22 Books Like Accountable

This is the book that taught me how powerful loneliness can be.

Every time I return to it, I feel one character’s ache settle into me, that desperate want to belong somewhere, even if it’s a house that doesn’t love you back. I recommend it because it still feels as if I’m attempting to figure out what is happening alongside the characters, the way only great writing can.

Jackson makes you realize that the scariest hauntings aren’t in the walls, they’re the ones we carry within us.

I admit it: I'm a superfan of Mark Gatiss' brilliant interpretation of these stories—I can watch episodes of "Sherlock" an infinite number of times. (OK: I can also do this with "House MD," and for exactly the same reasons.) Part of that is the amazing chemistry between Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman (or Hugh Laurie and Robert Sean Leonard), but more of it is the obvious references to "deep cuts" buried in the source material, which until this year I had never read. My eldest uncle died not long ago and I became the curator of his utterly massive collection of books, which included several editions of Conan Doyle's fantasia on infinite deductive power coupled with kelvin-scale zero social skills. Sherlock Holmes is the most relatable, lovable sociopath of all time, and it was just pure fun to go right to the source for once.

When a tiny sea serpent suddenly drops out of the faucet and into a girl’s bath, an immediate and playful friendship begins. As the sea serpent grows bigger, he tells the tale of how he was carried by a tornado over jungles and silvery cities until he landed in a lake and was whooshed up by a pipe. He sings fanciful songs about the deep blue sea and fish-shaped like guitars. Eventually, he grows so big that the little girl knows it’s time he returns to the sea. So, she helps the sea serpent, now big as a whale, overcome his fear of being left on his own, reminding him that he won’t be lonely, and will have new adventures with newfound friends. Catia Chien’s gorgeous illustrations are very expressive and a beautiful compliment to this lovely story of learning to let go and do what’s right. 

Extra Yarn is one of my very favourite books. It is the story about what you might do if you found a little bit of extra yarn. This yarn (in both senses of the word!) is inclusive, unexpected, as well as completely fantastic. 

The text of the story is subtle and leaves a lot of the story to be told through the illustrations and I am a huge fan of Jon Klassen’s illustrations. In this book, his beautiful, colourful wool really works to offset the darkness of the cold winter landscape.

This is simply a visually delightful and clever story with lots for kids and adults to enjoy.

Grandad has always said that the giant in town is real and a helpful and kind friend, but Billie doesn’t believe in Grandad’s tall tales. When Billie himself discovers the giant, and runs from fright and panic at this huge creature, he comes to understand why the giant has kept himself hidden. Feeling awful about his overreaction, Billie makes it his mission to make it up to the giant by making him a very special gift. Full of humour and heart, Grandad’s Secret Giant shows us that acceptance and kindness towards all people, big or small, is important, and David Litchfield’s stunning illustrations glow on the pages in this beautiful book. 

This is a lovely story about a young boy named Peter who has just moved to a new house and takes it upon himself to make two new friends from blankets and pillows and piles of leaves. He names his new friends Lenny and Lucy, and they are the guardians of the bridge keeping out the dark woods on the other side. As Lenny, Lucy, Peter, and his dog Harold guard the bridge and collect rocks, a neighbor girl joins the group, creating a real and true friendship that blossoms as they discover the woods are no longer dark and spooky, but a place of wonder for interesting things to see and discover. 

When looking for picture books with magic and heart, this book is simply perfect. Willow, who has always captivated her family’s attention with her cuteness and spells, is no longer the center of attention when her new baby brother Rowan is born. Willow knows that Rowan is a very dangerous wizard indeed and will not be mesmerized by his hypnotic enchantments, but even she cannot resist Rowan’s power in this story of sibling relationships and the magic of love. 

Jon Ronson has also written a highly entertaining book about extremism called Them, but I chose this one because it could just as well be called Us. Public shaming on the Internet is almost a sport at this point, but Ronson shows how, after the mob moves on, the target of the virtual stoning has to figure out how to put themselves back together and carry on.

A funny, readable romp, this book also asks the reader to think deeply about how morality plays out online and what we are saying when we use degradation and dehumanization as a way of communicating moral ideas.

When I started reading this book, I thought, ‘I don’t even care if it’s a load of rubbish, because it feels so good just to read something nice about our species for a change’. A bonus is that, far from rubbish, it turns out to be extremely well-grounded and evidence-based.

I found this challenge to the negative stories we tell about human nature to be so refreshing and uplifting.

Learning to ride a bike is no easy feat, so it helps when your encouraging dad is along for the inaugural ride.

This warm story of father-daughter bonding celebrates a bike-riding milestone and the feeling of freedom that comes from an afternoon spent outside on wheels. The story is lyrical and upbeat, with a whiff of nostalgia.