We asked the experts — librarians and buyers for independent bookstores — to recommend the best books for all kinds of readers
The Actor
Kids who love the drama and excitement of acting can live out their dreams through talented characters in their favorite books. Beginning readers will easily relate to Ella Sets the Stage (by Carmela and Steve D’Amico, Arthur A. Levine Books), in which Ella the elephant searches for a special skill to highlight at her school’s annual talent show only to find that her real talent is behind the scenes. “I picked this book out because it’s new and because Ella is such a lovable little character,” explains Willi Brennaman, book buyer at Red Balloon Bookshop in St. Paul. The Talented Clementine (by Sara Pennypacker, Hyperion) introduces a similarly enchanting leading lady trying to tackle a talent show. The classic Theater Shoes (by Noel Streatfield, Yearling) follows a trio of siblings who find hidden talents when they are forced to take dancing and acting lessons. “This is one of a series of three books that was originally written in 1945 but continues to be popular today with acting fans,” says Brennaman. In Shakespeare’s Scribe (by Gary Blackwood, Puffin) older actors and actresses can follows a young actor in William Shakespeare’s traveling troupe as he plays roles in classic plays kids will recognize from school. “It’s part history, part mystery, and it all takes place at the theater,” says Brennaman. “And best of all, it’s a series, so there are more books to come.”
The Art Lover
Parents can instill a love of the arts early by introducing toddlers to the Mini Masters Series (by Julie Merberg, Chronicle Books), which touch on the works of Monet, Renoir, Degas, Van Gogh, and more. “These are great board books sized for little hands, with rhyming verses and, of course, beautiful artwork,” explains Nancy Locken of Auntie Em’s bookstore in Minneapolis. Elementary-school-aged readers can get a similar overview through Anholt’s Artists Books for Children (by Laurence Anholt, Frances Lincoln Publishers), a series that tells the often-inspirational stories of some of the world’s greatest artists and the children who touched their lives. And when kids get to a reading level that allows for more in-depth biographies, Locken suggests the Trailblazer Biographies (published by Carolrhoda Books) series. “These are wonderfully insightful and thorough (yet brief) accounts of the lives of various artists who have struggled to overcome adversity to accomplish their goals.” Artists featured include Mary Cassat: Portrait of an American Impressionist and Leonardo Da Vinci: Renaissance
Genius. For the more fiction-minded art fan, Art Fraud Detectives and The Great Art Scandal (both by Anna Nilsen, Kingfisher Books) deliver stories mixed with some of the world’s best art.
The Athlete
Convincing an active athlete to sit still with a book is easy with the Sleeping Bear Press Sports books according to Auntie Em’s Locken. “They combine wonderful illustrations with informative facts and history on each specific sport,” she explains.
Titles include, among others, H Is for Hook: A Fishing Alphabet (by Gary Palmer), E Is for Extreme: An Extreme Sports Alphabet (by Brad Herzog and Melanie Rose), and T Is for Touchdown: A Football Alphabet (by Brad Herzog and Mark Braught).
For books in the 8–12 age range, Locken says, parents should look no further than author Matt Christopher. “I like these books because they appeal to boys in an age group that isn’t as widely published for as books for girls of this age. These books are well-written for enjoyable and effortless reading.” Comeback of the Home Run Kid and Goalkeeper in Charge are popular fictional works of Christopher’s, while his biographies cover Jackie Robinson, Mia Hamm, Dale Earnhardt, and more.
The Environmentalist
Kelly Wussow, early literacy specialist with the Hennepin County Library says, “Books that are engaging and have an earth-friendly message will encourage kids and teens to go green!”
For pre-readers, Mud (by Mary Lyn Ray and illustrated by Minnesotan Lauren Stringer, Voyager Books) “is a celebration of spring and the mud that it brings,”
Cool Time Song (by Carole Lexa Schaefer, Viking Juvenile) takes readers to the hot African savannah.
Early readers who identify with crazy-and-wild Judy Moody, will learn all about recycling in Judy Moody Saves the World (by Megan McDonald, Candlewick).
Vampire Island (by Adele Griffin, Puffin) is a “fun, suspenseful story” for middle-schoolers about a family of vegetarian vampires out to protect the earth from humans.
They Came from Below (by Blake Nelson, Tor Teen) mixes environmental issues, science fiction, and a little teen romance.
The Fantasy Fan
“It’s not just about Harry Potter these days,” says Susan Carr Brown, youth collections selector for Hennepin County Library. “New and fantastical worlds await fantasy fans of all ages, from picture books for younger kids to imaginative novels for teens.” She says younger children gobble up Polo: The Runaway Book (by Regis Faller, Roaring Brook Press). “In this nearly wordless tale, Polo the dog experiences amazing adventures while trying to trying to retrieve his precious book from an alien who ‘borrowed’ it to take back to his planet.” For chapter-book readers, she recommends two series: Septimus Heap (by Angie Sage, Katherine Tegen Books) series — “full of magic, action, horrific enemies, and surprises” — and Keys to the Kingdom (by Alison A. Armstrong, PAX Programs Incorporated). Teens will like Flora Segunda (by Ysabeau Wilce, Harcourt Children’s Books) — “a complex and brilliant tale about a magical parallel universe” and The Warrior Heir (by Cinda Williams Chima, Hyperion), whose 16-year-old hero discovers his magical ancestry and warrior powers.
The Fashionista
You know the type: everything is pink, every other word is “princess,” and getting ready for school every morning is a Vogue-worthy event. That’s the fashionista in a nutshell, and Collete Morgan, co-founder of Wild Rumpus bookstore in Minneapolis, says Pinkalicious (by Victoria and Elizabeth Kann, HarperCollins) is a must for the budding fashion fanatic, who will relate easily to the tale of a girl who eats so many pink cupcakes she turns pink all over. Fancy Nancy at the Museum (by Jane O’Connor, HarperCollins) will also delight girls who understand the importance of dressing up even for a simple school field trip. Intermediate readers will empathize with the dramatic middle-school-aged protagonists in How My Personal Journal Became a Bestseller (by Julia DeVillers, Dutton Juvenile) and The Fashion Disaster that Changed My Life (by Lauren Myracle, Dutton Juvenile), which Morgan describe as “All about girls who are strong characters.” High school readers can delve into the final book in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series called Forever in Blue (by Anne Brashares, Delacorte Books for Young Readers) to find out what happens to the four girls who discovered a pair of magically transformative jeans.
The Future Detective
Mystery fans start young these days thanks to picture books that give budding gumshoes the chance to crack the case. Morgan recommends the Detective LaRue picture books (by Mark Teague, Scholastic Press), which follow dog detective Ike LaRue as he searches for two missing felines and then escapes from reform school. Bad Bear Detectives (by Daniel Manus Pinkwater, Houghton Mifflin) tells the story of two polar bears trying to exonerate themselves by going undercover as detectives to prove they didn’t eat a shipment of blueberry muffins. Intermediate readers get a mix of mystery and silliness in Sammy Keyes and the Curse of Moustache Mary (by Wendelin Van Draanen, Scholastic), while Tunnels (by Roderick Gordon, The Chicken House) features a boy who digs beneath the city of London to find an entirely new society. More advanced readers will enjoy the spine-tingling disappearance of Kat and Ted’s cousin and how the siblings work together (sometimes well, sometimes not) in The London Eye Mystery (by Siobhan Dowd, David Fickling Books). And a granddaughter’s promise to her dying grandmother to uncover her family’s mysterious origins makes Briar Rose (by Jane Yolen, Tor Teen) a consistent page-turner.
The History Buff
Some readers love a good dose of historical facts in their fiction, as in the early-reader book Riding to Washington (by Gwenyth Swain, Sleeping Bear Press). A young girl accompanies her journalist father to Washington in the 1960s to see Martin Luther King, Jr. “This book is new, by a local author, and has a great message,” says Brennaman. Beginning chapter readers learn about how, after the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, World War II crept into life in small, unexpected ways in I’m Still Scared (by Tomie DePaola, Puffin). “I think this book is especially appropriate for kids who have moms or dads in Iraq,” adds Red Balloon’s Brennaman. Cuss (by Kristine L Franklin, Candlewick) takes readers to a multi-ethnic neighborhood in 1925 where 14-year-old Cuss has learned to swear in 14 languages, which comes in handy as he battles bootleggers who want control over his family.
Hattie Big Sky (by Kirby Larson, Delacorte Books for Young Readers) is a Newbery Award runner-up that Brennaman recommends for its honest portrayal of two different stories: one follows Hattie living in 1920s Montana, while the other chronicles Charlie, who is fighting in World War I. The book is made up of letters, newspaper clippings, and even recipes that come together to tell a unique story. “I like that there’s a mix of girl and boy characters, too,” she adds.
The Math Whiz
When introducing picture-book-age kids to math, it’s best to start them off simple, which is what How Big Is a Million (by Anna Milbourne, Usborne books) does especially well, according to Nancy Caffoe, children’s book buyer at The Bookcase in Wayzata. “I think it’s a cute way to ease kids into large numbers,” she says. Christopher Counting (by Valeri Gorbachev, Philomel) shows young readers how Christopher the bunny spends his day counting everything from petals on flowers to fish in an aquarium. Middle readers go interactive with The Puzzling World of Winston Breen (by Eric Berlin, Putnam Juvenile), a book that lets readers work out puzzles and problems to help Winston uncover and solve mysteries. “Kids who are puzzle solvers would love this book,” says Caffoe. “It combines mystery, adventure, and actual problems to work on.” Tween mathletes will quickly be taken in by the secret worlds revealed in The Mysterious Benedict Society (by Trenton Lee Stewart, Little, Brown Young Readers) and The Calder Game (by Blue Balliet, Scholastic Press), both of which have readers solving puzzles and mysteries. “In these books, you’re working on the problems with the characters in the book at the same time,” says Caffoe.
The Photographer
Kids can’t keep their hands off your camera? Give ’em their own, and some books for inspiration. Wendy Woodfill, who is the children’s, teens’, and world languages selection librarian for Hennepin County Library, recommends Looking Closely through the Forest (by Frank Serafini, Kids Can Press) and Spiders (by Nic Bishop, Scholastic Nonfiction) for the youngest readers. Tween and teen photographers will learn more about the profession in Inside Photography (by Annie Buckley and James Buckley, Jr., Child’s World) and Walker Evans: Photographer of America (by Thomas Nau, Roaring Brook Press). Woodfill says fiction can inspire young photographers, too. Pictures from our Vacation (by Lynne Rae Perkins, Greenwillow) is “full of humor, family fun, and summer’s little pleasures.” And Newbery Award-winner Avi’s Seer of Shadows (HarperCollins) is a more serious, suspenseful look at the power of what is seen and unseen.
The Political Kid
Marvin Redpost: Class President (by Louis Sachar, Random House) is the perfect early chapter book for elementary readers obsessed with the election this year; Marvin’s own school is in an uproar as a visit from the president approaches. In Grace for President (by Kelly Dipucchio, Hyperion) the main character learns there’s never been a female class president and decides to do something about it. “Grace’s opponent claims to be the best man for the job, so Grace decides her platform will be to become the best person for the job,” explains Red Balloon’s Brennaman. In As If Being 12 and ¾ Isn’t Bad Enough, My Mother Is Running for President! (by Donna Gephart, Delacorte Books for Young Readers), Vanessa Rothrock is definitely not excited about having her mother ruin her life by vying for a spot in the Oval Office, and tween readers will easily relate to her attitude towards the unfairness of it all. “It’s so topical for kids right now, it just couldn’t be better,” says Brennaman. Hope Was Here (by Joan Bauer, Puffin) is a Newbery Honor Book that pits good vs. evil in a small Wisconsin town as 14-year-old Hope’s generous boss runs for mayor against a corrupt politician. “This book is a gem that very few people know about,” says Brennaman. “Older readers see Hope discovering her future.”
The Reluctant Reader
With all kids have to choose from to do in their spare time — Wii and Playstation battle with the Internet and television for dominance — it can be hard to get them to put down the mouse, remote, or joystick long enough to pick up a book. Unless you slide Diary of a Wimpy Kid (by Jeff Kinney, Abrams Books for Young Readers) into their hands says The Bookcase’s Caffoe. “This book is so visually engaging and not as text heavy,” she explains of the funny stick-figure drawings and silly dialogue that pepper the book, which has a sequel as well. The Charlie Small (by Charlie Small, David Fickling Books) series is similarly engaging thanks to its unusual premise: the book claims to be the diary of an 8-year-old boy who lived many wild adventures. Is it true? Only the sequels (and time) will tell. Caffoe also turns to the tried-and-true Captain Underpants series (by Dav Pilkey, Blue Sky Press) thanks to its ability to “create something that is universally funny to all kids.”
The Writer
Kids who already love to read are often inspired to try their own hand at writing. The youngest readers will love Chester (by Melanie Watt, Kids Can Press) and Mr. Putter and Tabby Write the Book (by Cynthia Rylant, Harcourt Paperbacks), where cats get in on the writing action, according to Caron Chapman, youth services librarian at Edina Community Library. For early readers, she recommends Amelia’s Notebook (by Marissa Moss, Simon and Schuster) and Love That Dog (by Sharon Creech, Joanna Cotler) about a reluctant young poet. A snail is the diarist in A Beginning, A Muddle and An End (by Avi, Harcourt Children’s Books), but middle-schoolers will find young writers their own age to cheer for in Color of my Words (by Lynn Joseph, HarperTrophy), Sahara Special (by Esme Raji Codell, Hyperion), and Project Mulberry (by Linda Sue Park, Yearling). For young teens, Chapman recommends Shakespeare Bats Cleanup (by Ron Koertge, Candlewick), in which a 14-year-old boy keeps a journal while recovering from mono.
The Young Scientist
A great way to kick off an interest in the sciences is to familiarize young children with animals right outside their door. The Bookcase’s Caffoe recommends Wolfsong (by Barbara Raffing, Awe-Struck) and The Wolves Are Back (by Jean Craighead George, Dutton Juvenile) to introduce one of Minnesota’s most popular animals. “Both are good nonfiction picture-book treatments of wolves and wolf behavior,” she says. Phinneas L. MacGuire… Erupts! (by Frances O’Roark Dowell, Atheneum) is perfect for intermediate readers who like hands-on experiments mixed in with a funny plotline. “The experiments relate to the story and include making marshmallows melt and all kinds of fizzy stuff,” says Caffoe. Teen readers enjoy Quantum July (by Ron King, Delacorte Books for Young Readers), which teaches with physics and chaos theory as the main character discovers he can choose between two families in parallel universes. First Light (by Rebecca Stead, Wendy Lamb Books) follows a boy’s expedition to Greenland with his parents, and The Softwire: Virus on Orbis 1 (by PJ Haarsma, Candlewick) makes the line between computers and humans a little fuzzy.
