Shelf Safe Books

Shelf Safe Books exists to give families clear, honest content heads-ups so readers can choose books with confidence and avoid unwanted surprises. We share clean and safe reads for middle grade, teen, and adult audiences, along with simple recommendations and low stress reading guides. The goal is not to judge books, but to help parents and readers quickly understand what themes or situations may appear before they turn the page.

Book cover of Hope Between the Pages by Pepper Basham Book cover of Love and a Little White Lie by Tammy L. Gray Book cover of Just Let Go by Courtney Walsh Book cover of Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay Book cover of Authentically, Izzy by Pepper Basham Book cover of Love Fortunes and Other Disasters by Kimberly Karalius Book cover of Maybe This Time by Kasie West Book cover of It Started with Goodbye by Christina June Book cover of Don’t Date Rosa Santos by Nina Moreno Book cover of Waiting for Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey

Spice Free Romance Books

Romance doesn’t need explicit scenes to be meaningful. This list highlights ten carefully vetted romance novels that focus on connection, growth, humor, and heart without graphic content, strong language, or sexual detail.

Book cover of March: Book One by John Lewis Book cover of SkyHeart by Jake Parker Book cover of Cleopatra in Space by Mike Maihack Book cover of The Nameless City by Faith Erin Hicks Book cover of Bone: Out from Boneville by Jeff Smith Book cover of Investigators by John Patrick Green Book cover of Usagi Yojimbo: The Ronin by Stan Sakai Book cover of Dragonbreath by Ursula Vernon Book cover of Giants Beware! by Jorge Aguirre & Rafael Rosado Book cover of The Arrival by Shaun Tan

10 Clean Graphic Novels for Elementary through Middle Grades

10 clean graphic novels for kids and teens — fully vetted for visual safety, tone, language, and ideological content. No romance, no identity arcs, no agenda. Safe graphic novels parents can trust.

Book cover of Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix Book cover of Foundation by Isaac Asimov Book cover of The Boy Who Reversed Himself by William Sleator Book cover of Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne Book cover of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne Book cover of Contact by Carl Sagan Book cover of Out of the Silent Planet by C. S. Lewis Book cover of Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke Book cover of The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham Book cover of The Forgotten Door by Alexander Key

10 Clean Science Fiction Books

This Shelf Safe science fiction list features clean, imaginative stories without explicit sexual content, graphic violence, or profanity. While some titles explore heavier ideas common to the genre, all selections maintain clear content boundaries suitable for families seeking cleaner sci-fi options.