By Regan McMahon, www.commonsense.org
 
Common Sense Media is dedicated to improving the lives of kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in a world of media and technology. We exist because our kids are growing up in a culture that profoundly impacts their physical, social, and emotional well-being. We provide families with the advice and media reviews they need in order to make the best choices for their children. Through our education programs and policy efforts, Common Sense Media empowers parents, educators, and young people to become knowledgeable and responsible digital citizens. For more information, go to: www.commonsense.org.
 
Finding the right book for your nieces and nephews can be challenging. But if you guess right and keep new ones coming, you may be on your way to helping raise lifelong readers.
 
Every month, we highlight a few books for different ages—some exceptional titles that could be the perfect thing to perk your niece’s or nephew’s interest, get your little readers hooked on a new author or rediscover an old favorite. Here are our picks for March, Women’s History Month:
 
For kids 5-9, there’s Who Says Women Can’t Be Doctors?: The Story of Elizabeth Blackwell, written by Tanya Lee Stone and illustrated by Marjorie Priceman. This lively picture book bio shows what it was like to grow up in the 1830s, when girls wore long dresses and bonnets and weren’t expected to have careers. It also shows the courage and determination of a young woman who’s sure she’s as smart and capable as any man and goes on to become America’s first female doctor. It’s a great choice for Women’s History Month and wonderful for encouraging nieces to study science and be whatever they want to be.
 
For readers 8-12, Kathryn Fitzmaurice’s Destiny, Rewritten offers a bright tween heroine on a mission to find out the identity of her dad. Living in Berkeley, California, with her English professor single mom, Emily learns that a missing book holds the answer about her father and enlists her smart friends to help her find it. Along the way, they encounter homeless people, tree-sitting protesters, and assorted local oddballs. This utterly charming, middle-grade novel celebrates kids’ resourcefulness, brainpower, and friendship.
 
For teens 14-17, Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell is a coming-of-age romance about two Omaha high school misfits in the 1980s that meet and fall in love on the school bus. Eleanor is an intelligent but often ridiculed girl from a poor, broken family; Park is a sensitive half-Korean guy whose parents are still in love with each other. Every day, the two share comics, music, and eventually a deep friendship that grows into a profound first love. Witty dialogue and pitch-perfect descriptions of teen life in the mid-80s make this first YA novel from adult author Rowell a great choice for teens—and their aunts.
 
For more suggestions, check out our “top picks” lists, including Award-Winning Books, Books Like The Hunger Games, and our reviews of the latest chart-toppers on the New York Times Best-Sellers list.

Photo: stockimages
Published: March 11, 2013