Parent Club Picks: Best Kids Books Worth Reading Now

Smart, silly, and standout stories your kids will actually want to read.

Caroline Fernandez, author of 17 children’s books, is known for blending curiosity, creativity, and real-life heroes. Her Asha and Baz series, including Asha and Baz Meet Gladys West, inspires kids to see how STEM can shape the world.

Follow her on Bluesky and Instagram: @ParentClub

The Little Regent

Written by Yewande Daniel-Ayoade

Illustrated by Ken Daley

Published by Owlkids Books

A little girl is tasked with ruling her West African village in this empowering story about breaking from tradition and leading with your heart.

How to Party Like a Snail

Written by Naseem Hrab and Illustrated by Kelly Collier

Published by OwlKids Books

An introverted snail throws his own kind of party to celebrate all things quiet.

Dragon On The Loose

Written by Marty Chan

Illustrated by Grace Chen

Published by Orca Books

When eleven-year-old Hailey and her friend Kyle make a wish on a Chinese lion statue, they accidentally bring a dragon to life.

Meg and Greg: The Bake Sale

Written by Elspeth Rae & Rowena Rae

lllustrated by Elisa Gutierrez

A decodable book featuring four phonics stories specially designed to help children of all abilities overcome language-based learning difficulties.

The Kodiaks Home Ice Advantage

Written by David A. Robertson

Hockey fans will love this action-packed middle grade novel about teamwork, overcoming adversity, and being proud of who you are and where you come from.

Mortified

Written by Kristy Jackson

Illustrated by Rhael McGregor

Published by HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.

It’s nothing short of a catastrophe when someone secretly signs up Belinda Houle, the school’s shyest kid, to audition for a play.

If You Can Dream It You Can Do It

By Colleen Nelson and Kathie MacIsaac

Published by Pajama Press

There is no single path to the job of your dreams.

Plant Attack!: The Fascinating Ways Flora Defends Itself

Written by Erin Silver and Julie McLaughlin

Published by Orca Book Publishers

Just like people and animals, plants need to defend themselves.

Silverwing

By Kenneth Oppel and

Illustrated by Christopher Steininger

Published by Harper Collins

A stunning adaptation of a tale that’s been winning hearts for twenty-five years.

39 Clues: One False Note: A Graphic Novel

Written by Gordon Korman

Illustrated by Hannah Templer

Published by Scholastic

The second installment in the mega-bestselling The 39 Clues series, now in graphic novel form!

The Space Between Here and Now

Written by Sarah Suk

Published by Quill Tree Books

A teen with a mysterious condition that transports her to the past when she smells certain scents linked to specific memories.

Lockjaw

Written by Matteo L. Cerilli

Published by Tundra Books

Death is neither the beginning nor the end for the children of Bridlington in this debut trans YA horror book.

Pride Puppy

Written by Robin Stevenson

Illustrated by Judy McLaughlin

Published by Orca Books

Premise: a rhyming alphabet book about a puppy at a pride parade.

This picture book is part of a U.S. Supreme Court case in Maryland where parents are challenging that they have a constitutional right to opt their children out of lessons of reading books which include LGBTQ+ characters.