Category Archives: Kidlit

This tag contains all books tagged as Children’s Literature, including picture books, Middle Grade fiction, Young Adult fiction, and relevant non-fiction.

Exactly Where You Need to Be by Amelia Diane Coombs 

Exactly Where You Need to Be by Amelia Diane Coombs

Florie’s OCD and her mother’s worrying have kept her from a lot of things, like having an after-school job and getting her driver’s license. And now that she’s graduated high school, while her best friend Kacey is headed off to Portland in the fall, Florie’s taking a parent-sanctioned gap year off before starting college. When the decision was made, Florie was on board, but now she can’t ignore the growing itch to become the person she wants to be and venture outside the quaint, boring Washington town she grew up in… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
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Keep My Heart in San Francisco by Amelia Diane Coombs 

Keep My Heart in San Francisco by Amelia Diane Coombs

Caroline “Chuck” Wilson has big plans for spring break—hit up estate sales to score vintage fashion finds and tour the fashion school she dreams of attending. But her dad wrecks those plans when he asks her to spend vacation working the counter at Bigmouth’s Bowl, her family’s failing bowling alley. Making things astronomically worse, Chuck finds out her dad is way behind on back rent—meaning they might be losing Bigmouth’s, the only thing keeping Chuck’s family in San Francisco. And the one person other… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Depression
  • Bipolar Disorder
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Death of a mother from suicide
  • Financial difficulties
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Between You, Me, and the Honeybees by Amelia Diane Coombs 

Between You, Me, and the Honeybees by Amelia Diane Coombs

Josie Hazeldine has just graduated from high school, and she’s ready for a summer full of sunshine, beekeeping, and…lying to her mom. Josie’s mom couldn’t be more proud of her daughter going to college, something she never got to do. But Josie wants to stay in her California hometown and take over the family business, Hazeldine Honey. So that college acceptance her mom is thrilled about? Yeah, Josie turned it down. But she’s going to come clean—just not yet… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Anxiety
  • Panic attack
  • Parkinson’s Disease
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You Owe Me a Murder by Eileen Cook 

You Owe Me a Murder by Eileen Cook

17-year-old Kim never expected to plot a murder. But that was before her boyfriend dumped her for another girl. Now, Kim’s stuck on a class trip to London with him and his new soulmate and she can’t help wishing he was a little bit dead, even if she’d never really do that. But when Kim meets Nicki, a stranger on the plane who’s more than willing to listen to Kim’s woes, things start to look up. Nicki’s got a great sense of humour, and when she jokes about swapping murders, Kim… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Parental abuse
  • Alcoholism
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Murder & attempted murder
  • Blackmail
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The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle by Leslie Connor

The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle by Leslie Connor

Mason Buttle is the biggest, sweatiest kid in his grade, and everyone knows he can barely read or write. Mason’s learning disabilities are compounded by grief. Fifteen months ago, Mason’s best friend, Benny Kilmartin, turned up dead in the Buttle family’s orchard. An investigation drags on, and Mason, honest as the day is long, can’t understand why Lieutenant Baird won’t believe the story Mason has told about that day.

Both Mason and his new friend, tiny Calvin Chumsky, are relentlessly bullied by the other… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Grief & loss depiction
  • Death of a best friend
  • Death from a fall
  • Bullying
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All Rise for the Honorable Perry T Cook by Leslie Connor

All Rise for the Honorable Perry T. Cook by Leslie Connor

Eleven-year-old Perry was born and raised by his mom at the Blue River Co-ed Correctional Facility in tiny Surprise, Nebraska. His mom is a resident on Cell Block C, and so far Warden Daugherty has made it possible for them to be together. That is, until a new district attorney discovers the truth—and Perry is removed from the facility and forced into a foster home.

When Perry moves to the “outside” world, he feels trapped. Desperate to be reunited… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Incarceration of a parent for manslaughter
  • Car accident recounted
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Suggested Reading by David Connis

Suggested Reading by David Connis

Clara Evans is horrified when she discovers her principal’s “prohibited media” hit list. The iconic books on the list have been pulled from the library and aren’t allowed anywhere on the school’s premises. Students caught with the contraband will be sternly punished.

Many of these stories have changed Clara’s life, so she’s not going to sit back and watch while her draconian principal abuses his power… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Homomisia
  • Attempted suicide
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House of Secrets by Chris Columbus and Ned Vizzini

House of Secrets by Chris Columbus & Ned Vizzini

When Brendan, Cordelia and Nell move to Kristoff House they have no idea that they are about to unleash the dark magic locked within. For the house once belonged to a crazed writer, whose stories have come to life. Literally. Now the Walker kids must battle against deadly pirates, bloodthirsty warriors and a bone-crunching giant. If they fail they will never see their parents again and a power-mad Witch will take over the world. No pressure then . . .

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Alcohol consumption
  • Blood & injury depiction, including eye trauma
  • Murder
  • Gun violence
  • Sword violence & stabbing
  • Explosion
  • Fire
  • Plane crash
  • Vivisection discussed
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Get What They Deserve by Eoin Colfer

Get What They Deserve by Eoin Colfer

For almost two years, Lord Teddy Bleedham-Drye, the Duke of Scilly, has been plotting revenge against the Fowl Twins, who humiliated him in Book One. Teddy plans to give them exactly what they deserve: permanent death.

He threatens Myles with his weaponized jet and Beckett and Specialist Lazuli succeed in disarming the aircraft and causing an accident that kills the duke. But does it really?

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Loss of autonomy (possession)
  • Bullying
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Things We Couldn’t Say by Jay Coles

Things We Couldn’t Say by Jay Coles

There’s always been a hole in Gio’s life. Not because he’s into both guys and girls. Not because his father has some drinking issues. Not because his friends are always bringing him their drama. No, the hole in Gio’s life takes the shape of his birth mom, who left Gio, his brother, and his father when Gio was nine years old. For eight years, he never heard a word from her . . . and now, just as he’s started to get his life together, she’s back.

It’s hard for Gio to know what to do. Can he forgive her like she wants to be forgiven? Or should… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Homomisia
  • Bimisia
  • Racism & racial profiling
  • Child verbal and emotional abuse
  • Parental abandonment
  • Alcohol consumption & abuse
  • Suicide mentioned
  • Death of a sibling
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