Booklists for Kids and Their Grown-ups
Our catalog can be searched by simple topics like “Trains” or “Halloween” to find a number of books. However, there are some topics that are harder to find or sometimes we want recommendations. The booklists below are either items that are hard to search or lists of books suggested by our youth services staff.
Monthly Highlight: Disability Pride Month
Different Topics
Difficult Topics
Sometimes we have to learn about difficult things. The booklists below can help us start the conversation.
Representation
There is joy in seeing yourself reflected in books and there is knowledge in reading others’ stories.
Social Emotional Learning
These books help kids learn about emotions as well as how to help them understand how to express those emotions positively.
- Getting Started with Social Emotional Learning
- Social Emotional Learning: 3rd Grade & Up
- Social Emotional Learning - Pre-K & Up
Books that Support Literacy
Read-along Books
These resources allow kids to hear stories along with seeing text. While meant for everyone, these books can be especially helpful with English Language Learners. Several locations also have titles in Arabic and Spanish.
Phonics Books
These books were developed to help children with phonics skills. These books work best when read aloud by another first, then having the child read and talking about the letter sounds afterwards.
High/Low Books
These books feature simpler sentence structures, frequent word repetition and commonly used vocabulary, and address mature, age-appropriate themes that resonate with older youth, teens and adults. High/low books are engaging, motivating, and support struggling readers in building confidence and fluency, while providing dignified, age-respectful reading options that avoid stigmatization.