The Best Kids Books About Candy

Sponsored by INSTACANDI | The Children’s Book Review | February 25, 2015

Kids Books About Candy, Chocolate, and Sweets

It’s time to upgrade your library bag for a super-sized treat bag because this list of tantalizing kids books if full of reading candy! Each of these fantastic stories oozes with an individual style of sweetness. From the iconic Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, by the incredible Roald Dahl, to the delightful picture book Big Red Lollipop, from Rukhsana Khan and Sophie Blackall, readers can indulge in fantastical trips to candy factories, stores and forests … all while being treated to incredible snippets of humanity.

We dare you to stop at just one or two of these undeniable treats …

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

By Roald Dahl

Publisher’s Synopsis: Willy Wonka’s famous chocolate factory is opening at last!

But only five lucky children will be allowed inside. And the winners are: Augustus Gloop, an enormously fat boy whose hobby is eating; Veruca Salt, a spoiled-rotten brat whose parents are wrapped around her little finger; Violet Beauregarde, a dim-witted gum-chewer with the fastest jaws around; Mike Teavee, a toy pistol-toting gangster-in-training who is obsessed with television; and Charlie Bucket, Our Hero, a boy who is honest and kind, brave and true, and good and ready for the wildest time of his life!
Ages 8-12 | Publisher: Puffin Books | 2007 (Reprint) | ISBN-13: 978-0142410318

This Book Is Not Good For You

By Pseudonymous Bosch

Publisher’s Synopsis: Between the pages of this book lies the secret to the best-tasting chocolate in all the world. I promise, your taste buds will tingle. Your palette will sing! Oh no, have I accidentally tempted you to read this book? I will warn you, however, the most delicious things are never good for you…and this story is particularly scrumptious!

In this tooth-rotting adventure, Cass’s mom has been kidnapped by the evil dessert chef and chocolatier, Señor Hugo! The ransom…the legendary tuning fork. Can Cass and Max-Ernest find the magical instrument before it’s too late? Will they discover the evil secret ingredient to Señor Hugo’s chocolate success?

If you’re tempted, take a taste, but just remember…this book is not good for you.

Ages 8-12 | Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers | 2010 (Reprint) | ISBN-13: 978-0316040853

The Candymakers 

By Wendy Mass

Publisher’s Synopsis: In the town of Spring Haven, four children have been selected to compete in the national candymaking contest of a lifetime. Who will make a candy more delicious than the Oozing Crunchorama or the Neon Yellow Lightning Chew?

Logan, the candymaker’s son, who can detect the color of chocolate by feel alone?

Miles, the boy allergic to rowboats and the color pink?

Daisy, the cheerful girl who can lift a fifty-pound lump of taffy as if it were a feather?

Philip, the suit-and-tie-wearing boy who’s always scribbling in a secret notebook?

This sweet, charming, and cleverly crafted story, told from each contestant’s perspective, is filled with mystery, friendship, and juicy revelations.

Ages 8-12 | Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers | 2011 (Reprint) | ISBN-13: 978-0316002592

The Lemonade War Series: The Candy Smash

By Jacqueline Davies

Publisher’s Synopsis: Jessie and Evan Treski have waged a lemonade war, sought justice in a class trial, and even unmasked a bell thief. Now they are at opposite ends over the right to keep secrets. Evan believes some things (such as his poetry) are private. Jessie believes scandal makes good news. When anonymously sent candy hearts appear in Class 4-0, self-appointed ace reporter Jessie determines to get the scoop on class crushes.

Ages 9-12 | Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers | 2014 (Reprint) | ISBN-13: 978-0544225008

The Candy Shop War 

By Brandon Mull

Publisher’s Synopsis: Magical candy that gives kids superpowers? Sweet! The possibility of evil overtaking the world? Not so tasty. And so begins The Candy Shop War, a trilogy from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Beyonders and Fablehaven series.

Welcome to the Sweet Tooth Ice Cream & Candy Shoppe, where the confections are a bit on the…unusual side. In this start to the series, four young friends—Nate, Summer, Trevor, and Pigeon—meet the grandmotherly Mrs. White, owner of the Sweet Tooth, and soon learn about the magical side effects of her candies: Rock candy that makes you weightless. Jawbreakers that make you unbreakable. Chocolate balls that make you a master of disguise.

In addition, the ice cream truck driver, Mr. Stott, has arrived with a few enchanted sweets of his own. But what about the mysterious man in the dark overcoat and fedora hat? And why are all these “magicians” trying to recruit Nate and his friends? Who can they trust?

The mystery deepens and the danger unfolds as the four of them discover that the magical strangers have all come to town in search of a legendary, hidden treasure—one that could be used for great evil if it fell into the wrong hands. The kids, now in over their heads, must try to retrieve the treasure first. And so, the war begins…

Ages 8-12 | Publisher: Aladdin | 2014 (Reprint) | ISBN-13: 978-1481411196

Candy Fairies: Caramel Moon

By Helen Perelman

Publisher’s Synopsis: All the fairies expect to eat candy corn at the Harvest Festival, but the crop of candy corns is shrinking! Is someone playing a trick?

Mellie the Caramel Fairy discovers that the Chuchies are back and have been digging in the fields, pulling up the candy corns before the fairies can collect them. Mellie makes sure the Chuchies learn a lesson while her friends help her to harvest a new crop of candy corn just in time for the festival.

Ages 7-10 | Publisher: Aladdin | 2010 | ISBN-13: 978-1416994565

Curious George Goes to a Chocolate Factory 

By H. A. Rey

Publisher’s Synopsis: When George and the man with the yellow hat stop to shop at a chocolate factory store, George becomes curious about how chocolates are made. Though he begins to follow the factory tour, George is soon off on his own to investigate. The adventures of Curious George continue in an all-new series beginning in fall 1998 with eight new stories. Written and illustrated in the style of Margret and H. A. Rey, the books will appear in paperback (8 x 8″) and hardcover editions and will feature the art of Vipah Interactive, the animators of HMI’s Curious George CD-ROMs.

Ages 4-8 | Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers | 1998 (Reprint) | ISBN-13: 978-0395912140

Stink and the Incredible Super-Galactic Jawbreaker

By Megan McDonald; Illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds (Illustrator)

Publisher’s Synopsis: Spurred by a newfound awareness of false advertising, Stink Moody becomes the proverbial kid in a candy store as his letter-writing campaign yields him heaps of free rewards (ages 5-8).

When Stink buys a mammoth jawbreaker that doesn’t break his jaw, he writes a letter of complaint to the manufacturer – and receives a ten-pound box of 21,280 jawbreakers for his trouble! This unexpected benefit of acing the art of letter-writing in school sure gets Stink thinking. Soon Stink is so preoccupied with getting free stuff sent to him that he overlooks a scribbly envelope in the mail pile – until his best friend, Webster, starts acting standoffish and looks as mad as a hornet.

In this hilarious new episode from Megan McDonald and Peter H. Reynolds, Judy Moody’s shorter sibling truly comes into his own. As a delightful bonus for both teachers and kids, thirty-six common idioms – from “two heads are better than one” to “a leopard can’t change its spots” – are sprinkled throughout the story; seven of the idioms are humorously illustrated by Stink, and all are listed at the end to inspire a search for idioms that’s more fun than a barrel of monkeys.

Ages 5-8 | Publisher: Candlewick | 2013 (Reprint) | ISBN-13: 978-0763664206

Lester Fizz, Bubble-Gum Artist 

By Ruth Spiro; Illustrated by Thor Wickstrom

Publisher’s Synopsis: Everyone in the Fizz family is an artist. Everyone except Lester, whose paintings are pitiful and doodles are drab. Lester doesn’t think he’ll ever be an artist, until the day a mouthful of gum becomes a work of art on Lester’s talented lips. Drawing inspiration from all directions, Lester develops his special talent for artful bubbles and blows the competition away!

Full of wordplay, tongue-in-cheek humor, clever art references, and notes about the famous works referenced in Thor Wickstrom’s exuberant illustrations, this is a delight for young artists and bubble-gum fans.

Ages 6-8 | Publisher: Dutton Juvenile |2008 | ISBN-13: 978-0525478614

Big Red Lollipop

By Rukhsana Khan; Illustrated by Sophie Blackall

Publisher’s Synopsis: Rubina has been invited to her first birthday party, and her mother, Ami, insists that she bring her little sister along. Rubina is mortified, but she can?t convince Ami that you just don?t bring your younger sister to your friend?s party. So both girls go, and not only does Sana demand to win every game, but after the party she steals Rubina?s prized party favor, a red lollipop. What?s a fed-up big sister to do?

Rukhsana Khan?s clever story and Sophie Blackall?s irresistible illustrations make for a powerful combination in this fresh and surprising picture book.

Read The Children’s Book Review’s review of Big Red Lollipop …

Ages 4-8 | Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers | 2010 | ISBN-13: 978-0670062874

This list of “Sweet Books for Kids” is an editorial piece curated by The Children’s Book Review and sponsored by INSTACANDI.com … Step 1: Think of a person who needs some extra sweetness in their life. Step 2: Select a package and send INSTACANDI. Step 3: Get ready to hear that you are AWESOME, THOUGHTFUL, KIND, FUNNY, AND ADORABLE.