Today's list is great easy chapter books of 2020. If you have a young reader who's recently graduated to chapter books, these might be the ticket.
My Favorites of 2020
The Best of Iggy and Iggy is Better Than Ever by Annie Barrows, illustrated by Sam Ricks (Putnam, 2020). Iggy doesn't mean to be bad, but sometimes things just get out of hand. This highly illustrated funny early chapter book series will appeal to kids who love to laugh. If you have fans of The Terrible Two or Horrid Henry, this will be a hit for sure.
Mindy Kim and the Yummy Seaweed Business by Lyla Lee, illustrated by Dung Ho (Aladdin, 2020). This is a super cute early chapter book series about a Korean-American girl navigating a new life in a new state. With details about her Korean heritage and meat to the story as Mindy not only navigates a new school but life without her mom, this is a winning series perfect for fans of the Anna Banana books or Jasmine Toguchi.
The Planet Omar series: Accidental Trouble Magnet and Unexpected Super Spy by Zanib Mian, illustrated by Nasaya Mafaridik (Putnam, 2020). This funny, highly illustrated series about Omar, a British Muslim kid starting a new school, is perfect for young Wimpy Kid fans.
Ways to Make Sunshine by Renée Watson, illustrated by Nina Mata (Bloomsbury, 2020). This is hands-down one of my favorite books of the year. Bright and funny, if you have Ramona Quimby fans or if you remember Ramona fondly from your own childhood (like I do), you're going to want this one.
For the first 12 days of November, I'll be posting a list of children's books perfect for gift giving this holiday season. Check out the full list of lists here to see what's coming. All the lists link to IndieBound to make it easy for you to find an independent bookstore to buy from (and as an IndieBound affiliate, shopping through those links supports me, too!). Independent bookstores need our support more than ever this year, so please shop local if you can or if you don't have a local independent bookstore, please consider ordering online from my local indie Carmichael's Bookstore.