Choosing the best year’s children’s books has never been harder, a year that brought a flood of fantastic books! Here is just a small selection of some of our favorite’s over the past year, Now is a great time to choose book gifts for your children and young friends. Thank you for supporting independent bookstores!
Picture Books (for preschool children through grade 3)
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- How to Be a Lion, by Ed Vere (Doubleday Books for Young Readers) Vere’s story is likely to linger in the minds of children.
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- Forest Dream, by Ayano Imai (minedition) Amai’s gentle message shows us a Magical Forest restoring itself
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- Adrian Simcox Does NOT Have a Horse, by Marcy Campbell & Corinna Luyken (Dial Books)
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- Potato Pants!, by Laurie Keller (Henry Holt) Hysterical… and great with an important message about anxiety, friendship and forgiveness.
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The Dreamer, by Il Sung Na (Chronicle Books)
Vivid, personable characters: NYT Review
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Good Morning, Neighbor, by Davide Cali & Maria Dek (Princeton Architectural Press)
Teamwork, sharing, & neighborly friendship: Kirkus Reviews
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Thank You, Omu!, by Oge Mora (Little, Brown and Company)
A whole world from scraps, pieces, and seemingly worthless objects: The Horn Book
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- The Word Collector, by Peter H. Reynolds (Orchard Books) Become a Word Collector, Grow Your Creativity!/a>
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- Julián is a Mermaid, by Jessica Love (Candlewick Press) This is a book for the Human Race -Betsy Bird, Fuse 8
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- Do You Believe in Unicorns?, by Bethanie Deeney Murguia (Candlewick Press)
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Stories of the Night, by Kitty Crowther (Gecko Press)
Distinctive bedtime litanies… in shocking pink and green
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Be Still, Life, by Ohara Hale (Enchanted Lion Books)
Infectious joy, delivered simply and sincerely: Kirkus Reviews
Non-Fiction Picture Books (for preschool children through grade 3)
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- Breathe, by Inês Castel-Branco (Magination Press)
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- Bonkers About Beetles, by Owen Davey (Flying Eye Books) Engaging, Informative, and Beautifully Illustrated
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- The Brilliant Deep: Rebuilding the World’s Coral Reefs, by Kate Messner and Matthew Forsythe (Chronicle Books) Beautiful & Inspiring
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- What Makes You Happy?, by Marie-Agnès Gaudrat & Carme Solé Vendrell (Shelter Harbor Press)
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- The Vast Wonder of the World: Biologist Ernest Everett Just, by Mélina Mangal and Luisa Uribe (Millbrook Press)
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- Spring After Spring: How Rachel Carson Inspired the Environmental Movement, by Stephanie Roth Sisson (Roaring Brook Press)
Middle Grade Fiction (for Ages 8-12 years)
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- The Parker Inheritance, by Varian Johnson (Arthur A. Levine Books)
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Amal Unbound, by Aisha Saeed (Nancy Paulsen Books)
An eloquent, suspenseful, eye-opening tale: Publishers Weekly
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Mascot, by Antony John (Harper)
Surviving Middle School: NYT Review
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- Winterhouse, by Ben Guterson (Square Fish) Filled with puzzles and magic, Guterson’s debut keeps suspense high …
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Bob, by Wendy Mass & Rebecca Stead, illustrated by Nicholas Gannon (Feiwel and Friends)
The right blend of mystery & cozy magic: Bookpage
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- Endling: The Last, by Katherine Applegate (Harper)
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The Season of Styx Malone, by Kekla Magoon (Wendy Lamb Books)
Entertaining shenanigans & an affecting emotional current: Publisher’s Weekly
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The Journey of LIttle Charlie, by Christopher Paul Curtis (Scholastic Press)
Lively & complex historical fiction: Kirkus Reviews
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- Ghost Boys, by Jewell Parker Rhodes (Little, Brown and Company)
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- The Vanderbeekers and the Hidden Garden, by Karina Yan Glaser (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) This delightful sequel is a smashig success!
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Secret Sisters of the Salty Sea, by Lynne Rae Perkins (Greenwillow Books)
A poetic sorceress: NYT Review
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- “Some people without brains do an awful lot of talking, don’t you think?” –L. Frank Baum
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Louisiana’s Way Home, by Kate DiCamillo (Candlewick Press)
A lovely story of independence and community: Bookpage
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The Language of Spells, by Garret Weyr & illustrated by Katie Harnett (Chronicle Books)
Deft, assured narrative: Kirkus Reviews
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The Truth as Told By Mason Buttle, by Leslie Connor (Katherine Tegen Books)
A poignant underdog tale: School LIbrary Journal