Independent · For parents, teachers & librarians
BankStreetBooks is an independent journal of children’s literature. We recommend real, carefully checked books for ages 0 to 12 — with honest age notes and practical advice for reading them together.
Reading & literacy
Practical read-aloud techniques by age — voice, pace, pausing, pointing, predicting, rereading — plus how to read aloud to kids who already read on their own.
Book list
Picture books and early readers that help children name anger, sadness, worry, separation, grief and frustration, with how to read them: pause, name, validate.
Reading & literacy
How to tell 'won't' from 'can't', use choice, graphic novels, humor and series, lower the pressure, and know when to ask the school about a reading evaluation.
Book list
Children's books set in New York City, from Brooklyn picture books to Manhattan mysteries and Harlem verse, plus a neighborhood reading-walk activity.
Book list
Why graphic novels are real reading, how to read comics with a child (panels, gutters, reading order), and graphic novels from early readers to teens.
Reading & literacy
A practical guide to the public library for families: children's library cards, holds, story times, asking librarians for book ideas, digital lending and summer reading.
66 books
Board books and picture books for babies through early elementary readers, chosen for read-aloud pleasure and lasting value.
6 books
Comics-format novels and memoirs for children and teens, with notes on which titles suit which readers.
22 books
True stories, biographies and information books for young readers, from first photo books to civil-rights history.
14 books
Picture books and novels about animals, weather, scientists and the natural world.
47 books
Books that reflect a wide range of children’s cultures, languages, families and experiences.
13 books
Picture books and novels that help children name feelings, handle conflict and practice kindness.
Ezra Jack Keats · 1962
Peter explores his city neighborhood after a snowfall, making tracks, snow angels, and a snowball he tries to save in his pocket.
Matt de la Peña; illustrated by Christian Robinson · 2015
CJ rides the bus across the city with his grandmother after church, and she helps him see beauty in the people and places along the way.
R. J. Palacio · 2012
August Pullman, born with a facial difference, attends school for the first time in fifth grade; the story is told from several viewpoints.
Jerry Craft · 2019
Jordan Banks, who wants to go to art school, instead starts seventh grade at a mostly white private school and navigates two worlds.
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Compare up to four books side by side on verifiable details — no star ratings.
Printable
Open-ended book discussion prompts sorted by purpose, with K–2 and 3–6 versions, nonfiction prompts, and facilitation tips and sentence stems.
Printable
A 1–2 week civil rights unit built on picture books, with a daily plan, National Archives primary sources, vocabulary, assessment and guidance on hard history.
Printable
A step-by-step checklist for auditing a classroom or school library: formats, levels, nonfiction, representation, languages, disability, condition, weeding.
Book list
How to make books part of a bedtime routine, how to read for winding down, how to choose calm books, and bedtime picks from board books to chapter books.
Age guide
How children move from picture books to early readers and first chapter books, how to spot a good beginning reader, and how to keep reading aloud.
Age guide
What middle grade means, the wide range of maturity within it, graphic and verse novels as real reading, heavier themes, and why read-aloud still matters.
Age guide
What babies and toddlers get from books, what to look for in a first book, how to read with a child who chews or wiggles, and a starter shelf.
Book list
Picture books and early readers that help children name anger, sadness, worry, separation, grief and frustration, with how to read them: pause, name, validate.
Book list
Picture books, biographies and novels for National Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15 to Oct. 15), organized by age, with classroom and family ideas for year-round use.