10 Books For Kids Who Love Books

From kids jumping INTO stories and characters jumping OUT of them to word games, puzzles, and book references galore, here are some of my favorite books for kids who love books.

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Over the past several months, I’ve been reading a couple of children’s chapter books a week to expand my “kidlit” repertoire. From my readings, I’ve started an ongoing series of posts called “Books For Kids Who Love…” The first post was “Books for Kids Who Love Outdoor Adventure,” but I’m eagerly working on adding to the collection. This week, I have a new one I’m excited to share with you – “Books for Kids Who Love Books”!

I’ve noticed I have a real soft spot for children’s books about books/reading. I very much enjoy the tropes of kids either jumping into stories or beloved book characters emerging out of them, and I also relish ones that celebrate the rapture of a really great book.

I’ve read enough of them now that I wanted to put them all into a list for kids (or adults!) who enjoy these plotlines as much as I do. If you’re looking for some recommendations, the following books will be sure to delight the young (or old) bibliophiles in your life.

10 Books For Kids Who Love Books

From kids jumping into stories and characters jumping out of them to word games, puzzles, and book references galore, here are some of my favorite books for kids who love books.

Book Scavenger (The Book Scavenger series, 1), by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

Full of intriguing mystery, curious ciphers, and even a little bit of danger, this book is PERFECT for middle grade readers who love adventure, puzzles, and books. This one might be my favorite on this list.

Winterhouse (Winterhouse, 1), by Ben Guterson

The wordplay and code-breaking throughout this book delighted me, and I enjoyed all the references to books I’ve read and loved. Fellow book and language lovers will want to add this to their TBR list, for sure.

Note to parents: There is some magic – both good and evil, brief mentions of a character getting involved in witchcraft (not described in detail, and not celebrated), and a few sinister/suspenseful scenes. I, personally, am quite cautious when it comes to my kids and the occult, but I’d be fine recommending this to them once they were old enough/mature enough/discerning enough to handle it. For one thing, it’s not overly scary or fear-inducing (it won’t cause nightmares), and for another, the magic has clear delineations between “good” and “bad” (i.e. the witchcraft is presented as dangerous and evil, not fun or virtuous). As ALWAYS, though, use your own parental discernment and discretion!

Escape From Mr. Lemoncello’s Library, by Chris Grabenstein

Similar in feel to Book Scavenger, this one is filled with delightful literary references, riddles and trivia, and research methods made fun. If your kids love books and puzzles, this is a must-read!

I also read the next book in the series, Mr. Lemoncello’s Library Olympics, and loved it just as much as the first. I haven’t read the rest of the series, but I’m eager to complete it!

The Island of Dr. Libris, by Chris Grabenstein

Written by the author of Mr. Lemoncello’s Library, this book for kids who love books has well-known characters coming to life, causing mischief and mayhem, and being the literary heroes we know them to be. While I didn’t enjoy this one nearly as much as Mr. Lemoncello’s Library (it didn’t have as much substance or depth), it was still a fun read!

Story Thieves (Story Thieves, 1), by James Riley

This is the first of the “kids jumping into stories” variety on this list, and it was an engrossing read! It did get a little confusing at times, but overall, I enjoyed it. At some point, I’d love to read the rest of the series, as well.

The Wishing Spell (The Land of Stories, 1), by Chris Colfer

I thoroughly enjoyed this tale of two siblings falling into the world of fictional fairy tales and their subsequent quest to return home. For being the author’s first novel, I was impressed!

Inkheart (Inkworld series, 1), by Cornelia Funke

The premise of bringing book characters/objects into our world through the magic of skillfully reading them aloud tickled me, since that is always the (figurative) goal of a great read-aloud. This “book for kids who love books” is a bit darker than the others on this list, but I didn’t find it overly scary. And while it was perhaps a bit longer than it needed to be (a critique I’ve read from other reviewers), it kept me gripped and wanting to read more.

Note to parents: There were several instances of d**n, so be aware of that.

The Bookwanderers (Pages & Co., 1), by Anna James

I wouldn’t say this was my favorite of the “kids jumping into books” subgenre, as it was a bit slow at times and confusing at others (I never could quite figure out the ins and outs of the bookwandering). However, it was still a very enjoyable read, and I would recommend it to any middle grade reader who loves books about books.

The Library of Ever (The Library of Ever, 1), by Zeno Alexander

While this one was more about the wonder of libraries and librarians than books, themselves, kids who love books will enjoy this one, as well. I loved how the protagonist uses knowledge she gains within the library to solve a variety of problems for her patrons. It has Mr. Lemoncello vibes, but with unique twists and an extra dash of quirk. It was a BIT didactic and thinly-plotted for my taste at times, but it was still a fun read.

Note to parents: I listened to this one on audiobook, and I’m never quite as focused when I listen to books as when I read them. So, I can’t fully speak to the quality of the book’s writing, but I do know I was entertained by its story.

10 Books For Kids Who Love Books

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