This looks like something that could be handled by the match centers to morph command. You want to change the origin of the child correct? You say that each book has one bone and each bone has one child, it's a chain of bones so each stack is a single figure with several bones. I'm assuming the bottom book is the base (basically the hip). Match centers will adjust each origin to reflect the changes you describe. It can also be applied as an inject pz2.

The physical changes to each book would have to be baked as morphs though.