Bookshop Staff's Favorite Kids & YA Books

The sweetest step-by-step guide for befriending ghosts that ever was! This book has all the information you will need for identifying, finding, befriending, and caring for your new ghost friend. This book is so sweet and funny and I absolutely love Rebecca Green’s art style. After reading this, I wanted to go out and find my very own ghost friend—and you will, too!

—Alana

I was transfixed by both the art and story in this beautifully unique graphic novel. Sandy spends every night turning the nightlights in her room into drawings, but things take a turn when a strange new girl shows up at school with an intense and sinister interest in them… With gorgeous art and a spine-chilling story, this graphic novel has stuck with me long after I finished it.

—Alana

We Are Okay tells the story of 18 year-old Marin who, months after enduring a tragic loss, must confront the life she ran away from when her best friend comes to visit her. Nina LaCour’s sincere and beautiful prose captures the grief, heartbreak, and hope of the story, reminding us all to fight hard for the people we care most about. One of the most cathartic cries I’ve had from reading, I adore this book.

—Alana

The Raven Cycle vibes meets Derry Girls' humor, with its own unique twist. After Maeve Chambers finds a tarot deck and starts giving readings, weird things start happening all over town, including her ex-best friend going missing, an extremist group showing up, and awful nightmares she can’t shake… With a great cast of characters, funny and witty dialogue, bisexual representation, and an engaging storyline, this book became one of my top favorites very quickly.

—Alana

One of my absolute favorite picture books! I adore Phoebe Wahl’s illustrations and the loving amount of detail that she puts into each page. The story is told in four short chapters- one for each season- and follows Little Witch Hazel as she goes about her daily life in the forest. This is a book you can reread over and over again and every time it feels like revisiting old friends in the forest. —Alana

The community kitchen pulls together their latest meal with organized chaos and such good onomatopoeias! This board book adaptation moves admirably to a small format and loses none of its charm. My kids love looking at all the little details on every page and the words trip off the tongue pleasingly. A perfect cozy read sandwiched between All the World and Everywhere Babies.

—Ivy

My daughter thinks Crunch is just the funniest, shy dinosaur ever, but don’t talk too loud or he might hide! Can you help him say hello, paint names, and eventually fall asleep? A coaxing, interactive text paired with Pizzoli’s gentle illustrations are sure to engage any little one. This follows admirably in the footsteps of Press Here and Peck Peck Peck, both classics in our household.

—Ivy

Dubbed the “Queen of the Neighborhood,” Zara always knows the best rules to make sure everyone is having fun, but when a new family moves in, the whole street’s dynamic changes. Zara’s struggle to assert some control over her life felt so familiar and the ultimate solution is as touching as it is realistic. Anyone who’s read Jasmine Green or looking for the next step up from Charlie and Mouse will love this one.

—Ivy

Nikhil is the main character on a wildly popular animated tv show, Raj Reddy, and just about every kid knows his voice, but thankfully not his face. Then his mother moves him from Los Angeles to Ohio, throwing his whole life off balance. He has to make new friends and find a way to stop hiding behind the microphone. Fans of Ahmed Aziz’s Epic Year or LGBTQIA realistic fiction should pick this up!

—Ivy

Laura wants to use her magic to become a renowned baker, but her workings are prohibited. To find a way around this, Laura signs up to work for a government agency that works to keep magic in blighted zones in check. This is such a great reimagining of the Great Depression and the magic system is so cool! Perfect for fans of Six of Crows or historical fantasy.

—Ivy