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Reading Accessories, Reading Life · April 14, 2022

Best Bookends for Kids

If you have a small space or don’t own enough bookshelves (let’s be honest, which book lover does?), bookends can be a lifesaver. Bookends for kids need to be sturdy, cute, and fit on a variety of surfaces. The options on this list fit those criteria. If you’ve been looking for a pair (or two) of bookends, here you go.

Best Bookends for Kids

20 Cute and Functional Bookends for Kids (and Adults)

Here are 20 of the best bookends for kids:

VA links Adjustable Bookends for Kids

VAlinks Adjustable Bookends for Kids - Best Bookends for Kids

This cute expandable bookend easily doubles as a desktop bookshelf and can hold everything from organizers to encyclopedias and of course, novels. It’s 7.48 inches tall and expands as wide as 19.3 inches. The only downside is that there are limited color options — it’s only available in pink.


Personalized Tractor Bookends

Personalized Tractor Bookends

This adorable tractor bookend set is perfect for nurseries and older kids who are into tractors. I love that they sit on a flat surface and can hold up heavier books with ease.


Personalized Animal Wooden Bookends

Personalized Animal Wooden Bookends - Best Bookends for Kids

Want to amp up the cuteness? Choose this personalized pair of farm-themed bookends. If you’re on the lookout for non-toxic toys and decor, these are made from wood and safe for kids’ rooms.


T-Rex Attack Bookends

T-Rex Attack Bookends

Are your kids obsessed with dinosaurs? Then, they’ll love this T-Rex bookend, complete with the kids being chased. It’s made from solid steel and heavier than it looks. It’ll hold up everything from chemistry textbooks to cookbooks.


Alphabet A-Z Bookends

Alphabet A-Z Bookends - Best Bookends for Kids

These alphabet-themed bookends are sweet and will be adored by kids just learning their ABCs. Just keep in mind that most customers found them to be lighter than expected — even though they were great quality regardless.


Muso Decorative Book Ends for Children

Muso Decorative Book Ends for Children

These wooden bears make for adorable bookends! Kids who love animals will be delighted by these ones. They’re made out of alloy steel and walnut wood, and available in two finishes — one darker one (pictured) and a lighter finish.


Cute Concrete Giraffe Bookends for Nurseries

Cute Concrete Giraffe Bookends for Nurseries and Kids Bedroom

Bring on the animals! These giraffe bookends are so cute! I’m obsessed with the pastel colors and almost Scandinavian design. They’re made from concrete and cement and can stand up to heavy books. Just be careful your kids don’t knock them about as they can actually break.


Sunny Safari Animals Set of 2 Wooden Bookends for Kids

Fantasy Fields - Sunny Safari Animals Thematic Set of 2 Wooden Bookends for Kids - Best Bookends for Kids

Here’s another pick for animal lovers. This safari-themed set of bookends is made from wood and hand-painted with lead-free water-based paint, making it safe for nurseries and younger kids.


Giraffe Family Bookends for Kids

giraffe family bookend for kids
Add this to the lineup of bookends for kids who can’t get enough of giraffes. This pick is also made of steel and adds charm and character to any home library.

Woodland Bookends

Woodland Bookends - Best Bookends for Kids

The woodland setting evoked by these bookends took my breath away at first sight. It’s another great nursery bookend pick and will bring nature into any room.


Joyvano Astronaut Bookends 

Joyvano Astronaut Bookends 

I actually squealed at the sight of this set of bookends! How ingenious! If your kid is a space buff, they will love you forever for gifting them this set of astronaut bookends. They are made from resin and super sturdy for books of all sizes.


Superheros Decorative Metal Bookend

Superheros Decorative Metal Bookend - Best Bookends for Kids

Marvel fans assemble! Got kids who love their superheroes? This is an understated set of bookends that older kids and tweens will love.


Cute Mouse Metal Bookends

Cute Mouse Metal Bookends

If your kids are into Mickey, they’ll be delighted by this bookend set. It’s another handmade metal piece with matte paint. Reviewers rave about the quality and remark that it holds even the heaviest of books.


Baby Owl Bookends

Baby Owl Bookends - Best Bookends for Kids

I have a thing for owls, so I knew this list would not be complete with owl bookends. These wooden bookends would be perfect for nurseries and in bedrooms of owl-loving kids.


Sass & Belle Kids Bookends

Sass & Belle Kids Bookends

These rainbow bookends are just darling! If your kid loves rainbows or is fascinated by the weather, this is the set for them.


Sailboat Bookends

Sailboat Bookends - Best Bookends for Kids

How cute are these sailboats? I’m a huge fan of the design and fact that these wooden bookends can be personalized with your child’s name or anything you’d like to have written.


Eiffel Tower Book Organizer Metal Bookends for Kids

Eiffel Tower Book Organizer Metal Bookends for Kids

Paris ooh la la! If your tween can’t get enough of Paris or Europe in general, they should be checking out this set of bookends (and this book list).


Harry Potter Hogwarts Bookends

Harry Potter Hogwarts Bookends - Best Bookends for Kids

Potterheads will love this pair of Hogwarts bookends. They’re made of metal and will probably occupy a bit more ground space than most bookends. But if you love Harry Potter, then they’re absolutely worth it.


Build your own feminist icon

Build your own feminist icon

This is another sweet set of nursery (or tween) bookmarks featuring various feminist icons. You can pick from a wide range of icons including Justice Ketanji Jackson, Michelle Obama, Sonia Sotomayor, and Jill Biden among others.


Rainbow Bookends

Rainbow Bookends - Best Bookends for Kids

Here’s another set of rainbow bookends. This one is smaller, but sits firmly on the ground surface and should hold up most kinds of books.


There they are: 20 of the best bookends for kids. Which of these ones do you like?

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Posted In: Reading Accessories, Reading Life · Tagged: book storage

About the Author

Afoma Umesi is the founder and blogger at Reading Middle Grade. She's a writer and editor with a deep love for children's literature. Her favorite genre is contemporary realistic fiction, but she'll never say no to a graphic novel. Read More…

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📰 a beautiful graphic novel about speaking the 📰 a beautiful graphic novel about speaking the truth 

This stunning graphic novel follows Cinzia, Avvisi writer’s apprentice living in sunny Sianerra. Cinzia and her mestra write news stories/pamphlets to the city, but not everyone likes when they tell the truth. 

After an edition exposing the ruling family for extortion, cinzia and her mestra are arrested at night and she has to join forces with the princess to fight back against censorship. 

Besides the wonderfully imaginative and powerful storyline, loved the visuals and the diversity representation in this graphic novel. The main character has a bad leg and gets around with a walking stick, which is something rarely depicted in graphic novels (and it’s barely even discussed—it just is!).

Although, this book is closer to fantasy (but without magical elements), it’s set in a Renaissance-style Italian village, so it could work for lovers of realistic fiction too.

Look out for it in November! Have you read this graphic novel? Thoughts? Is it on your radar already?

#graphicnovels #mglit #booksforkids
🩰throwback Thursday - meet one of my favorites 🩰throwback Thursday - meet one of my favorites

Looking for an upper middle grade book about ballet, friendships, and body image? Meet TURNING POINT. 

This book focuses on Monique (Mo) and Rasheeda (Sheeda)’s friendship and how it changes over a summer when both girls are drawn into different pursuits. Mo is off at a ballet intensive with Mila, while Sheeda is stuck at church (with her church “friends”) feeling like she has no life.

At the ballet intensive, Mo comes face to face with her competitive attitude which is fueled by feelings of not “fitting in” with the mostly white, skinny ballet dancers. Even though she makes a couple of friends (who basically lovingly force her to befriend them), she’s insecure at times, afraid to be vulnerable because everything feels so different. On the other hand, Sheeda is desperate for something new. Unfortunately, she falls into a risky situation with Mo’s brother whom she happens to have a crush on.

Paula Chase is one of my favorite writers for this audience and this may be my favorite of hers so far. It’s in the same universe as two of her previous books, DOUGH BOYS and SO DONE but you don’t need to read them in order. 

I’d say her books are great for kids ages 12+
Have you read any books by this author? Which ones are your favorites?

#booksbooksbooks #mglit #bookstagram
🇲🇽Twins on opposite sides I’d seen this b 🇲🇽Twins on opposite sides

I’d seen this book floating around for ages but was never drawn to it (the cover maybe?) until I saw a review somewhere I can’t remember 🤪 I was pleasantly surprised!

Twins Luisa and Fernando find their paths diverging as they’re entering sixth grade. Luisa will be attending middle school in the US just across the border from Fernando’s school in Mexico. There, they come to face to face with different, but equally pressing challenges that threaten to tear them apart.

I really enjoyed this book. The side by side depictions of both kids parallel lives, the way the illustrations celebrate Mexican culture, living, and traditions, and the heartwarming way the twins find their way back to each other. 

I’d recommend this one to 6th graders and up (heads up for content warning: text mentions and depicts illicit drug use by a minor, although portrayed in a negative light) as a fascinating look into Mexican culture, life as a twin, and finding your own identity.

#kidlit #graphicnovels #mglit #booksforkids
♠️ on spades and what it means to be a man An ♠️ on spades and what it means to be a man

Ant isn’t your average 10 year old. He loves a good game of spades and he and his best friend are planning to revamp their reputation after losing badly at the last spades tournament. But things are changing in Ant’s life. His dad is acting weird, asking him to hide things from his mom. There’s a new girl in class who Ant maybe likes and who plays spades better than many boys he knows. 

When his best friend is grounded, Ant teams up with Shirley, hoping to impress his father and finally be tough like Joplin men should be. But instead, he learns what it really means to be a man—and it’s not about never crying.

There’s SO MUCH going on in this story, but the author does a stunning job of keeping all the threads in place. I was very surprised by all the protagonist has to manage at his age and the fact that it all remains believable. The story is told by Ant’s ancestor, lending a touch of magic realism. There are also many details about playing a game of spades and I loved, loved the audiobook narrator.

If you’re looking for a meatier middle grade book perfect for kids ages 9-12 (and older, really—love the cover!) looking for books that balance levity and relatability with real issues like toxic masculinity, parental addiction, friendship issues, and crushes.

#mglit #middlegrade #middlegradebookies #kidlit #booksforkids
❤️ a protagonist for the times Willow (Lolo) ❤️ a protagonist for the times

Willow (Lolo) Weaver’s summer is not going well. Her grandfather has recently died, her grandma isn’t herself and she’s given away her grandfather’s foster dog, Hank. Lolo’s mother is heavily pregnant and Lolo is in summer school because she didn’t do too well in her last exams. On top of that their lake town isn’t a lake town anymore because the lake’s been drained and smells awful now. 

Lolo wants to help her grandmother feel better and she’s convinced that getting back her grandfather’s dog will do the trick. The only problem is that the dog now belongs to someone else. So Lolo gets on Pop’s boat to steal Hank back—only to run into her summer school classmate, Noah (who’s the new dog owner).

I really enjoyed Lolo’s story. It’s strongly reminiscent of classics like Ramona and Lolo’s voice leaps off the pages. The setting is also an unmistakable part of this story and the story feels drenched in summer. My heart went out to Lolo who always feels like she’s the reason why everything’s gone awry. I also laughed plenty at her way of seeing the world. 

This book is perfect for family readalouds especially for kids in grades 3-5. Dog lovers and kids who like a good adventure with a sprinkle of mischief will love it too.

#mglit #summerbooks #booksforelementaryschoolkids #booksbooksbooks #bookstagram
🎸 believe the hype I was very nervous about re 🎸 believe the hype

I was very nervous about reading a book about a kid with cancer, but there’s no better author than Rob Harrell to do this. 

When Ross is diagnosed with a rare lacrimal gland cancer (in his eye), it’s like a new trial for his seventh grade existence. Add to that the fact that his mom died from cancer years before, he’s going blind in one eye, his best friend is moving away soon, and mean kids at school are making terrible memes about his illness and you have a dumpster fire of a year waiting to happen. Or is it?

As heavy as everything I’ve mentioned above sounds, this book is more hopeful than anything else. We follow Ross through radiotherapy and the painful, sad side effects of cancer medications, but also through learning to play the guitar, an unlikely friendship with a school bully, and a closer relationship with his dad.

I especially loved the audiobook version which has fun interdissions featuring Will’s comic alter-ego BatPig (with a different narrator, background jingles and everything). 

I would recommend this book to 6th graders and up looking for funny books with male protagonists. It’s also a great one to hand to kids coping with cancer or chronic illnesses. 

If you’re in the WINK fan club, you just got a new member 😉

#mglit #books #bookstagram
🧽 an engaging, compelling story about addiction 🧽 an engaging, compelling story about addiction recovery

After years of dealing with opioid addiction, Franny’s mom is finally sober and on the right track with a cleaning job and a cozy apartment upstairs from a laundromat. But then she gets in an accident and has to be prescribed opioids again, sending Franny into a frenzy. 

Franny starts doing her mom’s cleaning jobs behind her back — even blackmailing a school rival into working with her — to ensure they don’t run out of money. But she soon learns that worrying about adult problems isn’t her job.

I read this book in one sitting and loved it—as I do everything Sumner writes. Maid for It is an informative, gripping, and accessible middle grade book about living with a parent recovering from addiction. This one is a page-turner.

Sumner does a great job tackling important issues like poverty, classism, and drug misuse and presenting everything in an age-appropriate fashion for middle schoolers. If you’re looking for books about parents with addiction, this is a great pick.

Have you read any books by this author? Which one is your favorite? I think this might be mine 🥰

#bookstagram #kidlit #mglit #bookworm #amreader
🦸‍♂️ a zippy new superhero series with pl 🦸‍♂️ a zippy new superhero series with plenty of charm

What if you woke up to new powers every day? Such is the fate of our protagonist in this graphic novel-prose hybrid (think PIE IN THE SKY format—swipe for photos). Daily, he develops and loses everything from potent superpowers like telekinesis and super speed to cute, but not-so-useful ones like bubbles and speaking cat. He’s even recruited by the city’s superhero to help fight the villains popping up everywhere. The one thing he can’t seem to figure out though is where his scientist mom is.

As each day passes, readers follow Switcheroo one step closer to the mystery of his mom’s whereabouts and why there are so many villains around all of a sudden. 

With illustrations on every page and graphic panels on nearly every other page, this book is bound to appeal to fans of graphic novels. I expected a wacky adventure, but this story has so much more heart than I anticipated—especially about judging people for how they look, a criteria that is often outside their control.

Hand this new release to kids ages 8+ particularly if they’re obsessed with superheroes, robots, graphic novels, and love a sensitive, funny protagonist.

#superherobooks #amreading #booksforkids #bookstagram #bookworm
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