Bookshop Staff's Favorite Kids & YA Books

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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