The most recommended books about foster children

Have you ever dreamed of being someone and somewhere else? I remember being a kid in the summertime when the hot summer in Omaha, Nebraska felt sooooo long and there was nothing to do. Styx Malone (foster child & the cool kid) and brothers Caleb and Bobby Gene are feeling that angst too. To make life more exciting, they concoct a plan to exchange one small thing for something better until they achieve their “wildest dreams” (motorbike). Sometimes it’s the baby sister that’s exchanged for fireworks (I mean, that’s pretty funny, but don’t worry, the baby sister is given back and they get to keep the fireworks). Of course, everything goes awry and gets dangerous and…well, read this book and you’ll be turning the pages at a mad pace, too!

Hands up who wasn’t in a play of Oliver Twist at school! This is such a classic and theatre favourite which I remember starring in twice. But this is a truly modern and interesting reimagining of a Dicken’s masterpiece. Olivia is an orphan, strong and independent but with wounds from her many years within the care system. When her computer skills are noticed she is recruited to Syke’s hacker gang of cyber thieves which masquerades as a home for unwanted children. Each chapter starts with a quote from the original which foreshadows the events to come and provides a nice correlation between this version and the original. I really love how endearing the characters can be despite their flaws. This adds a really nice dimension to the story.

One thing you’ll discover as you read YA tales about the fae is that bored faeries are always causing trouble. In Porter’s novel, they tempt Ksenia’s foster brother and best friend away from her and then put her through a progression of nightmares as she tries to wrest him out of their clutches. There’s so much darkness in this book but it never quite tips into horror. It’s more of that incessant creepiness of the Twilight Zone, with scenes that keep ratcheting up the tension and impossible situations. This isn’t your average faerie tale with romance and hijinks—not by a long shot. But because of all that, it’s an absolute delight to read.

Bombay-born Indo-American Thrity Umrigar tells the story of Anton, a neglected biracial boy adopted into a white family. Umrigar stretches past boundaries of race, class, and gender to bring us a tale of moral choices made from power, helplessness, or the neighborhood we live in – and the uncomfortable truths that ensue. I am always impressed by Umrigar’s transparent prose that allows her story and characters to shine through, but even more so in this novel where her characters are not brown but black or white. 

This novel ticks all the boxes! A diverse cast of characters from different backgrounds and different parts of the world are brought together in a secret spy society and embark on an engaging international adventure to save the world.

I’m an avid traveler so the global setting of this fast-paced series appeals to me as does Ponti’s deft hand at weaving a mystery. We get clues enough to stay glued to the page but not so many we figure out the ending too soon. The ‘family’ dynamics of the spy kids grounds the story. Readers might recognize their own sibling interactions in the pages. 

I first picked up this book because I love dogs and there was a cute dog on the cover. But it wasn’t long before I was engrossed in the story of Fred, a young girl who ends up in foster care while her mother is battling drug addiction. She’s being cared for by a tough, motorcycle-loving foster mother named Margery. At first, they seem like such an unlikely couple. But they end up bonding over their love of animals and art. It’s a sweet and poignant story with a happy ending. 

Ugh, this book slayed me. I had no idea what to expect before I picked it up, and I'm glad for that. As a fan of all things space myself, that was a huge initial draw, but it was the character that kept me reading.

This debut novel is extraordinary. It allows inside the imagination and heart of Nove--a severely autistic, non-verbal twelve year old, with all her hopes, her frustrations, her loneliness, and her longing for a permanent family. She and her sister have lost their mother and eventually Nove loses track of her older sister, who has been Nova's sole advocate. She's in foster care, and eventually rises above her limitations, refusing to become her labels. Persistently pursuing her dreams--she keeps a heartfelt journal nobody can or is willing to read, refuses to give up hope that she'll be reunited with her sister, explores an expanding universe of… show more.

This book caught me completely by surprise. The narrative, following teenaged Alex, who is hauled from their bed one day and dragged on a seemingly random and endless road trip by their mother, Ma, is brim-full of vibrant, fascinating characters who you begin to realize all make significant elements of Ma’s history. The narrative is intricately woven in a way that seems effortless, and the characters lived on in my head for a long time after I’d turned the last page.

I particularly loved how Alex’s identity was handled, as it informs and enriches the narrative without being the central focus. This book deserves to be far more widely read!

This is one of those books that will sit with you for days. It is the story of two friends—former foster brothers—who were separated then reunited.

One is doing well (Adam) and the other is lost in a deep labyrinth of emotions (Julian). The connection between these boys and how it evolves is masterfully portrayed.

I could feel Adam’s anguish and helplessness towards Julian. Some problems don’t have a quick fix. But what all problems need is kindness.

Sometimes this simple act can make a world of difference.

How can you not get hooked by a story that kicks off with a Nigerian prince email? Except it really is from an African prince! I rooted for heroine Naledi right from the start because, as a graduate student in epidemiology, she is forced to battle the sexism that women in STEM so often experience. She is no pushover, but she has to be careful not to sabotage her career.

Fish-out-of-water tropes always delight me, so when Prince Thabiso masquerades as a waiter to meet Naledi, I got a kick out of the fact that he was so terrible that she fired him. His first trip on a New York City subway is hilarious. When Thabiso convinced Naledi to return to Thesolo with him, I enjoyed experiencing royal life in an African country. Just the music of the names enchanted me.