Tag Archives: All ages

Food and Family: Scrumptious books for the season to come

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If you too are ready to move from spooky tales to warm and cozy stories, do I have some suggestions for you. Brand new (2025) books of family, friends, and food just in time for the season of abundance. Enjoy these reads with your best book buddy, an extra cozy blanket, and your favorite stretchy pants.

PICTURE BOOKS:

Family Feast!
Written by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by Frank Morrison
Random House Children’s Books
Age 4-8
September 23, 2025

When this multi-generational family gathers for a party, no one will leave without a full belly and a full heart. “Tastes like home when family meets; bond so warm, so strong, so sweet.” This hug of a refrain anchors a poetic picture of a joyful day of food, family, connection and home. Vibrant colors and bold strokes of oil paint perfectly capture the action and emotion of a large and loving (and loud if they’re like mine!) extended family.

Owl’s Fall Feast Fiasco
Written by Kristen Rememar and illustrated by Matt Faulkner
Charlesbridge
Age 3-7
September 5, 2025

Menu planning for a party is stressful! Especially as Owl attempts to impress his favorite didgeridoo musician and learns that he doesn’t really even understand the tastes of his closest friends. By asking questions and accepting their different palates, Owl learns that gathering with friends is the most important part of a feast. The combination of speech bubbles, graphic-like panels, and full-page spreads allow unique animal personalities to eclipse stereotypes in this ode to a forest Friendsgiving.

MIDDLE GRADE:

Witchycakes: Sweet Magic
Written by Kara LaRue and Illustrated by Ariane Moreira
Random House Children’s Books
Age 6-9
August 19, 2025

“In a magical bakery by the sea, live a witch and a witch-to-be…” Blue and their mama bake up tasty treats with a little magic and a lot of love. While making the deliveries, Blue gets to practice different bits of magic as they try to help their friends and neighbors. This delightful early chapter book blends themes of independence and community spirit with the gentle lesson of learning from our mistakes. Whimsical, candy-colored illustrations complement the story and showcase a diverse and vibrant community full of heart.

The Secret of Honeycake
Written by Kimberly Newton Fusco
Knopf
Age 8-12
January 21, 2025

In the midst of the Great Depression, a young girl named Hurricane is forced by family tragedy to move in with an intimidating great aunt and her kind-hearted servant. Through her insecurity and grief, she learns about the ways of caregiving, the importance of using her voice, and the magic that can come from sharing food cooked with love.

NONFICTION:

Sweet and Salty! King Arthur Company’s Cookbook for Young Bakers
Written by King Arthur Baking with Jessica Battilana and Yekaterina Boytsova
Photography by Rick Holbrook and illustrated by Jordan Sondler
Simon & Schuster
Age 8-12
September 30, 2025

For anyone new to baking—no matter the age—King Arthur’s new title is just the guide for those looking to share love through food this holiday season. Full of tips for getting started, skills tutorials like how to “just fold it in!” (a photo guide titled “What is folding and how do you do it?”), equipment lists, and plenty of recipes for sweet and savory treats. Mouthwatering photography, fun and funny graphics, and easy to follow instructions are blended into the most delicious book for all aspiring bakers.

When Alexander Graced the Table
Written by Alexander Smalls and Denene Millner and illustrated by Frank Morrison
Simon and Schuster
Age 4-8
January 7, 2025

Inspired by family and food, this is the origin story of a young boy who would grow to be a James Beard Award-winning chef. Always enamored of Sunday dinners with his family, Alexander Smalls used his new kitchen skills to make a sweet surprise for his father and family to enjoy. Morrison’s oils capture both the thoughtful and ambitious boy and the emotions that inspired him. This would make a lovely non-fiction companion to Family Feast.

YOUNG ADULT:

Legendary Frybread Drive-In: Intertribal Stories
Edited by Cynthia Leitich Smith
HarperCollins Publishers/Heartdrum
August 26, 2025
12+

Sandy June’s Legendary Frybread Drive-In is everywhere and nowhere all at once. Each piece of this anthology takes place against the backdrop of the drive-in, as teenagers from Alaska to Hawai’i enjoy traditional foods, comfort snacks, and a little bit of magic to provide just what they need when they need it. As they deal with hallmark challenges of young adulthood—grief, love, jealousy, friendship, and family—they make connections within, beyond, and between Indigenous cultures.

Love Craves Cardamom
Written by Aashna Avachat
Random House Children’s Books/Joy Revolution
Age 13+
May 20, 2025

Archi is an American Desi HS student studying abroad in Jaipur and hoping for a “boy-free semester.” Shiv is a mysterious boy who wants to show her the city in all its delicious vibrancy, even when he’s not ready to show his true self. This lighthearted YA rom-com is a story of growth, culture, self-awareness, agency, and the way that food can nurture us—body, heart, and soul.

Here’s to a delicious season of thankfulness for you and yours. May your hearts, bellies, and bookshelves be full!

Election Year Titles for All Ages

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We’re less than two months from election day, and it’s the perfect time for civic-minded students of all ages to understand that their voice and their vote matters. Publishers have provided a plethora of options; from picture books to YA novels, fiction and nonfiction, there is something for every kid and every lesson plan.

Pre-school—Kindergarten

Curious George Votes
Deidre Langland
Illustrated by Mary O’Keefe in the style of H. A. Rey
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
September 1, 2020

As per usual, Curious George causes well-intentioned chaos with an elementary school mascot election while passing out stickers, stuffing the ballot box, helping a write-in candidate get elected—a monkey! This silly introduction to voting will be a great introduction for little ones that might be curious about all this election-talk.

V is for Voting
Kate Farrell
Illustrated by Caitlin Kuhwald
Macmillan/Henry Holt
July 21, 2020

This civic-minded ABC book is a bright and optimistic look at why we vote—for Citizens’ rights, Onward progress, and Representation. A diverse cast of engaged voters (and kids), with cameo appearances by political and social figures past and present, represent 26 reasons why your vote is important. The back matter, including notes on how to contact elected officials, organizing a voter registration drive, and a voting rights timeline, is geared toward grown-up reading buddies.

Elementary

Vote for our Future
Margaret McNamara
Illustrated by Micah Player
Penguin Random House/Schwartz & Wade
February 18, 2020

They may not be old enough to vote yet, but these elementary school students will make their voices heard because “kids have to live with adult choices.” By passing out voting guides, talking about voting options, encouraging registration, and hosting a bake sale, they build enthusiasm and turn out in their community. Includes a list of Acts of Congress that were influenced by votes for a better future.

The Next President: The Unexpected Beginnings and Unwritten Future of America’s Presidents
Kate Messner
Illustrated by Adam Rex
Chronicle Books
March 24, 2020

Everybody starts somewhere, even our presidents, who were politicians, soldiers, farmers, students, and regular kids. This timeline of U.S. presidents gives snippets of their histories and overlapping experiences to show how, even now, our future leaders are leading, learning, growing-up, and maybe even reading this book.

Middle-Grade

Act
Kayla Miller
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
July 21, 2020

Olive puts her sixth grade civics lessons to work when she runs for student council representative. Learning about protests, debates, and the issues important to her classmates will make her a great candidate, even if it means running against her friends. This bright and engaging graphic novel includes a recipe for Mint Chocolate Chip-Ins, notes on historic and modern day peaceful protests, and a suggested reading list.

The Kids’ Complete Guide to Elections
Cari Meister, Emma Carlson Berne, and Nel Yomtov
Capstone
January 1, 2020

This thorough nonfiction guide covers everything from vocabulary to in-depth, but age-appropriate explanations of democratic values, campaigns, the electoral college, political parties, and voting. Vibrant photography and relatable examples will both inform and inspire students to make a difference in their communities.

Young Adult

Running
Natalia Sylvester
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt/Clarion
July 14, 2020

When Mari Ruiz’s father runs for president; she isn’t prepared for the effects on her life—intense media scrutiny, questioning her family values, and her growing sense of political activism. As she evaluates her feelings and beliefs, Mari sets her own boundaries and finds her own voice. An intimate look at the way personal beliefs conflict with business as usual in U.S. politics.

Unrig: How to Fix Our Broken Democracy
Daniel G. Newman
Illustrated by George O’Connor
Roaring Brook/First Second
July 7, 2020

An accessible exploration of the connection between corporation, big money, and political power, and how breaking that connection is the needed to see genuine change in our country. The subtle turquoise and goldenrod color palette in this YA graphic novel puts the focus on specific examples, clearly-explained concepts, and what readers can do to affect change.