Juvenile & Young Adult / Themes / Family / Parents

The Countdown

by Kimberly Derting

In the concluding book in the otherworldly Taking trilogy, Kyra struggles to understand who she is as she races to save the world from complete destruction.

Ever since Kyra was abducted by aliens and then returned...

Love You Forever

by Robert Munsch & Sheila McGraw

A young woman holds her newborn son

And looks at him lovingly. Softly she sings to him:

"I'll love you forever

I'll like you for always

As long as I'm living

My baby you'll be."

So begins the story that has...

Glass

by Ellen Hopkins

Crank. Glass. Ice. Crystal. Whatever you call it, it's all the same: a monster. And once it's got hold of you, this monster will never let you go.

Kristina thinks she can control it. Now with a baby to care...

No Talking

by Andrew Clements & Mark Elliott

In No Talking, Andrew Clements portrays a battle of wills between some spunky kids and a creative teacher with the perfect pitch for elementary school life that made Frindle an instant classic.

It’s boys vs....

Replay

by Sharon Creech

Newbery Medal winner Sharon Creech's inspired novel tells the story of a boy who fantasizes about who he is in order to discover who he will become. Now with fresh and gorgeous new cover art, this touching tale...

Define "Normal"

by Julie Anne Peters

Now in its fourth hardcover printing, Define "Normal" has become a word-of-mouth phenomenon. This is a thoughtful, wry story about two girls--a "punk" and a "priss"--who find themselves facing each other in...

Calendar Mysteries #6: June Jam

by Ron Roy & John Steven Gurney

It's a mystery every month from popular A to Z Mysteries author Ron Roy!

June is for Jam...

In the sixth book of the Calendar Mysteries - an early chapter book mystery series featuring the younger siblings of...

To Be Mona

by Kelly Easton

Sage Priestly is seventeen, and she longs to reinvent herself -- to strip away the fat, the past, the crazy mom, the unpaid bills. She longs to be her own version of the gorgeous and popular Mona Simms.

Sage...

Jerk, California

by Jonathan Friesen

Read Jonathan Friesen's posts on the Penguin Blog.

This Schneider Family Book Award winner changed the face of Tourette's Syndrome for modern teens. Wrought with tension, romance, and hope, Jerk, California...

Paperboy

by Vince Vawter

*"Reminiscent of To Kill a Mockingbird." —Booklist, Starred

"An unforgettable boy and his unforgettable story. I loved it!" —ROB BUYEA, author of Because of Mr. Terupt and Mr. Terupt Falls Again

This...

Just Leave Me Alone

by Nakesha Lowe

Just Leave Me Alone is for all of you smothering parents out there that worry about every little thing when it comes to your children. Many parents don't realize that being too strict has its disadvantages....

I Am Not Joey Pigza

by Jack Gantos

Just when Joey Pigza's wired world finally seems to be under control, his good-for-nothing dad pops back into his life. This time, though, Carter Pigza is a new man – literally. After a lucky lotto win, Carter...

The Journey Back

by Priscilla Cummings

A teenage boy faces his past and seeks redemption in the gripping companion book to Red Kayak

Nine months in a juvenile detention facility was the punishment for his crime. After just a month he makes a bold...

Harley, Like a Person

by Cat Bauer

Fourteen-year-old Harley Columba is convinced she's adopted. She's nothing like her abusive, alcoholic father or her bitter, romance novel-reading mother. They have brown eyes, but Harley's eyes are blue. They...

One for the Murphys

by Lynda Hunt

A moving debut novel about a foster child learning to open her heart to a family's love.

Carley uses humor and street smarts to keep her emotional walls high and thick. But the day she becomes a foster child,...

The Report Card

by Andrew Clements

Nora Rose Rowley is a genius, but don't tell anyone.

Nora's managed to make it to the fifth grade without anyone figuring out that she's not just an ordinary kid, and she wants to keep it that way.

     But...

Bitter End

by Jennifer Brown

When Alex falls for the charming new boy at school, Cole -- a handsome, funny, sports star who adores her -- she can't believe she's finally found her soul mate . . . someone who truly loves and understands...

Three Little Words

by Clemency Pearce & Rosalind Beardshaw

Perfect for Valentine’s Day or anytime a hug is required! What are the three little words that make everything better? I Love You! Preschoolers will love snuggling with their families and counting all the...

Daddies

by Janet Frank

In a charming rhyme, this 1953 Little Golden Books asks, "What do daddies do all day? Daddies work while children play." It shows daddies working in all kinds of careers, from farming to teaching to even singing...

You Don't Know About Me

by Brian Meehl

Sixteen-year-old Billy Allbright is about to bust out of his sheltered cocoon and go on a gonzo road trip. He just doesn't know it yet. His ticket to freedom? A mysterious Bible containing two resurrection stories....