Celebrate all families, by birth and by choice, with these moving stories that show love is the tie that binds families together.
We Love You As Much As the Fox Loves Its Tail by Masiana Kelly
An endearing bedtime story welcoming a new baby to the family, filled with enchanting illustrations of northern Canadian animals from Inuk and Dene writer Masiana Kelly. Ages 0-5.
My Family Tree and Me by Dušan Petričić
A fun look at both sides of one boy's family in a picture book that can be read front-to-back and back-to-front! Ages 4-8.
Riley Reynolds Slides Into Summer by Jay Albee
Mama’s extended family is ready for their annual family reunion, and nonbinary fourth grader Riley can’t wait to see everyone in this gentle early chapter book for emerging readers. Ages 7-10.
The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser
Set in Harlem about a large, biracial family, this humorous yet wholesome story follows the antics of the five Vanderbeeker siblings as they try to win over their grumpy landlord and save their family from eviction. Ideal for family read-alouds! Ages 8-12.
7 Generations: A Plains Cree Saga by David A. Robertson
This vivid teen graphic novel tells the affecting, and at times agonizing, tale of one Indigenous family over three centuries, from the early 19th century to the present day. Ages 13+.
Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson
In this character-driven and compelling novel, two estranged siblings inherit their family’s recipe for Caribbean black cake after their mother’s death, as well as an audio recording that reveals shocking family secrets. If you liked The Vanishing Half and Banyon Moon, you’ll also enjoy Wilkerson’s novel.
Beyond That, The Sea by Laura Spence-Ash
A young woman struggles with the dramatic changes in her working-class family in post-war WWII London after spending the war years with a loving, affluent family in America. A tender story about class, displacement, divided loyalties, loss and love.
A History of Burning by Janika Oza
This sweeping 2023 Governor General Finalist for Fiction takes readers from India to Uganda, England and finally Canada as the desperate choice of a 13-year-old Indian boy in 1898 reverberates for generations to come. Colonialism, survival, exile and trauma impact the stories this family shares and the stories they withhold.
Dispatches From Ray’s Planet: A Journey through Autism by Claire Finlayson
A loving recount by a caring but often confounded sister about the trials and tribulations of her neurodivergent older brother. Both insightful and emotional.
How We Do Family: From Adoption to Trans Pregnancy, What We Learned About Love And LGBTQ Parenthood by Trystan Reese
Dubbed “the pregnant man” by the media, storyteller and activist Trystan Reese recounts how he and his partner built their family through adoption and trans pregnancy. Keep the tissues handy; while a quick read, there are plenty of tear-jerking moments.
It. Goes. So. Fast.: The Year of No Do-Overs by Mary Louise Kelly
An NPR journalist pledges to make every moment of her son’s last year of high school count as she realizes while she was trying to balance motherhood, family and a demanding career, her son’s childhood passed her by. A poignant reflection on aging, relationships and the choices we make.
