One of the best ways to raise a child who reads is to let them see you reading. Model the behavior you want them to learn. Not only can you be seen reading, you can introduce your child to an author you love. Here is a list of popular authors who have written books for both adults and children, so you can share a favorite author with your son or daughter. Now everyone in your family can talk about their shared enthusiasm for Neil Gaiman, Ursula K. Le Guin, Alexander McCall Smith and the other authors on this list.

Neil Gaiman author of American Gods and many other novels, has written several children's books:

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Nobody Owens is a normal boy, except that he has been raised by ghosts and other denizens of the graveyard.  

 

 

 

Fortunately the Milk by Neil Gaiman

While picking up milk for his children's cereal, a father is abducted by aliens and finds himself on a wild adventure through time and space. This book is very funny and Nail Gaiman used to do readings of it to sell out crowds of children and adults.

 

 

 

Cinnamon by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Divya Srinivasan

The parents of pearl-eyed princess Cinnamon offer a reward to anyone who can help their daughter speak, a plea answered by an exotic tiger who arrives at the palace, armed with knowledge of the world.

 

 

 

John Grisham has written many legal thrillers for adults, now he has a series for children ages 9 to 12.

Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer by John Grisham

With two attorneys for parents, thirteen-year-old Theodore Boone knows more about the law than most lawyers do. But when a high profile murder trial comes to his small town and Theo gets pulled into it, it's up to this amateur attorney to save the day.

 

 

 

 

Poet and science fiction author Ursula K. Le Guin has written fantasy novels for children:

A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin

The greatest sorcerer in all Earthsea was once a reckless youth, hungry for power and knowledge, who tampered with long-held secrets and loosed a terrible shadow upon the world. This is the tale of his testing, how he mastered the mighty words of power, tamed an ancient dragon, and crossed death's threshold to restore the balance. Book one in the Earthsea series.

 

 

 

Catwings by Ursula K. Le Guin, illustrated by S. D. Schindler

Four young cats with wings leave the city slums in search of a safe place to live, finally meeting two kind children. For readers around third grade, and cat lovers of all ages. Book one of the series.

 

 

 

Alexander McCall Smith is the beloved author of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, The 44 Scotland Street series, The Sunday Philosophy Club series, The Detective Varg series, and my personal favorite,  the Portuguese Irregular Verbs series, and other titles. He has also written books for children.

The Great Cake Mystery: Precious Ramotswe's Very First Case by Alexander McCall Smith, illustrated by Iain McIntosh

Before becoming the first female private investigator in Botswana, eight-year-old Precious Ramotswe tracks down a thief who has been stealing her classmates' snacks.

Book one of the series.

 

 

 

School Ship Tobermory  by Alexander McCall Smith, illustrated by Iain McIntosh

When two siblings attend an unusual school, aboard a ship, they make new friends, learn about all things nautical, and become involved in a mystery they feel compelled to help solve. 

Book one in the four-book series.

 

 

 

Nnedi Okorafor is the author of science fiction titles for adults Binti, fantasy books for young adults Akata Witch, and a picture book for children.

Chicken in the Kitchen by Nnedi Okorafor, illustrated by Mehrdokht Amini

Awakened by strange sounds, Anyaugo discovers a giant chicken in her kitchen and has to muster the courage to remove it before the chicken destroys her family's preparations for the New Yam Festival.

 

 

The popular and prolific James Patterson has co-written many books for children:

Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life by James Patterson, Christopher Tebbetts

Middle schooler Rafe Khatchadorian teams up with his best friend, "Leo the Silent," to create a game to make school more fun by trying to break every rule in the school's code of conduct.

 

 

 

 

The late Terry Pratchett has written a number of children's/teen discworld books about Tiffany Aching a young witch. He has also written the hilarious Johnny Maxwell Trilogy, of which the first one is:

Only You Can Save Mankind by Terry Pratchett

Twelve-year-old Johnny endures tensions between his parents, watches television coverage of the Gulf War, and plays a computer game called Only You Can Save Mankind, in which he is increasingly drawn into the reality of the alien ScreeWee.

 

 

 

 

Author Jane Smiley, has written a series of horse stories for young readers called The Horses of Oak Valley Ranch.

The Georges and the Jewels by Jane Smiley

Seventh-grader Abby Lovitt grows up on her family's California horse ranch in the 1960s, learning to train the horses her father sells and trying to reconcile her strict religious upbringing with her own ideas about life. Book one of the series.

 

 

 

 

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Have trouble reading standard print? Many of these titles are available in formats for patrons with print disabilities.

Staff picks are chosen by NYPL staff members and are not intended to be comprehensive lists. We'd love to hear your ideas too, so leave a comment and tell us what you’d recommend. And check out our Staff Picks browse tool for more recommendations!