In 2019 I read more than 185 children's books, everything from picture books to middle-grade fiction and nonfiction to YA. I also read portions of more than a dozen more. Much of this (137 of these) were for Cybils judging. Here, I've created a list of 19 of my favorites across the spectrum of genre and age level. I've arranged them in roughly age level order.
Picture Books
B Is for Baby
I am very fond of Atinuke's lovely picture books set in Africa. The pictures are infinitely charming. They show a slice of life in another country while showing children the big things (fun, play, learning, and Mommy's love) don't differ from culture to culture.
The Pigeon HAS to Go to School!
Will there ever be a year without a Mo Willems book on the list? I hope not. His newest is wonderful as always.
Can I Be Your Dog?
I loved this book about a dog in search of someone to love him. He writes letters to folks up and down the street enumerating his many virtues, and he ultimately finds what he's looking for. Funny, heartfelt, and clever.
Bruce's Big Storm
I love Ryan T. Higgin's Bruce books. This is his newest, and it was a wonderful as the others. Cranky ole bear, Bruce, is forced to take in all of his neighbors during a big storm, and in the aftermath, he finds having a lot of friends--even if you'd prefer to be alone--is a good thing.
Nonfiction Picture Books
Just Like Beverly
A wonderful biography of Beverly Cleary. This will take you back to your childhood reading.
Sea Bear
A polar bear makes her solitary way across the ice of the Arctic. I didn't know much about polar bears' migration across the frozen sea to find food and give birth on land, but I loved this book.
Miep and the Most Famous Diary
The true story of the woman who kept Anne Frank's diary safe after Anne was discovered and taken away to the concentration camps. It made me revisit The Diary of a Young Girl. A good story.
Sonny's Bridge
Jazz legend, Sonny Rollins, quits the jazz scene at the height of his career and is found playing his saxophone on the Williamsburg Bridge (because it's too loud to play in his apartment building). This leads to his album The Bridge.
Monument Maker
The story of Daniel Chester French, the creator of the Lincoln Memorial. A beautiful book, and you know I'm a sucker for history books. I loved this one.
Earth by the Numbers
I'm a sucker for statistics, and this book, part of a series, is full of them, covering everything from the Earth's surface to volcanos and earthquakes, from mountains and oceans to hurricanes and extremities.
Fungus Is among Us!
I don't know why I loved this book so much, but I sure did. I'm not a particular fan of fungus, but this book explains what it is and where it's found in a unique way, right down to the yeast in your pizza.
Middle-grade Nonfiction
Barefoot Books Solar System
Although I got a little tired of books about the solar system this fall, this one stood out. Its large-scale graphic format with fold-outs and sidebars was quite handome. I was impressed by the design of this one as much as the content.
A book about the digestive system done in rhyme--even the question and answer portion of the book was rhyming quatrains. I found it imaginative and smart.
A heartbreaking memoir of the author's sixth-grade year, dealing with poverty, violence, prejudice, and family chaos. Very well told.
I loved this book about moles. Period.
A lovely book about a black man's experience in World War II, where the military ranks were segregated. For decades the man who created art to deal with the horrors of war would not talk about his time spent in battle and did not look at his wartime artwork. When he finally brought it out, this book was the result. This one touched me deeply.
A book about the women who have served the nation and changed American politics. Written by a senator and her daughter-in-law, the book examines 50 women who served as governors, senators, congresswomen, ambassadors, cabinet members, presidential candidates, and supreme court justices. A good assortment from both sides of the aisles. Very little is said about the political affiliations of each, making it even better.
Probably my favorite children's book of the year. This is Jo Ann Allen Boyce's memoir in verse of her high school experience integrating Clinton High School in Tennessee. Moving, honest, and practical, this is a fantastic book.
YA
If you've read the adult version of Trevor Noah's book (Born a Crime), this won't really bring anything new to the table, but it's every bit as good as the original version.
No comments:
Post a Comment