Books By Age

[Image description: Good Finds: Stories for 10-year-olds, Raising Luminaries]

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We’ll be adding to this throughout the year. Stay tuned & sign up for email updates below.

 

 

View the full list of Inclusive Books Curated by 10-Year-Olds

For the full archives, you can find those here: All Good Finds Collections.

This post contains affiliate links. Check out the full affiliate disclosure along with the BFL statement of accountability.

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Earth Boy

(Ages 10+)

This book has so many themes I’ve been searching for!!!!!

• • A non-incel masculine Asian protagonist who isn’t threatened by competent women, resists toxic masculinity, and leads through hard work and integrity.
  • Touching on the sense of being the ‘only Asian in the room’ (or the only Earth boy in the space station), including common experiences such as the pressure to perform exceptionally to overcome bigotry and xenophobia of classmates and teachers.
  • Opens discussion on how institutions include us as tokens for diversity points (or profits), but don’t put any effort into making the institution inclusive or adjusting the culture or policies so the person being tokenized can actually succeed.
  • The protagonist has a slightly plump sister. Who happens to resemble and be shaped almost exactly like me. I’m not biased or anything, but …
    Hah ha! J/K, oh heck yeah, I’m biased! This is only one of two books where I’ve seen positive representation for my type of short-legged, buxom, boxy Chinese AFAB body. POINTS FOR POSITIVE REPRESENTATION!

Seriously EVERY. SINGLE. PAGE of this was deeply validating, satisfying, and gave me hope.

If you liked this story, check out

• Kids Books Modeling Healthy Masculinity
• Kids Stories on Conflict Resolution: Playdates, Boundaries & Dealing With Jerks
• Graphic Novels for Elementary-Aged Kids

 

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Student Ambassador: The Missing Dragon

(Ages 10+)

Diplomacy, befriending arrogant dictators, learning to read Korean, this book has all kinds of stuff I’ve never found in a kid’s book!

In addition to a Strong Male Lead (and by that a thoughtful and patient embodiment of healthy masculinity), we see the protagonist lead through support and kindness.

If you like this, check out:

• Kids Books for Polyglots,
• Stories modeling healthy masculinity.

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Stuntyboy, In the Meantime, Vol 1

Recommended by partners-in-cahoots at Revolutionary Humans, Q agrees it’s kickass and fun.

Featuring a boy in the midst of his parents separation, celebrating apartment life, and learning to deal with jerks and family conflict, Reynolds makes space for vulnerability, healthy masculinity, and Black boy joy.

If you liked these stories, check out:

• Shared Custody & Blended Family Constellations
• Kids Books Centering Black Futures
• Graphic Novels for Elementary-Aged Kids
• Kids Stories on Conflict Resolution: Playdates, Boundaries & Dealing With Jerks
• All My Sons Deserve Respect! Complex Black Boys In Kidlit

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The Art of War: Illustrated

I had hoped that when Q was finally old enough to parse Sun Zu’s ‘Art of War,’ we could read it as a theoretical – applying it to classroom and recess politics.

Unfortunately, we’re reading this book alongside our nightly news updates about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. As we watch President Zelenskyy’s calls for compassion, allyship, and support, we’re also drawing parallel’s between his decision as a wartime leader, and Sun Zu’s battle theory.

I wish I could recommend this book under different circumstances – but honestly that was never a realistic dream. Invasion, occupation, and conquest for the sake of greed and power continues on a global scale, even when western news outlets aren’t covering European conflict.

If you liked these stories, check out:

• Graphic Novels for Elementary-Aged Kids
• Kids Stories on Conflict Resolution: Playdates, Boundaries & Dealing With Jerks

 

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Thunder Rose

This has been a long-time favorite of ours, and Thunder Rose was an early OG kickass Black girl in gender-inclusive kidlit.

But it’s always been…wordy. Now that the kids are older, we can read the full text and the Earthquakes are riveted. We’re also dusting this story off in time for Q to go through his public school’s standard unit on Tall Tales, to dismantle the typical whitewashing that comes with this staple of US elementary education.

If you liked these stories, check out:

• Kids Books Centering Black Futures

 

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Animated Science: Periodic Table

Q has entered the age where he’ll pour over detailed non-fiction books, so long as they’re presented in a fun way. I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS NERDERY!

After a week with this book, Q is able to give a brief rundown of the properties on each element, based on the goofy character stories the author created. Brilliant!

While flipping through the book, I was surprised how many gender-nonconforming careers and sciencey people they sprinkled through the pages. Not in a tokenized, ‘LOOK! We made a LADY scientist!’ – something about the illustrations felt intentional, inclusive, and like no-big-deal.

Turns out the illustrator is Japanese American illustrator Shiho Pate, and her work is brilliant – I’m so excited for her upcoming book on Ramen.

If you liked this story, check out: Inclusive Kids Books About STEAM & Graphic Novels for Elementary-Aged Kids

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Just Roll With It

Since May was both AAPI heritage and destigmatizing mental health conditions month, we plowed through a ton of books on both topics and found this lovely gem at the intersection of both.

Plus more nerdery! D&D fans, rejoice. And more complex #OwnVoices stories on navigating OCD, anxiety, and social pressure! Fans of Real Friends, rejoice!

Written by multiracial, neurodivergent author Veronica Ararwal  (Indian, Italian, ADHD) and Lee Durfey-Lavoie (a white dude, I think?), both drew from their #OwnVoices experience navigating mental health, anxiety, depression, and OCD to create the next generation of validating graphic novels for kids.

They worked hard on this novel, and you can tell. They packed a lot in there. There’s gay family members and it’s no big deal! Maggie’s Asian parents are not a stereotype! Maggie finds a supportive group of nerdy friends!

It’s just so lovely and wonderful. I’m so excited to see what these creators make next.

If you liked this story, check out: Destigmatizing Mental Health for Asian & Pacific Islander Kids &  Kids Stories of Supportive Friendship

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Living With Viola

We were just joking on the podcast about how if there is already one Asian Character Story, there just isn’t room in the whiteness of media for more of us, so we have to wait our turn until someone gets canceled or dies.

So let’s not do that! We have more than enough room for two, very different experiences of Asian-American kiddos who experience mental health challenges.

Again – very different stories. Both valid, both solid representation. We have room for more than a single narrative!

Fung’s Chinese Canadian family feels solidly accurate for the third-culture kid Chinese diaspora experience. Her family is loving, which through a western lens, feels very judgemental and pressurey. We see Livy bear the comments of her family, the pressure to not be a burden on her overworked parents – without the story falling into another stereotype about tiger parents.

And that’s a lot to handle while dealing with a mental health issue and navigating the responsibility to be ‘a good daughter’ in two simultaneous cultures in an immigrant family.

This felt validating, is what I’m saying.

Oh also Q enjoyed it too.

If you liked this story, check out: #OwnVoices Kidlit Authors With Disabilities & Delicious Asian & Pacific Islander Food Culture for Kids

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Flash Forward: An Illustrated Guide to Possible (and not so possible) Tomorrows

I got this to read myself, but Q was like ‘Oh a graphic novel – that’s for me!’, grabbed it and wouldn’t let go. Over the course of months, he slowly worked through the speculative science fiction, stopping occasionally to ask me to explain some of the more adult jokes and how the futurist scenarios connect to the problems of today.

The compilation of stories was created by a range of creative modern artists – including Blue Delliquanti, maker of my absolute most favorite adult graphic novel, O Human Star.

Future explorations range from the conflict between integrating tech that makes life accessible for folks with disabilities – at the cost of our privacy. What happens when the capitalist machine of big pharma goes even deeper off the rails – stuff like that. Most of the futures are a dystopian warning, but nothing too traumatic for a 10-year-old.

If you liked this story, check out: Graphic Novels for Elementary-Aged Kids

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Katie the Catsitter

Other than a slight jab at spam (no thank you, anti-AAPI & classist food shaming!) this two-book series is lovely, hilarious, and fun.

The author weaves in a few different plot lines – friendship conflict, weighing the risks and benefits of disruption and sabotage in the fight against capitalist climate destruction, social media misinformation, trauma reactions and trying not to care what others think about you – but also being a human who can’t not.

If you liked this story, check out: Kids Stories featuring Supportive Friendships

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Stay Curious, Stand Brave & Smash The Kyriarchy

 

[Image description: Good Finds: Stories for 9-year-olds, Raising Luminaries]

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We’ll be adding to this throughout the year. Stay tuned & sign up for email updates below.

 

 

View the full list of Inclusive Books Curated by 9-Year-Olds

For the full archives, you can find those here: All Good Finds Collections.

This post contains affiliate links. Check out the full affiliate disclosure along with the BFL statement of accountability.

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Bad Sister

(Ages 9+)

The cover of this made me pause – I don’t need another graphic novel glorifying some lying bully sister. HOWEVER.

This auto-biographical graphic novel by neurodivergent author Charise Mericle Harper explores the social conflict – and internalized shame – that come with undiagnosed communication and sensory disabilities.

While Mericle Harper only explicitly labels her neurodivergence as prosopagnosia (a difficulty recognizing faces that I also share), the conflicts in her story were driven by social and communicative misunderstandings commonly related to neurodivergence.

Challenges with pragmatic language, sensitivity to sound, ‘black and white’ thinking (ie: the Bad Sister label for making innocent mistakes), and annoyed, baffled adults who couldn’t understand why she could do some things well, while facing delays and social challenges compared to her younger sibling.

As an person who also grew up with these challenges raised as an undiagnosed Autistic girl – with all the extra social expectations that come with that – the story felt validating and compassionate. Both me and the Autistic kiddo combed the book back to front searching for a reference to Autism or another neurodivergence. Even the allistic kid agreed that the character in this story coded as Autistic.

Only after reading Bad Sister and checking her author history for more did I realize that Mericle Harper also penned Go! Go! Go! Stop! (among at least 50 more books. +1 neurodivergent point, she’s *prolific*) which my Autistic preschooler LOVED HARD through the two years his hyperfocus revolved around yellow construction trucks.

If you liked this story, check out

• Non-Shamey Guides for Autistic Kiddos
• Validating Sibling Conflict Stories with a Healthy Resolution
• Graphic Novels for Elementary-Aged Kids.

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The Deep Dark Blue

(Ages 9+)

“I had a hard time following it and I’m not completely sure what’s going on – but this is a really good book. You should read it” – Q

Smith got a little too caught up in world-building to flesh out the characters and story. The dialogue story isn’t super-accessible for the recommended age range of 8-12 (I’d adjust for closer to 10+).

But there is potential for this to develop into a fantastic series of graphic novels following a set pair of siblings (one a cis boy, the other a trans girl) wrestling with expectations and roles in exploring spirituality, politics, and a rebellious insurgency.

At 9, Q the dialogue went over his head, but he appreciated the underlying story of two siblings reconciling with their gender identities and how they feel called to present themselves.

If you liked this story, check out

• Stories of Transgender Representation & Resilience for Kids
• Stories curated by a kyriarchy-smashing 9-year-old

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Fly On The Wall

Q listened to the audio book version of ‘Fly on the Wall’ but decided the text version was better, since the audio version leaves out all the charming doodles that make up the meat of the story. He tells me that he’s ‘not quite old enough’ to fully appreciate the book, but can tell it’s ‘really good.’

He’s looking forward to getting older and more mature so he can dig deeper into it. I am too, because this book is soooo gooood. From puberty to growing out of a friendship, this, along with the Real Friends Series, is the book to have on hand before those rough middle-school social pressures pop up.

If you liked these stories, check out:

• Stories curated by a kyriarchy-smashing 9-year-old
• Books that made us laugh

 

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No One Returns From The Enchanted Forest

Another book with layers that Q can tell are there – but isn’t quite able to get the whole concept of yet. He recommended I read this one, and HOT DAMN it’s soooo good. There is no one ‘right way’ to be – and we can all get stuck in our ruts, locked into our bubbles for safety or acting impulsively without thinking of how our consequences affect others. Unpacking how we demonize and blame others, when really we need to look at our own harmful actions. YESSssssssSSsss!

Do you know how many kids books include a transformative community-led justice response? Like three! And this is one of them!

If you liked these stories, check out:

• Stories curated by a kyriarchy-smashing 9-year-old
• Kids books about Restorative Justice

 

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Can I Build Another Me

Yoshitake’s books are kind of like Philosophy-For-Kids, using goofy, validating scenarios that every kid finds themselves in to dig into a bit of self-awareness.

English versions of Yoshitake’s books are hard to get over here, and we put this on R2’s wishlist, so we got it as a gift from his favorite uncle. R2 loved it (of course) but, like all of Yoshitake’s books, it’s got enough whimsy and subtle humor that older kids and adults enjoy it too.

I think this might be the deepest, most adventurous exploration in his books of all – inspiring kids to think not just of who they are, but what makes them them – what does it mean to have an identity? And how is that identity perceive differently depending on what we’re doing and who we’re with?

If you liked these stories, check out:

• Stories curated by a kyriarchy-smashing 9-year-old
• Books that made us laugh

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Friends Forever

Friends Forever is the third (final?) book in the Best Friends trilogy. Q loves this series so much he pre-ordered it with last year’s New Year’s money.

When it arrived, he was…confounded. In keeping with the chronological series, the third book is written for older kids, about older kid-issues. He was confused why he had a hard time following it until we read it together.

After taking some time to unpack the 80’s references (what even is a magazine?!), the entrenched sexism and individualism, and the cultural significance of growing up as a white Utah Mormon with an invisible disability, he loves it so hard. In contrast with the way we’re raising our kids, he finds the assumptions on a woman’s role hilarious. He connects with the ableism against invisible disabilities and that emerging tween need to feel special and worthy while navigating confusing relationships with other kids.

If you liked this story, check out:

• Stories curated by a kyriarchy-smashing 9-year-old
• Books that made us laugh
• Books for Kids Examining Self-Identity, Acceptance & Worth

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Part 5: The Emerald Gate

My little dude waited in anguish for the fifth and final book in the 5 Worlds Series to come out. He’s so excited. I can’t even tell you how excited he is about this. It’s a great fantasty series, with plenty of allusions and opportunities to discuss xenaphobia, family separation and transracial adoption, climate justice, collaborative action, interdependence, and fake news.

If you liked this story, check out:

• Kids Books About Intersectional Climate Justice
• Graphic Novels for Elementary-Aged Kids
• More ‘just one more chapter, mama’ stories curated by a kyriarchy-smashing 9-year-old

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Go With The Flow

This feels to advanced for 8.5 but Q said he enjoyed it. It’s weird that all the resources about menstruation are made for kids 10+ even though many of us start menstruating earlier. Younger menstruators not only have to deal with the shitty experience of being the first kid to deal with cramps among classmates who can’t empathize, but there’s also no resources to prepare kids before they get their first surprise pants-destroying gusher. Trans-friendly, but all the main characters are cisgender, which is the only bummer.

Another favorite: The Autism-Friendly Guide to Periods. This is destigmatizing, clear, graphic, trans-friendly, and helps kids with the step-by-step guide to how to care for themselves. I’m not sure why it has to be just for Autistic kids, but based on reviews by allistic allistic parents, y’all are so damn squeamish and can’t handle basic facts about assigned-female bodies. ::exhausted eyeroll at allistics and their death grip on social constructs like misogyny::

If you like this, check out our All Bodies are Good Bodies and Modeling Supportive Friendship suggested reading lists.

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Q’s Favorite: Mup   For critical discussion

(Ages 8-12) Or maybe don’t.

Q enjoyed the time travel, adventure, message against climate-devastating oil consumption and Mup’s character growth about self-identity as she approaches puberty. I did too!

HOWEVER. Controversy! There were many things we found problematic with this book. I went on a little rant about it that went far too long, so I’m just gonna sum it up into a few points and let you do your own digging.

It’s fine for kids to enjoy the goofy adventures created by white people unimpeded by racialized trauma. But for white readers in particular – this comes with the responsibility of recognizing bias, naming it, and committing to not replicating this harm.

Problematic: Brownface.

This book was published in 2020. How on earth does a white lady not pause before writing a character based on her very white sister (that rich white girl slouch! That level-10 Patagonia-fleece whiteness!) and then paint her brown for no apparent reason other than a grab at the ‘diversity’ market?

Problematic: Tampering brownface with proximity of whiteness.

BIPOC have light eyes all the time, it’s normal! The thing is they’re not any more or less acceptable or beautiful than those with darker coloring. Just in case Mup having flufflier hair and darker skin than white readers would be comfortable with, Graegg drew Mup with light skin and green eyes. How exotic! All the diversity points of brownface, with the subtle ‘but she’s pretty’ message that remind BIPOC that in white supremacy culture, fairer BIPOC are easier on the eyes, and easier to empathize with.

Problematic: Zero effort to embrace Mup’s appropriated Blackness beyond looks

In appropriating a Black-presenting character and implying she’s multiracial, the very least Graegg could have done was run this book past a Black reader to get notes on what she’s missing. Three girls with kinks and curls just plop bareheaded into sleeping bags and jump up in the morning like the world won’t take them seriously until they take that frizz. Imagine that life!

Problematic: ‘Gotcha’ language

Mup’s dad uses ‘then I got you’ to refer to the phenomena of obtaining Mup. Like she’s a freakin’ Pokemon. Or a token Black family member to prove he’s open-minded. Regardless of race and adoption status – it’s just weird and gross to talk to our kids like we collected them like pogs.

BIPOC who have been collected by a white person who preens over you as a prized element of their social collection, you know exactly what I’m talking about. This language wouldn’t be more than an awkward blip on the radar if it wasn’t a white dad talking to his multiracial / transracially adopted daughter. The implied backstory of adoption, breeding mixed babies to fix your racism, or even just that Warrior Parent nonsense of objectifying kids as catalysts for a parent’s heroic journey – Ick. Ew. Gross. No thank you.

Problematic: Basic Boring Saviorism

The saviorism! A nameless, pan-African tribe has been invaded, colonized, and exploited by a white dude sporting a crown. It’s destroyed their way of life! They are helpless to stop it! Until two Americans show up and save the day within 48 hours.

OH COME THE FUCK ON, ALREADY: Complete lack of self-awareness

Alone, the nebulous, inky, infesting Black Dread (a creeping infestation that pollutes all life that is good and pure on Earth) would be a subtle sign that the author is not at all concerned with our culture’s value on lightness, whiteness, purity culture, and how it forms early bias and racial supremacy on young readers. But capitalizing on a shortcut based in anti-darkness while wearing the face of a Black-presenting character? On top of all the other goof in this book? Yikes.

Like the increased popularity of zombie movies during a refugee crisis and immigration boom, the symbolism of darkness as invading death takes on a deeper tone in the context of a white woman cherry-picking the symbolism of darkness to suit her whims.

Goodness gracious. What. WHAT. I mean we all make mistakes and goof up, cause harm, spread nonsense – but this is a hot messy lasagna of unapologetic privilege and zero self-awareness.

If you don’t have patience for this nonsense, grab some good graphic novels for elementary-aged kids and  inclusive stories handpicked by a kyriarchy-smashing 9-year-old.

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Akissi – Even More Tales of Mischief

(Ages 8+)

The first two books in the Akissi series are delicious, rambunctious fun. This third though, holy crap wow. The author takes a gentle turn of depth into her feelings about emigrating and leaving her tight-knit community to a foreign European country, and ends with a lovely message about her connection with her grandfather.

I know promising a bittersweet story about leaving and loss doesn’t sell the book as a fun read, but please trust me it’s utterly lovely, sweet, hilarious, and so, so good. Part of the reason this kind of walloped me was that I went in expecting naughty capers and poop jokes, and ended up watching Akissi mature and grow up a little – kind of like what’s happening to my kids right now. Sure, the 9-year-old loved this book while he’s young, but I think he’ll get even more out of it over the next 15 years.

In addition to the depth in this book, there’s less cissexism and ‘not like the other girls’-ness than in the first two. Since all these stories are semi-autobiographical, I don’t hold the gender binaries or cissexism against the series, as they reflect the childhood cultural norms and assumptions about gender that Abouet grew up with in the 70’s/early 80’s suburbs of the her Abidjan neighborhood. Which happen to be the exact kind of sexist nonsense kids in European-colonized areas around the world.

If you like this, check out graphic novels for elementary-aged kids and  inclusive stories handpicked by a kyriarchy-smashing 9-year-old.

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Hereville series:

How Mirka Got Her Sword,

How Mirka Met a Meteorite,

and How Mirka Caught A Fish

Q has been slowly savoring the Hereville books – a out-of-print series of graphic novels about a rebellious Orthodox Jewish girl, her brushes with witty creatures of fantasy and danger, and her wonderful, begrudgingly patient step-mother.

It’s the Mirka’s relationship with her step-mother that really gets to me. This is the antidote to all the woman-hating stereotypes about step-mothers in kidlit. They are in constant conflict, we’re always on Mirka’s side, and yet her step-mother remains a badass role model who embodies the intersection of honoring faith, tradition, and feminist agency.

Oh my gosh – right?! These books are so good. They can be hard to find though, so while I enthusiastically encourage people to support local libraries, these are worth buying. You can buy them on Bookshop to support indie bookstores if, like us, you’re still in isolation pandemic mode or have kids too rambunctious to enter a bookstore.

If you like this, check out graphic novels for elementary-aged kids, stories about Unapologetically Kickass Girls, and  inclusive stories handpicked by a kyriarchy-smashing 9-year-old.

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Pawcasso

(Ages 8-12)

This graphic novel from Remy Lai, one of our favorite authors, addresses the snowballing pressure that comes with a lie of omission and provides a simple story to unpack the way political divides deepen and intensify.

What I love the most is the message that those on the other side of a political divide have experiences and reasons we might not know about. The story invites us to start approaching divisive topics by shutting up and listening (in our social media bubbles, have we been doing that enough? Have we really?) so we can understand the needs and motivations and create better policy that does less harm.

If you like this, check out graphic novels for elementary-aged kids, stories about Restorative Justice and stories recommended by a kyriarchy-smashing 9-year-old.

 

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Stay Curious, Stand Brave & Smash The Kyriarchy

 

 

[Image description: Good Finds: Stories for 8-year-olds, Raising Luminaries]

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We’ll be adding to this throughout the year. Stay tuned & sign up for email updates below.

 

 

View the full list of Inclusive Books Curated by 8-Year-Olds

For the full archives, you can find those here: All Good Finds Collections.

This post contains affiliate links. Check out the full affiliate disclosure along with the BFL statement of accountability.

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Akissi – Even More Tales of Mischief

The first two books in the Akissi series are delicious, rambunctious fun. This third though, holy crap wow. The author takes a gentle turn of depth into her feelings about emigrating and leaving her tight-knit community to a foreign European country, and ends with a lovely message about her connection with her grandfather.

I know promising a bittersweet story about leaving and loss doesn’t sell the book as a fun read, but please trust me it’s utterly lovely, sweet, hilarious, and so, so good. Part of the reason this kind of walloped me was that I went in expecting naughty capers and poop jokes, and ended up watching Akissi mature and grow up a little – kind of like what’s happening to my kids right now. Sure, the 9-year-old loved this book while he’s young, but I think he’ll get even more out of it over the next 15 years.

In addition to the depth in this book, there’s less cissexism and ‘not like the other girls’-ness than in the first two. Since all these stories are semi-autobiographical, I don’t hold the gender binaries or cissexism against the series, as they reflect the childhood cultural norms and assumptions about gender that Abouet grew up with in the 70’s/early 80’s suburbs of the her Abidjan neighborhood. Which happen to be the exact kind of sexist nonsense kids in European-colonized areas around the world.

If you like this, check out graphic novels for elementary-aged kids and  inclusive stories handpicked by a kyriarchy-smashing 9-year-old.

 

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Layla and the Bots: Making Waves

R2 gets so excited when we get a new edition of these simple chapter books. He likes the predictable format of each story, the inevitable drama of a bug or design flaw – and I appreciate how they connect cute goofy challenges with real engineering processes.

The stories are numbered, but they sense no matter which book you read first – Making Waves is R2’s favorite in the series so far, particularly the message of listening to animals and designing tech that works for them, not for what humans think they need.

I have some qualms about tokenizing a Black character in a book created by (and profiting) East Asian makers. White people want books with cute Black girls on the cover, and clearly the makers added this for ‘representation’ (cough: marketing and sales).

So I look forward to how the publisher and makers will use the popularity of these books to financially support and signal boost #OwnVoices Black engineers writing their own stories for kids.

::: Lowers glasses and looks intently at the makers of this story :::

If you liked this story, check out: Inspiring Kids To Learn About Animal Rights & Anti-Speciesism

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Dragon Bones: The Fantastic Fossil Discoveries of Mary Anning

I admit my kids are getting… exhausted with nonfiction biographies. Most of them are dry and shitty, just a string of timeline facts, dates, and name-dropping. No one in our family is particularly interested in dinosaurs or fossils at the moment, so there wasn’t a ‘hook’ I could catch the kids on.

So I wasn’t expecting R2 to enjoy this… however – it’s illustrated by Maris Wicks,* so we gave it a try.

*Author of our family-favorite, Human Body Theater (please buy more copies – Wicks is looking forward to creating a second edition that’s trans & intersex inclusive when the first edition sells out!)

Gosh, R2 just loves this book! There’s just enough drama, interest, and discovery to keep him engaged. He loved it, and asked to read it repeatedly.

If you liked this story, check out: Inclusive Kids Books About STEAM

 

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[Image description: Good Finds: Stories for 7-year-olds, Raising Luminaries]

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We’ll be adding to this throughout the year. Stay tuned & sign up for email updates below.

 

 

View the full list of Inclusive Books Curated by 7-Year-Olds

For the full archives, you can find those here: All Good Finds Collections.

This post contains affiliate links. Check out the full affiliate disclosure along with the BFL statement of accountability.

 

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 Once Upon An Hour

(ages 3-7)

I didn’t expect R2 (age 6.5/7) to enjoy this, I certainly didn’t. Cool premise, terrible execution. But something about each of these animals from the lunar zodiac taking responsibility for an hour of each day caught his fancy. This is why we screen the books with actual children. ‘Cause reviewing children’s books only through the lens of how adults think is childism!

I would have enjoyed the book more if it had been run past a information designer and an editor, but it’s the concept that really hooked R2. The clock diagram, writing, and plotline are confusing as heck, but we figured it out eventually. They do that flashback story-within-a-story thing that confuses kids every time. So we used the premise and kind of paraphrased what was happening.

Use this story if your kids, like R2, are already big fans of the animal lunar zodiac and are fascinated with clocks and telling time.

If you like this, check out more stories by #OwnVoices Asian & Pacific Islanders and stories of The Great Race & Animal Zodiac.

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Ruby’s Reunion Day Dinner

(ages 3.5-7)

 

Validating for young kids who want to help but tend to… get in the way during busy times, R2 loved this summer read, particularly in the midst of starting his first lemonade stand business.

If you like this, check out more stories for little kids frustrated with feeling small and powerless and handpicked favorites by actual 7-year-olds.

 

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Bodies Are Cool

(Ages 3+)

R2 really enjoyed looking for disabilities and discussing them. I want to say it’s because it’s super into disability rights, but honestly, he’s just really into the thrill of naked bodies.

Which is normal! And lovely. I’m willing to leverage the copious amounts of exposed skin in this book to discuss how normal bodies are all kinds of colors, shapes, sexes, textures, sizes, and include cool devices that help us survive and thrive.

If you like this, check out more inclusive books celebrating bodies and handpicked favorites by kind & curious 7-year-olds.

 

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Rise Up and Write It

(ages 4-8)

An interactive book on local advocacy! With pull-out flyers, letters to the mayor, petitions, and advocacy effluvia that made an ordinarily tedious process exciting and fun. I genuinely thought this would be too bland, but R2 loves this so hard he asked for a copy for his birthday

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Unstoppable

(ages 5+)

I did not see this twist coming. This book goes from goofy to goofy + political with a hard swerve and WE ARE HERE FOR IT. I’ve never seen my kids more interested in how the US legislature works.

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Tag Team

(ages 4-7)

Collaborative friendship, luchadors, and tiny fun illustrative details. This book didn’t really inspire my kids to clean up like in the story, but they had a lot of fun reading it.

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How to Apologize

(Ages 3-7)

PERFECT for unpacking the problem with non-apologies, but also cute and funny enough that R2 wanted to read it repeatedly.

 

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Something’s Wrong!

(Ages 3-7)

• Books That Legit Made My Kids Laugh
• Kids stories of supportive friendship
• Books curated by kind & courageous 7-year-olds

 

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Are You a Cheeseburger?

Adorable and funny, but also deeply lovely. How we have to produce the outcomes our friends want in order to be loved and cherished.

Doesn’t hurt that the idea of growing a cheeseburger tree made him guffaw. And this is a due who tried to grow jellybeans in our garden last year. He insists jellybeans are different.

If you liked these stories, check out:

• Books curated by kind & courageous 7-year-olds
• Daring Greatly & Failing Spectacularly Kids Stories about mistakes & resilience
• Books that made us laugh
• Kids Books Modeling Solidarity & How To Be An Accomplice

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 Jojo Makoons

This #OwnVoices Ojibwe early chapter book packs in a lot. I thought it might be over R2’s head, but dude laughed his ass off.

We can’t wait for the second book, which releases in May.

If you liked this story, check out:

• Books curated by kind & courageous 7-year-olds
• #OwnVoices Indigenous Kids Books
• Books that made us laugh
• Stories of Unapologetically Kickass Girls

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Ten Ways To Hear Snow

It’s a little late in the season, but keep Ten Ways To Hear Snow on hand for next winter – a lovely book and rare representation of competent caregivers with disabilities.

If you liked these stories, check out:

• Caregivers with Disabilities Kids Stories
• More engaging stories handpicked by kind & courageous 7-year-olds

 

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When Sparks Fly

R2’s also adding When Sparks Fly to his rotation of validating biographies normalizing asthma and mistakes & resilience, but we’re also a little biased toward this story since our family has multiple (but frequent!) weak connections to Robert Goddard, and he thinks that’s cool.

If you liked these stories, check out:

• Caregivers with Disabilities Kids Stories
• Daring Greatly & Failing Spectacularly Kids Stories about mistakes & resilience
• Kids Stories Normalizing & Destigmatizing Asthma
• Disability History for Kids
• More engaging stories handpicked by kind & courageous 7-year-olds

 

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Little Bird’s Bad Word

I dunno about you but during our two years of pandemic isolation, we just let the kids cuss as loudly and often as they please. (Small pleasures when no one can hear us!) Now that they’re transitioning back to school, we’re working on taming down our language, and Little Bird’s Bad Word helps him see how even non-slurs can make folks uncomfortable. It’s not just snobbish performance, but a kindness to reign in our language a bit.

If you liked these stories, check out:

• Books that made us laugh
• More engaging stories handpicked by kind & courageous 7-year-olds

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Julia’s House Goes Home

(Book 3 of the Julia’s House Trilogy)

We finally caught The final book in the Julia Trilogy, and it lives up to the first two. Reading this together with my no-longer-Little Earthquakes, this story comes with nostalgia and bitter-sweetness.

The first Julia’s House For Lost Creatures (book 1) was published 8 years ago, when R2 was just an infant – the same year we started Books for Littles as a tiny Facebook group. I had recommended it within a week of beginning BFL – and our whole family has loved this series ever since.

But it’s more than just that reminder of when the Earthquakes were still little.

The second book in the trilogy – Julia’s House Moves on (book 2),  popped up soon after we started the Books for Littles Self-Destruction Sequence. Our time as an actual family with young children was wrapping up, and when R2 turns 8, it feels unethical to review or recommend children’s books through an #OwnVoices ‘Little’ kid lens. The theme of the story? Recognizing that it’s time to move on.

While I’ll still be updating these roundups to be more accessible each year, and we’re still growing the resources and spaces for our Raising Luminaries community – Books for Littles is winding down and coming to a close, just as the Julia’s House trilogy ends.

So of course, the final book, Julia’s House Goes Home, turns out to be about the hesitation and pain of growing, the fears that come with true inclusion. As we expand, we have to demolish and let go of the limiting beliefs that kept us small so we can support a growing community.

Wow, right? Right?! This trilogy took 8 years, written has his kids grew – and that’s a good thing. There is no way Hatke could have captured that depth if he had pushed these out as quickly as we wanted to gobble them up.

Anything good has to end some time. But oh my gosh, friends – we had such a brilliant time together.

If you liked these stories, check out:

• Stories Featuring Unapologetically Kickass Girls

 

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Gladys the Magic Chicken

This one is just for fun. I get nervous when white dudes use Black & brown and women in their books – particularly set in some ‘far-off exotic land,’ but this truly is just a silly, sweet story.

If you liked these stories, check out:

• Stories Featuring Unapologetically Kickass Girls
• Books That Legit Made My Kids Laugh

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Queen Vashti’s Comfy Pants

This is your standard beat-’em-over-the-head with girl-power, Thelma & Louise for kids (without the sexual assault and death). It felt a little heavy-handed to me. While it is an #OwnVoices Jewish story loosely spinning off the holiday of Purim, and I’m not super in love with a white author’s depiction of an ancient Persian heroine.

However – R2 just howled with glee at Queen Vashti’s badass boundary-affirming ‘NOPE NO THANKS’ in response to her husband’s entitled bullshit.

If you liked this story, check out: Unapologetically Kickass Girls & Conflict Resolution: Playdates, Boundaries & Dealing With Jerks

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Blancaflor

There’s also a Spanish Edition

SPECTACULAR. This story had us laughing so hard, and we loved reading this retelling of a Latinx story together – even Q snuck into our ‘younger books’ storytime to listen in.

It’s hard to find books that unpack concept of invisible labor in ways kids can understand, and why they’re pressured to keep it secret. This story touches on why women raised by abusive fathers settle for escaping with mediocre (or even terrible) life partners – and the ‘prince’ character is such a hilarious way to depict oblivious privilege.

My kneejerk reaction is that I want to see Blancaflor leave her mediocre prince and have a spectacular single life, like Queen Vashti. But after reading this story a couple of times, I really appreciate the ending. She ends up with her prince, and that’s okay, so long as he appreciates her and treats her with respect. After all – why should a heroine have to end up isolated and alone just because all the men in her life hand her shitty situations to deal with?

Blancaflor deserves the happiness she worked so hard for. Even if that happiness comes in the form of a mediocre white man. It’s her choice!

If you liked this story, check out: Books That Legit Made My Kids Laugh & Crushes & Puppy Love: Kids books about mutual respect, consent, and clear boundaries

 

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Little Messy Marcy Su

Trica L. told me to bump this up in the queue, and she was right, this book is so adorable. R2 laughed and laaaauuughed.

I loved the casual way the author threw in some Mandarin, and the non-token normalization of a modern multi-generational, Chinese-American family, an ordinary family with 1st, 2nd, and 3rd generation immigrants.

But also – any book that nudges my kid to acknowledge the destruction he leaves in his wake, which I am forced to attend to, is a gift from authors to caregivers everywhere.

If you liked this story, check out: #OwnVoices Chinese American Kids Stories & Normalizing (not tokenizing!) Asian & Pacific Islander Characters in Kidlit

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Layla and the Bots: Making Waves

R2 gets so excited when we get a new edition of these simple chapter books. He likes the predictable format of each story, the inevitable drama of a bug or design flaw – and I appreciate how they connect cute goofy challenges with real engineering processes.

The stories are numbered, but they sense no matter which book you read first – Making Waves is R2’s favorite in the series so far, particularly the message of listening to animals and designing tech that works for them, not for what humans think they need.

I have some qualms about tokenizing a Black character in a book created by (and profiting) East Asian makers. White people want books with cute Black girls on the cover, and clearly the makers added this for ‘representation’ (cough: marketing and sales).

So I look forward to how the publisher and makers will use the popularity of these books to financially support and signal boost #OwnVoices Black engineers writing their own stories for kids.

::: Lowers glasses and looks intently at the makers of this story :::

If you liked this story, check out: Inspiring Kids To Learn About Animal Rights & Anti-Speciesism

 

Bodies Are Cool (Ages 3+)

R2 (age 7) really enjoyed looking for disabilities and discussing them. I want to say it’s because it’s super into disability rights, but honestly, he’s just really into the thrill of naked bodies.

Which is normal! And lovely. I’m willing to leverage the copious amounts of exposed skin in this book to discuss how normal bodies are all kinds of colors, shapes, sexes, textures, sizes, and include cool devices that help us survive and thrive.

If you like this, check out more inclusive books celebrating bodies and handpicked favorites by kind & curious 7-year-olds.

 

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Stay Curious, Stand Brave & Smash The Kyriarchy