CCBC booklist are compiled from books we have recommended in various editions of CCBC Choices. Most of these booklists are updated annually. You can also select books from one or more booklists to create a custom list, which can also include additional books from the CCBC-Recommended Book Search.
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Family Read-Alouds
This selection of short chapter books, longer novels, and a few nonfiction titles were chosen for their compelling texts, outstanding narrative style, and ability to engage a range of ages (including adults!)
©2025 Cooperative Children's Book Center
Compiled by Merri Lindgren, Tessa Michaelson Schmidt, and Madeline Tyner Freimuth
Young Children (Ages 4-7)
Too Small Tola
by Atinuke,
Illustrated by Onyinye Iwu.
Candlewick, 2021. 88 pages. Ages 6-9
Stella & Marigold (#1)
by Barrows, Annie
Illustrated by Sophie Blackall.
Chronicle, 2024. 98 pages. Ages 6-9
Our Friend Hedgehog: The Story of Us
by Castillo, Lauren
Illustrated by Lauren Castillo.
Knopf/Random House, 2020. 110 pages. Ages 4-8
Orris and Timble: The Beginning (#1)
by DiCamillo, Kate
Illustrated by Carmen Mok.
Candlewick, 2024. 72 pages. Ages 5-8
Oh, Sal (A Miller Family Story)
by Henkes, Kevin
Greenwillow/HarperCollins, 2022. 123 pages. Ages 4-8
Toy Dance Party: Being the Further Adventures of a Bossyboots Stingray, a Courageous Buffalo, and a Hopeful Round Someone Called Plastic
by Jenkins, Emily
Illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky.
Schwartz & Wade, 2008. 159 pages. Ages 7-10
Cress Watercress
by Maguire, Gregory
Illustrated by David Litchfield.
Candlewick, 2022. 216 pages. Ages 4-9
Juana & Lucas
by Medina, Juana
Candlewick, 2016. 88 pages. Ages 7-10
Little Shrew
by Miyakoshi, Akiko
Illustrated by Akiko Miyakoshi.
Kids Can, 2024. 70 pages. Ages 5-8
The First Case
by Nilsson, Ulf
Illustrated by Gitte Spee.
Translated by Julia Marshall.
Gecko, 2015. 92 pages. Ages 7-9
Skunk and Badger
by Timberlake, Amy
Illustrated by Jon Klassen.
Algonquin, 2020. 124 pages. Ages 7-10
Mishka
by van de Vendel, Edward and Anoush Elman
Illustrated by Annet Schaap.
Translated by Nancy Forest-Flier.
Levine Querido, 2024. 151 pages. Ages 6-10
Born Naughty: My Childhood in China
by Wang, Jin and Tony Johnston
Illustrated by Anisi Baigude.
Anne Schwartz Book/Random House, 2024. 98 pages. Ages 7-9
Older Children (Ages 8-11)
A Place to Hang the Moon
by Albus, Kate
Holiday House, 2021. 309 pages. Ages 8-10
The Mona Lisa Vanishes: A Legendary Painter, a Shocking Heist, and the Birth of a Global Celebrity
by Day, Nicholas
Illustrated by Brett Helquist.
Random House/Random House Studio, 2023. 276 pages. Age 10 and older
The Eyes & the Impossible
by Eggers, Dave
Illustrated by Shawn Harris.
Knopf/Random House, 2023. 249 pages. Ages 8-11
A Talent for Trouble
by Farrant, Natasha
Clarion/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2019. 258 pages. Ages 9-12
All the Best Dogs
by Jenkins, Emily
Delacorte/Random House, 2024. 192 pages. Ages 7-10
The Parker Inheritance
by Johnson, Varian
Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic, 2018. 331 pages. Ages 8-11
The House with a Dragon in It
by Lake, Nick
Illustrated by Emily Gravett.
Simon & Schuster, 2024. 242 pages. Ages 9-12
Rosa by Starlight
by McKay, Hilary
Illustrated by Matt Rockefeller.
Margaret K. McElderry Books/Simon & Schuster, 2024. 148 pages. Ages 8-12
Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All
by Miller, Chanel
Illustrated by Chanel Miller.
Penguin Random House/Philomel, 2024. 145 pages. Ages 7-10
The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams
by Nayeri, Daniel
Illustrated by Daniel Miyares.
Levine Querido, 2023. 216 pages. Ages 8-11
My Antarctica: True Adventures in the Land of Mummified Seals, Space Robots, and So Much More
by Neri, G.
Illustrated by Corban Wilkin.
Candlewick, 2024. 91 pages. Ages 8-11
Will's Race for Home: A Western
by Rhodes, Jewell Parker
Little, Brown, 2025. 196 pages. 8-12
The Museum of Lost and Found
by Sales, Leila
Abrams/Amulet, 2023. 297 pages. Ages 9-13
A Rover's Story
by Warga, Jasmine
Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins, 2022. 294 pages. Ages 8-12
The Genius Under the Table
by Yelchin, Eugene
Illustrated by Eugene Yelchin.
Candlewick, 2021. Age 9 and older
Can’t find what you’re looking for? Our Recommended Book Search includes access to CCBC-recommended titles based on subject headings created by our staff.
Please send questions or comments about CCBC booklists to ccbcinfo@education.wisc.edu.