Happy April! In this month’s entry of Tales of a Youth Services Librarian, I wanted to talk about some of my favorite children’s books! These are books that I am always recommending to kids ages 8-12. There are so many great books out there. Here are just a few of them:

• The Tristan Strong trilogy by Kwame Mbalia: I love this series so much! Mbalia is a master storyteller! He really draws you into the story and characters. This book is also a great representation of African American folklore! This fantasy series takes you on an adventure and gives you characters to root for.

• Ophie’s Ghosts by Justina Ireland:  I love Ireland’s YA books, so I was excited when I saw she had written a middle-grade book! Set in the 1922s, Ophie discovers she can see and talk to ghosts. When Ophie becomes friends with one of the ghosts, she wonders if perhaps she can help the spirits she sees. The ghosts are not spooky and there is also a bit of a mystery going on! I enjoyed the mix of history, fantasy, and mystery.

• Dress Coded by Carrie Firestone:  This stand-alone realistic fiction book shows how girls are unfairly targeted simply for what they are wearing. Molly starts a podcast to talk about how unfair her school's dress code policy is for the girls. I liked the way the students banded together to create real change.

• Phoebe and her Unicorn by Dana Simpson:  This graphic novel series is a cute and funny story about the friendship between Phoebe and the unicorn, Marigold Heavenly Nostrils. These graphic novels do not need to be read in order and are easy and quick reads.

• Pup Detectives by Felix Gumpaw:  I’ll admit, I first was interested in the series because of the author’s last name. It’s a graphic novel mystery series, where a dog named Rider Woofson solves mysteries with his friends who also have fun dog names! There is also a math teacher named Mrs. Plus. I have not gotten to all the books in the series yet, but I have enjoyed what I have read and have gotten good feedback from the kids I recommended this series to.

Well, I hope this article introduced you to some new books!  Do you have anything you love recommending to the kids at your library? Let me know! Send me an email with your favorites! [email protected]