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Family books

All kinds of families — the ones we are born into and the ones we choose.

Whoever is at your table. This hub does not treat that as a special episode. Born-into families, chosen families, grandparents who get there, dads learning hair, siblings arriving, abuelas on the subway home from the pool.

Family is a wide tag on purpose. Use the other topic chips when you need LGBTQ+ families, immigration, or Indigenous family life in the present tense. Stay here when you want the everyday: supper, a new baby, a bus ride, a name.

A few doors

Julián Is a Mermaid for an abuela who decides. When Aidan Became a Brother for getting ready for a sibling without stuffing them into the wrong story. Hair Love for care you can see. Fry Bread for a Native family in the present tense. Last Stop on Market Street for a grandma and a Sunday.

The inclusive shelf essentials guide is the five-book start if you do not want to browse 80 titles tonight.

What we skip

We skip books that only work if your family looks like a catalog. We skip titles that treat a two-mom house, a disabled parent, or a grandparent raising a child as the twist. If a listing implies a family structure we got wrong, send a correction.

Related guides: Best Children's Books for Inclusive Shelves · LGBTQ+ Picture Books for Families

Audience

Age

89 books · Page 3 of 4

Cover of One of a kind like me

Ages 3–8

One of a kind like me

Laurin Mayeno

It's almost closing time will Danny find the costume of his dreams in time? One of A Kind, Like Me / Unico como yo is a sweet story about unconditional love and the beauty of individuality.

$17.99$19.99
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Cover of I am Jazz

Ages 3–8

I am Jazz

Jessica Herthel

Jazz always knew she was different from other kids. She had a girl's brain and a boy's body. This is her story. The story of a transgender child based on the real-life experience of Jazz Jennings, who has become a spokesperson for transkids everywhere. From the time she was two years old, Jazz knew that she had a girl's brain in a boy's body. She loved pink and dressing up as a mermaid and didn't feel like herself in boys' clothing. This confused her family, until they took her to a doctor who said that Jazz was transgender and that she was born that way. Jazz's story is based on her real-life experience and she tells it in a simple, clear way that will be appreciated by picture book readers, their parents, and teachers.

$17.99$19.99
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Cover of Calvin

Ages 3–8

Calvin

J. R. Ford

In this joyful and impactful picture book, a transgender boy prepares for the first day of school and introduces himself to his family and friends for the first time. Calvin has always been a boy, even if the world sees him as a girl.

$17.99$19.99
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Cover of Joey and Sam

Ages 3–8

Joey and Sam

Illana Katz

Joey and Sam by Illana Katz — a thoughtfully chosen inclusive book for young readers.

$17.99$19.99
Cover of The Night Before Christmas

Ages 0–3

The Night Before Christmas

Clement Clarke Moore

Ce poème de Clarke Moore, dédié à ses enfants le soir de Noël 1822, est à l'origine de la création d'un personnage célèbre qui a marqué et marquera encore des générations d'enfants : le père Noël. Les illustrations s'appliquent à recréer fidèlement l'atmosphère et l'esprit du texte.

$8.99$10.99
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Cover of Guess How Much I Love You

Ages 0–3

Guess How Much I Love You

Sam McBratney

Welcome the family classic with an elegant, refreshed cover — the quintessential picture book, just waiting to be shared. Sometimes, when you love someone very, very much, you want to find a way of describing how much you treasure them. But, as Little Nutbrown Hare and Big Nutbrown Hare discover, love is not an easy thing to measure! For two decades, Sam McBratney’s timelessly endearing story, beautifully rendered in Anita Jeram’s exquisite watercolors, has captured the deep and tender bond between parent and child. Guess How Much I Love You is one of the world’s best-loved picture books.

$8.99$10.99
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Cover of When Stars Are Scattered

Ages 8–12

When Stars Are Scattered

Victoria Jamieson & Omar Mohamed

A National Book Award Finalist, this remarkable graphic novel is about growing up in a refugee camp, as told by a former Somali refugee to the Newbery Honor-winning creator of Roller Girl.

$12.99$14.99
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Cover of Patina

Ages 8–12

Patina

Jason Reynolds

Ghost. Lu. Patina. Sunny. Four kids from wildly different backgrounds with personalities that are explosive when they clash. But they are also four kids chosen for an elite middle school track team - a team that could qualify them for the Junior Olympics if they can get their acts together. They all have a lot to lose, but they also have a lot to prove, not only to each other, but to themselves. Patina, or Patty, runs like a flash. She runs for many reasons: to escape the taunts from the kids at the fancy-schmancy new school she's been sent to since she and her little sister had to stop living with their mom. She runs from the reason why she's not able to live with her 'real' mom anymore: her mom has The Sugar, and Patty is terrified that the disease that took her mom's legs will one day take her away forever. So Patty's also running for her mom, who can't. As the stress builds up, it's building up a pretty bad attitude as well.

$7.99$9.99
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Cover of Lu

Ages 8–12

Lu

Jason Reynolds

Lu must learn to leave his ego on the sidelines if he wants to finally connect with others in the climax to the New York Times bestselling and award-winning Track series from Jason Reynolds. Lu was born to be cocaptain of the Defenders.

$7.99$9.99
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Cover of Merci Suárez Changes Gears

Ages 8–12

Merci Suárez Changes Gears

Meg Medina

Winner of the Newbery Medal A New York Times Bestseller Thoughtful, strong-willed sixth-grader Merci Suarez navigates difficult changes with friends, family, and everyone in between in a resonant new novel from Meg Medina.

$8.99$10.99
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Cover of From the Desk of Zoe Washington

Ages 8–12

From the Desk of Zoe Washington

Janae Marks

Zoe is working to prove to everyone around her that she is worthy of being on Food Network's Kid Bake Challenge. On her 12th birthday, however, she receives an unexpected letter from her father, who has been in prison for a crime. A crime he says he did not commit. With recipes and the weight of her father's confession on her mind, it is up to Zoe to search for truth as she questions assumptions and strives to do what is right - even in the face of opposition.

$8.99$10.99
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Cover of Brown Girl Dreaming

Ages 8–12

Brown Girl Dreaming

Jacqueline Woodson

A New York Times Bestseller and National Book Award Winner Jacqueline Woodson, the acclaimed author of Red at the Bone, tells the moving story of her childhood in mesmerizing verse.

$10.99$12.99
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Cover of Inside Out and Back Again

Ages 8–12

Inside Out and Back Again

Thanhhà Lai

Inside Out & Back Again is a verse novel by Thanhha Lai. The book was awarded the 2011 National Book Award for Young People's Literature and one of the two Newbery Honors. The novel was based on her first year in the United States, as a ten-year-old girl who spoke no English in 1975.

$8.99$10.99
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Cover of Esperanza Rising

Ages 8–12

Esperanza Rising

Pam Muñoz Ryan

Esperanza and her mother are forced to leave their life of wealth and privilege in Mexico to go work in the labor camps of Southern California, where they must adapt to the harsh circumstances facing Mexican farm workers on the eve of the ...

$7.99$9.99
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Cover of Clean Getaway

Ages 8–12

Clean Getaway

Nic Stone

Fasten Your Seatbelt: G'ma's never conventional, so this trip won't be either. Use the Green Book: G'ma's most treasured possession. It holds history, memories, and most important, the way home.

$8.99$10.99
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Cover of The Crossover

Ages 8–12

The Crossover

Kwame Alexander

"A bolt of lightning on my kicks, the court is sizzling, my sweat is drizzling. Stop all that quivering, cuz tonight I'm delivering," raps basketball phenom Josh Bell. Thanks to his dad, he and his twin brother, Jordan, are kings on the court, with crossovers that make even the toughest ballers cry. But Josh has more than hoops in his blood. He's got a river of rhymes flowing through him -- a sick flow that helps him find his rhythm when everything's on the line. As their winning season unfolds, things begin to change. When Jordan meets the new girl in school, the twins' tight-knit bond unravels. In this heartfelt novel, basketball and brotherhood intertwine to show Josh and Jordan that life doesn't come with a playbook, and, sometimes, it's not about winning. - Jacket flap.

$8.99$10.99
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Cover of As Brave As You

Ages 8–12

As Brave As You

Jason Reynolds

Genie's summer is full of surprises. The first is that he and his big brother, Ernie, are leaving Brooklyn for the very first time to spend the summer with their grandparents all the way in Virginia. The second surprise comes when Genie figures out that their grandfather is blind. Genie thinks Grandpop must be the bravest guy he's ever known, but he starts to notice that his grandfather never leaves the house. And when he finds the secret room that Grandpop is always disappearing into, he begins to wonder if his grandfather is really so brave after all.

$8.99$10.99
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Cover of Pashmina

Ages 8–12

Pashmina

Nidhi Chanani

It's a summer of secrets, and sorrow, and growing up, and it's a good thing Rose and Windy have each other. This One Summer is a tremendously exciting new teen graphic novel from two creators with true literary clout.

$12.99$14.99
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Cover of Measuring Up

Ages 8–12

Measuring Up

Lily LaMotte

"Having just moved to Seattle from Taiwan, twelve-year-old Cici enters a cooking competition to win the chance to see her grandmother again, but she only knows how to cook Taiwanese food."--Provided by publisher.

$12.99$14.99
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Cover of Sal and Gabi Break the Universe

Ages 8–12

Sal and Gabi Break the Universe

Carlos Hernandez

Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents a brilliant sci-fi romp with Cuban influence that poses this question: What would you do if you had the power to reach through time and space and retrieve anything you want, including your mother, ...

$8.99$10.99
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Cover of Concrete Rose

Young adult

Concrete Rose

Angie Thomas

Forced to flee Kurdistan by the Iraqi government, young refugee Mevan travels from country to country seeking safety and feels more and more alone until a stranger's gift changes everything, in this true story and moving reminder of how ...

$12.99$14.99
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Cover of With the Fire on High

Young adult

With the Fire on High

Elizabeth Acevedo

From the New York Times bestselling author of the National Book Award longlist title The Poet X comes a dazzling novel in prose about a girl with talent, pride, and a drive to feed the soul that keeps her fire burning bright.

$12.99$14.99
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Cover of Clap When You Land

Young adult

Clap When You Land

Elizabeth Acevedo

Great for summer reading or anytime! Clap When You Land is a Today show pick for "25 children's books your kids and teens won't be able to put down this summer! Plus don't miss Elizabeth Acevedo's The Poet X and With the Fire on High!

$12.99$14.99
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Cover of I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter

Young adult

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter

Erika L. Sánchez

When the sister who delighted their parents by her faithful embrace of Mexican culture dies in a tragic accident, Julia, who longs to go to college and move into a home of her own, discovers from mutual friends that her sister may not have ...

$12.99$14.99
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