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Bookshop Staff's Favorite Kids & YA Books

Give the gift of reading with our delightful collection of kids' books! From board books for babies to chapter books for older kids, Bookshop Santa Cruz's selection has something for every age group! Star your child on a lifelong journey of learning and exploration with our captivating children's books.

Little Brother & Homeland by Cory Doctorow

Written over a dozen years ago yet somehow even more relevant today, Cory Doctorow’s tale of clever teens engaged in a technological rebellion serves 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. Now available bound with the sequel Homeland, first published in 2014. -Michelle

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Little Brother & Homeland By Cory Doctorow Cover Image
$18.99
ISBN: 9781250774583
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Tor Books - July 7th, 2020

Amari & the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston

The mysterious delivery of a suitcase triggered to open at midnight launches our hero Amari into Junior Agent try-outs at the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, and us readers into an intricate all-new magical system. The racism and classism faced by Amari in middle school have parallels in this fantastical world created by #ownvoices debut author B. B. Alston, but Amari has been training for these challenges her whole life. Quick, read this first book in a new trilogy! A major motion picture is already in the works! -Michelle

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Amari and the Night Brothers (Supernatural Investigations #1) By B. B. Alston Cover Image
$8.99
ISBN: 9780062975171
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Balzer + Bray - January 4th, 2022

Skunk & Badger by Amy Timberlake, Illustrated by Jon Klassen

Badger’s Important Rock Work must take a backseat when Skunk knocks on the door of his brownstone. Yet Skunk is much more than an unwelcome distraction, and by morning has served up the first of many antidotes to Badger’s solitary grumpiness. Odd-couple stories! It’s so easy to identify with the traits of one while yearning to be more like the other. Klassen’s earthy illustrations supply the details in this frolicking tale to read aloud or together, with more adventures to come. -Michelle

 

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Skunk and Badger (Skunk and Badger 1) By Amy Timberlake, Jon Klassen (Illustrator) Cover Image
By Amy Timberlake, Jon Klassen (Illustrator)
$18.95
ISBN: 9781643750057
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Algonquin Young Readers - September 15th, 2020

If You Want to See a Whale by Julie Fogliano, Illustrated by Erin Stead

Just like many things that are really worthwhile, seeing a whale takes an ocean view, lots of patience, and “a not-too-comfy chair… because sleeping eyes can’t watch for whales and whales won’t wait for watching.” In a world full of distractions, these pages lay out a few simple rules for staying focused on the important things. Erin Stead’s intricate pencil and color drawings are cozy and detailed all the way through, but the finale is really something.

 

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If You Want to See a Whale By Julie Fogliano, Erin E. Stead (Illustrator) Cover Image
By Julie Fogliano, Erin E. Stead (Illustrator)
$18.99
ISBN: 9781596437319
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Roaring Brook Press - May 7th, 2013

Sam & Dave Dig a Hole by Mac Barnett, Illustrated by Jon Klassen

Are we there yet? Is this as good as it gets? How long should we keep looking? To explore these age-old questions, Sam and Dave (along with their surprisingly insightful dog) resolve to keep digging until they find “something spectacular.” Join them in this hilarious cross-sectional view as they tunnel through the earth. You’ll never guess what happens!-Michelle

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Sam and Dave Dig a Hole By Mac Barnett, Jon Klassen (Illustrator) Cover Image
By Mac Barnett, Jon Klassen (Illustrator)
$17.99
ISBN: 9780763662295
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Candlewick - October 14th, 2014

Goodnight Veggies (BOARD) by Diana Murray, Illustrated by Zachariah Ohora

The colors in this book just knock my socks off! Every page exudes such joy, from the smiling veggies to the wonderfully wacky wordplay. What a sweet way to wind down with a little one at the end of the day, “for nothing’s more exhausting than growing day and night.” -Michelle

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Goodnight, Veggies Board Book By Diana Murray, Zachariah OHora (Illustrator) Cover Image
By Diana Murray, Zachariah OHora (Illustrator)
$8.99
ISBN: 9780358452119
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Clarion Books - April 13th, 2021

White Bird by R.J. Palacio

Kindness and courage. In this compelling sequel to the book Wonder, eleven-year-old Julien listens to his grandmother Sara’s story of surviving the Holocaust. Sara tells Julien how she contributed to the bullying of a boy in school, and how this boy ended up saving her from the Nazis during the French occupation. A moving introduction to the Holocaust for grades 5-8. The movie version comes out this year starring Helen Mirren as Grandmére! -Noreen

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White Bird: A Wonder Story (A Graphic Novel) By R. J. Palacio Cover Image
$14.99
ISBN: 9780593487785
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Knopf Books for Young Readers - March 1st, 2022

The Seventh Most Important Thing by Shelley Pearsall

Here’s a book for readers who like historical fiction and encountering characters their age who make mistakes and learn from them. 13-year-old Arthur feels angry and expresses his rage by throwing a brick and injuring a “Junk Man”. Sentenced to work for the man he injured, Arthur wonders why he’s gathering light bulbs, aluminum, glass bottles, wood, mirrors and cardboard. Then he discovers the truth about friendship, humility and the transformative power of art. - Noreen

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The Seventh Most Important Thing By Shelley Pearsall Cover Image
$8.99
ISBN: 9780553497311
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Yearling - October 4th, 2016

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sanchez

As the daughter of Mexican immigrants, Julia finds it difficult to create her own dreams while meeting her parents’ expectations. What does it mean to navigate two cultures? In a world where girls of color continue to be underestimated, this coming-of-age story is one that any Mexican-American girl could relate to. I love the authenticity in this story. -Noreen

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I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter By Erika L. Sánchez Cover Image
$12.99
ISBN: 9781524700515
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Ember - March 5th, 2019

Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo, Illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline

Edward Tulane is a self-centered china rabbit who becomes lost from the little girl who loves him. He unexpectedly journeys from situation to situation getting to know himself and people who teach him how to love. An old doll says, “If you have no intention of loving or being loved then the whole journey is pointless.” His transformation into a rabbit that appreciates love, loss and what’s important in life is a classic read-aloud. -Noreen

 

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The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane By Kate DiCamillo, Bagram Ibatoulline (Illustrator) Cover Image
$8.99
ISBN: 9780763680909
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Candlewick - December 8th, 2015

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