Children’s Books to Buy in the 2024 Libro.Fm Shop Small Sale

I love Jason Reynolds’ books, so I’m getting this middle grade book about two brothers spending the summer with their blind grandfather.

12-year-old June, her younger sister Mabel, and her mother are forced to move into Huey House, a homeless shelter in New York City. June’s mother has become non-verbal since their father died a few months ago, so June has to care for Mabel on her own. At Huey House, June meets Tyrell, and the two form a friendship based on their shared love for music. June also starts getting viola lessons from a next-door neighbor. But just when she’s finding her footing at Huey House, she finds out through Tyrell that the government is trying to get people out of the home before they’re ready and sending them to unsafe neighborhoods. This is a warm, realistic, and inspiring middle grade book about homelessness, grief, and a love of music.

I enjoyed this author’s The Night Diary and How You Find What You’re Looking for, so I’m eager to read this story.

If you’ve got Big Nate fans at home, this is a great deal to snag audio versions of the first four books for less than five bucks!

I’ve been reading more chapter books for younger kids, so I just bought this beloved story — gotta hear it for myself! So many people I trust have raved about it. This is another illustrated book that isn’t a graphic novel if you’re looking for more of those.

After a horrific Valentine’s Day, Emilie Hornbie is ready for a do-over — or so she thinks. Her boyfriend is cheating on her, her dad is planning to move away without asking how she feels, and her car is totalled after an accident with a schoolmate. But she feels better after arriving at her grandma’s house that evening. Except… when she wakes up the next day, it’s Valentine’s Day again! Stuck in the time loop, Emilie tries to undo the calamities, but she keeps running into the same schoolmate, Nick — and falling for him too. This is a charming romance with substance that delves into grief, family, and perfectionism. The time loop will appeal to readers who enjoy that element.

I bought this WWI audiobook about an Ojibwe girl forced to pass as white when her mom marries a white man in a previous Libro.Fm sale. This author writes delightful stories with a classic feel and I love her books.

Sharkita’s (aka Kita) alcoholic mom is on her last chance to maintain custody of her kids, Kita, Lamar, and Lily. Kita is anxious about whether her mother’s well-being streak will end and when they’ll be shipped off again to foster homes, separated from each other. Throughout the book, that worry and her mom’s unstable behavior worries Kita, leading sometimes to panic attacks, which she hides from her mother. This is a powerful exploration of the impact of generational trauma and a touching look at the impact of community and adults who look out for the kids in their lives.

I was skeptical (as I am of all superhero stories) of this book, especially because I thought it was more supernatural than sci-fi. But I’m happy to report that I was hooked from the very first chapter of its audiobook. Coal is a foster kid taken in by the boisterous McKay family when his foster parent has a mental breakdown. Not long after, he realizes that his skin has camouflaging abilities, essentially making him invisible. This is more than a superhero origin story with plenty of family humor (for fans of The Vanderbeekers), lots of male friendship banter, musings on the foster care system, and a heartwarming ode to Black history and culture. I can’t wait for book two, and I expect young, hesitant readers to love this if they crack open the first couple of pages. Ages 11+

I couldn’t get to this eARC before the book was released earlier this year, so I was happy to see the audiobook on sale. It’s about a girl who skips forward in time to avoid her present grief.

I bought a hard copy of this YA earlier in the year, but with so many physical books on my TBR, I just go through audiobooks much more quickly! It’s all about a girl who operated a switchboard during WWI and the haunting past that follows her.

This new chapter book series follows all the kids in a third-grade class and is written by a cast of stellar kidlit authors. Each installment is from the perspective of a different kid, and it’s so fun to read. I read the first book in the series and am looking forward to book two!

Simon Hyde and his parents have been moving around the country and creating social media content around their travels for as long as he can remember. Now they’ve moved into the Tangerine Apartments, and Simon is hoping to put down roots for a while. But a theft in the building puts everyone on edge, and even Simon’s parents begin to contemplate moving away again. This moves Simon to join forces with a new friend to solve the mystery together. As the kids unravel the mystery, they also learn plenty about each other, what it means to be a good friend, and their eclectic group of neighbors.