Barbara Maitland

  • 5

    Catalog books

  • 4

    Works

  • 1997 to 2002

    Strongest span

Who This Author Is

Barbara Maitland writes gentle, picture-book stories that center on small comforts and quiet surprises. Her titles—like The Bookstore Ghost and Bookstore Valentine—favor warm settings, playful characters, and brief, accessible text that invite young readers into cozy, low-stakes adventures.

Maitland’s books pair simple plots with clear pacing and soft humor, making them suited to early readers and read-aloud moments. The Bear Who Didn't Like Honey and her bookstore tales focus on everyday emotions and small discoveries, delivered in short, reassuring chapters or spreads.

Best Place To Start

Author At A Glance

Best known for: Warm, gently spooky children's stories • Bookstore-set tales • Short easy-to-read picture books

Genres and themes: Children's fiction • Mild ghostly themes • Bookshop and animals • Easy-to-read format

Who this author is best for: Good for early readers and storytime, especially kids who like cozy settings, simple plots, and a touch of friendly spookiness.

Start with The Bookstore Ghost or Bookstore Valentine for the bookstore-set stories, or pick The Bear Who Didn't Like Honey for a standalone animal tale.

Top Books To Start With

  1. The Bookstore Ghost (Easy-to-Read, Dutton)

    Penguin Group USA • 1998 • quick commitment

    UPB note: year signal: 1998 • 31 pages.

  2. Bookstore Valentine (Puffin Easy-to-Read)

    Turtleback Books Distributed by Demco Media • 2002 • commitment varies by edition

    It helps anchor a specific period of this author’s publishing run instead of blending into the undated shelf clutter.

  3. The Bear Who Didn't Like Honey

    Scholastic • 1997 • commitment varies by edition

    UPB note: year signal: 1997.

  4. Moo in the Morning

    Farrar Straus & Giroux • 2000 • commitment varies by edition

    UPB note: one of the most common used-copy publishers for this author • year signal: 2000.

  5. My Bear and Me

    Simon & Schuster • 1999 • commitment varies by edition

    UPB note: year signal: 1999.

How The Picks Compare

  • The Bookstore Ghost (Easy-to-Read, Dutton) gives you an earlier look at this author’s shelf, while Bookstore Valentine (Puffin Easy-to-Read) leans later in the catalog.
  • The Bear Who Didn't Like Honey is also useful if you want a different publishing lane from The Bookstore Ghost (Easy-to-Read, Dutton).

Browse Next