kid book reviews for parents

Where to Find the Best Children’s Book Reviews

There's more great children's books being published than ever before — this is how to find the best children's book reviews online.

Sarah S. Davis

Sarah S. Davis holds a BA in English from the University of Pennsylvania, a Master's of Library Science from Clarion University, and an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Sarah has also written for Electric Literature, Kirkus Reviews, Audible, Psych Central, and more. Sarah is the founder of Broke By Books blog and runs a tarot reading business, Divination Vibration . Twitter: @missbookgoddess Instagram: @Sarahbookgoddess

View All posts by Sarah S. Davis

There are more great children’s books being published than ever before, but how do you know which ones to read? Fortunately, today there are so many ways to access children’s book reviews. Here are some of the best places to find reviews of children’s literature.

Part 1: General Children’s Book Reviews

In this first section of our roundup of the best children’s book review websites, I’ll discuss publications that cover all things kid lit.

The Children’s Book Review

As its name implies, The Children’s Book Review is all about book reviews of children’s literature. With huge coverage of all kinds of kid lit, The Children’s Book Review is simple to browse books by subject and books by age, along with buzzy “trending” books and “showcase” books. Your typical book review lays out the specs (intended age, page count, etc.) and provides a medium-sized review with information about the author and/or illustrator. The Children’s Book Review is definitely one of the most comprehensive book review sites for kid lit, and it supplements its reviews with author interviews and curated lists.

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Common Sense Media

Common Sense Media is an organization that reviews media (books, TV, movies, apps, games) with a special focus on educating parents and other adults on “What Parents Should Know,” vis-à-vis content warnings and age appropriateness. Some of the qualities Common Sense Media covers include “Educational Value,” “Positive Messages,” “Positive Role Models and Representations,” and “Language.” Especially notable is Common Sense Media’s focus on diversity, with an invitation to reach out if they’ve “missed anything on diversity.” Also of note, Common Sense Media is one of the few children’s book reviews websites that rates books using a star system. If you just want to know quickly how good a book is, navigate over to Common Sense Media and find a book’s star rating.

The Horn Book

Children’s book review magazine The Horn Book takes its name from”horn books,” which were some of the earliest books made to educate children. The Horn Book is a leading publication in print and online for finding children’s book reviews. This treasured magazine’s website is well-organized, and you can find all the reviews in an easy-to-search database . For the best of the best, browse by The Horn Book ‘s starred reviews . If you buy a paid subscription, you’ll have access to the huge, searchable archive of more than 70,000 reviews, known as “The Guide.” There, you can browse book reviews by Authors/Illustrators, Subjects, Series, and Reviewers. Though some reviews cost a subscription to view, some content, like the “Book Bundles” (check out the one on “Our Bodies, Our Selves” for an example), which group together like-minded books based on themes and include bite-sized reviews, are available for free.

Kirkus Reviews Children’s Books

One of the leading book review sites for all genres and age levels, Kirkus has plenty of kid lit content. Kirkus lets you easily sort by different categories like age, format (picture book, chapter book, etc.), sub-genre (biographies and memoirs, historical fiction), and category (e.g. fiction vs. nonfiction). You can also filter by what books get a coveted Kirkus star. What’s great about Kirkus’s unique format is each review is brief and to the point. If you don’t want to go digging for the bottom line, Kirkus’s kid lit reviews are a good place to start.

Publishers Weekly Children’s Bookshelf

If you’re looking for the buzziest kid lit books, check out Children’s Bookshelf, the free weekly newsletter from Publishers Weekly . This publication is known for its up-to-the-minute chatter about the publishing industry, including children’s books, which are reviewed in roundups, as well as all kinds of bookish content. Subscribing to Children’s Bookshelf is one of the best ways to stay current with kid lit.

School Library Journal

Leave it to the librarians to guide you on what children’s books to read. The long-running School Library Journal has tons of reviews of every kind of kid lit book imaginable. With a special focus on advising libraries whether or not to purchase a book, School Library Journal dishes out bite-sized takeaways (known as a “VERDICT”) at the end of each review. School Library Journal also has tons of non-review content, getting you caught up with the latest news in the world of children’s literature.

Part 2: Special Focus Children’s Book Reviews Websites

In this section, I’ll highlight the places to go for more specialized kid lit coverage.

American Indians in Children’s Literature

This phenomenal site concentrates on promoting the best children’s literature by Indigenous authors and illustrators. Search the site for specific topics or skip right to the “Best Books” for the books most worth celebrating.

The Brown Bookshelf

The Brown Bookshelf is dedicated to featuring book reviews of kid lit by Black authors and illustrators. Start by searching the site or filtering for book reviews . The Brown Bookshelf also compiles great resources for finding more children’s books by Black voices. You’ll find the most up-to-date coverage on the blog .

Disability in Kid Lit

Although no longer updated, the book reviews on Disability in Kid Lit are worth consulting if you’re looking for children’s book reviews about disabled protagonists. You can use the well-indexed search function and browse by different disabilities depending on what condition or identity you’re looking for. Also of note, the “Honor Roll” puts the spotlight on the best representation of disability in kid lit.

Hijabi Librarians

The reviewers and writers at Hijabi Librarians set their lens on children’s and YA books with Muslim representation. Along with author interviews and book discussion guides , Hijabi Librarians includes book reviews and resources for Muslim voices in children’s literature.

Latinx in Kid Lit

Looking for coverage of Latinx authors and illustrators in children’s literature? Definitely be sure to check out Latinx in Kid Lit. This resource compiles reviewed books that feature Latinx representation. You can search by age range — for example, middle grade books — and find that each review includes “Teacher Tips” for educators. The Latinx in Kid Lit blog also has tons of great content, including interviews, Latinx book deals, and publishing industry news specific to Latinx creators.

Social Justice Books

Social Justice Books is focused on…you guessed it, social justice in children’s literature! This site has loads of great guidance on the best social justice topics in kid lit, like the carefully curated booklists by theme . Check out the book review database , which aggregates reviews and is organized by themes like “Activism,” “Asian American,” and “Bullying.” Each book is given a star rating, making for an easy browsing experience if you’re just looking for the best reads.

Special Focus: Can’t-Miss-It Resources for Diversity in Children’s Literature

Cynthia leitich smith’s cynsations.

Bestselling and award-winning author Cynthia Leitich Smith maintains a website all about children’s and young adult books. On Cynsations you’ll find a broad array of content, including diverse author/illustrator interviews and news roundups.

Social Justice Books’ Sources for Book Reviews and Recommendations

Already highlighted above, Social Justice Books is a terrific resource for finding diverse children’s book reviews with a social justice focus. But I also wanted to shine a light on their list of sources for diverse kid lit book reviews if you’re looking for even more sources of diverse children’s literature.

We Need Diverse Books Resources

We Need Diverse Books is a non-profit alliance to further diversity in children’s and YA literature. Although We Need Diverse Books does not publish book reviews, they do have an outstanding roundup of resources for diversity in kid lit that should be a stop on everyone’s journey to find more diverse children’s literature.

Part 3: Children’s Book Review Social Media Accounts to Check Out

Instagram is a great resource for finding children’s book reviews. A diverse range of educators, Bookstagrammers, librarians, and more all highlight great children’s books. Here are some of Book Riot’s favorite children’s book review influencers to follow on Instagram.

@babylibrarians — Margaret and Jen

Run by Book Riot writers Margaret Kingsbury and Jen Sherman , Baby Librarians will get you up to speed on the best and latest in children’s literature.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Baby Librarians (@babylibrarians)

@hereweread — Charnaie Gordon

Charnaie Gordon is a huge book influencer focusing on diversity in children’s literature. You won’t want to miss the books she loves.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Charnaie Gordon | Diversity (@hereweeread)

@leeandlowbooks — Lee and Low Books

The POC-owned Lee and Low Books is a children’s book publisher dedicated to diversity. They feature the best of the best books on their Instagram.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lee and Low Books (@leeandlow)

@lgbtqkidlit — Laurie and Julie

This account is managed by two moms and showcases children’s book reviews with queer themes.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Laurie(s/h) Julie(s/h)disabled (@lgbtqkidlit)

@littlefeministbookclub — Little Feminist Book Club

As its name implies, Little Feminist Book Club is dedicated to sharing the best children’s books with feminist themes.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Little Feminist Book Club (@littlefeministbookclub)

@noodlenutskidsbooks — Jenn S.

Jenn S. writes book reviews of new picture books focused on diversity.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jenn S. (@noodlenutskidsbooks)

@readwithriver — Alessandra Requena

This Bookstagrammer promotes the best children’s books.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Alessandra Requena (@readwithriver)

@shelvesofcolor — Saranya & Ishaan

Saranya and Ishaan review diverse children’s books on Bookstagram.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Saranya & Ishaan (@shelvesofcolor)

@thebookwrangler — Mike

The Mike behind this popular bookstagram account is a K–5 librarian who shares his favorite recent reads.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mike (@thebookwrangler)

@thetututeacher — Vera Ahiyya

Educator Vera Ahiyya shares diverse book reviews on Instagram.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Vera Ahiyya (@thetututeacher)

Still hunting for more great children’s books? Check out our Children’s Books archive , as well as these helpful posts:

• 50 Children’s Books About Diversity That Celebrate Our Differences
• The Best Children’s Books By Age: A Guide To Great Reading
• 13 Places To Find Free Children’s Books Online

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Developing confident readers and writers, learning reading and writing skills through, writing and publishing book reviews, giving kids a place for, sharing insights and opinions with readers around the world, the spaghetti book club is, the largest site of book reviews written and illustrated by kids for kids.

Review of the week

How to help the earth, written by tish rabe.

Reviewed by Dev P. (age 6)

The Lorax is sending messages to the children about keeping the Earth clean. He shows them ways to dispose of the trash and how to recycle things. The Lorax tells the children to reuse plastic bags, use both sides of paper, and donate old clothes, toys, ... more

Featured Reviews

After the fall - how humpty dumpty got back up again, written by dan santat.

Reviewed by Sebastian E. (age 8), Jack P. (age 7) & Luke P. (age 7)

This book is about Humpty Dumpty who is afraid of heights because he fell off from a big, gigantic wall. We’re sure you’ve heard about it. Humpty Dumpty loved watching birds but because he was afraid of heights he could not go up on the wall and watch ... more

Avocado Baby

Written by john burningham, reviewed by aaron s. (age 6) & william l. (age 7).

There was a family that wasn't very strong and the mom was having a baby. They were expecting it to be stronger, but the baby wasn't very strong. The children decided to give him avocado pear. Every day the baby would eat avocado pear. He got stronger ... more

A Picture Book of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Written by david a. adler, reviewed by logan w. (age 9).

Do you want to learn about Martin Luther King Jr.? If you do, then look for A Picture Book of Martin Luther King, Jr. You will also learn a lot of history from this book. My favorite part in the book is the March on Washington when Martin said these ... more

Abel's Island

Written by william steig.

Reviewed by Michelle P. (age 10)

Abel is a mouse who has a wife named Amanda. She is a mouse, too. Abel and Amanda went on a picnic. Abel went to play a joke on Amanda when a hurricane started to form. They left their picnic where it was and started to walk home. Abel and Amanda didn?t have ... more

Esperanza Rising

Written by pam ryan, reviewed by breanna d. (age 10).

From rags to riches! Esperanza is a loving and rich 13-year-old girl. She lives with her Mama, Papa, Abuelita and many servants on a ranch in Mexico. Esperanza's life seems to be perfect. However an unbelievable event tears her family apart. In the beginning ... more

We're Going on a Bear Hunt

Written by michael rosen, reviewed by rachel 1 (e. k.) (age 6) & ray a. (age 7).

Four kids went on a bear hunt with a man. They said they're not scared. We think it is funny because they go through all sorts of things. They fall in all kinds of things like a river and a mud puddle and a forest and other things. Every time the four kids ... more

The Black Pearl

Written by scott o'dell.

Reviewed by Marissa B. (age 10)

The book, The Black Pearl, is about a man named Senor Salazar and his son Ramon Salazar. Senor Salazar owns a pearling business where they go scuba diving for pearls. When Ramon goes to the lagoon on business, he ends up going after the pearls--against ... more

Hiccups for Elephant

Written by james preller.

Reviewed by Justin T. (age 7)

“Hiccup!” “Hiccup!” This book is about an elephant that gets the hiccups and wakes up the other animals that are his friends and they try to cure the hiccups, but it doesn’t do it. They tell him to drink a lot of water really fast. They tell ... more

Staying Nine

Written by pam conrad.

Reviewed by Zishan Q. (age 11)

Staying Nine is about a girl named Heather. She wants to be nine years old forever and doesn't want to change. She didn't want to have a birthday party because she thought she could stay nine if she didn't have a party. One day Heather looked at ... more

Valentine's Day Disaster

Written by geronino stilton.

Reviewed by Abby H. (age 7)

Geronimo Stilton is the main character in the story. One day Geronimo wakes up. He was so busy the night before setting up decorations that he forgot to set his alarm. So, on Valentine’s Day he he sleeps in and he’s late for work. That might not seem so ... more

Risky Friends

Written by julie anne peters, reviewed by haley c. (age 10).

Kacie Shannon thinks she's going to have a bad day and wonders if things could get any worse. Just then she spills grape juice on her new white silk blouse. Now she's sure it's going to be a horrible day! Problems start when Skye Collinsworth, her least ... more

So You Want to Be President?

Written by judith s. george, reviewed by brandon a. (age 8) & steven h. (age 9).

Being President is hard, but picture yourself as president and having your own swimming pool, movie theater, and bowling alley in your home! This is a book about past presidents and what their life was like while living in the White House. The book is hilarious ... more

George Washington's Mother

Written by jean fritz, reviewed by lindsey e. (age 8).

Hey! This book is awesome. It is about George Washington's mom, and a little bit about George. Mary had to raise five kids on her own after her husband died. Mary doesn't want George to get hurt in the war. She begs him not to go, but he's twenty-one ... more

Amelia's Notebook

Written by marissa moss, reviewed by stacey f (age 10).

This book is about a girl named Amelia. Her mom brought her a notebook. They were going to a new house to move but Amelia did not think it was a good idea because she liked her old house. When they go to the new house they stop in all kinds of restaurants ... more

The Snowy Day

Written by ezra jack keats.

Reviewed by Kaytlin M. (age 6)

The Snowy Day is a picture book about a little boy who wakes up one day and looks out his window and sees lots and lots of snow. He is so excited and after he eats his breakfast, he gets into his snowsuit and goes outside to play in the snow. He doesn't have ... more

The Big Pets

Written by lane smith, reviewed by marley s. (age 8), samantha b. (age 7) & evan d. (age 8).

The Big Pets is about a girl and her humongous cat. Together they went to the milky pools and after when the girl comes out, the cat would lick her feet. They joined other kids and go to other places like Scratching Post Forest and String Vine city and a milky ... more

The Catcher in the Rye

Written by j.d. salinger.

Reviewed by Sam L. (age 14)

A young Holden Caulfield, fresh from being kicked out of prep school, thinks that he is an adult. After wondering around New York City for days, however, he begins to think otherwise. He feel lonely without his friends from school. When he sneaks into his ... more

Written by Hans Wilhelm

Reviewed by Donovan J. (age 6)

If you wander off from your parent or if you go somewhere that you have not told your parents about, you might get lost. This book helps you with a way to find your way back home. I think the author was trying to help us with being lost. I liked this ... more

All About Sam

Written by lois lowry.

Reviewed by Amelia G. (age 9)

Do you have a younger brother or sister? If you do, you should consider reading this book. In this book there is a silly little boy named Sam that really doesn’t get the world and does silly things. Sam’s sister, mom and dad don’t really get him either. ... more

Carl and the Meaning of Life

Written by deborah freedman.

Reviewed by Ryan A. (age 9), Jack P. (age 8), Sebastian E. (age 9) & Hudson B. (age 9)

Have you ever wondered why you are here? We all have meaning in our life. This book is about an earthworm named Carl that wants to know the meaning of his life. He wants to know why he does what he does and why he’s here. He goes and asks all the animals ... more

Wilma Unlimited

Written by kathleen krull.

Reviewed by Brewer A. (age 9)

Have you ever given up on yourself? If you have then Wilma Rudolph is not like you. Wilma was a small young girl when at the age of 4 she was diagnosed with polio and scarlet fever. Her leg was paralyzed. That did not stop Wilma. One Sunday, the Rudolphs were ... more

Thanksgiving Cats

Written by jean marzollo.

Reviewed by MB5 (age 11)

In this story, cats grew corn, potatoes, peas, pumpkins and apples. They got milk from cows to make cheese and butter. They also made bread. The cats cooked some food and ate it. Then they took a nap and rested because they were so full and tired. When ... more

Written by Kathryn Stockett

Reviewed by Lauren P. (age 14)

The Help by Kathryn Stockett is about the black maids and white employers in Jackson Mississippi. This novel covers the racist and segregated ways of Jackson during the 1960’s . Ms Skeeter Phelan (a 23 year old white female) decides, in order to pursue her ... more

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!

Written by mo willems, reviewed by zachary p. (age 5).

This is a very funny story about a pigeon who really wants to drive the bus. All he could think about was driving the bus. He says "please" and cannot stop thinking about getting to drive the bus. He keeps making funny faces as he tries to get ... more

Abuela's Weave

Written by omar s. castaneda.

Reviewed by Ivan A. (age 10)

Once upon a time a girl named Esperansa was helping her grandma make clothes for la fiesta del pueblo (the town's party). Esperansa and her grandma worked day and night. The day came and Esperansa had to go to the town. She got on the bus, but when she ... more

Tending To Grace

Written by kimberly fusco.

Reviewed by Mecca J. (age 14)

Cornelia Thornhill's world seems to be slowly closing in on her. Problems from her past permanently damage her ability to show her inner-self and to express any feelings toward the world. In her mind she's a "bird tethered to the ground." With her ... more

"Here I Am!" said Smedley

Written by simon puttock, reviewed by jackson g. (age 8).

Smedley is a chameleon who is very shy and is almost always blending in. Then there is a new girl in class named Sally Skinky. She tells Smedley that he could enter the Big City Art Exhibition and win the big prize! You'll have to read the book to see what ... more

The Littles Get Trapped

Written by john peterson.

Reviewed by Yandeiris D. (age 9)

Imagine being only six inches tall! In this book The Littles are a family that is very small and they live in a house with humans called the Biggs. The Biggs don't know that the Littles live in the house. Tom and Lucy feel sorry for the Biggs cat because ... more

Smoke Screen

Written by amy goldman koss.

Reviewed by Lyndsay L. (age 11)

Have you ever told a big lie that keeps getting bigger and bigger? The girl in Smoke Screen did. It all started with a piece of cotton. Instead of telling the truth about her watery eye to the boy she has a crush on, Mitzi tells a lie about her mom that grows ... more

Here Comes the Strikeout

Written by leonard kessler.

Reviewed by Casey B. (age 7)

This story is about working hard every day. Bobby is a baseball player. He strikes out 21 times. Willy gives Bobby a bat to help him. Bobby begins to cry at home, so Willy helps him with his hitting. Bobby works hard and gets the game winning hit. My ... more

Written by David Green Burg

Reviewed by Armani B. (age 9)

Bugs is a funny book by David Greenburg. It is funny because it has people riding on spiders and jumping on spider webs as a jump house. The book Bugs shows things that you will never see a bug do in the real world. This book includes different types of bug. ... more

Military Planes: Flying Machines

Written by kelly baysura, reviewed by eiji r. (age 8).

The book Military Planes is about when the first war planes were made. In World War 1, the observer who sat in the back of the plane had to watch for enemy planes. Some planes had only one seat and others had two. There were many different kinds of war ... more

Angel in Charge

Written by julie delton, reviewed by gigi y. (age 10).

Do you believe a ten year old girl can be in charge of her brother and the house independently while her mother is away? An interesting fiction book Angel in Charge will tell you more about lovable siblings. Angel, a ten-year old girl, lived with her ... more

Anastasia at Your Service

Reviewed by Shae D. (age 10)

Anastasia at Your Service! The book that I read was Anastasia at Your Service. It was about a girl named Anastasia, of course. Anastasia wanted something very badly, but her parents said that from now on when she wanted something, she had to earn it. Anastasia ... more

The Girl Who Hated Books

Written by manjusha pawagi, reviewed by jamie l. (age 8) & duval m. (age 8).

This book is about a girl who hated books. Her name is Meena. There are books all over her house! Her parents read and read and READ! But Meena always said, "...I HATE BOOKS!" One day Meena called for her cat, Max. He didn't come, so she went ... more

Down On The Funny Farm

Written by p.e. king.

Reviewed by Matthew T. (age 6) & Courtney L. (age 7)

We picked this book because it looked funny. The story is about a farmer. The farmer said hello to the old man and then the old man sold a farm to him. The farmer went to the farm. The animals on the farm are acting like other animals. The chicken acts ... more

Henry and Mudge Take the Big Test

Written by cynthia rylant.

Reviewed by Raphael D. (age 6)

This book is about Henry and Mudge. Mudge is Henry’s 180-pound dog. Mudge wasn’t such a good listener, so Henry decided to send Mudge to day school. Henry got the idea from another man walking down the street with his dog. Henry tried to train Mudge, but ... more

Little Bulldozer

Written by beverly randell, reviewed by v.s. (age 7).

The Little Bulldozer went to look at the fire engine. The fire engine told him to go away. Little Bulldozer went away. He went to look at a big truck. He told the big truck that he likes helping. The big truck told him to go away. Everyone thought he was too ... more

My Louisiana Sky

Written by kimberly holt.

Reviewed by Emma G. (age 10)

"My Louisiana Sky" is about a girl named Tiger. But before I say anything you must know that Tiger's parents are mentally challenged and they are always embarrassing her. She is named Tiger because when her mom was little she had a cat named Tiger. ... more

Bat in the Waiting Room

Written by elana arnold.

Reviewed by Gabrielle L. (age 10)

Do you like fiction books? Then you would like a wonderful book called Bat and the Waiting Game it is about an autistic kid named Bixby Alexander Tam, also known as "Bat". He has a baby skunk has a pet named Thor. Bat has an older sister "Janie" but when ... more

Chasing Redbird

Written by sharon creech, reviewed by miranda p. (age 10).

Zinnia (Zinny) Taylor is an ordinary 13 year old girl who is just getting over her Aunt Jessie's death. When she uncovers an old and lost trail, she knows that looking for this trail is her new summer project. Working on the lost trail gave Zinny a place all ... more

How to Make Four Million Dollars by Next Thursday

Written by stephen manes.

Reviewed by Emily M. (age 9)

"Can a book really teach you how to make four million dollars by next Thursday?" Jason Nozzle thought so one day when he was walking home from school. He reached into his pocket and found that he had lost his allowance money! He searched EVERYWHERE ... more

Beezus and Ramona

Written by beverly cleary.

Reviewed by Olivia N. (age 9)

This book is so good I would give it four thumbs up! It is a funny book because Ramona is an impossible little sister and she ruins everything. The story is about two sisters fighting all through the book. Ramona is always getting on Beezus's nerves. ... more

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Editors' Pick: The Top 15 Kidlit and YA Book Review Sites

Book review sites offer a great marketing opportunity.  A favorable mention on a book review blog can go a long way toward promoting your book. But how do you know which blogs to submit to when there are hundreds to choose from? We’re here to help. We sifted through the lists and chose 15 review blogsbook review sites based on the size of each blog’s following, frequency of posts, the quality of the reviews, and their willingness to receive submissions. Before sending review copies, be sure to study each blog’s submission policies (which may change from week to week, so verify right before sending anything), and the tastes of the editors.

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What’s being reviewed: Books for infants through young adults. Also posts author and illustrator interviews, and book giveaways. While the regular reviews are done at no charge to the author or publisher, the Dedicated Review program ($195-$295) guarantees you a professional and non-biased book review with a minimum word count of 250 words.

Why we love it:  Clean layout makes it especially user-friendly for parents seeking good books.  Excellent author interviews.   A superb resource.

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What’s being reviewed: Fiction and nonfiction for infants through age 13. Aimed at parents choosing books for their children. Does not accept self-published books at this time.

Why we love it:  Large library of concise reviews.  “If You Liked This Book, Try…” section gives parents easy to more good books tailored for their children’s needs.

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What’s being reviewed: The hottest books, gifts, gear, food, home products and other cool stuff for babies, kids and moms. Is especially interested in books by indie authors and small presses that are unique, quirky, or fill a niche. Browse the site’s archives to see the tastes of the editors.

Why we love it:  Well-written reviews are cleanly laid-out, giving nice interior glimpses of each book.

 Visit Our Book Review Sites Winner    Cool Mom Picks

What’s being reviewed: This large network of readers from the US and around the world review self-published books for adults and children. Books must be available electronically. Submission form on website. Charges a $20 processing fee on all ebooks submitted for review. Also check out the  Indie Brag Kids Blog

Why we love it:  Provides a much-needed curation service for self-published books.   Networked reviews help separate the wheat from the chaff.

 Visit Our Book Review Sites Winner  Indie Brag

What’s being reviewed: Four reviewers (all moms) review al l genres of fiction for readers aged 9-18 with an eye toward helping parents choose books for their kids. Requires that books have a 10 digit ISBN number and be available on Amazon.com. At this time does not accept self-published books or short story collections, and e-books are subject to reviewer’s discretion. 

Why we love it:   Cleverly laid-out, and the suggested reading function is extraordinarily useful.  Also allows visitor input.

 Visit Our Book Review Sites Winner   Story Snoops

What’s being reviewed: M iddle-grade fiction from traditional publishers only, preferably those which are recently published or soon will be. Accepts print books and Advance Review Copies only.

Why we love it:  A real labor of love from people who truly care about middle grade books and their readers.

 Visit Our Book Review Sites Winner    Project Mayhem: The Manic Minds of Middle Grade Writers

What’s being reviewed:    Middle grade or YA books, or books that would appeal to YA’s.   No self-published or picture books.  Prefers hard copy.

Why we love it:   In-depth and insightful reviews with with a strong critical eye.

 Visit Our Book Review Sites Winner    The Librarian Who Doesn’t Say SHHH!

What’s being reviewed:  Young adult (preferred) and new adult. Genres of interest: fantasy/sci-fi, paranormal, dystopian and/or post-apocalyptic, LGBT, contemporary romance. “I am a proud supporter of small press and self-published authors. I am open to doing author interviews, guest posts, giveaways, and blog tours.”

Why we love it: Has a lovely, personal feel about it, and we appreciate Kristen’s willingness to help lesser-known authors spread the word about their work.

 Visit Our Book Review Sites Winner  Pretty Little Pages

What’s being reviewed:  Dystopian, sci-fi, paranormal, fantasy, horror, chick lit, clean romance, nonfiction (photography/art/architecture/technology/craft books and magazines), graphic novels, illustrated children’s books. Accepts print and ebooks. Also will do author interviews and accepts guest posts.

 Why we love it:  A warm, personal blog from a reader with eclectic and interesting tastes.

 Visit Our Book Review Sites Winner  Doodles, Doodles Everywhere

What’s being reviewed: Fiction for middle grade and young adult readers. Accepts review copies from publishers only.

Why we love it:  Insightful reviews from a smart youth librarian.  We also enjoy the many author interviews on the site.

 Visit Our Book Review Sites Winner  Green Bean Teen Queen

What’s being reviewed:  Books, games and movies for children of all ages.

Why we love it:   Created by a non-partisan advocacy group, this is an ambitious project to provide a clearinghouse of information for parents about the media their children consume. Extremely user-friendly and comprehensive.

 Visit Our Book Review Sites Winner  Commonsense Media

What’s being reviewed: Books for children, parents, and fiction of interest to women. Reviews apps, electronics, TV shows, movies and food products. Holds product giveaways and contests.

Why we love it:  Proprietress Sarah’s work with the developmentally disabled gives her a unique take and much-needed perspective on books about autism and other disabilities.

 Visit Our Book Review Sites Winner  Bookroom Reviews

What’s Being Reviewed:  Interactive children’s picture book apps. Each app is thoroughly evaluated by the site’s staff and given a comprehensive review.

Why we love it :  A terrific voice for an exploding segment of children’s publishing.  In addition to their own reviews, the site re-posts reviews from a variety of children’s app review sites, making this a one-stop source for app readers.

 Visit Our Book Review Sites Winner  Digital-Storytime

What’s being reviewed: Young adult fiction, especially realistic fiction, historical, paranormal, chick lit and fantasy. Accepting books from publishers only.

Why we love it:   Wonderfully-written reviews from a  middle school library media specialist.  Funny, honest and smart.

 Visit Our Book Review Sites Winner  YA Bibliophile

What’s being reviewed: Two librarians review nonfiction for children ages 5-18. Accepts review copies from publishers. Why we love it:  The bloggers’ enthusiasm for nonfiction is utterly infectious, and their reviews do justice to the often thrilling subject matter contained in youth nonfiction.  A simply outstanding resource.

 Visit Our Book Review Sites Winner  The Nonfiction Detectives

So, who did we miss?  Use the comments section to tell us about other great book review sites…

The Difference Between Middle Grade & Young Adult

Young Adult Authors: Here’s Where to Find Your Readers Online

More to Explore!

June 24th by Laura Backes

Hi, I review a wide variety of books written for children from picture books to young adult on my blog, The Bumpy Road To Writing For Children. http://www.debhockenberry.com/the-bumpy-road-to-writing-for-children.html .

Thanks Deb, for letting our readers know about your blog!

The Whole Megillah reviews children’s (and adult) books of Jewish content: picture books, fiction, nonfiction. Hard copies preferred. http://thewholemegillah.wordpress.com

Awake at Midnight reviews mid-grade and YA books that specifically have a scary or mystery theme: http://www.awakeatmidnight.com

Howdy very nice site!! Guy .. Excellent .. Superb .. I’ll bookmark your site and take the feeds additionally?I am happy to find a lot of helpful info right here within the publish, we’d like work out more techniques in this regard, thank you for sharing. . . . . .

Hiya. I just want to say a big thank you for this list, it’s great and has saved me from trawling the internet – an experience that is rarely rewarding!

I wonder when I’ll be brave enough to submit my new books for review. You think they’d bother with chapter books? Some are just around 2.5k words each… (though I like to think they are more about quality than quantity ;-).

Anyway, thanks again!

Yes, I think some reviewers would be interested in seeing your chapter book. You never know until you try! Good luck!

I review children’s books for 5-13 year olds. I’m on twitter @minervamoan and review both fiction and non-fiction

website is http://www.MinervaReads.com

Thanks for bringing some new review sites to my attention. I especially adore Cool Mom Picks. I work with a talented team of reviewers covering both fiction and nonfiction books. We review books for ages 0-18 with an emphasis on picture and middle grade titles. We love doing Q&As as well as giveaways, too. Find us at http://www.goodreadswithronna.com

Thanks for letting us post links to our blogs. We are a family of readers who love to read and review books. We have recently shifted our focus to more kid lit and we are looking for more children’s books to review. We review picture books to YA. We don’t mind indie or self-published books as long as a professional editor has seen them first. We also share articles pertinent to families, recent post: http://www.thestubbypencilreviews.com/2015/02/7-ways-to-raise-happy-reader.html

My name is Phoebe, and I’m 10 years old. I love to read books. ALL kinds of books! I also love to write. That’s why I started this book review blog when I was 9. I thought it would fun to combine both of my interests and share it with everyone. You can see my latest reviews at http://www.phoebesbookshelf.com/ .

Thank you for sharing your review blog with us Phoebe. Your reviews are very insightful!

Feeling awesome after checking out your list of Top 15 children and YA book review blogs, looking out for them from quite a while.

Thanks for sharing!

Here is are 2 kidlit book review blogs to think about when making next year’s list.

Kid Lit Reviews has been reviewing kids books for nearly five years. Books for ages infant to age 13 can be found there. Reviews are well written, honest, and fair. Reviews for all major publishers.

http://kid-lit-reviews.coom

AND, though no one likes to help the competition, I’ll make exception because this kidlit site is worth mentioning.

This Kid Reviews Books is a book review site that reviews mostly middle grade but also picture books. It was started by nine-year-old Erik, who is now 13. His reviews are fantastic and well written. For a kid’s point of view, there is no site better than Erik’s. He also reviews all major publishers.

http://thiskidreviewsbooks.com

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How to Find Great Books to Read to Your Kids

• By Sheila Seifert
• October 22, 2014

I was always searching for what books to read to my kids. I liked to read to them, and they liked to listen, even after they learned to read books on their own . But this time, I hadn’t carefully screened a book before I started reading it to them, and I realized too late that the main character solved his problem by lying, without facing any consequences for his decision. When the book ended, we had a good conversation about how the ends don’t justify the means , and I began to consider how I could be more proactive in choosing quality books for my kids.

What books to read to my children

To start a list of books to read to my children, I wrote down titles that made an impact on me, along with the age I was when I read them. To that, I added recommendations from family members, trusted friends and my children’s teachers. Then I verified age and content appropriateness through book review websites such as PluggedIn.com/book-reviews . Here are a few other ideas:

• Challenges. When children go through changes, such as a move to a new school, it’s wise to find books that focus on similar situations. Otherwise, look for books to read to children with realistic characters who appear to use reason or logic to overcome challenges. These character-driven stories can help kids learn to solve their own challenges .

• Worldviews. Research the publisher and author to uncover a book’s worldview. A publisher’s mission statement or an author’s biography gives clues. (Even lesser-known authors have brief biographies or links to achievements.) This helps to better understand why Philip Pullman ( The Amber Spyglass ) depicts Christianity poorly and George MacDonald ( The Princess and the Goblin ) represents it well; or why Frances Hodgson Burnett’s earlier books ( Sara Crewe ) did not have the same Christian Science subtleties as her later work ( The Secret Garden ). You shouldn’t necessarily avoid all books that have a different worldview from yours, but it is important to discuss the books’ worldview with your kids if there is one. Unfortunately, a book written by someone with a biblical worldview doesn’t guarantee that a book is written well. So use your common sense as you find books to read to your kids.

• Book reviews. Read a book review from a trusted source, and then consider the appropriateness of the genre and plot for your children (age, developmental stage, current life challenges). Once you decide on a book that will work with your children’s personalities, interests and developmental stage — physically and spiritually — read it to them. When done, discuss the book through free tools such as the parent-child discussion questions at FocusOnTheFamily.com/discuss-books .

Reading to 4- to 7-year-olds

Book titles listed below have been reviewed by Focus on the Family, though not all books published by Focus on the Family have reviews because they are wholly approved by Focus on the Family. Those that don’t have reviews are linked to an online bookstore where you can read descriptions about the books. The titles below are intended to help parents create their own list of books to read to their children. There is some overlap of book titles between the age groups because of the wide variety of differences in children at each age and stage. Remember that PluggedIn.com book reviews are not endorsements and cover only the content and theme of a book, not its literary merit.

• Bible Kidventures: Stories of Danger and Courage * Kids remain engaged as you read them four Bible stories in this choose-your-own Kidventure. Spiritual topics include trusting God and the power of worship. Sign in to get parent-child discussion questions — under “S” for Stories of Danger and Courage — read a review or buy it .
• The Princess and the Goblin This 1872 classic fairy tale is ideal to be read to younger children. Spiritual topics include living by faith and how to treat nonbelievers. Sign in to get parent-child discussion questions for this book — under “P” for The Princess and the Goblin — or read a review .
• Stone Fox The excitement is gripping in this story that places a boy and his dog against an impossible task — getting the money to pay the taxes to save his family’s farm. Character quality: perseverance. Sign in to get parent-child discussion questions — under “S” for Stone Fox — or read a review .
• By the Great Horn Spoon! Loaded with adventure, 12-year-old Jack and his aunt’s butler head to the California gold fields to get enough money to save Aunt Arabella’s home. Character quality: resilience and zeal for life. Sign in to get parent-child discussion questions — under “B” for By the Great Horn Spoon — or read a review .

Classic stories

• Little House in the Big Woods Take a step back in time to learn about the adventures of the Ingalls family as they work on their 1871 homestead in Wisconsin. Theme: family life of pioneers. Sign in to get parent-child discussion questions — under “L” for Little House in the Big Woods — or read a review .
• Little House on the Prairie The Ingalls family moves to the Kansas prairie, and readers can follow their adventures living in a log house in 1868. Character quality: resilience. Sign in to get parent-child discussion questions — under “L” for Little House on the Prairie — or read a review .

Contemporary

• The Crazy Christmas Angel * Eric can’t believe what he sees — a Christmas tree angel comes to life! Sign in and click on “C” to get parent-child discussion questions for this story — or go to PluggedIn.com to read a book review for this title.
• Frindle Nick Allen causes all sorts of problems with one simple word: frindle . How much can one word change an entire town? Sign in and click on “F” to get parent-child discussion questions for this story — or go to PluggedIn.com to read a book review for this title.
• Jones & Parker Case Files * There’s something mysterious going on in everyone’s favorite town . . . Odyssey, of course No mystery is too big or too small for Emily Jones and Matthew Parker.
• Mudsharks Mudshark is smart, but is he smarter than a parrot? Sign in and click on “M” to get parent-child discussion questions for this story — or go to PluggedIn.com to read a book review for this title.
• The World According to Humphrey Humphrey the Hamster learns all about the students in his class and has adventures as the classroom pet. Sign in and click on “W” to get parent-child discussion questions for this story — or go to PluggedIn.com to read a book review for this title.
• The BFG Eight-year-old Sophie is snatched by a BFG. She must learn to survive in a kingdom of giants. Then one night, she comes up with a plan to destroy all mean giants. Sign in and click on “B” to get parent-child discussion questions for this story — or go to PluggedIn.com to read a book review for this title.
• The Chocolate Touch John has a problem: everything he touches turns to chocolate! Sign in and click on “C” to get parent-child discussion questions for this story — or go to PluggedIn.com to read a book review for this title.
• The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe Four siblings are sent to the countryside during World War II. Once there, they find their way into a magical land, but this unknown kingdom is in need of deliverance from evil.. Sign in and click on “L” to get parent-child discussion questions for this story — or go to PluggedIn.com to read a book review for this title.
• The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane When a little girl and her rabbit are separated, the lost rabbit looks for his young owner. Sign in and click on “M” to get parent-child discussion questions for this story — or go to PluggedIn.com to read a book review for this title.
• The Mouse With the Question Mark Tail A tiny mouse travels around Buckingham Palace in search for answers. Sign in and click on “M” to get parent-child discussion questions for this story — or go to PluggedIn.com to read a book review for this title.
• Nurk A small shrew is on a quest to answer a mysterious plea for help. Sign in and click on “N” to get parent-child discussion questions for this story — or go to PluggedIn.com to read a book review for this title.
• The Whipping Boy Prince Brat kidnaps Jemmy, but the kingdom looks for Jemmy, who is blamed for the prince’s disappearance!. Sign in and click on “W” to get parent-child discussion questions for this story — or go to PluggedIn.com to read a book review for this title.

Historical fiction

• #1 – Voyage With the Vikings * Cousins Patrick and Beth travel back in time to Viking-occupied Greenland, but while searching for an item that Mr. Whittaker asked them to bring back, they encounter a less-than-friendly Viking. Sign in and click on “V” to get parent-child discussion questions for this story — or go to PluggedIn.com to read a book review for this title.
• #2 – Attack at the Arena * Mr. Whittaker’s ancestor Albert is in trouble and needs a monk’s silver chalice. Cousins Patrick and Beth travel back in time to Rome in the Imagination Station to find it. Sign in and click on “A” to get parent-child discussion questions for this story — or go to PluggedIn.com to read a book review for this title.
• #3 – Peril in the Palace * Cousins Patrick and Beth travel to ancient China in the Imagination Station and meet Marco Polo. They need to find the golden tablet of Kublai Khan to save Mr. Whittaker’s ancestor, Albert. Sign in and click on “P” to get parent-child discussion questions for this story — or go to PluggedIn.com to read a book review for this title.
• #4 – Revenge of the Red Knight * The Imagination Station takes cousins Patrick and Beth to medieval England rather than returning them to Whit’s End. They continue their quest to help Mr. Whittaker’s ancestor while looking for a way home. Sign in and click on “R” to get parent-child discussion questions for this story — or go to PluggedIn.com to read a book review for this title.
• #5 – Showdown With the Shepherd * Cousins Patrick and Beth saved Albert, but an evil man named Hugh escapes in the Imagination Station. They must find him and keep him from helping Goliath and the Philistines defeat the Israelites. Sign in and click on “S” to get parent-child discussion questions for this story — or go to PluggedIn.com to read a book review for this title.
• #6 – Problems in Plymouth * Cousins Patrick and Beth travel to Plymouth to keep a time-traveling villain named Hugh from changing history and ruining the first Thanksgiving. They must find a way to return him to his own time. Sign in and click on “P” to get parent-child discussion questions for this story — or go to PluggedIn.com to read a book review for this title.
• #7 – Secret of the Prince’s Tomb * Patrick and Beth try to help the Habiru people, who are being enslaved by the Egyptians. If they can’t free them, they want to give them hope. Sign in and click on “S” to get parent-child discussion questions for this story — or go to PluggedIn.com to read a book review for this title.
• #8 – Battle for Cannibal Island* The Imagination Station takes Patrick and Beth on an adventure on the high seas. They meet a ship’s captain and a missionary named James Calvert before coming face to face with cannibals. Sign in and click on “B” to get parent-child discussion questions for this story — or go to PluggedIn.com to read a book review for this title.
• #9 – Escape to the Hiding Place * Patrick and Beth arrive in World War II Holland in the farm country. The children learn to appreciate the bravery and sacrifice of everyday people who helped the Jews.
• #10 – Challenge on the Hill of Fire * Beth and Patrick meet St. Patrick teaching the Irish about Christianity. In Ireland, druids control the people through fear until the king and his people accept St. Patrick’s God. Sign in and click on “C” to get parent-child discussion questions for this story — or go to PluggedIn.com to read a book review for this title.
• #11 – Hunt for the Devil’s Dragon * If you’re brave, follow cousins Beth and Patrick to Libya in the 13th century. The town of Silene is being terrorized by a vicious animal that is eating livestock.
• #12 – Danger on a Silent Night * Patrick and Beth ponder the origins of giving gifts at Christmas. Whit uses the Imagination Station to introduce them to the wise men who sought Jesus. Sign in and click on “D” to get parent-child discussion questions for this story — or go to PluggedIn.com to read a book review for this title.
• #13 – The Redcoats Are Coming * Cousins Patrick and Beth find themselves in the first battles of the Revolutionary War. They must avoid the loyalists and not be mistaken as spies while trying to deliver a letter to Paul Revere. Sign in and click on “R” to get parent-child discussion questions for this story — or go to PluggedIn.com to read a book review for this title.
• #14 – Captured on the High Seas * Beth and Patrick become prisoners of war on a British ship during the American Revolution. They try to help an American officer and an African American sailor escape. Sign in and click on “C” to get parent-child discussion questions for this story — or go to PluggedIn.com to read a book review for this title.
• #15 – Surprise at Yorktown * Beth and Patrick help slaves escape at Yorktown. They also track a suspected spy and meet Generals Cornwallis, Lafayette and Washington during negotiations for the surrender of the British army. Sign in and click on “S” to get parent-child discussion questions for this story — or go to PluggedIn.com to read a book review for this title.
• #16 – Doomsday in Pompeii * When Patrick takes a trip alone in the Imagination Station, he ends up in Pompeii in 79 A.D. a day before Mount Vesuvius erupts
• #17 – In Fear of the Spear * Dr. Silva and Beth escape a jaguar and are captured by tribesmen. They learn about Kimo, the first Auca to know Jesus, and Kimo baptizes Dr. Silva. Sign in and click on “I” to get parent-child discussion questions for this story — or go to PluggedIn.com to read a book review for this title.
• #18 – Trouble on the Orphan Train * Patrick and Beth arrive on an orphan train, heading west. They befriend an orphan who is falsely accused of being part of a train robbery.
• #19 – Light in the Lion’s Den * Beth and Patrick learn about Babylon and how Daniel chose to serve God even when it meant disobeying an earthly king. Sign in and click on “L” to get parent-child discussion questions for this story — or go to
• #20 –  Inferno in Tokyo * Eugene tells Patrick and Beth they need to find Nicholas Tesla. They do not know who he is, but find themselves in Tokyo, Japan, during a 1923 tsunami, earthquake and fire. They help the survivors. Sign in and click on “I” to get parent-child  discussion questions  for this story — or go to  PluggedIn.com to read a book review for this title.
• #21 – Madman in Manhattan * Nikola Tesla has taken Beth, and now he wants to use the Imagination Station to go back in history and register his patents for inventions before Thomas Edison and Henry Ford can register theirs. Sign in and click on “M” to get parent-child  discussion questions  for this story — or go to  PluggedIn.com to read a book review for this title.
• #22 – Freedom at the Falls * Patrick and Beth help Sally, a slave on the Underground Railroad, escape, as they ride the Lincoln Special, a train that is taking Abraham Lincoln, his family and friends to his inauguration. Sign in and click on “F” to get parent-child  discussion questions  for this story — or go to  PluggedIn.com to read a book review for this title.
• #23 – Terror in the Tunnel * Beth and Patrick near Washington, D.C., on a train with Abraham Lincoln, who is heading to his first inauguration. But a band of assassins plan to meet Lincoln in Baltimore and end his presidency before it starts. Can the cousins help get him through the city safely and on to his big history-making day?
• The Boxcar Children Henry, Jessie, Violet and Benny search for a place to call home after their parents die. Sign in and click on “B” to get parent-child  discussion questions  for this story — or go to  PluggedIn.com to read a book review for this title.
• Don’t Forget Winona Winona and her family move west by traveling on Route 66. Sign in and click on “D” to get parent-child  discussion questions  for this story — or go to  PluggedIn.com to read a book review for this title.
• A Lion to Guard Us In 1609, preteen Amanda and her younger siblings do whatever they can to reach their father who is awaiting them in the New World. Sign in and click on “L” to get parent-child  discussion questions  for this story — or go to  PluggedIn.com to read a book review for this title.
• Strawberry Girl The Boyer family moves from the mountains of northern Florida to the state’s southern lakes area in the early 1900s. They raise cattle, tend an orange grove and plant a variety of crops — including strawberries. Sign in and click on “S” to get parent-child  discussion questions  for this story — or go to  PluggedIn.com to read a book review for this title.
• The Wheel on the School The storks of Shora are gone, and children of the village try to draw them back. Sign in and click on “W” to get parent-child  discussion questions  for this story — or go to  PluggedIn.com  to read a book review for this title.

Reading to 8- to 11-year-olds

Book titles listed below have been reviewed by Focus on the Family, though not all books published by Focus on the Family have reviews because they are wholly approved by Focus on the Family. Those that don’t have reviews are linked to an online bookstore where you can read descriptions about the books. The titles below are intended to help parents create their own list of books to read to their children. There is some overlap of book titles between the age groups because of the wide variety of differences in children at each age and stage. Remember that  PluggedIn.com  book reviews are not endorsements and cover only the content and theme of a book, not its literary merit.

• Bible Kidventures: New Testament *
• Bible Kidventures: Old Testament *
• Bible Kidventures: Stories of Danger and Courage *
• Black Beauty
• The Great Turkey Walk
• Jump Into the Sky
• My Side of the Mountain
• Raiders From the Sea *
• Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
• Anne of Green Gables
• Call It Courage
• Carry on Mr. Bowditch
• Hans Brinker, or the Silver Skates
• The Jungle Book: Mowgli’s Story
• Oliver Twist
• Pilgrim’s Progress *
• Treasure Island
• The Christy Miller Collection, vol. 1 *
• Danger Lies Ahead! *
• The Fight for Kidsboro *
• Jones & Parker Case Files *
• Losers, Inc.
• Pitcher’s Duel
• Point of No Return *
• Snap Decision *
• Strange Journey Back *
• Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer

Creative Nonfiction

• Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl
• The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
• Little Britches: Father and I Were Ranchers
• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
• The Dark Is Rising
• Kingdom’s Dawn *
• The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe *
• The Door in the Wall
• Elijah of Buxton
• Journey to Jo’burg
• Life Behind the Wall *
• Little Women
• The Marus Manuscripts: Books 1-3 *
• The Marus Manuscripts: Books 4-6 *
• Miracles on Maple Hill
• Race for Freedom
• Snow Treasure

Reading to kids 12 and above

• 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
• The Bronze Bow
• Les Miserables
• The Scarlet Pimpernel
• A Tale of Two Cities
• To Kill a Mockingbird
• Uncle Tom’s Cabin
• Roughing It
• Among the Hidden
• The Fellowship of the Ring
• The Hobbit *
• The Princess Bride
• Across Five Aprils
• The Hiding Place *
• Iqbal: A Novel

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The 30 Best Parenting Books To Guide You Through Life With Kids

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Stocking up on the best parenting books can help both new and veteran caregivers navigate developmental stages and tricky behavioral situations with their kids. Many of us step into the job of parent with little to no training—and once little ones arrive on the scene, we have less free time to devote to learning new things. “High-quality, evidence-based parenting books can help parents have developmentally appropriate expectations,” says Dr. Aliza W. Pressman, a developmental psychologist. “And can help them feel armed with what to expect and how to respond based on a combination of what feels right to them and what is aligned with their child's development.”

Our list of the best parenting books can help you feel better equipped to handle just about any ... [+] childhood situation.

Once you’ve chosen a parenting book, remember that there’s not just one right way to parent, just like no two individual children are the same. “Whether you are looking for science, support or wisdom, there are many approaches and no science says there is one right way,” says Pressman. So consider books a tool, but try not to let them stress you out. One of our favorites is The Whole-Brain Child , a book that helps you understand how your child’s brain works, but we’ve also included books for toddler parents, teen parents and those raising neurodiverse kids, too.

• Best Parenting Books Overall: The Whole-Brain Child ; Your One-Year-Old ; Good Inside ; The Explosive Child
• Best Parenting Books For Newborns: The Happiest Baby On The Block ; What To Expect The First Year ; Simplicity Parenting
• Best Parenting Books For Toddler Parents: Oh Crap! Potty Training ; The Montessori Toddler ; Tiny Humans, Big Emotions
• Best Parenting Books For Sleep Issues: Precious Little Sleep ; On Becoming Babywise ; Solve Your Child’s Sleep Problems
• Best Parenting Books For School-Age Kids: How To Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk ; Siblings Without Rivalry ; How To Talk To Kids About Anything
• Best Parenting Books For Tweens/Teens: Untangled ; Fourteen Talks By Age Fourteen ; The Emotional Lives Of Teenagers
• Best Gentle Parenting Books: Raising Good Humans ; Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids
• Best Parenting Books On Autism: Autism Spectrum Disorder ; The Reason I Jump ; Uniquely Human
• Best Parenting Books For Learning Disabilities: Overcoming Dyslexia ; The Everything Parent's Guide To Special Education ; Helping Your Child With Language-Based Learning Disabilities
• Best Parenting Books For ADHD: Smart But Scattered ; Driven To Distraction

Best Parenting Books Overall

12 parenting strategies in one book, the whole-brain child.

I'm a freelance journalist and product reviewer specializing in parenting and education. My writing has been featured by AARP, Scholastic, Insider, Yahoo, MSN, AAA and more. I spent six years as a high school English teacher, and then began writing full time after my daughter was born. I'm the proud mom to her as well as twin boys (and a fur baby). I have a bachelor of science in education from Penn State and a master of arts in education from Michigan State. You can learn more about me or connect with me on  my website . 

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After reading this book, I felt like I had a better understanding of how my kids’ brains work, which helped me be a better parent. Although it’s focused on evidence-based learnings, it’s written in an approachable way that makes it easy to apply to your life. For example, you’ll learn not just why kids have tantrums, but how you can effectively respond during a tantrum. The authors also provide a dozen strategies to help parents relate to their kids in developmentally appropriate ways. 

The 2024 Forbes Vetted Best Product Awards are here: Explore our 150 top-recommended items across categories after extensive research and testing.

A Series With A Book Dedicated To Each Age, 1 To 14

Your one-year-old.

Although this series was first published in 1983, it was authored by the late psychologist Louise Bates Ames, a pioneer in child development and cofounder of the Gesell Institute Of Child Development. It does a nice job of laying out some of the fundamentals of children’s behavior and development, serving as a guidebook for parents. There are 10 books in the series, each dedicated to a child’s age— Your Two-Year-Old , Your Three-Year-Old and so on up to the final book, which is dedicated to 10 to 14-year-olds and their development. For each age, the book covers common issues kids face, and it provides ways to connect with your kids.

Helps You See The Good Inside Your Child

Good inside.

Founded on the principle that we are all good inside, this book teaches parents how to connect with their kids. You’ll learn to navigate tricky yet common situations, while Dr. Becky, as she’s known, assumes the voice of a supportive friend—a friend with years of experience as a clinical psychologist. The author has a popular podcast, an Instagram following of more than 2 million and her book shot to the No. 1 position of New York Times bestsellers list when it was released in September 2022. Her approach offers parents suggestions and even the actual language to use when talking kids through their daily challenges and frustrations, everything from getting their shoes on in the morning to bedtime routines.

An Invaluable Resource For Frustrated Kids And Parents

The explosive child.

Parenting a child with explosive behaviors can be really trying, and it’s hard to watch your child struggle and not know what to do. This book helps parents understand the difficulties their child is going through, whether they’re prone to kicking, biting or just frequent meltdowns. You’ll learn how to use collaborative problem solving to work with your child and to understand them better.

Best Parenting Books For Newborns

Learn how to calm a fussy baby, the happiest baby on the block.

This was one of the first parenting books I read, and one of the biggest takeaways was the concept of the “fourth trimester.” It helped me understand that for the first three months of their lives, babies would prefer to still be in the womb. This is why those three months can be full of crying, screaming and a desire to be held all the time. “I would have been lost without The Happiest Baby On The Block with my first child,” adds Rose Gordon Sala, a Forbes Vetted deputy editor and mother of three. In addition to educating parents on the fourth trimester, the book also teaches strategies for calming even the fussiest of newborns.

A Resource For First-Timers

What to expect the first year.

Is my baby’s poop supposed to look like that? How much spit-up is too much? Why does my baby’s skin look like a teenager in the throes of puberty? Rather than googling all of these questions that come up during the first year, you can turn to this book that has stood the test of time (but that has also been updated to reflect best practices). What to Expect the First Year serves as a comprehensive guide to all things baby. It’s a classic for a reason. Sala says it was particularly useful to her when she worried about baby’s milestones and gaining a baseline for schedules. “It was nice to have a solid source to turn to in the middle of the night, instead of peppering my pediatrician with off-hour questions,” she says.

Learn How To Create A Calm Home For Your Baby

Simplicity parenting.

If you’re like many parents today who are trying to simplify their lives and reduce both physical and mental clutter, this book is for you. It will help you reduce the amount of things you have in your home, develop predictable routines for your family and create a calm environment. It’s written by a school counselor and private family counselor-therapist. You’ll learn how to live a lifestyle and pace that’s appropriate for raising young children.

Best Parenting Books For Toddler Parents

Potty training tips mixed with humor, oh crap potty training.

Potty training can be one of the most difficult parts of being a toddler parent. With some help from this book, the process might go a little smoother. Glowacki’s wisdom helped me potty train my firstborn around 2 years old, and the methods in this book have worked for many other parents as well. It’s recommended over and over again in many parenting groups. The book is sprinkled with humor, and it provides a straightforward six-step approach to potty train your toddler.

If you’re also in the market for books that help tots learn about this topic, be sure to check out our list of the best potty training books .

Learn How To Teach Your Toddler Independence

The montessori toddler.

I referenced this book often when my firstborn was a toddler, because I wanted to foster independence in her. It provides many straightforward and easily applicable tips to make your home a place where toddlers can thrive. It also sets out to help parents understand why toddlers behave the way they do and how we can lean into where they are developmentally rather than fight it.

Take A Look Inside The Toddler Brain

Tiny humans, big emotions.

The title of this book is incredibly fitting; if you’ve ever been around a toddler, you know that they are tiny humans with very big emotions. It can be hard for them (and you) to know what to do with those emotions. In this book, you’ll learn strategies for handling many difficult toddler situations, including tantrums, bedtime refusal, hitting, biting, meltdowns and more.

Best Parenting Books For Sleep Issues

Tips to get baby to sleep through the night, precious little sleep.

It’s really hard to be a good parent when you’re sleep deprived. In this book, you’ll learn how to get your baby to sleep through the night (yes, really). It also educates parents on baby sleep so you can understand why they sometimes wake up every 45 minutes. It focuses on some of the most common sleep issues parents face, including night weaning and nap struggles. It also offers advice and solutions for toddlers and preschoolers.

Learn How To Provide A Predictable Routine

On becoming babywise.

Getting your baby on a schedule can be key to getting them to sleep well at night. This book teaches parents how to set up feeding, play and sleeptime in a way that encourages babies to sleep through the night. If you want to learn how to keep your baby on a predictable routine or schedule, this book is for you.

This Book Uses The Ferber Sleep Training Method

Solve your child's sleep problems.

This book was written by Dr. Richard Ferber, who was one of the first people to popularize modern sleep training. It teaches you to follow a sleep training method that does involve a good amount of crying, which can be very successful for many families. Ultimately, the goal of this book is to teach you how to get your baby to fall asleep and stay asleep all night. It doesn’t just help with baby sleep, either. Find solutions to sleep problems all the way through adolescence.

Best Parenting Books For School-Age Kids

Open up the lines of communication, how to talk so kids will listen & listen so kids will talk.

Getting kids to open up and talk to you can be a large feat, and as they get older and more independent, it becomes increasingly important (and simultaneously hard to do). This book offers tips on how to make your kids feel seen and heard as well as how to set firm and loving boundaries. If your kids aren’t quite school age yet, you might also be interested in How To Talk So Little Kids Will Listen.

If You're Tired Of The Bickering

Siblings without rivalry.

If you have more than one kid, you’ve probably already experienced sibling rivalry as personalities clash and kids compete for your attention. This book walks you through how to help your kids through conflict as well as how to be fair, even if things aren’t always equal. It’s a great tool to reference if you’re trying to raise kids to have strong bonds with each other into adulthood.

Keep This Book On Hand To Pull Out In Tricky Situations

How to talk to kids about anything.

This is one of my favorite parenting books to have on hand because I can turn to it instead of Google any time I need to broach a tricky subject with my kids. The book provides tips and scripts for talking to kids about death, emotions, body image, self-esteem, sex, divorce, money and more. It’s organized very well, making it easy to pull out what you need at different stages of parenting—because let’s face it, it’s difficult to find time to sit down and actually read a book cover to cover when you’re raising young kids.

Best Parenting Books For Tweens And Teens

Understanding the transitions into adulthood.

The transition from girl to woman isn’t always easy, and it doesn’t always go smoothly. This book helps parents understand and connect with their teenage daughters. It answers questions that often come up for parents of teens by using real examples from the teens and families who have met with author Lisa Damour, a psychologist who specializes in teen girls and their development. “When my tween suddenly started pulling away, this book helped me to understand it was normal,” says Sala. “I also appreciated getting glimpses into these teens’ modern lives, so I could better understand and appreciate the world my daughter was entering.”

Learn When, Where And How To Talk To Your Teens

Fourteen talks by age fourteen.

I don’t have teenagers (yet), but other parents say that one of the most difficult parts of parenting teenagers is getting them to talk to you. This book teaches parents how to broach sensitive subjects such as sexuality and hygiene. It also provides valuable information about when, where and how to talk to your tweens and teens, an age group that is often less than eager to sit down with parents for any type of chat.

Learn What To Expect During The Teen Years And How To Best Support Your Child

The emotional lives of teenagers.

Dr. Pressman calls this new book fantastic. It’s designed to help parents and teens feel less overwhelmed. Throughout the course of the book, you’ll learn what to expect while raising teenagers, strategies to support your kids, how to approach common challenges and how to connect with your kids. Whether you have the teen years on the horizon or are in the thick of it, this book can help you smooth out the rough patches as you connect with and understand your teen better.

Best Gentle Parenting Books

Mindful parenting options, raising good humans.

We all want to raise good humans, but in the hustle and bustle of daily life, it’s hard. It’s tempting to yell at your kids when you’re running late or to react unkindly when they trigger your own strong emotions. In this book, you’ll learn how to control your own responses so you can be more kind and patient with your kids. This, in turn, shows them how to be kind and patient so they can become good humans.

Ideal For Parents Who Want To Stop Yelling

Peaceful parent, happy kids.

If you’re trying to break the cycle of yelling, threatening and bribing, this book is for you. Like many gentle parenting methods, it first teaches parents how to understand and be in control of their own emotions. Once you can do this, it becomes much easier to parent your children compassionately. The book provides examples of how to approach common situations and provides language to use that is effective for kids.

Best Parenting Books On Autism

For parents looking for research and treatment methods, autism spectrum disorder.

Educational expert and founder of EBL Coaching , Dr. Emily Levy, who also has a masters degree in special education and a doctorate degree in education, recommends this book for parents of children with autism. “It includes cutting edge research, diagnosis information and important interventions for individuals with autism,” she says. From finding an accurate diagnosis to coping strategies to treatments, this book meets you where you are, whether your child has not yet been diagnosed with autism or they have had a diagnosis for years.

A Book Written By A 13-Year-Old With Autism

The reason i jump.

Commonly hailed as one of the most important books for parents of children with autism to read, The Reason I Jump is written by a 13-year-old boy with autism. In the memoir, you learn more about how an autistic brain works by seeing the world through the author’s eyes. If you’ve been struggling to understand your child, this book might provide the insight you’ve been lacking.

See And Nurture Your Child’s Strengths

Uniquely human.

Rather than trying to fix what many people see as problems and negative symptoms that can accompany autism, this book aims to see autism in a new light. It helps you build upon your child’s strengths and understand why they behave the way they do. This book might let parents see and accept their child for who they are while simultaneously teaching new ways to support them and improve their quality of life. 

Best Parenting Books For Learning Disabilities

A roadmap to support a child with dyslexia, overcoming dyslexia.

Educator Levy calls this book an absolute must. It features cutting-edge research and provides you with tools to support your child with a dyslexia diagnosis, which can often come as a surprise to parents. You’ll find information on how raise your child’s self-esteem, the latest programs designed to strengthen their reading skills and choosing schools that are tailored to their needs.

A Book To Help Parents Navigate The Special Education System

The everything parent's guide to special education.

As a former high school English teacher, I’ve taken part in many Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings, and even as a teacher, the lingo and the protocols were often foreign and confusing to me. I could only imagine how it must feel for parents to navigate the special education system for their children. This book will help you advocate for your child by teaching you about how the special education system works.

Understand Language-Based Learning Disabilities

Helping your child with language-based learning disabilities.

From auditory processing disorder to dysgraphia, this book will teach you about strategies you can use to help your child with a language-based learning disability thrive. “Parents learn how to collaborate with teachers, guide their child through homework and improve their overall relationship with their child who has specialized learning needs,” says Levy. It’s rooted in an evidence-based theory that a strong attachment with your child can help their learning. 

Improve Your Kid's Executive Functioning Skills

Smart but scattered.

According to Levy, this is a “fantastic book for explaining to parents what executive functioning skills are (skills that relate to planning, organization and time management) and strategies for helping their child develop these skills, which are crucial for success in school.” Like many other books on this list, it will help you realize your child’s strengths as you make small changes to guide them toward improving their organizational and executive functioning skills, from completing homework to just remembering it exists.

Learn About ADHD Through Real Stories

Driven to distraction.

This book is full of case studies: real stories of the millions of people who have attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), including children and adults. Recommended by Levy, Driven To Distraction explains ADHD characteristics—the good and the bad—and provides you with tools to help your child face challenges brought on by it. It also gives you a glimpse at different ways ADHD can manifest in children, from daydreaming to constant motion.

Parenting Playbook: What You Need To Get Ready For Preschool

Parenting playbook: everything you need for babies starting to walk, how we chose the best parenting books.

As a parenting writer with two degrees in education, I’ve read many of the books on this list and have interviewed many of the authors over the years. Most of the books I haven’t read are in my queue. I also spoke to parents of kids of all ages, including our parenting editor, a mom to three children ages 4 to 10, about their favorite parenting books and consulted lists of bestselling parenting books. I spoke to three experts as well: Dr. Aliza W. Pressman, who is a psychologist, cofounder of the Mount Sinai Parenting Center and host of the Raising Good Humans podcast; educational expert Dr. Emily Levy ; and author Dr. Lisa Damour .

When selecting books, I considered the authors’ credentials, particularly if they possessed a child development background. I also selected a variety of books that approach parenting from different angles, and actively worked to put together a list of works that represent different approaches and address different needs and ages or stages of childhood.

This article is frequently reviewed for accuracy and was most recently updated in March 2024.

What Books Should I Read For Parenting?

The best parenting books are the ones that align with your values and provide useful advice. “No book can offer advice that will work for everyone, and parents know their kids best. The most helpful way to approach a parenting book is to take from it what feels useful and to feel free to leave the rest,” says Damour.

“The strongest parenting books tend to be written by individuals with expert training in child development, such as psychologists or pediatricians,” Damour adds.

Similarly, Pressman advises parents to find voices that connect with their values and that provide information that can help ease the worries of parenting. A good parenting book is a perfect mix of your values as a parent and the issues you’re currently facing with your children.

What Are The Four Types Of Parenting Styles?

The four main parenting styles are authoritarian, authoritative, permissive and uninvolved. Additionally, there are many informally named parenting styles, including gentle parenting, positive parenting, helicopter parenting, lawnmower parenting and tiger parenting.

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Book reviews that parents can use

Rebecca Hagelin

Visiting Fellow

"Mom, all my friends are going to see a movie tonight. Can I go, too?"

How many millions of parents over the years have been asked this question? It's all too easy to simply focus on who is going and forget that we need to look at what they're going to before we arrange the transportation (i.e., whether you're taking or picking up). Thankfully, for several years we've had great Web sites like Focus on the Family's " Plugged In " to provide guidance on content. As a mom of three teens, I can tell you that no one sees a movie in our home without my first visiting Plugged In.

Wouldn't it be great if there were a Web site that could provide content reviews of books? Well, I have some good news: Thanks to the Alabama Policy Institute's " Facts on Fiction " Web site, now there is.

Some parents may question the need for such a service. After all, we're talking about books , often ones recommended by teachers. Besides, we're always trying to keep kids from spending too much time with electronic entertainment, and we don't want to discourage a wholesome activity such as reading, do we?

As I've written before , though, some of the books that have found their way into the "teen" section of your local bookstore and onto school-sponsored "recommended reading" lists are questionable at best -- and downright immoral at worst. Consider this case, courtesy of Sharon Evans, program director of the Alabama Policy Institute:

Susan Gamble, founder and president of Magic City Webs, could not keep up with her third grader's voracious appetite for books. She was thrilled that her eight-year-old loved to read. However, when he came to her with a question about a curse word in his book, she was curious. Upon perusal, Susan found the book peppered with expletives. There also was an instance of a man fondling a woman's breasts, children looking at pornographic magazines and references of gore and child abuse.

Then Susan spent some time on the Internet and made another unpleasant discovery: The kind of detailed reviews available for movies, TV shows and even video games didn't exist for books.

Until now. Visit the new Facts on Fiction , and you'll find a list of more than 125 books (with many more on the way), complete with the kind of specific information busy parents need to make informed decisions about whether a particular book is right for their child.

And that, Sharon stresses, is exactly what Facts on Fiction is intended to do -- make it easier for parents to do their job. The aim is not to censor books or call for boycotts, but to allow parents to decide if a certain book is right for their child. Sometimes it's a question of timing: A book that's acceptable for a 16-year-old, for example, may be wrong for an 11-year-old. Other times, a book is so bad that a parent may decide it's never acceptable. But that's the beauty of Facts on Fiction: Either way, the parent decides .

The reviews, conducted by retired teachers, librarians, home-schooling moms and writers, summarize the books and then examine how they approach certain sensitive topics. There are six main categories:

• Mature Subject Matter
• Profanity/Language
• Sexual Content
• Violence/Illegal Activity
• Tobacco/Alcohol/Drugs
• Disrespectful/Anti-Social Elements

Each category is broken into specifics. For example, does the book in question contain mild obscenities, sexual references or scatological terms, and if so, how often? The reviews will tell you. And if you need more detail (including quotes and page numbers), the reviews give you that as well. The "Disrespectful/Anti-Social Elements" is particularly helpful for those trying to gauge the overall moral tone. For example, do characters lie, cheat or steal without consequence?

As for selection, some might expect Facts on Fiction to profile the more salacious titles out there, like Cecily von Ziegesar's "Gossip Girl" series. But as Sharon notes, there's limited value to doing that. For one thing, these books tend to be upfront about what they offer. (Ziegesar's book proudly calls itself, right on the cover, " Sex and the City for the younger set.") Plus, books that appear safe but sneak in some inappropriate content can be worse, if only because they catch parents off guard. That's why Facts on Fiction concentrates on the books that don't seem threatening -- the allegedly "safe," award-winning titles found on school reading lists.

The bottom line is: There's now a site designed to equip parents with the information they need to make the right decisions about what their children read. Kudos to " Facts on Fiction " for making the tough job of parenting just a little bit easier.

Rebecca Hagelin is a vice president of The Heritage Foundation and the author of Home Invasion: Protecting Your Family in a Culture that's Gone Stark Raving Mad .

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Picture This

'the dictionary story' is a kids' book that defies definition.

Samantha Balaban

Have you ever read a children's book where the main character is… the book?

Dictionary has noticed that even though her pages contain all the words that exist, she doesn’t really tell a story like all the other books on the shelf do. So one day, Dictionary decides to change that and bring her contents — guts? pages? definitions? — to life.

A hungry alligator bursts out of the pages ready for a snack — and finds a donut several pages later. But Donut doesn’t particularly want to be eaten, so he rolls off further into the alphabet. Alligator gives chase and the story soon goes off the rails — they crash into Queen who slips on Soap. And that’s all before Tornado shows up! Definitions go flying, no one is in the right place. Can Dictionary put herself back together again?

"It's a book about chaos. Chaos and order. Fine line," says Oliver Jeffers who — along with Sam Winston — wrote and illustrated The Dictionary Story. The two previously worked together on 2016’s A Child of Books (where the main character is a child, not a book). They’ve been working on The Dictionary Story pretty much ever since.

"But not working on it full time, seven years total" clarifies Oliver Jeffers. “Maybe if you were to add it all up, I don't know. I don't even want to think about that.”

(Sam Winston likes to joke that they knocked this one out in a week but he’s very much kidding — this book took work ).

For example, how do you make a book into a character that the children and adults reading the book can have a relationship with? "It was a real challenge because we had to literally make a book," explains Sam Winston. Luckily, his partner Haein Song is a bookbinder . "We had her literally make us two physical copies, which we then photographed and drew on and aged and then distressed in different ways." While the prop dictionary starts out all nice and new, by the end of the book she’s looking very beat up. "But it’s told a pretty wild story," says Winston.

Haein Song also sent Jeffers the paper that she used to bind the dummy book. "She sent enough of that to me that I was able to do the paintings on the same paper. So it looked seamless," Jeffers explains. Then he scanned the sheets of paper with his illustrations on them. The end result is a combination of photography, painting, ink handwriting, and typography, for the dictionary definitions.

Author Interviews

In this 'alphabet,' 'o' is for helpful owl and 'c' is for escapist cup.

"It looks like a real dictionary," says Jeffers. "But if you pay close attention, you'll see that all of the definitions have been rewritten." Like:

zero /ˈzɪərəʊ/ Zero is a word that means nothing . Nothing is a word that means nothing . Even though zero is a different word for nothing , both mean nothing . This definition has just told you nothing .

miracle /ˈ mɪr.ə.kl / Something that is amazing or magical for which there seems to be no scientific or common-sense explanation. Often associated with finding a parking space or getting homework done.

The definitions are not not true, but they are a little sideways.

The Dictionary Story Copyright © 2024 by Oliver Jeffers and Sam Winston hide caption

As the characters in the book — like puddle /ˈpʌd.əl/ A small pool of water. Puddles are often made by rain and they love to look up at the sky — come to life (and, in Puddle’s case, make friends with Ghost), they disrupt the text on the page. Puddle, who Cloud made by crying, soaks through the definition for "power." Alligator makes a hole in the "a"s as he escapes from inside the book. When Queen slips on Soap, some of the "s" words go tumbling off the page entirely. Letters end up out of order, or jumbled up in a pile. Definitions are in the wrong column. Sentences go all wonky.

"The idea behind the book is that you’ve got this very rigid structure," Sam Winston says, of a typical dictionary. "So where some of the humor and the playfulness and the fun comes from is that this is a book doing something it shouldn’t do." Essentially, coming alive.

And to circle back to why it took Winston and Jeffers so many years to make this book: there’s not much software designed to do this in the way they needed it to be done. "Imagine a column of type in a newspaper accidentally becoming a waterfall of type," says Winston. "Everything gets knocked off its grid and its axis and out that waterfall emerges, say, a crocodile."

From 'F-Bomb' To 'Photobomb,' How The Dictionary Keeps Up With English

You'll probably never see that in a newspaper — or a normal, boring dictionary — because that is not what publishing software typically does. "We have all of these typographic structures that are not meant to be bent and then to bend them is like cutting out thousands of single letters and then sticking them back on the page," Winston says.

There was a lot of back and forth to get to the finished product — a lot of half completing drawings and half writing definitions, and then a lot of destroying an illustration and or a definition and sending it back again.

"It's a dance," says Sam Winston. "But you know, we like it. There's a lot of trust in the room, so we have fun."

And, by the way, the story itself is fun. While a lot of thought and work and planning went into making it, at its heart The Dictionary Story is just a good old fashioned chase story with a lot of chaos and a heartwarming ending (can Dictionary put herself back together? Maybe with a little help from some friends!)

"I think what you're looking at when you see these books are two individuals who have a deep respect for storytelling and the physical objects of books. Having fun together and playing well together and sharing that with the world," agrees Oliver Jeffers. "It's a pure joy."

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These Funny Kids' Movies Might Make Parents Laugh, Too

• Small Children
• Elementary School-Aged Children
• Tweens & Teens

Some families have 'Taco Tuesday' while others get together to watch a movie every Friday night. If your family sounds like the latter, then you're probably on the hunt for some new titles. You can only watch Toy Story so many times until you can recite it word for word. That said, we came up with a list of funny kids' movies that'll have children giggling and even parents laughing, too. 

Whether your family likes non-animated films or you want to introduce your kids to the classics, there are so many movies that the whole family will enjoy from kids and tweens to teens and adults. 

Funny Kids' Movies for Small Children 

Finding nemo .

• Released: 2003
• Where to watch: Available to rent or buy on Amazon, YouTube and stream on Disney+

Finding Nemo showcases the journey of Marlin, Nemo's dad, as he looks for his son who escaped into the great big blue sea. Along the way, viewers encounter other aquatic animal friends from turtles to sharks that bring the film to life.

Kung Fu Panda

Paramount Pictures

• Released: 2008
• Where to watch: Available to stream on Peacock

This family-friendly movie follows Po, a clumsy panda, who is picked to be the Dragon Warrior and must work to protect the Valley of Peace.

Universal Pictures

• Released: 2016
• Where to watch: Available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime and stream on YouTube

This film follows the journey of Buster Moon, a theater-owning Koala, who hosts a singing competition in an attempt to save his theater. 

Lilo & Stitch

• Released: 2002
• Where to watch: Available to rent or buy on Amazon and YouTube and stream on Disney+

"Ohana means family" is the iconic line from this classic Disney movie that follows Lilo as she adopts a "dog" named Stitch who happens to be a mischievous creature from outer space.

Despicable Me

• Released: 2010
• Where to watch: Available to rent or buy on Amazon and stream on Peacock

This animated film follows Gru, a supervillain, who adopts three orphans as he tries to carry out a lawbreaking scheme.

• Released: 2021

This Disney movie spotlights the Madrigal family, where each child was gifted with a talent aside from Mirabel. When her family is in danger, she uses her ordinary skills to save them.

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory

LMPC via Getty Images

• Released: 1971
• Where to watch: Available to rent or buy on Amazon and YouTube 

The movie follows Charlie Bucket after he won a golden ticket to Willy Wonka's prestige chocolate factory and enters a dream-like world filled with candy and chocolate. 

• Released: 2023
• Where to watch: Available to rent or buy on Amazon and YouTube and stream on Peacock 

Migration showcases the Mallard family as they venture on a family vacation to the Caribbean and run into some adventures along the way.

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip

20th Century Studios

• Released: 2015
• Rating:  PG
• Where to watch: Available to rent or buy on Amazon and YouTube and stream on Hulu

This movie follows Alvin, Simon, and Theodore as they venture out on a road trip to stop their father from getting engaged.

Funny Kids' Movies for Elementary School-Aged Children

Turning red.

• Released: 2022

Turning Red is a coming of age movie that follows Mei as she navigates puberty and family expectations in today's society.  

Honey, I Shrunk The Kids

• Released: 1989
• Where to watch: Available to rent or buy on Amazon and YouTube

Honey, I Shrunk The Kids highlights the journey of a struggling inventor who accidentally shrinks his kids who have to cross their front lawn to get back to their house.  

The Lego Movie 

• Released: 2014
• Where to watch: Available to rent or buy on Amazon and YouTube and stream on Netflix

This funny kids movie follows Emmet Brickowski on his journey to save the Lego universe from the Lord Tyrant. 

In this Disney film, Moana , a Polynesian teenager, ventures off on a voyage across the ocean to find Maui and restore the heart of Te Fiti. 

Inside Out 

The original Inside Out film follows Riley, an 11-year-old girl, on her journey after she moves from Minnesota to San Francisco and the inner workings of her emotions. And if your family loves this one, be sure to check out the sequel, Inside Out 2 !

Hotel Transylvania

• Released: 2012
• Where to watch: Available to rent or buy on Amazon and YouTube and Google Play

This family comedy follows Dracula who runs a luxurious hotel for monsters and is on a mission to stop his daughter from falling in love with a human. 

• Released: 2007
• Where to watch: Available to rent or buy on Amazon and stream on Disney+ and Hulu

This funny kids movie follows an animated princess, Giselle, when she ends up in New York City after being sent by an evil queen.

The Garfield Movie

Sony Pictures

• Released: 2024

Garfield meets a fun-loving puppy named Odie who gets kidnapped and forces him to venture out of his luxurious lifestyle to tend to the rescue.

Dreamworks Pictures

• Released: 2005
• Where to watch: Available to rent or buy on Amazon and Google Play

A cohort of animals from a New York City zoo ends up on the island of Madagascar and learns to navigate this new way of life together. 

Hulton Archive/Getty Images

• Released: 1996

The film follows Matilda, a young girl with telekinesis, as she protects her friends at school from an evil principal and herself from her parents. 

The Parent Trap 

• Released: 1998

This is a funny kids movie that reveals the shenanigans of two identical twins when they swap places after meeting at summer camp .

Funny Kids' Movies for Tweens & Teens

The game plan.

Joe Kingman, a famous NFL quarterback, learns he has a daughter who he takes in and entertains with ballet lessons, arts and crafts, and bubble baths. 

• Released: 2004
• Rating: PG-13
• Where to watch: Available to rent or buy on Amazon and YouTube and stream on Paramount+

Mean Girls is perfect for those families with tweens and teens who are learning to navigate school and social challenges. Cady Heron enters public school for the first time where she realizes it's nothing like her old life being homeschooled. And if your family loves musicals, there's also the musical version of Mean Girls , released in 2024!

Diary of a Wimpy Kid 

This book to movie adaptation spotlights Greg Heffley through his life alongside his friend, Rowley Jefferson, as they work to become popular in school. 

• Released: 2009
• Where to watch: Available to rent or buy on Amazon and YouTube and stream on MAX

This film follows Mike O'Donnell as he reverts back to his teenage years and tries to fix his mistakes while learning about the power of honesty and relationships.

The Princess Diaries

• Released: 2001
• Where to watch: Available to rent or buy on Amazon and AppleTV and stream on Disney+

Julie Andrews and Anne Hathaway star in this early 2000s film which follows Mia Thermopolis on her journey to royalty.

Ferris Bueller's Day Off

CBS via Getty Images

• Released: 1986
• Where to watch: Available to rent or buy on Amazon and stream on Paramount+

An 80s classic which follows a young boy who takes an early vacation and decides to do everything his parents told him he couldn't 

Daddy Day Care

Eddie Murphy stars in Daddy Day Care where two fathers pull their sons out of school in favor of starting their own daycare together. 

• Where to watch: Available to stream on Netflix

Yes Day is a funny kids movie that follows two parents as they decide to say yes to their kids instead of no for 24 hours. 

13 Going On 30

The film follows a 13-year-old girl who wakes up one day being an adult magazine editor trying to navigate adulthood in the big city. 

Pitch Perfect

• Where to watch: Available to rent or buy Amazon and YouTube

Pitch Perfect follows a collegiate level all-girls acapella group as they work to perfect their sound and compete in singing competitions.

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52 Modern Manners for Kids Spiral-bound – September 8, 2023

• Print length 52 pages
• Language English
• Grade level 4 - 6
• Dimensions 7.8 x 0.6 x 8.7 inches
• Publisher Brooke Romney
• Publication date September 8, 2023
• ISBN-10 173585445X
• ISBN-13 978-1735854458
• See all details

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About the author.

Brooke Romney is a writer, speaker, educator and connector. She has been published in The Washington Post, The Deseret News, Scary Mommy and a host of other online publications where her pieces have been read millions of times. She writes avidly on her blog and Instagram page @BrookeRomneyWrites where she has created a large, vibrant community of learning and growth.

She comes from very girly roots but has somehow morphed into an outdoor exploring, dirt loving mom of 4 boys, and couldn’t be happier about it. She is married to a man who keeps her on her toes but keeps loving her even when she leaves all the cupboards open and clothes on the floor.

They have bounced across the country from California to Virginia and Arizona to Michigan, but have put down roots in Utah and can’t get enough of the gorgeous mountains, family-friendly lifestyle, and enviable four seasons.

When she is not writing or mothering, you can find her in a good book, volunteering in the schools, or on a walk with a friend. She has a weakness for gummy candy, sunshine, youth sports, and family travel but also find magic in the ordinary moments that have become rather sacred in our fast paced world. Meaningful connection with family, friends, strangers, and God is central to her life and where she finds purpose and joy.

Product details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Brooke Romney (September 8, 2023)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Spiral-bound ‏ : ‎ 52 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 173585445X
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1735854458
• Reading age ‏ : ‎ 5 - 9 years, from customers
• Grade level ‏ : ‎ 4 - 6
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12 ounces
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.8 x 0.6 x 8.7 inches
• #1 in Etiquette Guides & Advice
• #8 in Parenting Girls
• #16 in Children's Manners Books

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Customers find the book great for teaching kids common sense manners. They also appreciate the prompts for a great dinner discussion with their kids. Customers also describe the book as simple, effective, and makes for good family connections.

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Customers find the book great for teaching kids, with wonderful advice and reminders of simple manners. They also say it focuses on great topics and is effective for adults.

"...It's just simple, effective and makes for good family connections. It's basic manner foundations: Say thank you, clear your plate." Read more

"...This is a great book, gives example, helps parents ask questions and have conversations about the manner being talked about." Read more

"...It is very simple and very helpful . These days, even most adults don't have good manners. I hope my grandchildren learn how to be respectful." Read more

"This is a perfect book for elementary aged kids . We use it daily and keep it on the kitchen table. I agree with most everything in the book!!..." Read more

Customers find the book helpful and easy to read. They say it gives prompts for a great dinner discussion with their kids.

"...It has awesome prompts on what questions to ask your kids and how to incorporate it into your day to day...." Read more

"...Definitely has started some good conversations ." Read more

"...Brooke Romney does a great job of addressing topics that parents and kids can relate to...." Read more

"... It sparks good conversations . I especially like the role play and discussion questions on the back." Read more

Customers find the book simple, effective, and easy to display. They also say it makes it easy to discuss manners with kids and answer any questions they have.

"...It's just simple , effective and makes for good family connections. It's basic manner foundations: Say thank you, clear your plate." Read more

"...She makes it easy to discuss manners with your kids and answer any questions they might have...." Read more

"...It is very simple and very helpful. These days, even most adults don't have good manners. I hope my grandchildren learn how to be respectful." Read more

" Loved the simple , common sense manners that everyone should learn…but did I teach my kids all these manners?..." Read more

Customers find the book's content great and a great buy.

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Children’s Books

The Children’s Fantasy Novel That Flew Off Britain’s Shelves

“Impossible Creatures” has prompted comparisons to Tolkien, Lewis and Pullman, but action, not awe, is Katherine Rundell’s strong suit.

Cover illustration for “Impossible Creatures.” Credit... Ashley Mackenzie

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By Laura Miller

Laura Miller is a books and culture columnist for Slate and the author of “The Magician’s Book: A Skeptic’s Adventures in Narnia.”

• Aug. 23, 2024
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IMPOSSIBLE CREATURES , by Katherine Rundell. Illustrated by Ashley Mackenzie.

Katherine Rundell, a fellow of St. Catherine’s College at Oxford, belongs to that university’s longstanding tradition of combining scholarship — her biography of John Donne, “Super-Infinite,” won the Baillie Gifford Prize — with writing beloved children’s fiction. “Impossible Creatures,” Rundell’s sixth novel for middle grade readers, became an instant best seller in her native Britain when it was published last year and has garnered numerous awards, including the Waterstones Book of the Year.

The novel begins as Christopher Forrester is packed off to stay at his grandfather’s estate at the foot of a steep hill in Scotland, little realizing that the hill contains a portal to a magically sequestered portion of the world called the Archipelago, islands inhabited by creatures from assorted mythologies. In a parallel story, Mal Arvorian, a girl born in the Archipelago and able to fly thanks to an enchanted coat, investigates signs that the islands’ magic, or glimourie, is fading. This endangers all the unicorns, mermaids, kankos and other fabulous creatures — including her pet, a baby griffin — who need glimourie to survive. Mal enlists Christopher in a journey to find the source of the diminishment. Soon, their party expands to include a surly ship’s captain, an oceanographer and a talking horned squirrel who serves as navigator.

The first book in a series, “Impossible Creatures” marks a departure for Rundell. Her previous novels have their fanciful elements, but this is her first work of fantasy. Oxford’s history of producing illustrious children’s fantasy authors has prompted comparisons of Rundell to J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis and Philip Pullman, but fantasy doesn’t feel like a natural fit for her. Rundell’s true antecedent is Robert Louis Stevenson, another author of thrilling yarns presented in confident, richly colored yet sleek prose.

In Rundell’s “The Explorer,” children survive a plane crash in the Amazon rainforest by building a raft and learning how to eat tarantulas. The heroine of the sublime “Rooftoppers” discovers a secret community of orphans living on the rooftops of Paris, including a boy who never sets foot on the streets and makes a waterproof tent out of pigeon feathers. In “The Good Thieves,” a professional pickpocket and two circus performers help a girl burgle the mansion of a mobbed-up robber baron in Prohibition-era New York.

Such doings may be improbable, but they’re not impossible, and much of the delight to be found in Rundell’s novels comes from the ingenuity and resourcefulness of her child characters when faced with the daunting constraints of reality. “Children have been underestimated for hundreds of years,” an old woman argues in “Impossible Creatures,” articulating a common theme in Rundell’s work. Another is the stifling demands of decorum, especially when imposed on Rundell’s wild, tomboy girls. Mal’s great-aunt and guardian (like many of Rundell’s protagonists, she’s an orphan) forbids “an immense, book-length list of things,” prohibitions Mal routinely defies. Christopher’s father (his mother is dead) is afraid of almost everything.

These complaints barely register before the plot of “Impossible Creatures” kicks into gear with a hired killer forcing Mal from her home and Christopher plunging through a passage in a lake and into the Archipelago. All this happens so hastily that the wonder of Rundell’s premise never has a chance to fully bloom.

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