Books with Strong Families: 06/08/17

The West of Mars blog asks: "give me fiction with great dads in it." And that got me thinking. In books, family is usually not much of a dynamic – at least in the books I read. In books for adult, whether fiction or nonfiction, the children are usually absent, or relegated to the sidelines. For children, it's just the reverse — absent, dead, or useless parents.

For children's fiction, the absent parents are usually plot important. They are gone to give the children freedom to have adventures — to be heroes. For adult fiction, children complicate the plot and are often hard to write authentically.

But sometimes adults and children do occupy the same book, the same story, and do it well. So rather than just focus on dads, I'm listing books I've reviewed that have a compelling family dynamic. These aren't always parents and children. They might be caregivers, grandparents, neighbors, aunts or uncles.The point is — these are books where children and adults work together for a common goal.

Although most of the list is fiction, there are some nonfiction titles too.

1. Absolutely Truly by Heather Vogel Frederick
2. Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor
3. Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko
4. Al Capone Shines My Shoes by Gennifer Choldenko
5. All-of-a-Kind Family by Sydney Taylor
6. All-of-a-Kind Family Uptown by Sydney Taylor
7. And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
8. Anna's Corn by Barbara Santucci
9. The Aviary by Kathleen O'Dell
10. Below by Meg McKinlay
11. Blackbird Fly by Erin Entrada Kelly
12. Blizzard by John Rocco
13. Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey
14. The Boneshaker by Kate Milford
15. Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
16. A Castle On Viola Street by Dyanne Disalvo
17. Chi's Sweet Home 01 by Kanata Konami
18. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and the Race Against Time by Frank Cottrell Boyce
19. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Flies Again by Frank Cottrell Boyce
20. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Over the Moon by Frank Cottrell Boyce
21. Clementine by Sara Pennypacker
22. Clementine and the Family Meeting by Sara Pennypacker
23. Clementine, Friend of the Week by Sara Pennypacker
24. Clementine and the Spring Trip by Sara Pennypacker
25. Clementine's Letter by Sara Pennypacker
26. The Cookcamp by Gary Paulsen
27. The Dancing Pancake by Eileen Spinelli
28. Doodlebug by Karen Romano Young
29. The Dragons of Spratt Ohio by Linda Zinnen
30. Dragonhaven by Robin McKinley
31. Everything on a Waffle (audio) by Polly Horvath
32. The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly
33. The Farmer and the Clown by Marla Frazee
34. Fish In A Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
35. Fleabrain Loves Franny by Joanne Rocklin
36. Floors by Patrick Carman
37. Flush by Carl Hiaasen
38. The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig
39. The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There by Catherynne M. Valente
40. Hands of My Father by Myron Uhlberg
41. Honey by Sarah Weeks
42. How to Outswim a Shark Without a Snorkel by Jess Keating
43. The Kayla Chronicles by Sherri Winston
44. Keeper by Kathi Appelt
45. Kimchi & Calamari by Rose Kent
46. Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale by Mo Willems
47. Knuffle Bunny Free by Mo Willems
48. Knuffle Bunny Too by Mo Willems
49. Listen, Slowly by Thanhha Lai
50. The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd
51. The Moffats by Eleanor Estes
52. Moonpenny Island by Tricia Springstubb
53. Mutt's Promise by Julie Salamon
54. My Mixed-Up Berry Blue Summer by Jennifer Gennari
55. My One Hundred Adventures by Polly Horvath
56. Pie by Sarah Weeks
57. Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary
58. Saturdays at Sea by Jessica Day George
59. So B. It by Sarah Weeks
60. Spork by Kyo Maclear
61. Stardust (Audio) by Neil Gaiman
62. Stef Soto, Taco Queen by Jennifer Torres
63. The Tail of Emily Windsnap by Liz Kessler
64. This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki
65. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
66. Twenty Yawns by Jane Smiley
67. Under the Egg by Laura Marx Fitzgerald
68. Unstoppable Octobia May by Sharon G. Flake
69. XVI by Julia Karr

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