I’m a children’s librarian, so while I don’t post about many kids’ books on this blog, I read A TON of them. That’s why my TBR goal for 2021 was so high (and I’m likely going to alter it to make it even higher!) – most of the books I read are tiny!
Since I don’t share all of my children’s book reads on this blog, this post is for sharing the ones I read in the first half of 2021. I read way more than “normal” for me this year due to a work project, so I am only sharing 5 star reads. I’ll break things down into the categories of picture books, early and young readers, and middle grade books. I’ll link back to any posts on this blog where I featured these books, too. I’ll also link you directly to the purchase link for my absolute favorites on this list. If you have a child in your life or just like to read books for a younger crowd, this post is for you!
Note: This post contains affiliate links. When you click on and/or purchase from some links, I make a portion of the sale. This helps keep Bitch Bookshelf running.
Picture Books
This category includes books aimed for our youngest readers to enjoy alone or with someone older to read with them. A few of these might also crossover well into the “early and young reader” section, but in the format and tone I read them, I found them to be described best as picture books.
Animal Families: Farm by Nosy Crow
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I love lift the flap books for reading with babies. I feel like this will be a really fun one because it includes vocabulary adults might not know, but won’t be confusing for little kids. I learned some animal group names from this book!
Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I love Lois Ehlert books because the text is simple and informative while still telling a story. The captions build vocabulary and help foster discussion. I’ll be using this for an online storytime, so I may rely less on the labels and more on identification and discussion – i.e. What veggies would you plant in a garden?
Baby Up, Baby Down: A First Book of Opposites by Abrams Appleseed
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I think this is a good board book for babies and toddlers, showing opposites with vibrant and clear photos of babies. I think my favorite are the “near” and “far” pages.
Polar Bear’s Underwear by Tupera Tupera
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
What a silly, fun book! Kids will really enjoy this one, whether they are very little or in early elementary grades.
Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? by Bill Martin Jr.
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
There’s a reason this book is such a classic. I like this one as a twist on the original, encouraging the kids to make the animal sounds, some of which are a little unique/interesting.
Moo, Baa, La La La! by Sandra Boynton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A cute and silly Boynton book where kids can identify animal sounds and just have some fun!
Bumblebee by J.V. Wilson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Wow, what an informative book! I learned so much about bumblebees, and the illustrations are gorgeous.
Bear Feels Sick by Karma Wilson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A cute book in the Bear series by Karma Wilson! Bear feels sick and his friends help him feel better by taking care of him. Bear returns the favor when he feels better but they’ve caught his illness.
Runaway: The Daring Escape of Ona Judge by Ray Anthony Shepard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I did not know anything about Ona Judge and her story. With realistic illustrations and informative backmatter, this is a great book for kids. Some kids might not know the Washingtons had slaves, let alone the stories of enslaved people such as Ona Judge. I loved that the author reclaimed the questions people then (and now) asked enslaved folks when they ran away from “fine homes”.
Mary Wears What She Wants by Keith Negley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I knew nothing about Mary Walker! What a fun, empowering book. The back matter taught me so much.
Dinosaurs Roar (shaped board book with lift-the-flaps): Lift-the-Flap and Discover by Steve Jenkins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a good transitional book. Babies can enjoy the basic part of the story and moving the flaps to see the bigger picture, and as they age up they will enjoy the dinosaur facts beneath the flaps. Because what kid doesn’t have a dinosaur phase?
Dinosnores by Sandra Boynton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A cute going to bed book (hehe, Boynton pun) focusing on dinosaurs with a snoring problem.
Butterflies Are Pretty … Gross! by Rosemary Mosco
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book is going to make an excellent nonfiction read-aloud! With whimsical illustrations, this butterfly fact book is funny and interesting. I appreciated the “About the Butterflies in This Book” backmatter.
Hear My Voice/Escucha mi voz: The Testimonies of Children Detained at the Southern Border of the United States by Warren Binford
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Hear My Voice/Escucha mi voz is a powerful book sharing the voices of 61 children, ages 5 to 17, detained at the border and featuring the works of 17 Mexican and Mexican American artists. It is compiled by a children’s rights scholar and activist. This is a tough read, and as stated in the foreword, “But it’s not only a story of adults’ cruelty and neglect; at the end of the day, it’s also a story of children’s strength, courage, and hope.” This was an extremely moving and important read. It is definitely a picture book for older kids to read with “thoughtful adults” as the backmatter suggests. I liked that the backmatter empowered children to use their voices to ensure children’s rights are observed.
Buy Hear My Voice/Escucha Mi Voz here.
Black Is a Rainbow Color by Angela Joy
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book is joyous with gorgeous illustrations, and awesome backmatter including a playlist that is repeat-worthy.
Buy Black Is a Rainbow Color here.
The Happy Day by Ruth Krauss
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a classic for a reason. This works as an early reader or a picture book to share with a young child. I love the pencil illustrations and the colorful flower at the end.
Cougar Crossing: How Hollywood’s Celebrity Cougar Helped Build a Bridge for City Wildlife by Meeg Pincus
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
What an interesting story with great kid appeal! I didn’t think I would like the experts narrating at the bottom but they grew on me within a few pages. Loved the backmatter.
Hush!: A Thai Lullaby by Minfong Ho
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a really beautifully illustrated book. I love the story.
Child of the Flower-Song People: Luz Jiménez, Daughter of the Nahua by Gloria Amescua
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Learned a lot from this one. Really interesting biography.
The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Eric Carle wrote books that are considered children’s classics for a reason. This is a great tactile story.
Niños: Poems for the Lost Children of Chile by María José Ferrada
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Incredibly moving, attempts to give a childhood (and in some cases adulthood) back to these children.
Catch That Chicken! by Atinuke
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
As always, love Atinuke’s stories. The art is beautiful too.
Buy Catch That Chicken! here.
Summertime Sleepers: Animals That Estivate by Melissa Stewart
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
New to me concept and I love the actual size/to scale illustrations!
View all my reviews
Ten Animals in Antarctica: A Counting Book by Moira Court
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Loved the art and use of rhyming and alliteration. Backmatter taught me something – I did not know there are multiple south poles.
To Carnival!: A Celebration in Saint Lucia by Baptiste Paul
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Lots of colors, solid backmatter, and a cute, fun story!
The 1619 Project: Born on the Water by Nikole Hannah-Jones
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Simply WOW.
Scott Joplin, King of Ragtime by Stephen Costanza
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I always loved playing Joplin’s pieces growing up but knew nothing about him! Lovely art, solid backmatter.
Is Everyone Ready for Fun? by Jan Thomas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Silly and fun – great for read aloud.
Dinosaurs in Love by Fenn Rosenthal
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Five stars for Fenn. How could I rate this any less? Hannah Jacobs does a great job of bringing Fenn’s song to life with cure and emotional illustrations. I love the letter from her father and interview at the end.
Buy Dinosaurs in Love here.
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Tree: A Peek-Through Picture Book by Britta Teckentrup
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A playful book featuring a tree going through the seasons. Text and illustrations show all the things trees do for various animals.
Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a hilarious and short picture books that kids will love interacting with. The illustrations are so fun and can inspire kids to make crayon drawings of their own!
Good Night, Sweet Butterflies: A Color Dreamland by Dawn Bentley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Apparently the copy I have was recalled because the tactile portions can be popped out. Assuming that was fixed, I love how tactile and pretty this book is. Because of the issue, I use it for read-alouds to groups where I am the one controlling the book.
This is a great, gentle story for teaching colors and animals. The images are so vibrant and fun!
The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Much-loved for a reason.
13 Ways to Eat a Fly by Sue Heavenrich
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Fun and funny illustrations – I LOVED the “fly death list” (as I’m calling it) modeling subtraction on each page. Backmatter is so funny and provides a good bibliography.
One Is a Piñata: A Book of Numbers by Roseanne Thong
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I always love Roseanne Thong’s books.
What Can You Do with a Paleta? by Carmen Tafolla
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I love the illustrations in this one.
I Love My Mommy by Sebastien Braun
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A cute, sweet book about mothers and children featuring animals in the illustrations.
Drawn Together by Minh Lê
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is such a cool book. I love the different art styles of the boy and his grandfather combined into the same image.
Early & Young Readers
This category includes those classic early readers you may be familiar with and shorter chapter books. I’ve included nonfiction appropriate for these readers.
J.D. and the Great Barber Battle by J Dillard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The best young reader chapter book I have read in a while! I was laughing by the second page. I love how this book incorporates math into the storyline. With so many pop culture references, it might not be timeless, but it has big kid appeal for today.
Buy J.D. and the Great Barber Battle here.
Tag Team by Raúl the Third
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Loved the art, humor, and comic book vibes as well as the use of English and Spanish. This is an early reader mixed with a graphic novel; the art is stellar. I had a smile on my face the entire time I read it.
Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre by Carole Boston Weatherford
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Powerful, great illustrations, and approachable text for older children.
Buy Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre here.
Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey by Erin Entrada Kelly
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A funny and heartfelt book. Emotionally satisfying. Plot is centered around Marisol’s development as a character.
Buy Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey here.
Dear Treefrog by Joyce Sidman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Love the art and that each page has a poem and fact – and often labeling. Surprised how emotional the poems made me. Backmatter is concise but thorough.
Buy Dear Treefrog here.
Ducks Run Amok! by J.E. Morris
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
What a funny early learner! Love the inclusion of rhyming AND speech bubbles.
The Fearless Flights of Hazel Ying Lee by Julie Leung
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Wow, what a cool and inspiring historical figure. I knew nothing about Hazel Ying Lee before reading this book and I loved becoming informed. The art is great too.
Opening the Road: Victor Hugo Green and His Green Book by Keila V. Dawson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book has the perfect amount of text to convey information in an interesting way while still keeping the length kid-friendly. Good backmatter.
Bartali’s Bicycle: The True Story of Gino Bartali, Italy’s Secret Hero by Megan Hoyt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Love the illustrations and the story – and the message. “Good is something you do, not something you talk about.”
Jump at the Sun: The True Life Tale of Unstoppable Storycatcher Zora Neale Hurston by Alicia D. Williams
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Loved the art, loved the style of the text.
The Highest Tribute: Thurgood Marshall’s Life, Leadership, and Legacy by Kekla Magoon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a comprehensive picture book biography of Thurgood Marshall, and I appreciated the backmatter sharing the timeline of his life and the major court cases he was involved in as an attorney, judge, solicitor general, or Supreme Court justice.
One Step Further: My Story of Math, the Moon, and a Lifelong Mission by Katherine G. Johnson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A well-delivered story with nice illustrations and first-person sources (like Johnson’s photographs and report card). I love that she and her daughters collaborated on this one.
The Water Lady: How Darlene Arviso Helps a Thirsty Navajo Nation by Alice B. McGinty
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
“While almost every other American will use around a hundred gallons of water today, many on the Navajo reservation will use only seven.”
Middle Grade Books
Finally, my favorite category – “big kid” chapter books! “Middle grade” is a sort of ambiguous term that refers to the grades before and kind of including middle school. These readers aren’t on young adult books yet, but have graduated past young readers. I think a solid middle grade collection has books with content appropriate for children ages eight to 14, and adults, of course, can enjoy them too!
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
So here’s the deal: I’m going to be honest from now on. When people ask me my favorite book, I won’t name this adult novel or that classic. Yes, I love those too. But since I was nine, Ella Enchanted has been my favorite.
This is a middle grade read, and even as an adult it has it all: beautiful prose, a badass heroine, a feminist plot, whimsical magic, memorable secondary characters, amazing world-building, and a sumptuous romance. Char is my ideal man to this day, about twenty years since my first of many reads. And Ella is still one of the most relatable heroines.
While this is a book for kids in late elementary/middle school, the language is stunning. I learned so many words on my first read in 1999: desolate, corrosive, chicanery… The author introduces these SAT words so seamlessly.
If you like middle grade, fantasy, fractured fairytales, and/or romance, you need to read this book.
Favorite quotes:
Why did he think it was fine to talk about me as though I were portrait instead of a maiden?
If I thought of a joke, I wanted to try it on him. If I had a serious idea, I wanted his opinion.
I trust you to find the good in me, but the bad I must be sure you don’t overlook.
I hadn’t loved him as long, perhaps, but now I loved him equally well, or better. I loved his laugh, his handwriting, his steady gaze, his honorableness, his freckles, his appreciation of my jokes, his hands, his determination that I should know the worst of him. And, most of all, shameful though it might be, I loved his love for me.
Buy Ella Enchanted here.
And don’t miss my full review.
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Bear by Ben Queen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Emotional and visually humorous, this is a children’s book adults will love too. I read it in about half an hour. An informative story about a guide dog and his adult owner. When Bear becomes visually impaired, he is frightened and worried he won’t be able to do his job any longer. When he leaves home looking for a way to solve his problem, he meets some unlikely friends who help him find his way back.
Buy Bear here.
And don’t miss my full review.
Go with the Flow by Lily Williams
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
What a great book! Go With the Flow is about a group of friends who want there to be free menstrual products in the high school bathroom. The friendship story is great, and there’s a lot of information on periods and period activism. Huge fan of this book, and as someone who had an experience similar to Brit’s, I could’ve used this book in middle school.
Buy Go with the Flow here.
And don’t miss my full review.
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Legacy: Women Poets of the Harlem Renaissance by Nikki Grimes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
What a powerful read. Though this is for children, adults will get just as much from it. Some of the poems might be less accessible for younger readers stylistically, and one or two involve graphic violence, but I think with a sensitive adult facilitating, this is a must-read. Grimes introduces the golden shovel style of poem in her works, which is both interesting and fun – and bonus: makes this one great for classroom use.
Ancestor Approved: Intertribal Stories for Kids by Cynthia Leitich Smith
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Short stories, poems, loved seeing characters make cameos throughout, great themes of respect, friendship, and connecting with elders
Buy Ancestor Approved here.
And don’t miss my full review.
Too Bright to See by Kyle Lukoff
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
What a lovely story about grief, making friends, and coming into yourself.
Buy Too Bright to See here.
And don’t miss my full review.
Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy by Emmanuel Acho
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I haven’t read the original, but I loved this adaptation. Definitely geared more towards YA. Much love for a former Philadelphia Eagle!
That being said, while I enjoyed it and see it as a useful read for kids, I understand the criticisms I see in others’ reviews.
Don’t miss my full review.
The Girl Who Stole an Elephant by Nizrana Farook
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I loved this one! Action packed. Chaya is so memorable and Nour and Neel are great foils for her. Rich description of setting.
Don’t miss my full review.
Artie and the Wolf Moon by Olivia Stephens
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
LOVE this graphic novel for YA and MG. Does werewolves and vampires in such a refreshing way. The adult characters really shine for their strength and emotional vulnerability.
Preorder Artie and the Wolf Moon here.
Stamped (For Kids): Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Exceeded my expectation. This adaptation is accessible for middle grade and young readers with support. Up-to-date.
Buy Stamped (For Kids) here.
And don’t miss my full review.
Take Back the Block by Chrystal D. Giles
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I was immediately drawn into this story – Wes reminds me of SO many kids I know. Great themes of combatting gentrification, pride in and love for your community, friendship, and a complete lack of toxic masculinity. Loved that all of the kids had their own stories.
Buy Take Back the Block here.
Pity Party by Kathleen Lane
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I’ll be honest, I’m not 100% sure this has middle grade kid appeal, but I loved this zine-style book! Very accurate representation of mental illness, largely anxiety, in children. Black Mirror & Goosebumps vibes.
The Little Mermaid: by J. M. Farkas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Love this for middle and early high school! Beautiful illustrations. Would make a great gift for a poetry-minded kid.
Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is the first time since I was the target audience that a middle grade fantasy novel completely enthralled me. Fabulous characters – not just Amari, but the side characters too – and gorgeous world-building, not to mention excellent themes. I love that the author does not shy away from the real-world metaphors like others in this genre do. Amari recognizes the similarities between situations.
Buy Amari and the Night Brothers here.
And don’t miss my full review.
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Unsolved Case Files: Escape at 10,000 Feet: D.B. Cooper and the Missing Money by Tom Sullivan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The first in what promises to be a fun true crime series for kids. Bordering on a graphic novel. Informative, great illustrations and use of diagrams.
Amber and Clay by Laura Amy Schlitz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
My favorite read of 2021 (for “children” at least) so far. However, I think this emotional masterpiece of a book, though about children, is better suited for a YA audience who will have the nuance and background knowledge.
Buy Amber and Clay here.
And don’t miss my full review.
Soul Lanterns by Shaw Kuzki
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
WOW, what a powerful book with strong anti-war sentiments. Though this is middle grade, some of the scenes are very graphic and traumatic and I would not recommend for everyone. Nonetheless, this is a very important, emotionally impactful book by a second-generation atomic-bomb survivor.
Buy Soul Lanterns here.
Welcome To Your Period by Yumi Stynes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A solid, feminist, thorough, inclusive introduction to periods. I love this one.
Buy Welcome to Your Period! here.
And don’t miss my full review.
Big Apple Diaries by Alyssa Bermudez
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
As someone around Alyssa’s age, I really vibed with this book. Lots of early 2000s references. I loved how much Alyssa matured post-9/11.
Starfish by Lisa Fipps
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This novel in verse feels so authentic because Ellie, the narrator, is a poet. I loved that the bullies (for the most part, especially the mother) did not get a redemption arc. The bullying and fatphobia in this one is ROUGH though. One quote I loved: “Why aren’t kids allowed / to tell grown-ups when they’re wrong?”
Buy Starfish here.
No One Returns from the Enchanted Forest by Robin Robinson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
My favorite graphic novel of 2021 so far!
Buy No One Returns from the Enchanted Forest here.
The Many Meanings of Meilan by Andrea Wang
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
What a wonderful book, my favorite realistic middle grade fiction of 2021 so far! I loved that this book felt like both a window and a mirror for me.
Buy The Many Meanings of Meilan here.
Clues to the Universe by Christina Li
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Clues to the Universe takes place during the 80’s but feels so timeless. I loved the friendship between Benji and Ro. I also felt the representation of bullying and Benji and Ro’s reactions to it were so relatable.
