The best children’s books about the death of a grandparent include Nana Upstairs & Nana Downstairs, The Memory Box, Grandad’s Island, Lifetimes, The Funeral, Badger’s Parting Gifts and The Rabbit Listened: gentle stories that explain death and honor memories.
The best children’s books about divorce reassure kids that it’s not their fault and that both parents still love them. Top picks include Two Homes, Dinosaurs Divorce, Was It the Chocolate Pudding?, It’s Not Your Fault, Koko Bear, The Invisible String and Dear Mr. Henshaw.
The best read-aloud chapter books for the whole family include The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Winnie-the-Pooh, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH and A Bear Called Paddington.
The best audiobooks for kids on road trips have great narrators and appeal to adults too: How to Train Your Dragon read by David Tennant, The Hobbit read by Andy Serkis, Matilda read by Kate Winslet, The Wild Robot, Holes, Percy Jackson and The Phantom Tollbooth.
The best decodable books for kids with dyslexia follow a clear phonics sequence so children can sound out every word. Top series include Bob Books, Dog on a Log, Simple Words Books, Phonic Books (Dandelion Launchers, Magic Belt, Moon Dogs), Primary Phonics and Jolly Phonics Readers.
High-interest low-level (hi-lo) books pair age-appropriate, exciting topics with an easier reading level. Top picks include Hank Zipzer, Bluford High, Holes, The Outsiders, Rebound, Ghost Boys, Zita the Spacegirl and the Who Was? series.
The best books for reluctant readers in middle school are short, funny or highly visual: Ghosts, Max and the Midknights, The Terrible Two, I Survived, Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life, Twins, The Okay Witch and the Wings of Fire graphic novels.
The best books for 18 year old girls include Circe, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Lessons in Chemistry, Normal People, The Defining Decade, Big Magic and Broke Millennial: unforgettable novels plus practical books for life after high school.
The best books for 18 year old boys include Meditations, Man’s Search for Meaning, Extreme Ownership, Deep Work, I Will Teach You to Be Rich, East of Eden, The Great Gatsby and The Martian: books on purpose, discipline and money, plus great novels.
The best books for 17 year old girls include The Bell Jar, Pachinko, Americanah, The Secret History, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, Crying in H Mart and Piranesi: thought-provoking novels and memoirs for readers on the edge of adulthood.