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If you love "kid lit" (children's literature) like I do, you'll love these best kid lit blogs!

Anyone who knows me or reads this blog knows how much I adore children's literature. Honestly, my reasons for loving the genre would make for a reasonably long essay. But that is not today's topic of discussion. Today, I'm sharing five of my current top kid lit blogs. Obviously, "top" is subjective, but I do love these blogs, their focus on children's books, and their consistency in this labor of love that is blogging.

This post focuses on picture book, chapter book, and middle-grade bloggers. Some of these bloggers do read the occasional YA or adult novel, but young kid lit is their main event. My favorite posts to read on book blogs are book reviews and author interviews, and these top kid lit blogs have a MASSIVE archive of reviews.

If you're a parent, teacher, or just plain kid lit lover, here are some more blogs to follow, STAT.

[bctt tweet="Here are 22 of my favorite kid lit bloggers to follow - these wonderful bloggers have a MASSIVE archive of reviews." username="afomaumesi"]

This Picture Book Life

Focus: Picture books

Danielle Davis is the author of the quirky middle-grade novel, Zinnia and the Bees. She also runs the cute picture book blog, This Picture Book Life. On her blog, Danielle shares her favorite picture books, cool interviews with booksellers, authors and illustrators, and even book-related DIY crafts.

The Story Sanctuary

Focus: Middle grade and young adult

Run by Kasey Giard, The Story Sanctuary has been sharing reviews since 2013. My favorite thing about Kasey's site is the content scale she provides in every review. She includes everything from recommended ages to language and sexual content - very important for young and/or sensitive readers.

Nerdy Book Club

Focus: Middle grade and young adult

Nerdy Book Club is run by four educators, and I have to say, I absolutely love their site! Besides posting consistently, they share author essays, book reviews, book lists and lots of other fantastic content. If you want to stay up to date with new books while still getting a dose of backlist titles, this is your go-to blog.

Ms. Yingling Reads

Focus: Middle grade

Ms. Yingling is a voracious reader and prolific reviewer; she posts a review practically every day! While I often wish she would rate more books higher on Goodreads, I love her actual reviews! She always shares strengths and weaknesses and whether she would purchase the book for her school library. I also love that she seems to have read almost every middle-grade book in existence - it's rare that I run into one she's yet to read!

Happily Ever Elephants

Focus: Picture books and middle grade

Lauren is an attorney turned library media specialist and mom to two little boys. I love her enthusiastic reviews of middle-grade books and her passion for helping parents raise readers. If you're a parent looking for tips in that regard, you'll enjoy Lauren's site!

Blazer Tales

Focus: Middle grade and young adult

Laurie is a K-6 teacher and voracious reader who shares detailed book reviews on her website. She also includes grade and reading level recommendations for each book. I love that she categorizes all her reads to make her site easier to navigate.

MG Book Village

Focus: Middle-grade books

MG Book Village is run by a group of teachers and librarians, including author Jarett Lerner. The website covers author interviews, book reviews, author essays, and even tips for writers from writers. It's honestly a dream of a site - and highly underrated too!

Teachers Who Read

Focus: Middle-grade books

Teachers Who Read is another middle-grade book blog run by a group of teachers. They feature fun reviews of books for third-, fourth-, fifth-grade, and junior high students as well as author spotlights. My favorite posts are the regular "It's Monday, What Are You Reading?" ones.

Literacious

Focus: Children's literature (from picture books to YA)

Laura, a former librarian turned library director runs the Literacious blog. The blog features book reviews, activities, and book lists interspersed with the occasional lifestyle post.

Here Wee Read

Focus: Mostly picture books and chapter books with the occasional middle-grade book

Charnaie is a longtime book blogger who shares the diverse books she reads with her kids. Her site is a hub of reading activities as well as some lifestyle content.

Chattering Librarian

Focus: Middle-grade books

The Chattering Librarian blog shares book lists nearly every week! Her lists are always creative and practical.

Watch. Connect. Read. (Mr. Schu Reads)

Focus: Picture books, chapter books, and middle-grade novels.

Mr. Schu is a renowned kid lit blogger known for cover reveals, book trailers, and author interviews. His site is always a delight.

Cece Librarian

Focus: Picture books, chapter books, and middle-grade

Cece is an elementary school librarian who's also on MG Book Village Review team. On her blog, she review picture books, chapter books, and middle-grade books.

Imagination Soup

Focus: Picture books, chapter books, and middle-grade

Melissa is a prolific kid lit blogger known for her awesome comprehensive book lists. She's a former teacher and literacy trainer.

Bridget and the Books

Focus: Chapter books and middle-grade books

Bridget is a fifth-grader who writes simple book reviews and shares fun author interviews. I look forward to her posts and love her unique way of engaging with books.

Beagles and Books

Focus: Picture books, chapter books, and middle-grade

Beagles and Books features weekly children's books reviews, from picture books to middle-grade novels. Plus, you'll get a cute Beagle in every photo (if you're into that sort of thing).

Samantha Cronin's Kid Lit Library

Focus: Picture books, chapter books, and middle-grade

Samantha is a teacher and reader who shares her thoughts on books as well as additional resources for parents and teachers.

Books. Iced Lattes. Blessed.

Focus: Middle-grade

Sierra is a teacher and new blogger who shares mostly middle-grade book reviews and book lists. You'll also find the occasional life update and coffee chat!

Randomly Reading

Focus: Picture books, middle-grade

Alex is a former NYC fourth-grade teacher. On her blog, she shares reviews of books for kids and adults, but mostly kid lit.

Kid Lit Frenzy

Focus: Picture books

Alyson Beecher is an educator who shares thoughts mostly on picture books. However, you will find the occasional MG review.

Kristi's Book Nook

Focus: Picture books

Picture book lovers will enjoy Kristi's Book Nook as she reviews a diverse selection.

Books in the Middle

Focus: Middle-grade books

A group of reviewers regularly share their thoughts on a variety of middle-grade books.

These are my go-to reviewers for kid lit. I hope to round up a few other great bloggers in the young adult and adult categories soon. But I'm always looking for new bloggers to follow, so if you have any recommendations, they'll be welcomed.
This post has been updated for May 2020.
[bctt tweet="If you love kid lit like I do, you'll love these top kid lit blogs!" username="afomaumesi"]

Love kid lit? Check out my book reviews:
Who are your best kid lit bloggers?

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22 Best Kid Lit Blogs to Follow (Best Children's Book Bloggers)

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These 22 best kid lit blogs are perfect for kid lit lovers. They have a MASSIVE archive of middle-grade & picture book reviews and author interviews.

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Kidlit These Days is your kidlit connoisseurs pairing the best of children's literature with what's going on in the world today.

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A Kids Podcast About Current Events. We know the news can be heavy. World events can be confusing. But no one should miss out on history as it's being made. It's not always easy to know how to talk about what's going on in the world or even to know where to start.

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Welcome to the Books Between Podcast! I believe that a book can change the trajectory of a child's life. And I want to help you connect kids with those amazing, life-shaping books and bring you inspiring (and fun!) conversations with the authors and educators who make that magic happen.

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teacher "teacher vlog" educator "children's literature" reading writing teaching

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I am an elementary teacher in Mid-Michigan. I love making videos about my life as a book loving educator.

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Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

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books "children's books" "teen books" "young adult books" publishing reading "picture books" "epic reads" "board books" "kids literature" writing book

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Book trailers, author interviews, and animated features, oh my! 🦁🐯🐻 We're the kids division of Penguin Random House, the world's largest trade book publisher.

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Welcome to the MG Book Village!

This is a place for the Middle Grade community to connect, share, learn, discuss, inspire, embolden, comfort, assist, and do all the countless other things strong communities do for its members.

This is all of our village, so if there is something that you think is missing or that you would like to see added, please don't hesitate to contact us. And please reach out if you'd like to get involved. We welcome guest posts from anyone and everyone - including, of course, kids!

Happy reading,

MG Book Village Team

. . .

Banner art by Gina Perry.

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Welcome to the MG Book Village! This is a place for the Middle Grade community to connect, share, learn, discuss, inspire, embolden, comfort, assist, and do all the countless other things strong communities do for its members. This is all of our village, so if there is something that you think is missing or that...

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Literacy advocates with a deep passion for books bestselling author Donalyn Miller and 5th grade teacher Colby Sharp showcase the power of children s access to books, providing teachers and administrators with the tools and information they need to increase children s meaningful interaction with books and to launch or sustain book access initiatives in their communities. Through research and testimonials from voices in the field and their own classroom experiences, Miller and Sharp provide practical and resourceful information on a range of topics and areas, (including successful school and classroom libraries, the power of book ownership, the importance of cultural and social access to books, and meaningful family-community reading engagement) designed to help dramatically increase children s access to and life-changing engagement with books.

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Bookopolis is a safe online community for young readers to share their favorite books and discover new ones

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A 501(c)(3) nonprofit, WNDB aims to create a world where every reader can find themselves in the pages of a book. To reach this goal, we've created programs to mentor diverse writers and illustrators, support diverse publishing professionals, and provide books to classrooms nationwide.

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Blue Willow Bookshop serves West Houston as well as the Greater Houston Area with opinionated advice and our favorite books, games and gifts. Stay for our awesome author events or join us for a story time! Located on the edges of the Energy Corridor and Memorial neighborhoods, we have staffers and loyal readers from Katy, Spring Branch, Memorial Villages and beyond.

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Homepage - Random House Children's Books

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Puffin Books | Books for Children. Kids & Young Teens | Penguin

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New & Noteworthy Kids' Books | Penguin Random House

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From young adult stories to illustrated picture books, find the latest and greatest books for kids of any age! Learn more now.

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Disney Books | Disney Publishing Worldwide

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Looking for books that will keep kids reading all summer long? Here are some of our recommendations: SUMMER ADVENTURE FOR GROOT! by Brendan Deneen, Illustrated by Cale Atkinson The Guardians of the Galaxy are off on a summer "road" trip through the cosmos. From surfing the waves of Zenn-La and riding a tandem bike on [...]

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Teachers & Librarians - Disney Books | Disney Publishing Worldwide

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Looking for books that will keep kids reading all summer long? Here are some of our recommendations: SUMMER ADVENTURE FOR GROOT! by Brendan Deneen, Illustrated by Cale Atkinson The Guardians of the Galaxy are off on a summer "road" trip through the cosmos. From surfing the waves of Zenn-La and riding a tandem bike on [...]

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I first met Alda P. Dobbs through SCBWI, Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, where I was fortunate enough to be her mentor when the book that would become BAREFOOT DREAMS OF PETRA LUNA won...

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I first met Alda P. Dobbs through SCBWI, Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, where I was fortunate enough to be her mentor when the book that would become BAREFOOT DREAMS OF PETRA LUNA won...

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Each year a committee of the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) identifies the best of the best in children's books. According to the Notables Criteria, "notable" is defined as: Worthy of note or notice, important, distinguished, outstanding.

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TLA Digital Conversations: You're Invited

Texas libraries play a vital role in increasing digital equity across their communities. Digital Conversations seeks to open the dialogue on how public libraries are instruments for learning, equip people [...]

Between the Lines: October Member Spotlight

Sarah H. Northam Director of Research and Instruction Velma K. Waters Library, Texas A&M University-Commerce What inspired you to become a librarian? When I was a kid, my second-grade teacher [...]

Our website uses cookies to improve your experience. Please accept the use of cookies. Review our privacy policy if you have any questions. Accept Read More

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Lone Star Current List - Texas Library Association

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Collection Development Statement The Lone Star Reading List is not designed to support any particular curriculum. Librarians are not required or expected to purchase every book on the list. Due [...]

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The Texas Library Association's (TLA) 2021-2022 Texas Bluebonnet Award (TBA) Master List was announced at the online Texas Book Festival on Monday, November 2.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the list was announced virtually. As is tradition, students in grades 3 - 6 from across Texas revealed the books on the list. View the complete video here.

The Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List is one of the most distinguished children's literature lists in the country.

"The Texas Bluebonnet list is a prestigious list composed of titles from diverse, imaginative and creative authors. The titles on the list offer students in grades 3-6, quality literature that is both fiction and nonfiction to be read for pleasure," said Jacqui Bridges-Sheppherd, TBA coordinator. "Titles were chosen that allow the books to act as windows into reality and imaginary worlds while offering a view into someone else's experiences; and mirrors that reflect a reader's own life or culture while building their identity. This literature also takes the student's interests in mind and provides positive reviews for parents, teachers and librarians."

Librarians on the TBA selection committee, which generally considers at least 500 books, this year evaluated a whopping 813 books before selecting the 20 that are on the list. "I am very proud of the resilience of the selection committee, given the circumstance of the pandemic and the dramatic shift to virtual discussions," Bridges-Sheppherd said. "This year the committee had an additional challenge of keeping up with the numerous reading platforms (Glose, Netgalley, Dropbox, Edelweiss, etc.) for the digital books we received to consider."

The primary goals of the TBA list are to introduce children to a variety of quality books, develop critical reading skills, and honor and encourage authors. To compose the list, the committee selected five outstanding books of various genres for grades 3, 4, 5, and 6.

Each year, more than 100,000 third-through-sixth graders from across Texas vote for their favorite title from the master list. "Read 5, then decide" is a slogan known by school librarians, public librarians and homeschooling parents across the state. The TBA Award winner is announced in the spring.

Here is the list, alphabetized by title:

1. Act by Kayla Miller. (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers, 2020).

2. The Best of Iggy by Annie Barrows, illustrated by Sam Ricks. (G. P. Putnam & Sons Books for Young Readers, an Imprint of Penguin Random House, 2019).

3. Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes. (Little Brown & Company Books for Young Readers, 2020).

4. The Canyon's Edge by Dusti Bowling. (Little Brown & Company Books for Young Readers, 2020).

5. Efrén Divided by Ernesto Cisneros. (Quill Tree Books, an Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2020).

6. The Elephant's Girl by Celesta Rimington. (Crown BFYR, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, 2020).

7. Follow Those Zebras: Solving a Migration Mystery by Sandra Markle. (Millwood, an Imprint of Lerner Publications, 2020).

8. A Hatful of Dragons: and More Than 13.8 Billion Other Funny Poems by Vikram Madan (WordSong, an Imprint of Boyds Mills & Kane, 2020).

9. Honeybee: The Busy Life of Apis Mellifera by Candace Fleming, illustrated by Eric Rohmann. (Neal Porter, an imprint of Holiday House, 2020).

10. The Incredibly Dead Pets of Rex Dexter by Aaron Reynolds. (Little Brown & Company Books for Young Readers, 2020).

11. Lexi Magill and the Teleportation Tournament by Kim Long. (Running Press Kids, an Imprint of Perseus Books, an Imprint of Hachette, 2019).

12. The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read by Rita Lorraine Hubbard, illustrated by Oge Mora. (Schwartz & Wade, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, 2020).

13. Our Friend Hedgehog: The Story of Us by Lauren Castillo. (Alfred A. Knopf BFYR, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, 2020).

14. Scary Stories for Young Foxes by Christian McKay Heidicker, illustrated by Junyi Wu. (Henry Holt, an Imprint of Macmillan Books, 2019).

15. The Secret Garden of George Washington Carverby Gene Barretta, illustrated by Frank Morrison. (Katherine Tegan, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2020).

16. Sharuko: el arqueólogo Peruano Julio C. Tello / Peruvian Archaeologist Julio C. Tello by Monica Brown, illustrated by Elisa Chavarri. (Children's Book Press, an Imprint of Lee & Low Books, 2020).

17. Someplace to Call Home by Sandra Dallas. (Sleeping Bear Press, 2019).

18. Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia. (Rick Riordan Presents, an imprint of Disney Hyperion, 2019).

19. Ways to Make Sunshine by Reneè Watson, illustrated by Nina Mata. (Bloomsbury Children's Book, 2020).

20. Words on Fire by Jennifer A. Nielsen. (Scholastic Press, an Imprint of Scholastic Books, 2019).

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2021-2022 Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List Released - Texas Library Association

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The Texas Library Association's (TLA) 2021-2022 Texas Bluebonnet Award (TBA) Master List was announced at the online Texas Book Festival on Monday, November 2. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the list was announced virtually. As is tradition, students in grades 3 - 6 from across Texas revealed the books on the list.

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Congratulations to When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller for winning the 2021 Newbery Medal and to All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys' Soccer Team by Christina Soontornvat; BOX: Henry Brown Mails Himself to Freedom written by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Michele Wood; ﻿Fighting Words﻿ by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley; ﻿A Wish in the Dark﻿ by Christina Soontornvat; and We Dream of Space by Erin Entrada Kelly on their Newbery Honors!

The Newbery Medal is awarded to the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children each year. How many Newbery Medal-winning novels have you read from the past 50+ years?

2021 - When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller

When Lily and her family move in with her sick grandmother, a magical tiger straight out of her halmoni's Korean folktales arrives, prompting Lily to unravel a secret family history. Long, long ago, Halmoni stole something from the tigers. Now they want it back. And when one of the tigers approaches Lily with a deal-return what her grandmother stole in exchange for Halmoni's health-Lily is tempted to agree. But deals with tigers are never what they seem! With the help of her sister and her new friend Ricky, Lily must find her voice...and the courage to face a tiger.

2020 - New Kid by Jerry Craft

Seventh grader Jordan Banks loves nothing more than drawing cartoons about his life. But instead of sending him to the art school of his dreams, his parents enroll him in a prestigious private school known for its academics, where Jordan is one of the few kids of color in his entire grade.

As he makes the daily trip from his Washington Heights apartment to the upscale Riverdale Academy Day School, Jordan soon finds himself torn between two worlds-and not really fitting into either one. Can Jordan learn to navigate his new school culture while keeping his neighborhood friends and staying true to himself?

New Kid is the first-ever graphic novel to receive the Newbery Medal!

2019 - Merci Suárez Changes Gears by Meg Medina

Merci Suarez knew that sixth grade would be different, but she had no idea just how different. For starters, Merci has never been like the other kids at her private school in Florida, because she and her older brother, Roli, are scholarship students. They don't have a big house or a fancy boat, and they have to do extra community service to make up for their free tuition. So when bossy Edna Santos sets her sights on the new boy who happens to be Merci's school-assigned Sunshine Buddy, Merci becomes the target of Edna's jealousy. Things aren't going well at home, either: Merci's grandfather and most trusted ally, Lolo, has been acting strangely lately - forgetting important things, falling from his bike, and getting angry over nothing. No one in her family will tell Merci what's going on, so she's left to her own worries, while also feeling all on her own at school.

Virgil Salinas is shy and kindhearted. Valencia Somerset is smart, brave, and secretly lonely. Kaori Tanaka is a self-proclaimed psychic, whose little sister, Gen, is always following her around. And Chet Bullens wishes the weird kids would just stop being so different, so he can focus on basketball. In one day, their lives will weave together as a prank Chet pulls on Virgil goes wrong and Valencia, Kaori, and Gen must team together to save him.

Every year, the people of the Protectorate leave a baby as an offering to the witch, Xan, who lives in the forest. One year, Xan accidentally feeds a baby moonlight instead of starlight, filling the ordinary child with extraordinary magic. Xan decides she must raise this girl, whom she calls Luna, as her own. But as Luna's thirteenth birthday approaches, her magic begins to emerge - with dangerous consequences.

As CJ and his grandma ride the bus across town after Sunday church, he starts to wonder why they don't own a car like his friend Colby, and why they have to get off in the dirty part of town. With each question that enters his mind, his grandma responds with an encouraging answer that helps CJ see the beauty and fun in their routine and the world around them.

In this novel in verse, twins Josh and Jordan must come to grips with growing up on and off the basketball court and realize breaking the rules comes at a terrible price.

In this hilarious, illustrated adventure, Flora Belle Buckman saves a squirrel who is then born anew, with powers of strength, flight, and misspelled poetry.

Having spent 27 years behind the glass walls of his enclosure in a shopping mall, Ivan has grown accustomed to humans watching him. He hardly ever thinks about his life in the jungle. But when he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from the wild, he is forced to see their home, and his art, through new eyes.

Loosely based on the author's own life, this book follows the incredible two months of a kid named Jack Gantos, whose plans for vacation excitement are shot down when he is "grounded for life" by his feuding parents, and whose nose spews bad blood at every little shock he gets.

Abilene Tucker feels abandoned when her father puts her on a train to live with an old friend for the summer while he works a railroad job. But when she finds a box of old, mysterious letters, she and her new friends are led on a spy hunt to uncover the secrets of the past.

After a fall-out with her best friend, Miranda starts receiving mysterious notes by someone with an uncanny ability to predict the future. The notes tell her she must write a letter - a true story - and she can't share her mission with anyone.

Bod would be completely normal if he didn't live in a graveyard, being raised by ghosts, with a guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor the dead. There are adventures in the graveyard for a boy - an ancient Indigo Man, a getaway to the abandoned city of ghouls, the strange and terrible Sleer. But if Bod leaves the graveyard, he will be in danger from the man Jack, who has already killed Bod's family.

Set in 1255 England, this Newbery winner outlines in dramatic vignettes twenty-two unforgettable characters from the lord's nephew to the singing shepherdess.

Believing that her French guardian is about to abandon her to an orphanage in the city, ten-year-old Lucky runs away from her small town with her beloved dog, HMS Beagle, by her side in order to trek across the Mojave Desert to start her challenging life over one more time.

Debbie wishes something would happen. So do her friends in their small hometown of Seldem. And things do happen: they meet new people (people with possibilities), they learn to do new things (like play the guitar or drive a car), and they spend time with one another (at picnics and pig roasts, on roofs and in driveways). And in the process of things happening, they begin to find themselves.

When Katie and her family move from a Japanese community in Iowa to the Deep South of Georgia, it's Katie's sister Lynn, who explains to her why people stop them on the street to stare. But when Lynn falls desperately ill, the whole family begins to fall apart, and Katie must find a way to remind them that there's always something flittering in the future.

A mouse, a rat, and a slow-witted serving girl embark on a journey that leads them into a horrible dungeon, a glittering castle, and ultimately into each other's lives in this tale of adventure, despair, love, and soup.

Known only as Asta's Son, a thirteen-year-old boy's life is turned upside down when his mother dies and he discovers that his real name is Crispin and that he is the son of a lord. When that lord also dies, his steward tries to kill Crispin to keep him from taking his place.

Set in 12th century Korea, a thirteen-year-old orphan Tree-ear, become fascinated with the potter's craft. When the potter takes him on as his helper, Tree-ear is determined to prove himself despite the many obstacles in his path.

Fifteen-year-old Mary Alice moves in with her spicy grandmother for one extraordinary year filled with moonlight schemes, romances both foiled and founded, and a whole parade of fools made to suffer in unusual (and hilarious!) ways.

Set in 1936 Flint Michigan, Bud is a boy without a mother who decides to hit the road to search for his father, using a flyer advertising Herman E. Calloway and his famous band as his only clue to find him.

Unjustly sent to a boy's detention center, Stanley Yelnats spends his days digging holes that are exactly five feet wide and five feet deep. As he digs, he begins to uncover the truth behind Camp Greek Lake and his own family history and curse.

After a terrible accident leaves Billie Jo's life in ruins, and dust storms devastate her family farm and all the farms nearby, she must learn to find peace in the bleak landscape of Oklahoma.

This is a tale about a team, a class, a school, a series of contests and, set in the midst of this, four jewel-like short stories - one for each of the team members - that ask questions and demonstrate surprising answers.

The girl known only as Brat has no family, no home, and no future until she meets Jane the Midwife and becomes her apprentice. As she helps the sharp-tempered Jane deliver babies, Brat - who renames herself Alyce - gains knowledge, confidence, and the courage to want something more from life.

As Sal and her grandparents travel from Ohio to Idaho, she entertains them with a story of Phoebe Winterbottom, who received mysterious messages, who met a "potential lunatic," and whose mother disappeared. But as Sal weaves Phoebe's outrageous story, her own story begins to unfold - the story of a thirteen-year-old girl whose only wish is to be reunited with her missing mother.

This haunting story centers on twelve-year-old Jonas, who lives in a seemingly ideal, if colorless, world of conformity and contentment. Then he is given his life assignment as the Receiver of Memory and begins to understand the dark, complex secrets behind his fragile community.

Ever since May, Summer's aunt and good-as-a-mother for the past six years, died in the garden among her pole beans and carrots, life for Summer and her Uncle Ob has been as bleak as winter. Ob doesn't want to create his beautiful whirligigs anymore, and he and Summer have slipped into a sadness that they can't shake off. But Summer and Ob must learn that they can miss May and still go on with their lives.

When Marty Preston comes across a young beagle in the hills behind his home, it's love at first sight - and also big trouble.

Jeffrey Lionel "Maniac" Magee might have lived a normal life if a freak accident hadn't made him an orphan. After living with his unhappy and uptight aunt and uncle for eight years, he decides to run - and not just run away, but run. This is where the myth of Maniac Magee begins, as he changes the lives of a racially divided small town with his amazing and legendary feats.

Through the eyes of ten-year-old Annemarie, we watch as the Danish Resistance smuggles almost the entire Jewish population of Denmark, nearly seven thousand people, across the sea to Sweden. The heroism of an entire nation reminds us that there was pride and human decency in the world even during a time of terror and war.

Funny, sad, loud, and quiet, each of these poems resounds with a booming, boisterous, joyful noise - perfect for reading alone or aloud.

Funny, sad, loud, and quiet, each of these poems resounds with a booming, boisterous, joyful noise - perfect for reading alone or aloud.

This biography follows the life of the sixteenth president of the United States through illustrations and dozens of carefully chosen photographs and prints.

Prince Brat and his whipping boy inadvertently trade places after becoming involved with dangerous outlaws. The two boys have nothing in common and even less reason to like each other. But when they find themselves taken hostage after running away, they are left with no choice but to trust each other.

After her father submits an advertisement for a wife and mother, a young girl waits and wonders about Sarah Elisabeth Wheaton who will be fulfilling the position and is coming to the prairie all the way from Maine.

Aerin has never been accepted as full royalty. Her mother, the witchwoman, was said to have enspelled the king into marrying her, then dying of despair when she bares a daughter instead of a son. But nobody, not even Aerin herself, can predict her future - or that she is the true hero who will wield the power of the Blue Sword.

After his parents separate, Leigh Botts moves to a new town with his mother. Struggling to make friends and deal with his anger toward his absent father, Leigh loses himself in a class assignment in which he must write to his favorite author. When Mr. Henshaw responds, the two form an unexpected friendship that will change Leigh's life forever.

When Momma abandoned Dicey Tillerman and her three siblings in a mall parking lot and was later traced to an asylum where she lay unrecognizing, unknowing, she left her four children no choice but to get on by themselves. They make their way to their Gram's rundown farm, and from there Dicey must figure out who she is outside of being a caregiver for her siblings.

Inspired by William Blake's Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience, this delightful collection of poetry for children brings to life Blake's imaginary inn and its unusual guests.

Sick and tired of living in her beautiful and talented twin's shadow, Caroline must figure out who she is and find a place to make a place for herself separate from her sister.

The journal of a fourteen-year-old girl, kept the last year she lived on the family farm, records daily events in her small New Hampshire town, her father's remarriage, and the death of her best friend.

When sixteen people are inviting to the reading of Samuel W. Westing's will, any of them could become millionaires depending on how they play the tricky and dangerous Westing game. The game involves surviving blizzards, burglaries, and bombings in order to make it through.

Fast friends Jess and Leslie spend most days in the woods behind Leslie' house where they invent an enchanted land called Terabithia. But when tragedy occurs, Jess will have to learn to deal with his grief with the love of his family and the strength that Leslie has given him.

Set in racially-charged southern Mississippi, this novel follows one turbulent year of the Logan family as they deal with night riders and burnings and must find the courage to stand up against those who would degrade them.

An immortal dedicated to saving the world from the forces of evil sets out to fulfill a Welsh legend. His task is to use a golden harp to wake six slumbering figures in the Welsh hills to prepare for the last battle before the Dark and the Light.

Mayo Cornelius Higgins sits on his gleaming, forty-foot steel pole, towering over his home on Sarah's Mountain. There he dreams of escape for himself and his family. When two strangers make their way towards Sarah's Mountain, one has the ability to make M.C.'s mother famous, and the other has the kind of freedom that M.C. has never even considered.

When Bollier finds himself aboard a slave ship, where his job is to provide music while shackles slaves "dance" to keep their muscles strong and their bodies profitable, he learns about the greed and brutality that drives the slave trade. But when he witnesses the ultimate horror, he knows his life will be changed forever.

Miyax has two lives. To her friends in San Francisco, she is Julie, to her village, she is Miyax. But when her village becomes dangerous, Miyax finds herself lost in the Alaskan wilderness where she tries to survive by copying the ways of a pack of wolves and soon grows to love her new wolf family. When she finds her way back to civilization, Miyax is torn between her old and new lives.

A widowed mouse and her four small children must move their summer quarters of face certain death. With her youngest son ill and unable to move, Mrs. Frisby turns to the rats of NIMH, an extraordinary breed of highly intelligent creatures to help come up with a solution to her dilemma.

One moment, Sara Godfrey is elated, the next, she's in tears. Maybe her wildly changing moods are tied to the sudden and accountable appearance of the swans, which hold the rapt attention of her mentally handicapped brother. But when Charlie disappears, Sara must drop her own concerns to search for him, knowing that she will never be the same again if she doesn't find him.

This classic novel is about a coon dog named Sounder who loyally stands by his family's side when they fall on hard times. Set in the nineteenth-century, this book shows the courage, love, and faith that binds a family together despite the racism and inhumanity they face in the deep South.

The final book in The Chronicles of Prydain books by Lloyd Alexander finds heroes Taran and Gwydion rallying an army to stand up against dark forces that threaten the land of Prydain.

For more Newbery winners, visit: http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/newberymedal/newberymedal

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50+ Newbery Award-Winning Books and Why Your Kid Should Read Them

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Congratulations to When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller for winning the 2021 Newbery Medal and to All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys' Soccer Team by Christina Soontornvat; BOX: Henry Brown Mails Himself to Freedom written by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Michele Wood; ﻿Fighting Words﻿ by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley; ﻿A Wish in the Dark﻿ by Christina Soontornvat; and We Dream of Space by Erin Entrada Kelly on their Newbery Honors!

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Happy Monday! Just One Flake , written and illustrated by Travis Jonker, releases tomorrow. I'm grateful Travis stopped by to finish my sentences. We discussed Just One Flake 's book trailer, Liam, Pete's a Pizza , and more. I wrote the words in purple, and Travis wrote the words in black . Thank you, Travis ! Just One Flake' s book trailer fulfills my life goal of using the 2001: A Space Odyssey music for a completely silly purpose. Design Credit: Heather Kelly Just One Flake tells the story of a boy named Liam who has one goal: to catch a snowflake on his tongue. His attempts get increasingly ridiculous, with no success. In the end, Liam doesn't get exactly what he wants - he gets something even better. The whole story came out of a spontaneous drawing I made on February 6, 2021: Just One Flake's illustrations were made with a brush pen on watercolor paper, scanned, and then painted digitally. This is my author/illustrator debut, and before I began, I made a list of

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Exploring Children's Literature through Interviews and Book Trailers

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The Yarn - the inside story of children's books

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Additional Information
Explore this year's Best Books!
About Best Books: Every year the librarians and staff on our Best Books committees read thousands of titles to select noteworthy new books for readers of all ages. Find out more, discover which titles are available in accessible formats, and check out the highlights of previous years!

Accessibility: Many of these titles are available in talking book, large print, and braille formats. Learn more about our materials and services for patrons with print disabilities.
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Our expert librarians selected the year's best books for kids, teens, and adults. Explore titles in accessible formats, and learn more about our 2023 picks.