July 26th is National Aunt and Uncle’s Day—a time to honor that special set of relatives that we look up to throughout our lives. To celebrate, we’ve put together a list of reads for adults and kids that reminds us just how lucky we are to have them.
Best Aunts & Uncles Ever:
Dial A for Aunties: A Novel by Jesse Q. Sutanto
What happens when you mix 1 (accidental) murder with 2 thousand wedding guests, and then toss in a possible curse on 3 generations of an immigrant Chinese-Indonesian family? You get 4 meddling Asian aunties coming to the rescue!
“A hilarious, heartfelt romp of a novel about—what else?—accidental murder and the bond of family. This book had me laughing aloud within its first five pages . . . Utterly clever, deeply funny, and altogether charming, this book is sure to be one of the best of the year!”—Emily Henry, New York Times bestselling author of Beach Read
One of PopSugar’s “42 Books Everyone Will Be Talking About in 2021” and “Best New Books of April 2021”
Available in Hardcover, Trade Paperback, eBook, and Audio Editions.
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Listen to a Clip from the Audiobook.
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The Guncle: A Novel by Steven Rowley
From the bestselling author of Lily and the Octopus and The Editor comes a warm and deeply funny novel about a once-famous gay sitcom star whose unexpected family tragedy leaves him with his niece and nephew for the summer.
“Wise and hilarious.”—People
“A laugh-out-loud heartwarmer.”—Oprah Daily
“Rowley’s depth and humor will warm even the most jaded hearts.”—The Washington Post
One of Oprah Daily‘s Best Beach Reads to Help You Escape • Washington Post’s Feel-Good Books to Brighten Your Summer • Vogue‘s 12 Beach Reads to Get Lost in This Summer • Real Simple’s Blockbuster Beach Reads • PopSugar’s 45 Best Summer Reads of 2021 • Parade’s 15 New LGBTQ+ Books to Pick Up This Summer • and More
Available in Hardcover, eBook, and Audio Editions.
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Listen to a Clip from the Audiobook.
Click to Watch an Author Video with Steven Rowley.
Listen to Steven Rowley on the This is The Author Podcast.
Tell the Wolves I’m Home: A Novel by Carol Rifka Brunt
A heartfelt story of love, grief, and renewal after the death of a beloved Uncle and best friend—about two unlikely friends who discover that sometimes you don’t know you’ve lost someone until you’ve found them.
“A dazzling debut novel.”—O: The Oprah Magazine
“Tremendously moving.”—The Wall Street Journal
“Touching and ultimately hopeful.”—People
Winner of the Alex Award • Named One of the Best Books of the Year by The Wall Street Journal • O: The Oprah Magazine • BookPage • Kirkus Reviews • Booklist • School Library Journal
Available in Trade Paperback and eBook Editions.
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Auntie Mame: An Irreverent Escapade: A Novel by Patrick Dennis
With a wit as sharp as a vodka stinger and a heart as free as her spirit, Auntie Mame burst onto the literary scene in 1955—and today remains one of the most unforgettable characters in contemporary fiction.
Follow the rollicking adventures of this unflappable flapper as seen through the wide eyes of her young, impressionable nephew and discover anew or for the first time why Mame has made the world a more wonderful place.
“Outrageous, hilarious, ribald, sophisticated, slapsatiric.”—The Denver Post
hy Mame has made the world a more wonderful place.
“Outrageous, hilarious, ribald, sophisticated, slapsatiric.” The Denver Post
Available in Trade Paperback and eBook Editions.
Click to Read an Excerpt.
An Inspiring Matriarch for Young Adults:
The Legend of Auntie Po by Shing Yin Khor
Part historical fiction, part magical realism, and 100 percent adventure. Thirteen-year-old Mei reimagines the myths of Paul Bunyan as starring a Chinese heroine while she works in a Sierra Nevada logging camp in 1885.
“A timely and ultimately hopeful tale.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“A multifaceted addition to the historical graphic novel genre, this unique bildungsroman successfully presents many formidable topics with intentional and comprehensive grace.”—The Horn Book, starred review.
Available in Hardcover, Trade Paperback, and eBook Editions.
Click to Read an Excerpt.
Always Listen to Your Aunts:
Do I Have to Say Hello? Aunt Delia’s Manners Quiz for Kids and Their Grownups by Delia Ephron
Twenty-five years after its original publication, Do I Have to Say Hello? Aunt Delia’s Manners Quiz for Kids and Their Grownups is back, and do we and our kids all need it.
In a series of light-hearted multiple choice quizzes, alternate scenarios, and true-or-false questions, Delia Ephron and Edward Koren, the author and illustrator team who brought us the bestselling How to Eat Like a Child, depict a range of possibilities that reflect life as it is as well as life as it ought to be. Covering table manners, car manners, playground manners, school manners, and more, this is a book that is sure to delight (and horrify) adults and children of all ages.
Available in eBook and Audio Editions.
Listen to a Clip from the Audiobook.
Kids Celebrate Aunts and Uncles on Audio:
Summer of the Gypsy Moths by Sara Pennypacker; Read by Jenna Lamia
From Clementine author Sara Pennypacker, this is a poignant middle-grade novel about two foster children living at great-aunt Louise’s house in Cape Cod—who must find a way to work together in order to survive.
Eleven-year-old Stella misses her (unreliable) mom, but she loves it at great-aunt Louise’s house. Louise lives on Cape Cod, where Stella hopes her mom will someday come and settle down. The only problem? Angel, the foster kid Louise has taken in. The two girls live together but there’s no way they’ll ever be friends.
Then Louise suddenly passes away one morning—and Stella and Angel decide not to tell anyone. Now they have to depend on each other for survival. Now they are forced to trust each other with the biggest secret ever.
Available on Audio.
Listen to a Clip from the Audiobook.
Uncle Wiggily’s Story Book by Howar Garis; Read by A. C. Fellner
Uncle Wiggily is one of the most popular and enduring characters in American literature. A cheerful “bunny rabbit gentleman” with a wonderful knack for setting things right, he has been a reassuring friend to millions of children since early in the century.
Uncle Wiggily’s amusing stories speak to readers about familiar experiences, and feature a lively cast of children and animal characters: Toodle and Noodle Flat-Tail, two playful beavers; Nurse Jane Fuzzy Wuzzy, Uncle Wiggily’s loyal muskrat housekeeper; Stubby Toes, the little boy who is helped by a sure-footed rabbit named Baby Bunty; Grandpa Goosey Gander; the Kite Boy; and many others. Full of charm, warmth, and old-fashioned fun.
Available in Hardcover, eBook, and Audio Editions.
Listen to a Clip from the Audiobook.
Max and the Midknights by Lincoln Peirce; Read by Kristen DiMercurio, Marc Thompson, and a Full Cast
Max wants to be a knight! Too bad that dream is about as likely as finding a friendly dragon. But when Max’s uncle Budrick is kidnapped by the cruel King Gastley, Max has to act . . . and fast! Joined by a band of brave adventurers—the Midknights—Max sets out on a thrilling quest: to save Uncle Budrick and restore the realm of Byjovia to its former high spirits!
“Max is epic fun!”—Jeff Kinney, New York Times bestselling author of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series
“Fantastic! I loved it!”—Dav Pilkey, New York Times bestselling author of the Captain Underpants series
A New York Public Library Best Book of the Year
Available in Hardcover, eBook, and Audio Editions.
Also Available in Spanish: Max y la pandilla medieval.
Listen to a Clip from the Audiobook.
Click to Read an Excerpt.
