The holiday season reminds us that spending time with loved ones can be the best gift of all. Family might look different for everyone, but at its core, it's the group of people we surround ourselves with and love (even when it can be difficult).
From families made up of friends you've chosen to those filled with dozens of aunts, uncles, and cousins, we've rounded up books that celebrate some of the many beautiful shapes a family can take.
The Lotterys Plus One by Emma Donoghue
Sumac Lottery is nine years old and the self-proclaimed "good girl" of her (VERY) large, (EXTREMELY) unruly family. And what a family the Lotterys are: four parents, children both adopted and biological, and a menagerie of pets, all living and learning together in a sprawling house called Camelottery. Then one day, the news breaks that one of their grandfathers is suffering from dementia and will be coming to live with them. And not just any grandfather; the long dormant "Grumps," who fell out with his son so long ago that he hasn't been part of any of their lives. uddenly, everything changes. Sumac has to give up her room to make the newcomer feel at home. She tries to be nice, but prickly Grumps's clearly disapproves of how the Lotterys live: whole grains, strange vegetables, rescue pets, a multicultural household... He's worse than just tough to get along with; Grumps has got to go! But can Sumac help him find a home where he belongs?
The Lotterys More or Less by Emma Donoghue
Sumac Lottery is the keeper of her family's traditions — from Pow Wow to Holi, Carnival to Hogmanay, Sumac's on guard to make sure that no Lottery celebration gets forgotten. But this winter all Sumac's seasonal plans go awry when a Brazilian visitor overstays his welcome. A terrible ice storm grounds all flights, so one of her dads and her favorite brother can't make it home from India. And then the power starts going out across the city... Can Sumac hang on to the spirit of the season, even if nothing is going like a Lottery holiday should?
Cleo Edison Oliver: Playground Millonaire by Sundee Tucker Frazier
Cleopatra Edison Oliver has always been an entrepreneur, just like her inspiration, successful businesswoman Fortune A. Davies. So when Cleo's fifth-grade teacher assigns her class a "Passion Project," Cleo comes up with her best business idea yet: the finest "tooth-pulling" company in town. With the help of her best friend Caylee, a Nerf gun, her dad's tablet, and her patented Persuasion Power, Cleo's Quick and Painless Tooth Removal Service starts to take off.
But even the best made plans, by the best CEOs, go awry sometimes. A minor barfing incident during a tooth-pulling operation causes Cleo to lose customers. Caylee, initially enthusiastic about the business, grows distant as Cleo neglects their friendship in lieu of getting more customers. And when a mean classmate makes fun of Cleo for being adopted, everything comes crashing down. Will she be able to rescue her business, salvage her friendship with Caylee, and discover that her true home has been here all along?
Lucky Luna by Diana López
Luna Ramos has more cousins than she can count, and even though her mom says that makes her lucky, Luna knows that every time she gets in trouble (and she gets in trouble a lot), one of her primas is responsible.
But when mischievous Luna locks her know-it-all cousin Claudia in the bathroom at her cousin's quinceañera, Luna has no one to blame but herself. Her punishment? She's not allowed to wear hats for a whole month, which is a big deal because Luna's always been embarrassed by her hair, and hats make her feel more comfortable.
To make things even worse, Claudia is transferring to her school, and they’re going to be in the same fifth grade class together. Now Claudia will have a chance to tattle on her even more than she already does! Luna’s grandmother offers some sage advice, but since it’s in Spanish, Luna gets it all wrong. When the kids at school begin making fun of Claudia, Luna must decide what matters more: family or her reputation.
Princess Truly in I am Princess Truly by Kelly Greenwalt
If you believe it, you can achieve it! Princess Truly is smart, courageous, and can do anything she sets her mind to do. She can tame lions, race fast cars, fly to the moon, and dance on the stars. Lively rhyme and colorful illustrations are beautifully combined to show little ones that they can do anything too.
Princess Truly was inspired by Kelly Greenwalt's adopted daughters, Calista and Kaia, who are smart and spunky, and who have magical curls of their own.
Kinda Like Brothers by Coe Booth
Jarrett doesn't trust Kevon. But he has to share a room with him anyway.
It was one thing when Jarrett's mom took care of foster babies who needed help. But this time it's different. This time the baby who needs help has an older brother, a kid Jarrett's age named Kevon.
Everyone thinks Jarrett and Kevon should be friends, but that's not going to happen. Not when Kevon's acting like he's better than Jarrett, and not when Jarrett finds out Kevon's keeping some major secrets.
Jarrett doesn't think it's fair that he has to share his room, his friends, and his life with some stranger. He has to do something about it, but what?
The Porcupine of Truth by Bill Konigsberg
The author of Openly Straight returns with an epic road trip involving family history, gay history, the girlfriend our hero can't have, the grandfather he never knew, and the Porcupine of Truth.
Carson Smith is resigned to spending his summer in Billings, Montana, helping his mom take care of his father, a dying alcoholic he doesn't really know. Then he meets Aisha Stinson, a beautiful girl who has run away from her difficult family, and Pastor John Logan, who's long held a secret regarding Carson's grandfather, who disappeared without warning or explanation thirty years before. Together, Carson and Aisha embark on an epic road trip to find the answers that might save Carson's dad, restore his fragmented family, and discover the "Porcupine of Truth" in all of their lives.
Hey, Kiddo by Jarrett J. Krosoczka
In kindergarten, Jarrett Krosoczka's teacher asks him to draw his family, with a mommy and a daddy. But Jarrett's family is much more complicated than that. His mom is an addict, in and out of rehab, and in and out of Jarrett's life. His father is a mystery; Jarrett doesn't know where to find him, or even what his name is. Jarrett lives with his grandparents, two very loud, very loving, very opinionated people who had thought they were through with raising children until Jarrett came along.
Jarrett goes through his childhood trying to make his non-normal life as normal as possible, finding a way to express himself through drawing even as so little is being said to him about what's going on. Only as a teenager can Jarrett begin to piece together the truth of his family, reckoning with his mother and tracking down his father.
Hey, Kiddo is a profoundly important memoir about growing up in a family grappling with addiction, and finding the art that helps you survive.
All the Crooked Saints by Maggie Stiefvater
Here is a thing everyone wants: A miracle.
Here is a thing everyone fears: What it takes to get one.
Any visitor to Bicho Raro, Colorado, is likely to find a landscape of dark saints, forbidden love, scientific dreams, miracle-mad owls, estranged affections, one or two orphans, and a sky full of watchful desert stars. At the heart of this place you will find the Soria family, who all have the ability to perform unusual miracles. And at the heart of this family are three cousins longing to change its future: Beatriz, the girl without feelings, who wants only to be free to examine her thoughts; Daniel, the Saint of Bicho Raro, who performs miracles for everyone but himself; and Joaquin, who spends his nights running a renegade radio station under the name Diablo Diablo. They are all looking for a miracle. But the miracles of Bicho Raro are never quite what you expect.
From bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater, a gripping tale of darkness, miracles, and family. Saints. Miracles. Family. Romance. Death. Redemption.
Kristy's Big Day by Gale Galligan, Ann M. Martin
Kristy's mom is getting married and Kristy is her bridesmaid! However, 14 kids are coming in town for the wedding. It's the biggest job the BSC has ever had, but they'll work together to make sure Kristy's big day is a success in this new full-color graphic novel adapted by USA Today bestselling author Gale Galligan.
Just the Two of Us by Will Smith
Will Smith — musician, actor, and father — brings us a moving celebration of fatherhood. The song's heartfelt lyrics and Kadir Nelson's vibrant paintings capture the beauty and intensity of a father's love as his child grows from a boy into a man. This poignant portrait will resonate with fathers and sons everywhere.
