Welcome to the Bank Street Children's Book Committee's (CBC) Searchable Best Books List, a tool designed to help educators, families, librarians, and others access developmentally appropriate and engaging books for young readers (ages birth - 18).
Our online Searchable Best Books List draws from the committee's annual Best Children's Books of the Year-beginning with the list of books published in 2000-with each featuring more than 600 high-quality titles for young readers.
To share feedback about the tool, please feel free to email bookcom@bankstreet.edu. To learn more about the CBC, visit https://www.bankstreet.edu/cbc/.
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Even More Fantastic Failures: True Stories of People Who Changed the World by Falling Down First
Luke Reynolds
Ages: 12+
Published: 2020
Vignettes of famous and not so famous people depict the adversities they overcame.
Luke Reynolds
Ages: 12+
Published: 2020
Vignettes of famous and not so famous people depict the adversities they overcame.
Everything Sad Is Untrue: (a true story)
Daniel Nayeri
Ages: 12+
Published: 2020
Steeped in Persian history and culture, Daniel is just trying to survive 7th grade and make sense of his journey from Iran to Oklahoma.
Daniel Nayeri
Ages: 12+
Published: 2020
Steeped in Persian history and culture, Daniel is just trying to survive 7th grade and make sense of his journey from Iran to Oklahoma.
Fighting Words
Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Ages: 12+
Published: 2020
Della finds the strength to speak out and acknowledge the multiple abuses she and her sister have suffered.
Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Ages: 12+
Published: 2020
Della finds the strength to speak out and acknowledge the multiple abuses she and her sister have suffered.
Finding a Way Home: Mildred and Richard Loving and the Fight for Marriage Equality
Larry Dane Brimner
Ages: 12+
Published: 2020
The landmark US Supreme Court case that legalized interracial marriage, and became the basis for other marriage equality cases. Archival documents and photographs. Source materials.
Larry Dane Brimner
Ages: 12+
Published: 2020
The landmark US Supreme Court case that legalized interracial marriage, and became the basis for other marriage equality cases. Archival documents and photographs. Source materials.
Finish the Fight: The Brave and Revolutionary Women Who Fought for the Right to Vote
Veronica Chambers and the Staff of the New York Times
Ages: 12+
Published: 2020
A comprehensive look at a diverse group of women activists who fought for the 19th Amendment and other social justice issues. Colorful digital illustrations and archival images. Back matter.
Veronica Chambers and the Staff of the New York Times
Ages: 12+
Published: 2020
A comprehensive look at a diverse group of women activists who fought for the 19th Amendment and other social justice issues. Colorful digital illustrations and archival images. Back matter.
Flooded: Requiem for Johnstown
Ann E. Burg
Ages: 12+
Published: 2020
In lyrical verse, a chorus of six children and other witnesses share their personal stories about the catastrophic collapse of a dam in 1889.
Ann E. Burg
Ages: 12+
Published: 2020
In lyrical verse, a chorus of six children and other witnesses share their personal stories about the catastrophic collapse of a dam in 1889.
Fly Back, Agnes
by Elizabeth Atkinson
Ages: 12+
Published: 2020
Dealing with troubling friendship issues at school and the challenges of recently divorced parents, 12-year-old Agnes creates a new self-identity. Then she must deal with the results of her lies.
by Elizabeth Atkinson
Ages: 12+
Published: 2020
Dealing with troubling friendship issues at school and the challenges of recently divorced parents, 12-year-old Agnes creates a new self-identity. Then she must deal with the results of her lies.
Fly Back, Agnes
Elizabeth Atkinson
Ages: 12+
Published: 2020
Dealing with troubling friendship issues at school and the challenges of recently divorced parents, 12-year-old Agnes creates a new self-identity. Eventually, she must deal with the results of her lies.
Elizabeth Atkinson
Ages: 12+
Published: 2020
Dealing with troubling friendship issues at school and the challenges of recently divorced parents, 12-year-old Agnes creates a new self-identity. Eventually, she must deal with the results of her lies.
For Which We Stand: How Our Government Works and Why It Matters
Jeff Foster
Illustrator: Julie McLaughlin
Ages: 12+
Published: 2020
How our democracy came to exist, with the government's different roles and functions, emphasizing the need for citizen activism for its preservation. Back matter, resources. Graphic illustrations.
Jeff Foster
Illustrator: Julie McLaughlin
Ages: 12+
Published: 2020
How our democracy came to exist, with the government's different roles and functions, emphasizing the need for citizen activism for its preservation. Back matter, resources. Graphic illustrations.
Galaxy of Sea Stars, A
Jeanne Zulick Ferruolo
Ages: 12+
Published: 2020
While trying to keep bonded with her friends as the three move to middle school, Izzy also copes with a refugee Muslim family from Afghanistan moving in upstairs.
Jeanne Zulick Ferruolo
Ages: 12+
Published: 2020
While trying to keep bonded with her friends as the three move to middle school, Izzy also copes with a refugee Muslim family from Afghanistan moving in upstairs.
Game of Fox & Squirrels
Jenn Reese
Illustrator: Jessica Roux
Ages: 12+
Published: 2020
Eleven-year-old Sam embarks on a quest prompted by forest animals depicted in a card game. Fantasy elements closely mirror trauma in her family. Grayscale illustrations.
Jenn Reese
Illustrator: Jessica Roux
Ages: 12+
Published: 2020
Eleven-year-old Sam embarks on a quest prompted by forest animals depicted in a card game. Fantasy elements closely mirror trauma in her family. Grayscale illustrations.
Girl and the Ghost, The
Hanna Alkaf
Ages: 12+
Published: 2020
Suraya has inherited a ghostly demon from her grandmother whose friendship can be either destructive or healing. A contemporary version of a Malaysian folktale.
Hanna Alkaf
Ages: 12+
Published: 2020
Suraya has inherited a ghostly demon from her grandmother whose friendship can be either destructive or healing. A contemporary version of a Malaysian folktale.
Give Us the Vote: Over 200 Years of Fighting for the Ballot
Susan Goldman Rubin
Ages: 12+
Published: 2020
Suffrage from the Founding Fathers to the 19th Amendment, the 1964 Civil Rights Act and today's voter suppression controversies is covered. Extensive back matter & source notes.
Susan Goldman Rubin
Ages: 12+
Published: 2020
Suffrage from the Founding Fathers to the 19th Amendment, the 1964 Civil Rights Act and today's voter suppression controversies is covered. Extensive back matter & source notes.
Guardians of Liberty: Freedom of the Press and the Nature of News
Linda Barrett Osborne
Ages: 12+
Published: 2020
A succinct history of communication in the U.S. explores the value of a free press in a democracy. Includes guidance on evaluating news. Photographs, timeline, index, and bibliography.
Linda Barrett Osborne
Ages: 12+
Published: 2020
A succinct history of communication in the U.S. explores the value of a free press in a democracy. Includes guidance on evaluating news. Photographs, timeline, index, and bibliography.
High Five for Glenn Burke, A
Phil Bildner
Ages: 12+
Published: 2020
Like his baseball hero Glenn Burke, Silas, 12, is gay. He's terrified people will find out and needs to talk to someone he can trust.
Phil Bildner
Ages: 12+
Published: 2020
Like his baseball hero Glenn Burke, Silas, 12, is gay. He's terrified people will find out and needs to talk to someone he can trust.
How We Got to the Moon: The People, Technology, and Daring Feats of Science Behind Humanity's Greatest Adventure
John Rocco
Illustrator: John Rocco
Ages: 12+
Published: 2020
Enlivened with anecdotes and profusely illustrated, this highly informative history brings clarity to the complex rocket science of the Apollo Space program. Source notes, bibliography.
John Rocco
Illustrator: John Rocco
Ages: 12+
Published: 2020
Enlivened with anecdotes and profusely illustrated, this highly informative history brings clarity to the complex rocket science of the Apollo Space program. Source notes, bibliography.
In a Flash
Donna Jo Napoli
Ages: 12+
Published: 2020
Caught in Tokyo as WW II engulfs Europe and Asia, two young motherless Italian sisters struggle to survive with their father, an Italian embassy chef. Extensive bibliography.
Donna Jo Napoli
Ages: 12+
Published: 2020
Caught in Tokyo as WW II engulfs Europe and Asia, two young motherless Italian sisters struggle to survive with their father, an Italian embassy chef. Extensive bibliography.
In the Role of Brie Hutchens
Nicole Melleby
Ages: 12+
Published: 2020
Brie, 13, soap opera fanatic and aspiring actor, likes girls. When her mother finds out, Brie lies to distract her, but will their relationship ever be the same?
Nicole Melleby
Ages: 12+
Published: 2020
Brie, 13, soap opera fanatic and aspiring actor, likes girls. When her mother finds out, Brie lies to distract her, but will their relationship ever be the same?
Into the Clouds: The Race to Climb the World's Most Dangerous Mountain
Tod Olson
Ages: 12+
Published: 2020
The perilous journeys dared by undaunted men during three early expeditions attempting to climb K2, the second highest mountain on earth. Historical photographs. Informative back matter.
Tod Olson
Ages: 12+
Published: 2020
The perilous journeys dared by undaunted men during three early expeditions attempting to climb K2, the second highest mountain on earth. Historical photographs. Informative back matter.
Into the Streets: A Young Person's Visual History of Protest in the United States
Marke Bieschke
Ages: 12+
Published: 2020
People from across the political and social spectrum march for their belief in the power to change laws and practices. Source notes, bibliography, index.
Marke Bieschke
Ages: 12+
Published: 2020
People from across the political and social spectrum march for their belief in the power to change laws and practices. Source notes, bibliography, index.
Into the Tall, Tall Grass
Loriel Ryon
Ages: 12+
Published: 2020
In a tale filled with magic, two sisters learn about their family's past as they work to develop their future.
Loriel Ryon
Ages: 12+
Published: 2020
In a tale filled with magic, two sisters learn about their family's past as they work to develop their future.
Invincible Summer of Juniper Jones, The
Daven McQueen
Ages: 12+
Published: 2020
In this grim view of the American South in 1955, a biracial teenager is sent south to live with white relatives as punishment for his striking a classmate.
Daven McQueen
Ages: 12+
Published: 2020
In this grim view of the American South in 1955, a biracial teenager is sent south to live with white relatives as punishment for his striking a classmate.
Keep It Together, Keiko Carter
Debbi Michiko Florence
Ages: 12+
Published: 2020
Junior high brings new challenges and stresses to Keiko and her two long-standing "besties." Further complications include busy, distracted parents, social competition, and a growing interest in boyfriends.
Debbi Michiko Florence
Ages: 12+
Published: 2020
Junior high brings new challenges and stresses to Keiko and her two long-standing "besties." Further complications include busy, distracted parents, social competition, and a growing interest in boyfriends.
King of Jam Sandwiches
Eric Walters
Ages: 12+
Published: 2020
The relationship of 8th graders Robbie and Harmony begins with a punch in the nose, but they bond when they discover both have dysfunctional single parents.
Eric Walters
Ages: 12+
Published: 2020
The relationship of 8th graders Robbie and Harmony begins with a punch in the nose, but they bond when they discover both have dysfunctional single parents.
Kiyo Sato: From a WWII Japanese Internment Camp to a Life of Service
Connie Goldsmith with Kiyo Sato
Ages: 12+
Published: 2020
Though once incarcerated, Kiyo never gives up hope for her country, serves in the US Air Force, and advocates for human rights. Extensive back matter, archival photos.
Connie Goldsmith with Kiyo Sato
Ages: 12+
Published: 2020
Though once incarcerated, Kiyo never gives up hope for her country, serves in the US Air Force, and advocates for human rights. Extensive back matter, archival photos.