Handpicked by Our Editors

Testing the Ice: A True Story About Jackie Robinson
Age 5+
4

Testing the Ice: A True Story About Jackie Robinson

Why We Recommend It

Jackie Robinson was special on the baseball field and off. His daughter's bio of the slugger-as-dad emphasizes courage.

Read our full review
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Imogene's Last Stand by Candace Fleming
Parents Need to Know...

that Imogene is a girl with a mission. While she does protest the loss of the local historical society, her actions are appropriate acts of civil disobedience. read more

Age 5+
Imogene's Last Stand
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Dark Visions: The Strange Power; The Possessed; The Passion by L. J. Smith
Parents Need to Know...

that this psychic teen romance is much, much milder than the author's Vampire Diaries series. There's a love triangle with lots of kissing (and an energy-draining process that seems rather sexual), one teen is attacked by a drifter and ... read more

Age 12+
Dark Visions: The Strange Power; The Possessed; The Passion
2
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Otis by Loren Long
Parents Need to Know...

there is nothing of concern in this gentle story. Sensitive kids might be anxious during the climactic scene as farmers and firefighters try to save a calf from drowning in mud, but all ends well, of course. read more

Age 3+
Otis
4
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Waddle: A Scanimation Picture Book by Rufus Butler Seder
Parents Need to Know...

that this third of Rufus Butler Seder's "scanimation" books is as mesmerizing as the others, with a text that is perfect for beginning readers.  read more

Age 5+
Waddle: A Scanimation Picture Book
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Skippyjon Jones: Lost in Spice by Judy Schachner
Parents Need to Know...

that this is the fifth in the bestselling series of Skippyjon Jones books, and includes a CD on which the author reads the story and the songs are put to music.  read more

Age 5+
Skippyjon Jones: Lost in Spice
4
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The Duchess of Whimsy by Randall de Seve
Parents Need to Know...

the vocabulary in this well-written fairy tale will challenge -- and very possibly put off -- younger readers. read more

Age 5+
The Duchess of Whimsy
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The Maze Runner: Maze Runner Trilogy, Book 1 by James Dashner
Parents Need to Know...

that the scenes of violence are stronger in this book and more graphic than those of, say, The Hunger Games, partly because at times it is adults murdering children, and not from a distance or out of sight. The teens stranded in the Maze ... read more

Age 13+
The Maze Runner: Maze Runner Trilogy, Book 1
3
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Ring of Fire: Century Quartet, Book 1 by Pierdomenico Baccalario
Parents Need to Know...

that this is a fast-paced and fun mystery, despite the involvement of murders and assassins. There is no bad language or sex and the violence is about on the level of the first couple Harry Potter books. It's fun to see the four diverse ... read more

Age 12+
Ring of Fire: Century Quartet, Book 1
4
Pop_Gordon_Korman_book.jpg
Pop by Gordon Korman
Parents Need to Know...

that this is a complex story involving family secrets and the lengths that some families will go to in order to protect them. There is one party where teens drink beer and there are a couple of minor fights, but overall this is a mild ... read more

Age 12+
Pop
4
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Merry Christmas, Splat! by Rob Scotton
Parents Need to Know...

there’s nothing to worry about in this holiday story. Parents might grumble at Splat’s focus on getting a big present, but that provides an opening to talk with your kids about the value of a gift. read more

Age 3+
Merry Christmas, Splat!
3
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Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
Parents Need to Know...

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Age 12+
Leviathan
5
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Auntie Claus, Home for the Holidays by Elise Primavera
Parents Need to Know...

there isn’t anything to be concerned about in this pretty Christmas fantasy. read more

Age 5+
Auntie Claus, Home for the Holidays
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Parents Need to Know...

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Age 4+
Four Friends at Christmas
4
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Parents Need to Know...

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Age 4+
The Mitten (20th Anniversary Edition)
5
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Lips Touch Three Times by Laini Taylor
Parents Need to Know...

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Age 15+
Lips Touch Three Times
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'Twas the Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore
Parents Need to Know...

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Age 4+
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Parents Need to Know...

there is nothing to be concerned about in this charming holiday tale. read more

Age 3+
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Testing the Ice: A True Story About Jackie Robinson by Sharon Robinson
Parents Need to Know...

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Age 5+
Testing the Ice: A True Story About Jackie Robinson
4
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Parents Need to Know...

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Age 13+
Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice
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Stitches: A Memoir by David Small
Parents Need to Know...

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Age 16+
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