5 Books about Kids Who Are Book Lovers

This Is Sadie, by Sara O’Leary and Julie Morstad
Books offer readers a doorway into some fanciful worlds, and young Sadie has ventured through that door many, many times in this lovely picture book from Sara O’Leary and Julie Morstad. This imaginative, creative girl likes to play make-believe, build castles out of cushions, and climb trees, but what she likes more than anything else are stories, “because you can make them from nothing at all.” Books have turned her into a girl who has lived under the sea, a boy raised by wolves, and a hero in a fairy-tale world. They have given her wings and a whole host of friends who live in the pages of books. Young book lovers will see themselves in Sadie and will relish this whimsical tale. (Ages 3–7)

The Incredible Book Eating Boy, by Oliver Jeffers
Like a lot of kids, Henry loves books. One big difference between Henry and the other kids is that he doesn’t like to read books—he likes to eat books. He starts with just a word, but he works his way up to downing multiple books at a time. And the more he eats, the smarter he becomes. But when he starts getting sick to his stomach, he stops the book eating cold turkey, which inspires him to actually start reading the books—and he loves them! Author and illustrator Oliver Jeffers charming story is told with simple text and remarkable visuals “created with paint, pencil and Letraset on pages from old books that librarians were getting rid of, the artist found, or people were throwing out.” Book-loving kids will eat this one up! (Ages 4–8)

Isabella: Star of the Story: Just How Much Can a Little Girl Dream?, by Jennifer Fosberry and Mike Litwin
Isabella is an imaginative little girl with purple hair and a love of books in this cute picture book by Jennifer Fosberry with whimsical illustrations by Mike Litwin. Isabella is taking a trip to the library with her parents, and some of these lucky books will get to come home with her. But there’s just one important thing you should know about Isabella: She is not Isabella. In her creative imagination powered by books, she is Peter Pan, Goldilocks, Captain Nemo, Black Beauty, Alice in Wonderland, and Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz. Kids can follow right along on her literary adventures through the library as she picks some special books to read. (Ages 4–8)

Laugh Out Loud, by James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein
Twelve-year-old Jimmy has big dreams in James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein’s illustrated middle-grade read Laugh Out Loud. He loves books and believes in their power so much that he wants to start a book company for kids, run by kids, creating books that kids want to read. Too bad all of the adults in his life just laugh in his face when they hear about his ambitions. But Jimmy isn’t going to let a group of grown-ups who have forgotten about their own dreams deter him from his. Kids will love this funny and endearing story as they see Jimmy turn his love of great stories into a dream come true. (Ages 8–12)

Matilda, by Roald Dahl
Reading can offer a comforting escape during difficult times, and that’s exactly what it gives young Matilda Wormwood, who learned to read at just 3 years old but whose brilliance goes unnoticed by her self-centered, disinterested parents. Her discovery of the library and literary classics like Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations and Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre gives her a much-needed escape from her home life. And while her psychic abilities certainly aid significantly in her exacting revenge on the boorish adults in her life, the wit and intelligence she gains from some amazing books definitely helps. Ages 8–12