Step into my office. Take a seat. You’ll have to move a stack of books.

When I worked at the Norwich Bookstore and visitors asked for recommendations, my first response was always, “What are some books you’ve loved?” Then we’d go from there.

Here in a newspaper column, we don’t have that conversational bridge. A book that makes me laugh will make someone else roll their eyes. Where I get swoony, another person gets sweary. 

But … reading is about connecting, right? Books are the burrs that stick when we brush up against each other. 

I read a lot, and I read widely, so my recommendations tend to wander among topics and genres, children’s books included. I think adults could benefit from reading more books meant for kids. And we all have young people in our lives who could use the right book at the right time. 

Maybe you’ll find it here.

Happy reading.

“The Haunting of Splinter,” by Jack Mackey (hardcover 2026, ages 8 to 12)

I love scary stories, but I’m also a wimp, so middle grade horror works for me. Peter and Adrian live with their parents on a crumbling estate where all the pets are taxidermied. When they find a magical hand that grants wishes, they figure all their problems are solved. But it’s never that easy, is it? Instead, the wishing hand makes things worse. Much, much worse.

The thing about horror novels is that the best ones are really about the terrors within ourselves, which are always more frightening than anything on the page. These boys struggle to trust themselves, each other, and their family — problems most of us will find familiar. And frightening.

“One Word Six Letters,” by Adib Khorram (hardcover 2026, young adult)

I always hesitate to call a book “important” because that’s such an immediate turnoff for some people — including me. It’s like justifying the existence of peas (which I hate) because they’re healthy. This book, though, manages to be important while still being very funny.

High school freshman Dayton isn’t sure why he yelled out THAT WORD during an all-school assembly. Someone dared him $20. He was hungry and bored. It was a joke. It’s not like he actually hates gay people. For whatever reason, he yells the slur and the whole school is thrown into turmoil. Especially Farshid, another freshman. He can’t shake the feeling that the word was directed at him. 

This is a smart, heartbreaking look at some of the tougher parts of being a teenager. And it was inspired by a true event that happened during one of Khorram’s school visits. So yes, it’s an important book. 

“The Season,” by Helen Garner (hardcover 2025, adult memoir)

I read adult books, too! In this memoir, Australian writer Helen Garner writes about watching her grandson’s season of under-16 Australian football (footy). But, like all good memoirs, it’s really about so much more. Aging, navigating complex family relationships, injuries, what kind of men boys choose to be. 

Listen to how she describes her own book: “Really I’m trying to write about footy and my grandson and me. About boys at dusk. A little life-hymn. A poem. A record of a season we are spending together before he turns into a man and I die.”

I know! Gorgeous and heartbreaking. But also joyful. This book might be hitting me extra hard because the last of my sons just moved away from home, but the passage of time is a universal theme that affects us all. And Garner is brilliant at marking it.

“Last One Out,” by Jane Harper (hardcover 2026, adult mystery)

It’s getting chilly here in the Upper Valley, but in Jane Harper’s world, the weather is always hot. Dry wind and grit play major roles in her Australian mysteries, and her latest book throws in the noise of a 24-hour mining operation for good atmospheric measure. 

When Ro returns to Carralon Ridge for the fifth anniversary of her son’s disappearance, she finds a village past the point of no return. The mine has sucked the life out of the community and the few families left are only hanging on because… well, why? Loyalty? Stubbornness? Something far more nefarious having to do with Ro’s missing son? 

As riveting as the mystery feels, it’s the desperation and despair of a community losing its members that remains with me after I’ve turned the last page. It’s a good reminder of how quickly we can turn on each other when it’s hard to hear ourselves think over the metallic whine of corporate greed. 

Smart and slow-burning — remember to stay hydrated.

Andi Diehn has lived in Enfield with her family for nearly three decades. She writes and edits children’s books — and reads a lot.