Center for Children's Literature Blog

Ana, 12, yearns to leave the Bolivian silver mine where her family works. A mining accident forces her to confront her fears and make dangerous choices.

In 1967 when Ariel Goldberg’s Jewish parents oppose her big sister Leah’s plan to marry a man from India, the older girl disappears.

Two Korean-American teens, each trying to balance family duty with their own ambitions, find themselves in a hostile entrepreneurial rivalry, complicated by their mutual attraction.

An exploration of the many types of work that go into building our world.

This novel is fast-paced and thrilling, but it is also an insightful dive into Ojibwe culture.

I  like this book because it is a mystery, which makes it fun to read. Each page holds a new clue and I never got bored!  The characters were really fun and interesting. Above each chapter, there is an illustration. I like these illustrations because they hold a clue to what the chapter is about, so I look forward to them so I can see if I can figure out what I am going to read.

I liked the story because the mom is saying pretty things to the baby. If I were the baby, I would feel special because she is saying such nice things to me.

I like how this book tells how trees help other trees survive by sending food through the roots and warning other trees about insects and other dangers. I also like how there are lots of interesting facts at the back of the book. I didn’t know that trees could communicate to each other in a way that we don’t understand. That is very interesting!

In a deeply moving and personal narrative, First Lady and humanitarian Michelle Obama tells of her childhood and her path to the White House and beyond in Becoming. This book, an insightful look into the author’s struggle against prejudice and injustice to become one of the most influential voices of our times, is definitely a must-read.

This book needs to be read by everyone. This book will walk you through one of the hard realizations in life, and remind you to be grateful for what you have. I loved reading this book, because it made me really think.

My favorite part was the people in the drawings. The drawings looked really good. I liked the part where they were cheering at 7 o’clock because it looks like fun to do with pots and pans and real instruments. I just used my voice to cheer out of my window.

The Great Godden is about finding the unexpected in the expected. At first, it appears to be a typical summer romance. Subtle foreshadowing from the narrator reveal that it may not be what it seems. The author’s integration of love, manipulation, and adolescence into familial and romantic relationships through the lens of one character is extremely well done.

Strong voice: Fifteen American Speeches Worth Knowing is a collection of speeches by various people. Before each speech there is an introduction by Tonya Bolden that talks about who the speaker was and what was happening for the topic of the speech at that time. The book’s beautiful illustrations are by Eric Velasquez.

As someone who has read Gary Paulsen’s books since I was a kid, Gone To The Woods: Surviving a Lost Childhood is a striking departure from his usual wilderness adventures.In this book, Paulsen relates his childhood experiences memoir-style while recounting various events that shaped him.