25 best kids' books for fall

Written and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers and Sam Winston, Candlewick Press (All ages).

From the man behind The Day the Crayons Quit and The Day the Crayons Came Home comes this story of a girl and boy who set out on an adventure through mountains of make-believe to unlock the boy's imagination. $24, amazon.ca

Written and illustrated by Jon Klassen, Candlewick Press (AGES 4-8).

Two turtles have found a hat. It looks good on both of them, but there's only one hat and two of them. RUH-OH. $22, indigo.ca

Written and illustrated by Kate Beaton, Scholastic Inc (AGES 4-8).

Bow down to the king! King Baby, that is. While he gives his adoring public what they want—kisses, hugs, coos—he still has many demands. When his subjects can't keep up with him, King Baby decides to take matters into his own hands. $23, indigo.ca

Written and illustrated by Hannah E. Harrison, Dial Books (AGES 4-8).

Paula and Maggie are best friends. To Paula, Maggie is everything and more—until a mean girl at school named Veronica says otherwise. Paula starts to realize that Maggie is a little clumsy and her clothes fit snuggish, and hangs out with Veronica instead. But when Veronica starts to pick on Paula, too, Maggie shows her what it really means to be a friend. $24, indigo.ca

Written by Richard Van Camp and illustrated by Julie Flett, Orca Book Publishers (AGES 0-3). 


Celebrate the bond between parent and child in this beautiful rhyming board book about a First Nations family that captures what it's like to welcome a new little one into the world. $10, indigo.ca

Written by Chris Hadfield and illustrated by the Fan Brothers, Tundra Books (AGES 3–7).

Chris (yes, as in THAT Chris, Canada's very own celeb astronaut!) loves space and pretending he’s a brave astronaut, but he’s scared of the dark. But after watching the historic moon landing on TV, he’s ready to confront his fears. $23, amazon.ca

Written and illustrated by Raina Telgemeier, Scholastic Inc. (AGES 8–12).

When Cat and her family move because her sister, Maya, is sick, a neighbour tells them there are ghosts in the town. Maya wants to meet them, but Cat is terrified. Will she be able to do it for her sister’s sake? $14, amazon.ca

Written by Hawksley Workman and illustrated by Jensine Eckwall, Tundra Books (AGES 3-7). 

A boy and his grandma are hosting a gathering in their cabin and that means it's time to make some soup! Friends from near and far travel to join them. Some new friends even show up. Hawksley Workman, a Canadian singer-songwriter, based this book on the lyrics from his holiday album, Almost a Full Moon. $22, indigo.ca

Written and illustrated by Lucie Félix, Candlewick Press (AGES 0-2).

Tiny tots can practice their shape recognition with this colourful board book about opposites. The book comes with nine press-out pieces and a surprise mirror. $24, indigo.ca

Written and illustrated by Paul Covello, HarperCollins Canada (AGES 0-2).

Teach your little one the ABCs of Canada—like dogsled, Inukshuk, totem pole and Zamboni! $13, indigo.ca 

Written and illustrated by Brendan Wenzel, Chronicle Books (AGES 3-5).

When you see a cat, what do you see? A book all about curiosity and observation. $24, indigo.ca

Written and illustrated by Christopher Franceschelli, Abrams books (AGES 0-2). 

In this board book baby will get to explore the city in three sections: Things that go, things to see, and things to eat. Yum! $20, indigo.ca

Written by by Andrea Beaty and illustrated by David Roberts, Abrams Books (AGES 3-5). 

Like her classmates Iggy the architect and Rosie the inventor, Ada wonders about things and asks a lot of questions. So one day when she discovers a horrible stench in her house, she must get to the bottom of it! $22, indigo.ca

Written by Kyo Maclear and illustrated by Chris Turnham, Chronicle Books (AGES 3-5). 

Charles' brother and sister don't believe him when he says there's such a thing as a wish tree. To prove them wrong, he sets out on a journey with his trusty toboggan (named Boggan, of course) to find it himself. $24, indigo.ca

Written by Stompin' Tom Connor and illustrated by Gary Clement, Greystone Books (AGES 3-5). 

“It’s the good old hockey game, the best game you can name.” Stompin Tom's classic and catchy song is back! Teach your kid this famous tune alongisde all-new illustrations that depict why hockey is truly so special to Canada. $22, indigo.ca

Written and illustrated by Patrick McDonnell, Little Brown Books For Young Readers (AGES 4-8). 

Tek the cave boy is attached to his gadgets: his phone, tablet, video games and TV. He doesn't like going outside, hanging out with his friends or family, and can only utter the word "UGH!" to communicate his feelings. But what happens when he's forced to unplug? $21, indigo.ca

Written by Kallie George and illustrated by Alexandra Boiger, HarperCollins (AGES 6-8). 

In the second volume of this chapter book series, The Magical Animal Adoption Agency receives a giant egg. Mr. Jams, the owner of the agency, leaves the egg in Clover's care because they think it's not ready to hatch yet. What could go wrong? $17, indigo.ca

Written by Tracey West and illustrated by Damien Jones, Scholastic Inc. (AGES 6-8). 

In the sixth installment of this chapter book series, the Dragon Stone is in trouble and the human Dragon Masters must save it before they lose their connections with the dragons. $7, indigo.ca

Written and illustrated by Jarrett Krosoczka, Scholastic Inc. (AGES 8-13). 

Victor Starspeeder is excited to start school at the Jedi Academy, but his excess energy gets him into a lot of trouble. Thankfully Master Yoda teaches him how to control his emotions. $17, indigo.ca

Written by Marcie Colleen abd illustrated by Steve James, Imprint (AGES 6-8)

The Super Happy Party Bears' mood can be summed up using one word: YAY! They love dancing, doughnuts and, of course, partying! But their neighbours living in the Grumpy Woods find them really annoying. $9, indigo.ca

Written by J.K. Rowling and illustrated by Jim Kay, Bloomsbury (9-11).

It's the wizarding world like you've never seen it before! This new, illustrated version of The Chamber of Secrets makes a great addition to any Harry Potter fan's collection. It's also great for kids who want to start reading Harry Potter but aren't quite ready for the novels. $50, indigo.ca

Written and illustrated by Luke Pearson, Nobrow Press (AGES 6+). 

Just because Hilda is grounded doesn't mean it'll stop her from heading out on another adventure. But when Hilda's mom catches her outside, Hilda ends up dragging her along. They find themselves bickering and lost in a land of trolls and now must go on a difficult journey to find their way home. $30, indigo.ca

Written and illustrated by Kevin Sands, Simon and Schuster Canada (AGES 9-10). 

The Black Death has returned to London and is spreading disease and fear. But there's hope: an unknown apothecary comes to town with a cure that works and Christopher’s Blackthorn shop is chosen to distribute it. When an assasin threatens the apothecary's life, Christopher and his friend Tom risk their lives to save him and uncover a dark conspiracy. $23, indigo.ca

Written by Nadia Hashimi, HarperCollins Canada (AGES 8-12). 

When Obayda’s family is in need of some luck, her aunt suggests dressing her up as a bacha posh (a preteen girl dressed up as a boy). Life as a bacha posh is confusing, but when Obayda meets another bacha posh, everything starts to make sense. $21, indigo.ca

Written by Ruby Slipperjack, Scholastic Inc. (AGES 9-12). 

The latest instalment in the Dear Canada series is These Are My Words starring Ruby Slipperjack, a native girl who was sent away to a residential school. She uses her diary to keep herself from forgetting her language and customs. $17, indigo.ca

Read more: 22 awesome chapter book series for kids 18 STEM books your kids will love Learning to read: What age is the “right” age?