Perennial Favorites of our Children's Booksellers

Three of the world’s great religions—Islam, Christianity, and Judaism—are motivated by the same single tenet: treat others as you wish to be treated. When I’m asked for a book on manners, an anti-bullying book, or for that first discussion for a child inquiring about different religions, this book caps the stack. Ages 7 & up. - Ga

Deserving of its durability through the decades, this slim picture book lays out ten rules for choosing your rock, and with that, for finding your way. With evocative pen-and-ink illustrations, these words read differently depending on what you bring to the table. Ages 6–100. - Michelle

Follow Minli as she embarks on a quest to change her family’s fortune and along the way you will fall in love with her adventurous spirit and the dragon that accompanies her. Truly a book that reminds us it is the journey, not the destination, that really matters. Ages 9 & up. - Michelle

Written a half-dozen years ago yet somehow even more relevant today, Cory Doctorow’s tales of clever teens engaged in a technological rebellion serve as both a wake-up call and a lesson in resistance. If George Orwell’s 1984 is on your mind these days, then jump into the 21st century with this novel. Ages 14 & up. - Michelle

Written a half-dozen years ago yet somehow even more relevant today, Cory Doctorow’s tales of clever teens engaged in a technological rebellion serve as both a wake-up call and a lesson in resistance. If George Orwell’s 1984 is on your mind these days, then jump into the 21st century with this book. Ages 14 & up. - Michelle

To sell this book I always quote the first line: “It’s dark and gloomy, and it smells like dead sheep, but when Zeus says go to Hell, I go.” Ages 12 & up. - Molly

Given a sinister boarding school, an enigmatic guide (Mr. Benedict), and a team of heroic child prodigies, this bizarre adventure is a true delight. Ages 10 & up. - Molly

What a heart-wrenching story and what sweet redemption! Whenever I look at this picture book I get a shiver of bittersweet heartache and pleasure. Sylvester and the Magic Pebble will always be one of my favorites. Ages 4 & up. - Tera

I consider this the best middle grade novel of all time. Meg is so uncertain a heroine—caught up in strange and unnerving worlds on the trail of her disappeared father—yet she still manages to do what is necessary. She remains the model of a hero for me. Ages 11 & up. - Tera

This sharply mischievous telling of Aesop’s Fables hooked me when I was a child and still elicits delight after a hundred rereadings. A true classic. Ages 5 & up. - Tera