20 Books the Children in Your Life Should Read

Books are a child’s first lens through which they see the world. Books, with their words and illustrations, help young readers analyze stories, build their vocabulary, and promote visual literacy, all while providing a greater understanding of the world.

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Over the years popular books like Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown, The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein, The Cat and the Hat by Dr. Seuss, and countless others have been household names and staples for young readers. Their simple messages and fun words are appealing, but in 2021, even these beloved children’s stories are lacking essential building blocks for modern children.

When children read or are read to, they develop critical language skills and deepen their understanding of people, places, ideas, science, history, and the things that will help them later in life. By providing children with a wide range of literature, they can see themselves represented in characters or come to understand that people have different lived experiences.

What does this mean? How can you ensure the children in your life will be prepared? It means that the children in your life should read books set in cities, books set in the country, and books with strong leading ladies. They should be prepared with books with and by transgender folks, books with BIPOC and LGBTQ+ history, and books with multiracial families.

It means representing the world how it is today and painting a picture so young readers can envision the world as it truly exists in 2021 ーnot a version painted for the mid-20th century. It means talking to children about topics they may or may not see in their everyday lives and encouraging them to ask questions and investigate for themselves.

There are countless books on the market that aid in doing just that, but if you’re looking for a place to start, here are 20 books the children in your life should read. Many of these are available as read-aloud stories on YouTube, so if access to a physical book proves challenging, don’t let it be a limiting factor in preparing the future leaders of tomorrow.