Published on: 2026-08-30
Source: Moscow Government – Правительства Москвы –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
On weekends, employees of the city’s reading rooms share which books can make family evenings even cozier. Alexandra Volotskova from the A.P. Gaidar Central City Children’s Library has selected works by Amber Stewart, Anastasia Kovalenkova, and other authors.
You can book the publication you are interested in using the service “Moscow Libraries“.
For toddlers
“Educational Fairy Tales” by Amber Stewart
“Educational Tales” by contemporary English writer Amber Stewart is a book with kind, child-friendly stories that not only captivate with their plot but gently and unobtrusively help to understand serious matters. For example, a child learns how to behave in different situations, why it is important to be honest and caring, how to manage emotions, and how to find common ground with others.
Each fairy tale is built around a single event: the loss of a beloved blanket, tantrums, and the anxious anticipation of a birthday celebration. After reading, be sure to discuss with the child what was talked about, help them not only to see the situation from the outside but also to put themselves in it, and reflect on how they would have acted in the hero’s place.
“The Story of the Little Sow” by Sabina Bolman
“The Story of Little Sonya” is a small series of books whose main character, a rodent named Kroshka, also deals with various situations familiar to every child.
The books stand out for their touching plot, kind message, and charming watercolor illustrations that make every detail interesting. Besides entertainment, they serve an educational purpose: teaching children to cope with fears and value friendship. One of the books is designed for toddlers who have trouble falling asleep — it’s perfect to read before bedtime.
For older children
“The Little Mouse Who Is There” by Anastasia Kovalenkova
The little mouse Tam was named for his restlessness: he constantly escapes from the safe burrow towards the wind and the unknown. One day, the hero goes to a field where he meets an old mole librarian who keeps the seeds of forgotten plants, and a philosopher toad living at the bottom of a dried-up well.
Children will surely be interested in the light plot of the book, while parents will be prompted to reflect on the fact that every child has the right to make mistakes and how sometimes those mistakes can help them grow up. In the book, a little mouse begins to understand that true safety lies not in the walls of a home, but in an inner core that allows one to endure cold and loneliness.
How to get a child interested in reading: librarians’ life hacks
“The Girl Who Could Not Read” by Sylvia Bishop
Weedie Jones is 10 years old, a girl who lives in her parents’ tiny bookstore and hides a terrible secret: she suffers from an unknown ailment and therefore physically cannot put letters together to form words. And when her family wins the grand prize in the lottery and receives a huge five-story bookstore with hidden staircases, maze-like shelves, and thousands of books, Weedie must try hard not to be exposed.
At the core of the plot is an interesting metaphor, but Sylvia Bishop talks in the book about real mechanisms of reading disorders and how to deal with them.
Teenagers
“Up the Down Staircase” Bel Kaufman
The novel is based on the real experience of the author, American teacher Bell Kaufman, in educational institutions of disadvantaged districts in New York. The plot revolves around a young teacher who arrives at a school where she faces bureaucratic absurdity and the necessity to establish contact with students, which is far from easy.
The novel is composed of official documents, administration notes, letters to parents, and student records. I think that thanks to this narrative feature, immersing oneself in the story will be even more interesting.
“Chronicles of the Mysterious Island, or Faioleana” by Maria Golikova
“Chronicles of the Mysterious Island, or Fayoleana” is a series of six novellas that will definitely keep readers entertained. In the port city of Gaistun, where long winters reign and digital technology is absent, live 11-year-olds Elta Poder and Janik Stir. One day, ships arrive in the harbor from the mysterious island of fairy tales, Fayoleana, whose existence no one believes in. The children meet the cloud rider Kaus, and from that moment, their lives will never be the same.
It is very interesting to observe how the main characters change. At the very beginning, the kids simply believe in miracles and study school subjects, but by the end, people’s lives depend on their choices, and power over the island turns into real responsibility.
More great books, tested by readers of children’s libraries and their staff, are in the section “Librarian’s Tips”.
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