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