Want to hear something true? Folks have opinions about libraries.

I’m not a librarian, but I work beside one. We manage circulation for 300 kiddos and their teachers. Our library sits at the intersection of all kinds of identities and marginalizations, so I spend a lot of my time sitting on the carpet and listening. I advocate with students to their peers, their adults, and themselves. It’s a lot of feelings work and occasional pointing at shelves.

The internet isn’t all wrong, though: I do have a cupboard filled with special tapes and glues, I read more than most, and I get unpleasant about censorship. I wear a cardigan. I also buy a lot of books. This is where our aims overlap: We’re looking for the right titles for the children in our care.

Below, you’ll see books that are popular with our kids, or that I anticipate will be popular with our kids, or perhaps that will mean everything to one or two. Some I’ve found on my own, but many came to me from colleagues and beloved local bookstores. These books are grouped roughly by age, but don’t let that make your decision for you. Your second grader might dig that 200-page Earth anthology. Your tween could probably get a lot out of a wordless book. All of us need Hot Dog. You already know how to know your audience. Get down on the carpet and figure out what’s up.
 

Now it’s your turn! Let us know which titles catch your eye from the list above and what books you like to buy for the young readers in your life, in the comments below.