Juvenile Literature

The books in this collection navigate themes and ideas appropriate for younger readers. Whether you're looking for contemporary hits like Front Desk by Kelly Yang or beloved classics like Louisa May Alcott's Little Women, you can explore this collection to find a title that will excite the young readers in your life.

Publication year 2009

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Siblings, Identity: Masculinity

Tags Humor, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction


Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge

Tags Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Mystery / Crime Fiction

The Lemonade Crime is the sequel to Jacqueline Davies’s elementary school reader novel The Lemonade War. Published in 2011, this follow-up continues the story of entrepreneurial siblings Evan and Jessie, solving the mystery of the theft that ended the first novel. The key question of the novel is about the best way to right a wrongdoing: Is it through vengeance or justice? By setting the climax of The Lemonade Crime at a mock trial organized... Read The Lemonade Crime Summary


Publication year 2007

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family

Tags Children's Literature, Education, Education, Science / Nature, Realistic Fiction

Published in 2007, Jacqueline Davies’s The Lemonade War is the first installment in an award-winning series, which also includes The Lemonade Crime (2011) and The Bell Bandit (2012). The fictional children’s novel follows the Treski siblings as they compete for the most successful lemonade stand. The competition takes place the summer before Jessie Treski, an academically minded student, joins her older brother Evan’s fourth-grade class. The chapters alternate between Jessie and Evan’s perspectives.Plot SummaryWhen the... Read The Lemonade War Summary


Publication year 2005

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship

Tags Children's Literature, Mythology, Fantasy, Action / Adventure

Book DetailsThe Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan, published in 2005, is the first installment in Percy Jackson and the Olympians, a six-book fantasy series for young readers. It was named School Library Journal’s Best Book of 2005, an American Library Association Notable Book (2006), and a New York Times Notable Book (2005). The book follows its young protagonist, Percy Jackson, as he discovers that he is a demigod and embarks on a journey save his... Read The Lightning Thief Summary


Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Animals, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Environment

Tags Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Animals, Grief / Death, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Community, Natural World: Space & The Universe

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Action / Adventure, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Children's Literature, Fantasy


Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags Children's Literature, Bullying, Realistic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction

The Lions of Little Rock (2012) is the second novel by juvenile fiction author Kristin Levine. Other titles she has written include The Best Bad Luck I Ever Had (2009), Paper Cowboy (2014), and The Jigsaw Jungle (2018). The book is suitable for readers aged 10 to 13 and is categorized as Children’s American Historical Fiction, Children’s Prejudice and Racism Books, and Children’s Friendships. The author felt compelled to tell this story because her mother... Read The Lions Of Little Rock Summary


Publication year 1950

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Food, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness

Tags Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Christian literature, Children's Literature, Religion / Spirituality

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is the best-known work of author and literary critic Clive Staples (C. S.) Lewis. Published in 1951, the novel presents complex moral conundrums through the genre of children’s fantasy. Lewis later noted that his inspiration for the novel came from a recollection of images that he found particularly striking, such as a picture of a faun holding an umbrella in a snow-covered wood. The Lion, the Witch and... Read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Summary


Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Art, Society: Politics & Government, Identity: Language

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Children's Literature


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age

Tags Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 1943

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship

Tags Children's Literature, Classic Fiction, French Literature, Education, Education, Fantasy, Philosophy, Philosophy

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry drew heavily on his own experiences when writing his 1943 novella, The Little Prince (Le Petit Prince). Like the story's first-person narrator, Saint-Exupéry was a pilot, and the inspiration for the book's central events came from his own 1935 crash-landing in the Sahara Desert. As the story begins, the narrator is still a young child showing off his drawings of boa constrictors eating elephants to the adults around him. The adults react... Read The Little Prince Summary


Publication year 1967

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos

Tags Children's Literature, Fantasy, Action / Adventure


Publication year 2007

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Identity: Disability, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth

Tags Children's Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, British Literature, Disability, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

The London Eye Mystery (2007), by Siobhan Dowd, is a novel for young readers about a boy named Ted who teams up with his sister to figure out how their cousin disappeared while riding a giant Ferris wheel.The novel was nominated for a Carnegie Medal, was listed as a 2008 Booklist Children’s Editors’ Choice title, and a School Library Journal Best Book of 2008. It was also shortlisted for many English awards, including the Red... Read The London Eye Mystery Summary


Publication year 1940

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place

Tags Historical Fiction, Children's Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction


Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Language, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict

Tags Realistic Fiction, Humor, Bullying, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags Fantasy, Children's Literature, Mythology, Action / Adventure

Rick Riordan’s 2010 YA novel, The Lost Hero, tells the story of three demigods: Jason Grace, son of Jupiter/Zeus; Piper McClean, daughter of Aphrodite; and Leo Valdez, son of Hephaestus. The book alternates between narrating these three characters’ thoughts and experiences in free indirect discourse. Each has a distinctive style: Jason is vaguely confused, but aware of others’ high expectations; Piper is lovelorn over Jason, and self-pitying because her father’s fame has weakened their bond;... Read The Lost Hero Summary


Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Animals, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Children's Literature, Magical Realism


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: The Past, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Children's Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction


Publication year 1976

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Flora/plants

Tags Realistic Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Historical Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction

Irene Hunt’s 1976 middle grade novel The Lottery Rose focuses on a young boy named Georgie who hides the evidence of his abuse and neglect at the hands of his mother and her boyfriend, Steve. After Georgie wins a rosebush at his local grocery store, he becomes attached to the shrub and passionately cares for it. Georgie’s life changes when the court system places him in an all-boys Catholic school, where he meets adults who... Read The Lottery Rose Summary


Publication year 2020

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Identity: Sexuality

Tags LGBTQ, Fantasy, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Asian Literature, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction