Add These Books by Local Authors to Your Kids' Reading Lists
Like Book It! but you can take the fam to Pizza Bones instead. Or, you know, your fave local pizza spot.
— by Kelsey Heintz, Managing Editor
Poet Tree by Elisa Bobbiesi
In this collection of poems, your little reader will “meet a very sophisticated alligator, a bear who steals underwear, and a mischievous lion with plenty of space for rent.” Plus, there’s a monster, riddles, tongue twisters, and a secret recipe. And the accompanying hand-painted watercolors are just as delightful as the stories.
Recommended reading ages: 3 to 8
Buy it online: here
Baking Up a Storm by Jessica Parham
This ~sweet~ story emphasizes the importance of everyone’s differences — without emphasizing them at all. A little boy (who happens to have a limb difference, or “lucky fin”) and his mom bake his Grandma Janet’s recipe for cupcakes, and whimsy ensues.
Recommended reading ages: 4 to 7
Buy it online: here
The Virginia Mysteries by Steven K. Smith
This 11-book series follows characters Sam, Derek, and Caitlin on their adventures throughout Virginia — including Church Hill and Belle Isle. Even better, a portion of the proceeds from the book sales support the Church Hill Activities and Tutoring (CHAT) org, a non-profit that works with Church Hill kiddos.
Recommended reading ages: 7 to 12
Buy them online: here
An Ordinary Day by Dr. Anjali Ferguson & Justin Ferguson
This picture book follows two boys — one Black, one white — throughout a typical day at home, at school, and during their after-school activities, highlighting “how even in the mundane of experiences, Black children operate in a world that consciously and subconsciously promotes messaging about bias and inferiority.” It’s a great resource for parents to use as they broach the topic of racism with their kids, which one of the authors (a culturally responsive clinical psychologist) notes should be done “early and often.”
Recommended reading ages: 2 to 4
Buy it online: here
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