Find Recommended Reads for Children from my Instagram Reels below!
Craftily Ever After, by Martha Maker
For readers ages 5 to 9. A sweet series about friendship and community set within the love that four children have for creating, through construction and building, fashion, fabrics and sewing, gadgets and computers, or painting, drawing, or sculpting. The characters are made to face situations that readers will no doubt see themselves in — speaking up, standing up for themselves, navigating evolving friendships, to name a few.
Purchase link for Book 1: https://amzn.to/3V2yHb5
Purchase link for Book 2: https://amzn.to/4auj0xQ
Purchase link for Book 3: https://amzn.to/3V1FLou
Purchase link for Book 4: https://amzn.to/3WId9BO
Purchase link for Book 5: https://amzn.to/3RcgntZ
Purchase link for Book 6: https://amzn.to/3UH1W1T
Purchase link for Book 7: https://amzn.to/3wM8WSX
Purchase link for Book 8: https://amzn.to/3wOCak9
Purchase link, Box Set, Books 1 through 4: https://amzn.to/4bIO2TU
Purchase link, 4 Books in 1, Books 1 through 4: https://amzn.to/4bFA8Sq
Desmond Cole Ghost Patrol, by Andres Miedos
I’ve always had a love for supernatural and scary stories. This series features supernatural characters but isn’t very scary. It’s well-written and easy to read, with great illustrations on every page following the investigation of the two lead characters, Desmond Cold and Andres Miedoso, members of the Ghost Patrol. But the best part is that every story is, at its core, about a supernatural monster of entity that is being misjudged because of their reputation. Every single one ends up being a kind and warm creature that is deeply misunderstood, trying to either keep baby turtles safe or just wanting to play because they feel lonely. It’s a great way to introduce and reinforce the importance of not holding onto preconceptions or prejudices, wrapped in a really fun and funny series of books.
Purchase Link, Book 1: https://amzn.to/3TwO75B
Purchase Link, Book 2: https://amzn.to/3Tue6dW
Purchase Link, Book 3: https://amzn.to/49bhOyS
Purchase Link, Book 4: https://amzn.to/3x6xPsu
Purchase Link, Book 5: https://amzn.to/3TP3mb7
Purchase Link, Book 6: https://amzn.to/3VvJrzg
Purchase Link, Book 7: https://amzn.to/4cs3zsh
Purchase Link, Book 8: https://amzn.to/4amQiiK
Purchase Link, Book 9: https://amzn.to/3IPMF9h
Purchase Link, Book 10: https://amzn.to/4asOl4w
Purchase Link, Book 11: https://amzn.to/3TQ8oEA
Purchase Link, Book 12: https://amzn.to/4apGowJ
Purchase Link, Book 13: https://amzn.to/3TP68gA
Purchase Link, Book 14: https://amzn.to/4aKDL9h
Purchase Link, Book 15: https://amzn.to/3VxxGIF
Purchase Link, Book 16: https://amzn.to/4a8fF8b
Purchase Link, Book 17: https://amzn.to/3Vwh04s
Purchase Link, Book 18: https://amzn.to/4a6Rgjy
Purchase Link, Book 19: https://amzn.to/49Xz7od
Purchase Link, Book 20: https://amzn.to/4cogBah
Purchase Link, Book 21: https://amzn.to/3TLvhZD
Purchase Link, Book 22: https://amzn.to/4au4W8a
Purchase Link, Book 23: https://amzn.to/3TOPWfh
Purchase Link, Box Set, Books 1 to 4: https://amzn.to/3VtMCaH
Purchase Link, Box Set, Books 5 to 8: https://amzn.to/4958In3
Purchase Link, Box Set, Books 9 to 12: https://amzn.to/49eKcQy
Purchase Link, Box Set, Books 13 to 16: https://amzn.to/43tJlKB
Purchase Link, Box Set, Books 1 to 10: https://amzn.to/498qlCD
Layla and the Bots, by Vicky Fang
For readers aged 5 to 7. A cute little series about a girl and rock band, all bots, who use their creativity to solve problems. The problems are not something that a regular child would face, but readers will connect to the underlying issues and the challenges faced by Layla and her bots.
Purchase link, Book 1: https://amzn.to/3K4DD93
Purchase link, Book 2: https://amzn.to/44PHIaH
Purchase link, Book 3: https://amzn.to/44PHJeL
Purchase link, Book 4: https://amzn.to/3QPjTdc
Purchase link, Boxed Set, Books 1 through 4: https://amzn.to/3UJCM2C
Mallory McDonald, by Laurie Friedman
For readers aged 10 and 11. I started reading this series to my then six year-old, and there were many red flags in it. There were behaviors displayed by the characters, who are 8 years old when the series begins, that made me extremely uncomfortable and decisions by the adults that I couldn’t understand. However, I do think there is some relevance in reading this book by a discerning audience who can use it as a safe space to discuss situations and behavior. Officially, this book is directed to children between the ages of 7 and 11, but I would suggest that younger children be read to, and that parents of older children read along, and that conversations be held with children the entire time. We had fantastic conversations about addressing various, day-to-day issues like the ones in this book and discussing the pros and cons of how Mallory addressed them. Also, you will notice that while there are a total of 28 books in this series, I am only linking the first nine books; I didn’t feel comfortable reading volume 10 to my kiddo at that point, and she wasn’t too interested in the series anyhow, so that was that.
Purchase Link, Book 1: https://amzn.to/3V1qwfe
Purchase Link, Book 2: https://amzn.to/3V2TTxx
Purchase Link, Book 3: https://amzn.to/3WE6rge
Purchase Link, Book 4: https://amzn.to/3WRBdCa
Purchase Link, Book 5: https://amzn.to/4bmXpsj
Purchase Link, Book 6: https://amzn.to/4bGfamb
Purchase Link, Book 7: https://amzn.to/4arJ3pr
Purchase Link, Book 8: https://amzn.to/3V3Yvne
Purchase Link, Book 9: https://amzn.to/3you9D2
Nancy Drew Clue Book, by Carolyn Keene
For readers between the ages of 5 to 10. Nancy Drew and her friends are reimagined in this sweet series that follows the three eight-year-old girls as they solve non-scary and fun mysteries. Cousins Bess and George bicker at times but things don’t go into toxic territory; Nancy’s relationship with her Dad and their housekeeper is loving and caring. While some of the people that the three of them interact with display negative character traits, there are not truly evil characters, which I greatly appreciate. The girls are well behaved and follow the rules set by their parents even when alone (like the oft-repeated rule that when without adult supervision, they have to stay together and within a set number of blocks from their homes). No major lessons are learned; it’s just a sweet good time solving mysteries, presented in a way that attentive readers will be able to figure out the puzzle at the same time as Nancy, Bess, and George do.
Purchase Link, Book 1: https://amzn.to/49n03MT
Purchase Link, Book 2: https://amzn.to/3PP7Ax0
Purchase Link, Book 3: https://amzn.to/49mCXGm
Purchase Link, Book 4: https://amzn.to/49mtHSK
Purchase Link, Book 5: https://amzn.to/3J2uopo
Purchase Link, Book 6: https://amzn.to/3VJwQsm
Purchase Link, Book 7: https://amzn.to/3U2fW7b
Purchase Link, Book 8: https://amzn.to/3vG31yw
Purchase Link, Book 9: https://amzn.to/3U3qX8g
Purchase Link, Book 10: https://amzn.to/3VIObBK
Purchase Link, Book 11: https://amzn.to/4ankpag
Purchase Link, Book 12: https://amzn.to/49muoeH
Purchase Link, Book 13: https://amzn.to/49p9o7d
Purchase Link, Book 14: https://amzn.to/4aGfcKl
Purchase Link, Book 15: https://amzn.to/4aFF7lv
Purchase Link, Book 16: https://amzn.to/3xoRIv7
Purchase Link, Book 17: https://amzn.to/3vG3nFm
Purchase Link, Book 18: https://amzn.to/3U64mrP
Purchase Link, Book 19: https://amzn.to/3THwnEB
Purchase Link, Box Set, Books 1 through 4: https://amzn.to/3PP7Iwu
Purchase Link, Box Set, Books 1 through 10: https://amzn.to/4cGI9rw
Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew, by Carolyne Keene
For readers between the ages of 8 to 10. This series is a lot like the Nancy Drew Clue Book, but although the characters are supposedly also 8 years-old, they come off as older in this series. I found this series first and my then 6 year-old didn’t really connect with it as much. She was interested but not fully engaged, not like with Nancy Dew Clue Book. What worked for us was to focus on the Nancy Drew Clue Book series while the kiddo was younger, and once those get a little banal for her, we will graduate to these ones.
Purchase Link, Book 1: https://amzn.to/4dJpETB
Purchase Link, Book 2: https://amzn.to/4arNznI
Purchase Link, Book 3: https://amzn.to/4dXhF5R
Purchase Link, Book 4: https://amzn.to/4dKz94Z
Purchase Link, Book 5: https://amzn.to/4bm3QMe
Purchase Link, Book 6: https://amzn.to/3WLVDga
Purchase Link, Book 7: https://amzn.to/4bI4eVa
Purchase Link, Book 8: https://amzn.to/4bBIEl6
Purchase Link, Book 9: https://amzn.to/3UMqFSd
Purchase Link, Book 10: https://amzn.to/4bDFQnG
Purchase Link, Book 11: https://amzn.to/3V5jZPB
Purchase Link, Book 12: https://amzn.to/4bE0pjU
Purchase Link, Book 13: https://amzn.to/3UF3pFQ
Purchase Link, Book 14: https://amzn.to/44InEHj
Purchase Link, Book 15: https://amzn.to/4anGmFw
Purchase Link, Book 16: https://amzn.to/4bKChw9
Purchase Link, Book 17: https://amzn.to/4bHhn0C
Purchase Link, Book 18: https://amzn.to/3K7iCe6
Purchase Link, Book 19: https://amzn.to/4apbvIB
Purchase Link, Book 20: https://amzn.to/3K5lV5u
Purchase Link, Book 21: https://amzn.to/3wGgkiY
Purchase Link, Book 22: https://amzn.to/4biItM7
Purchase Link, Book 23: https://amzn.to/4bEG8dT
Purchase Link, Book 24: https://amzn.to/3V1cKJx
Purchase Link, Book 25: https://amzn.to/3wPeQ5M
Purchase Link, Book 26: https://amzn.to/3K2sZQa
Purchase Link, Book 27: https://amzn.to/4dBpqho
Purchase Link, Book 28: https://amzn.to/3QQ4vgW
Purchase Link, Book 29: https://amzn.to/3wDNH5T
Purchase Link, Book 30: https://amzn.to/3K6aRF9
Purchase Link, Book 31: https://amzn.to/44N9Rz3
Purchase Link, Book 32: https://amzn.to/45214d3
Purchase Link, Book 33: https://amzn.to/3V3fcyZ
Purchase Link, Book 34: https://amzn.to/4ajnaZq
Purchase Link, Book 35: https://amzn.to/3V3MX3k
Purchase Link, Book 36: https://amzn.to/3wDNYFX
Purchase Link, Book 37: https://amzn.to/3ywfVQp
Purchase Link, Book 38: https://amzn.to/3WNjdce
Purchase Link, Book 39: https://amzn.to/4bmWJ6f
Purchase Link, Book 40: https://amzn.to/3WJVGck
Purchase Link, Boxed Set, Books 1 through 5: https://amzn.to/3WJU7Lx
Purchase Link, Boxed Set, Books 1 through 16: https://amzn.to/3wAM0pV
Princess Posey, by Stephanie Greene and Stephanie Roth Sisson
For readers between the ages of 5 and 8. When Posey is scared or confused, she puts on a beautiful tutu and becomes Princess Posey, someone who always knows what to do. While Posey is a first grader, the things she deals with in this delightful 12-book series that spans about a year of her life will resonate with children in grades 2 and 3. From being in a play to having a family member get married to dealing with students who are rowdier than oneself, there is a lot in here that generated very interesting conversations with an kindergartner and lower elementary school aged child. The setting is idyllic in terms of family dynamics and finances, in a way controlling for the environment and allowing for a focus on the main situation at the centre of each book.
Purchase Link, Book 1: https://amzn.to/3Jcfih0
Purchase Link, Book 2: https://amzn.to/3UcYsFc
Purchase Link, Book 3: https://amzn.to/3xyrEh9
Purchase Link, Book 4: https://amzn.to/4cPufDv
Purchase Link, Book 5: https://amzn.to/4cLGssZ
Purchase Link, Book 6: https://amzn.to/43TZWY6
Purchase Link, Book 7: https://amzn.to/49vW1SD
Purchase Link, Book 8: https://amzn.to/4cLGy3P
Purchase Link, Book 9: https://amzn.to/43R7ECt
Purchase Link, Book 10: https://amzn.to/3Uflrj7
Purchase Link, Book 11: https://amzn.to/3UdJYFd
Purchase Link, Book 12: https://amzn.to/4arOXaX
Purchase Link, Set, Books 1-3: https://amzn.to/3xGYQCU
Princess Pulverizer, by Nancy Krulik
For readers between the ages of 6 to 10. The main character in this series has a character development arc that takes her from arrogant and obnoxious to almost humble and much kinder. I had to put that out there, because the first book especially set my teeth on edge. And to be honest, by the end of the series, she is far from perfect, but she is quite different from where she began, which gives a great opportunity to talk about the life-long process of becoming a better person little by little, day by day. And I really like the premise: a princess who wants to be a knight instead is told by her father that to be given permission to go to knight training instead of princess training, she had to perform eight good deeds. The side-kicks are a lot of fun, the villains are at times complex, and the adventures are engaging and gripping.
Purchase Link, Book 1: https://amzn.to/3TLkA8j
Purchase Link, Book 2: https://amzn.to/3J4gSSo
Purchase Link, Book 3: https://amzn.to/3J47QEO
Purchase Link, Book 4: https://amzn.to/3IYSSQu
Purchase Link, Book 5: https://amzn.to/43Kswv4
Purchase Link, Book 6: https://amzn.to/3PKSrNk
Purchase Link, Book 7: https://amzn.to/4cFLKG6
Purchase Link, Book 8: https://amzn.to/4ah1zlf
Purchase Link, 8 Book set: https://amzn.to/4ayusc4