Browsing: ages 8 & up

For thousands of years, humans have been building cities. Explore six of those cities in Cities in Layers, by Philip Steele and Andrés Lozano.

If you and your kids have had enough with “home school,” one, or all, of these books from Candlewick Press might be a good middle ground for your family.

Mother’s Day is quickly approaching, and Father’s Day isn’t far behind. These are some lovely books from Simon & Schuster that celebrate familial love.

Pets are integral parts of people’s families. In Pets and Their Famous Humans, Ana Gallo and Katherine Quinn introduce famous people and their animals.

For thousands of years, people have been using flowers as medicine. Flower Power: The Magic of Nature’s Healers celebrates some of the garden’s blooms.

It finally feels like spring! The following are some spectacular picture books that will help young readers embrace all nature has to offer.

White House photographer Amanda Lucidon gives young readers an inside look at what life was like for First Lady Michell Obama in Reach Higher.

G. Neri & David Litchfield’s When Paul Met Artie is not your typical picture book. This one is clearly intended for middle-graders, and they will love it.

Simonetta Carr’s “Michelangelo for Kids” is worth your money. It’s an amped up picture book/scaled-down history book that’s inviting and interesting.

Each year, Cracking the Cover creates a list of books that readers most likely will enjoy as gifts. The following are my picks for 2014 picture books for more advanced readers.