Here are 64 books that Ronan the Librarian fans have personally recommended if you like
Ronan the Librarian.
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I've loved books and reading from an early age. My family and I go to the library nearly every week to check out books, do research, or attend library programs like storytime. My interest in libraries led me to read books about libraries and write one of my own. Iâm a childrenâs book author living in North Carolina with my husband and two book-devouring kids. I Want My Book Back is my second book, following my debut, Teach Your Giraffe to Ski. When Iâm not reading or writing, I like hanging out with my family, being outdoors, and going on everyday adventures.
As my kids are getting older, I keep my eyes open for longer, more complex picture books â and this book attracted my attention. Itâs a great non-fiction biography for kids who like learning about notable historical personalities. It took roughly 45 minutes to read this book with the kids, and we all learned so much about Schomburg and his quest to collect literature by and about people of African descent worldwide. One thing that really impressed the kids and me was how he managed to keep this humongous collection in his home. (The kids and I were wondering if the whole family was sleeping on books instead of beds)!
In luminous paintings and arresting poems, two of childrenâs literatureâs top African-American scholars track Arturo Schomburgâs quest to correct history.
Where is our historian to give us our side? Arturo asked.
Amid the scholars, poets, authors, and artists of the Harlem Renaissance stood an AfroâPuerto Rican named Arturo Schomburg. This law clerkâs lifeâs passion was to collect books, letters, music, and art from Africa and the African diaspora and bring to light the achievements of people of African descent through the ages. When Schomburgâs collection became so big it began to overflow his house (and his wife threatened to mutiny),âŠ
In 1894, Annie Cohen Kopchovsky set out to ride her bicycle. Not to the market. Not around the block. Not across town. Annie was going to ride her bike all the way around the worldâbecause two men bet no woman could do it. Ha!
This picture book, with watercolor illustrationsâŠ
I've loved books and reading from an early age. My family and I go to the library nearly every week to check out books, do research, or attend library programs like storytime. My interest in libraries led me to read books about libraries and write one of my own. Iâm a childrenâs book author living in North Carolina with my husband and two book-devouring kids. I Want My Book Back is my second book, following my debut, Teach Your Giraffe to Ski. When Iâm not reading or writing, I like hanging out with my family, being outdoors, and going on everyday adventures.
My kids and I loved this heartwarming story about a little girl, Madeleine, and Bonnie, the library dog who loves being read to. We were rooting for Madeleine to read to her new kind and patient dog friend! The kids mentioned how much they wanted to meet Bonnie and read to her, and wondered if our local library has events with reading dogs. They also wanted an immediate re-read. (Of course, my family likes books with adorable cuddly dogs in general.)
Madeline Finn does not like to read. Not books. Not magazines. Not even the menu on the ice cream van. Fortunately, Madeline meets Bonnie, a library dog. Reading aloud to Bonnie isn't so bad. When Madeline Finn gets stuck, Bonnie doesn't mind. As it turns out, it's fun to read when you're not afraid of making mistakes. Bonnie teaches Madeline Finn that it's Okay to go slow, to keep trying, and to get support from a friend. A beautiful, reassuring, story for all those struggling to read. Perfect accompaniment for the 'reading dogs' programmes used by many schools and libraries.âŠ
I have been a reader and a writer for as long as I can remember, so books about reading, writing, and storytelling have always interested me. As a school library media specialist for over 30 years, I have read thousands of picture books and placed wonderful books in the hands of thousands of young people. Several of these books were mentor texts when I wrote my picture book biography. I want young people to be inspired to read and write, and I hope these books will do that for the adults who select them and the children who read them.
FOLLOW LA VIDA Y EL LEGADO OF PURA BELPRE, THE FIRST PUERTO RICAN LIBRARIAN IN NEW YORK CITY
When she came to America in 1921, Pura carried the cuentos folkloricos of her Puerto Rican homeland. Finding a new home at the New York Public Library as a bilingual assistant, she turned her popular retellings into libros and spread story seeds across the land. Today, these seeds have grown into a lush landscape as generations of children and storytellers continue to share her tales and celebrate Pura's legacy.
This portrait of the influential librarian, author, and puppeteer reminds us of theâŠ
Real Princesses Change the World
by
Carrie A. Pearson,
Real Princesses Change the World is an inspirational and diverse picture book that highlights 11 contemporary real-life princesses and four heirs apparent from around the world.
Have you heard of a STEM-aligned real-life princess who is an engineer and product developer? Or a princess who is a computer expert? AnâŠ
I've loved books and reading from an early age. My family and I go to the library nearly every week to check out books, do research, or attend library programs like storytime. My interest in libraries led me to read books about libraries and write one of my own. Iâm a childrenâs book author living in North Carolina with my husband and two book-devouring kids. I Want My Book Back is my second book, following my debut, Teach Your Giraffe to Ski. When Iâm not reading or writing, I like hanging out with my family, being outdoors, and going on everyday adventures.
Iâm a big fan of Elise Parsleyâs books, so of course, I had to read this one when it came out. My kids and I laughed a lot while reading this. Magnolia wants to set up a loud and messy circus, complete with a human cannonball routine in the library. The kids quickly pointed out that this goes against commonly accepted library behavior â though, of course, it takes Magnolia quite a while before she notices that everything is wrong with her plan.
If you see a poster that says "You Can Do Anything at the Library!", it is NOT giving you permission to put on a circus! But Magnolia doesn't see any problem with setting up her own big top. She's got a lot of gusto and one mean human cannonball routine. So what if her greatest show on Earth won't fit between bookshelves? Elise Parsley's boldly expressive illustrations perfectly complement this mostly-librarian-approved guide on how to be everything BUT quiet in the library!
I received the Dungeons and Dragons Basic Red Box as a kid, and I have been hooked on all things fantasy fiction since. It has become a part of my life so much that each character takes on a special importance for me. Some characters exist in worlds full of swords and magic, while others live in realms that are dirty, bleak, and on the brink of utter ruin. As a writer, I enjoy seeing the different perspectives these characters bring to fantasy settings. It makes them unique, each in their own way. Some want to right the wrongs of the worlds they reside in, while others donât care if it all burns down around them.
I never thought Iâd cheer for a crippled torturer, but somehow Abercrombie makes me do it.
The characters in The Blade Itself feel raw and jagged, like real people rather than fantasy archetypes. What I loved most was how no one is truly heroicâeveryoneâs broken, desperate, or scheming, yet still magnetic. The dialogue crackles with wit, and the shifting perspectives kept me hooked.
Itâs grimdark, yes, but never bleak for the sake of it. Instead, it reveals how ugly and fascinating people can be when survival and ambition collide.
Inquisitor Glokta, a crippled and increasingly bitter relic of the last war, former fencing champion turned torturer extraordinaire, is trapped in a twisted and broken body - not that he allows it to distract him from his daily routine of torturing smugglers.
Nobleman, dashing officer and would-be fencing champion Captain Jezal dan Luthar is living a life of ease by cheating his friends at cards. Vain, shallow, selfish and self-obsessed, the biggest blot on his horizon is having to get out of bed in the morning to train with obsessive and boring old men.
Iâm an indie romance author obsessed with all things romance, the spicier the better! Iâm all about the happy ending, so all my books feature a happy ever after (HEA) or happy for now (HFN).
Although this is book 4, I recommend starting with the first book of the series. I chose this book because it ended the American Street Kings with a bang and itâs my favorite out of all the books in the series, even though itâs super dark (readers should note the trigger warnings). Throughout the book, there were so many twists and turns that I wasnât sure how, or even if, Ink and Neon would get their happy ever after (HEA).
Rage. Itâs toxic. It poisons you. Corrupts you. Smothers your heart until it no longer beats. You canât run from it. Thereâs no escape. Once it seizes control, it wonât stop until revenge bleeds the tears of justice.
The day he took her, he destroyed my humanity, turning me into a bloodthirsty savage. Now, Iâm driven by my hunger to see the snake bleed. To hear his screams and relish his cries.
He should have known she wasnât his to take. By touching her, he dared the beast, sealing his fate to breathe his last breath whileâŠ
Iâm a Korean, Japanese, Scottish American writer born and raised in Hawaii who likes to create badass sci-fi characters of mixed backgrounds while blending cultures and genres as well. I also lean on tropes like sniper, detective, scientist, and genetically modified or cybernetically enhanced individuals, but I try to build symbolism or meaning into each archetypeâfor example, a sniper who is myopic in general, or a scientist whose life work is creating a new religion. I suppose I enjoy characters full of contradictions. When it comes to the badasses I like, itâs practically a requirement.Â
Not only is Essun a woman, which, unfortunately, is not common when it comes to the history of badass sci-fi protagonists (thankfully this is becoming less true because of writers like N.K. Jemisin), but sheâs a middle-aged mother of two living, or I should say, hiding, out in the cut. When her daughter goes missing, Essun hits the road to find her and reveals her, literally, Earth-shaking abilities. If we threw the badasses on this list into a single universe and had them duel, ten-ringer Essun would clean the clocks of every other protagonist. Or more accurately, turn them to ice. I absolutely loved this series, and Essun is the main reason why.Â
After her mother's death, a young woman is summoned to the floating city of Sky to claim a royal inheritance she never knew existed in this epic fantasy trilogy from the NYT bestselling author of The Fifth Season.
Yeine Darr is an outcast from the barbarian north. But when her mother dies under mysterious circumstances, she is summoned to the majestic city of Sky. There, to her shock, Yeine is named an heiress to the king. But the throne of the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is not easily won, and Yeine is thrust into a vicious power struggle.
Iâve been a voracious reader my entire life, but it wasnât until a few years ago that I discovered romance. How many times had I turned up my nose at those ridiculous books with half-naked men on the cover? Countless. Little did I know the absolute joy those books held inside. I love to read and write romance, especially stories with strong heroines and deliciously squishy-inside heroes. Not to mention all the amazing queer stories out there proving that love is love. These arenât your grandmotherâs bodice-rippers (I mean, they are a little bit, but only in the best ways). The genre is constantly growing, and Iâm always eager to find new converts like me!
You didnât think I forgot you fantasy lovers, did you? A Heart of Blood and Ashes is a high fantasy with romance at its center. I adore this book because our heroine, Yvenne is not your typical fantasy female lead. Sheâs not amazing with a sword. She doesnât have magical talents. Sheâs not a secretly trained assassin. Nope. Yvenne is physically weak, with injuries that make it difficult to move, but she is also hell-bent on doing anything to survive. Including marrying her enemy. My favorite scene is when our big, strong hero Maddek, needs to use Yvenneâs vision to help him shoot his arrow. It is the perfect combination of Maddekâs brute strength and Yvenneâs exceptional sight. And also the perfect metaphor for a great romance novel relationship!
A generation past, the western realms were embroiled in endless war. Then the Destroyer came. From the blood and ashes he left behind, a tenuous alliance rose between the barbarian riders of Parsathe and the walled kingdoms of the south. That alliance is all that stands against the return of an ancient evilâuntil the barbarian king and queen are slain in an act of bloody betrayal.  Though forbidden by the alliance council to kill the corrupt king responsible for his parentsâ murders, Maddek vows to avenge them, even if it costs him the Parsathean crown. But when he learns itâŠ
I have a fascination for Roman history, having been born in the UK, and visiting Hadrianâs Wall. I have read many, many works of both history and historical fiction about Rome. To me, these five are the most memorable. Obviously the story has to be fantastic but it's important to be accurate. The opening battle in Gladiator annoyed me because the Romans never broke lines to fight man to man with barbarians. The concept of the Celts living among the rubble of the Empire, of being surrounded by things they cannot understand helped inspire my Empire Of Bones series. I even have a gladius sword and use it to inspire my own battle scenes.
High-born Marcus Aquila finds himself on Hadrianâs Wall in a lowly auxiliary cohort after his family angers the mad Emperor Commodus. He arrives just in time for a tribal rebellion and finds himself up to his neck in crazed berserkers. The action is fast, the battles incredible. Be careful as you turn the page, because you might just slip in all the entrails. The series loses steam around book 7 but the first three are stunning.
Marcus Valerius Aquila has scarcely landed in Britannia when he has to run for his life - condemned to dishonorable death by power-crazed Emperor Commodus. The plan is to take a new name, serve in an obscure regiment on Hadrian's Wall and lie low until he can hope for justice. Then a rebel army sweeps down from the wastes north of the Wall, and Marcus has to prove he's hard enough to lead a century in the front line of a brutal, violent war.
An engaging picture book for children that celebrates what it means to be American!
What does it mean to be American? Does it mean you like apple pie or fireworks? Not exactly. This patriotic picture book is perfect for Memorial Day, Independence Day, Election Day, or any day you wantâŠ
My dad introduced me to the world of Dungeons and Dragons as a child, and ran my first D&D campaign for me when I was about 10 or 11. My dad was also a fantasy writer and likely took the campaign and used it as the basis for a series, I believe this because he used the map that he used for D&D in one of his novels. These story recommendations combine my love of the genre and my love for my father.
This was another classic story that I wanted to read as I had heard so much about it, Iâd even read a graphic novel that was an adaptation of a story in the same series and loved it. I finally got my hands on the book and was not disappointed.
The story mixes eldritch horror with fantasy, and I am transported to that world and immersed! Never mind that it introduced one of my favorite D&D settings, Lahnkmar: The City of Thieves.
