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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Boys Don't Knit (in Public)
by T. S. Easton
Ages: 12+
Published: 2015
When Ben Fletcher, seventeen, inadvertently signs up for a knitting class as part of his probation, he has a hard time keeping it from his friends and family.
by T. S. Easton
Ages: 12+
Published: 2015
When Ben Fletcher, seventeen, inadvertently signs up for a knitting class as part of his probation, he has a hard time keeping it from his friends and family.
Breakaway
by Alex Morgan
Ages: 12+
Published: 2015
Olympic gold medalist Alex Morgan shares her life story and passion for soccer with advice on meeting goals and challenges.
by Alex Morgan
Ages: 12+
Published: 2015
Olympic gold medalist Alex Morgan shares her life story and passion for soccer with advice on meeting goals and challenges.
Breakout
by Kevin Emerson
Ages: 12+
Published: 2015
Fed up with school, Anthony writes a song for his band. The song goes viral, but Anthony is told to censor his words for a school performance. What should he do?
by Kevin Emerson
Ages: 12+
Published: 2015
Fed up with school, Anthony writes a song for his band. The song goes viral, but Anthony is told to censor his words for a school performance. What should he do?
Breakthrough!
by Jim Murphy
Ages: 12+
Published: 2015
In 1944, two white doctors (one a woman) and an African American lab assistant work together to pioneer heart surgery on babies. Photographs and back matter.
by Jim Murphy
Ages: 12+
Published: 2015
In 1944, two white doctors (one a woman) and an African American lab assistant work together to pioneer heart surgery on babies. Photographs and back matter.
Bright Lights, Dark Nights
by Stephen Emond
Ages: 12+
Published: 2015
Inner city racial tensions and conflict between police and residents form the backdrop for this Romeo-Juliet story of Walter's and Naomi's relationship. Black-and-white illustrations.
by Stephen Emond
Ages: 12+
Published: 2015
Inner city racial tensions and conflict between police and residents form the backdrop for this Romeo-Juliet story of Walter's and Naomi's relationship. Black-and-white illustrations.
Cast Off
by Eve Yohalem
Ages: 12+
Published: 2015
Petra, 12, is discovered as a stowaway on a Dutch merchant ship bound for Batavia in 1663. It is the beginning of incredible adventures.
by Eve Yohalem
Ages: 12+
Published: 2015
Petra, 12, is discovered as a stowaway on a Dutch merchant ship bound for Batavia in 1663. It is the beginning of incredible adventures.
Catch You Later, Traitor
by Avi
Ages: 12+
Published: 2015
In Brooklyn in the early 1950s, a 12-year-old works to ferret out family secrets and Red scare accusations amid a hostile school environment.
by Avi
Ages: 12+
Published: 2015
In Brooklyn in the early 1950s, a 12-year-old works to ferret out family secrets and Red scare accusations amid a hostile school environment.
Child Soldier
by Jessica Dee Humphreys
Illustrator: Claudia Dávila
Ages: 12+
Published: 2015
A boy's life changes after he is kidnapped in the Democratic Republic of Congo to become a rebel soldier at age five. Colorful, realistic illustrations.
by Jessica Dee Humphreys
Illustrator: Claudia Dávila
Ages: 12+
Published: 2015
A boy's life changes after he is kidnapped in the Democratic Republic of Congo to become a rebel soldier at age five. Colorful, realistic illustrations.
Chocolate
by Kay Frydenborg
Ages: 12+
Published: 2015
The Amazon rain forest and Mesoamerica, Spanish conquistadores and exploitation, sustainable farming, and delicious recipes---a troubling, but tasty history. Illustrated with photographs, Resources.
by Kay Frydenborg
Ages: 12+
Published: 2015
The Amazon rain forest and Mesoamerica, Spanish conquistadores and exploitation, sustainable farming, and delicious recipes---a troubling, but tasty history. Illustrated with photographs, Resources.
Choosing Courage
by Peter Collier
Ages: 12+
Published: 2015
During World War II and in Korea, Vietnam, and Afghanistan, men and women are awarded the Medal of Honor for bravery. Background information and photographs.
by Peter Collier
Ages: 12+
Published: 2015
During World War II and in Korea, Vietnam, and Afghanistan, men and women are awarded the Medal of Honor for bravery. Background information and photographs.
Connect the Stars
by Marisa de los Santos
Ages: 12+
Published: 2015
Thirteen-year-old Audrey has given up on friendship. Will being part of a team at a desert wilderness camp restore her ability to trust others?
by Marisa de los Santos
Ages: 12+
Published: 2015
Thirteen-year-old Audrey has given up on friendship. Will being part of a team at a desert wilderness camp restore her ability to trust others?
Cuckoo Song
by Frances Hardinge
Ages: 12+
Published: 2015
Thirteen-year-old Triss wakes up with a hazy memory, insatiable hunger, and inexplicable hostility from her younger sister. What is happening?
by Frances Hardinge
Ages: 12+
Published: 2015
Thirteen-year-old Triss wakes up with a hazy memory, insatiable hunger, and inexplicable hostility from her younger sister. What is happening?
Denton Little's Death Date
by Lance Rubin
Ages: 12+
Published: 2015
Death dates are known to all. Denton will die tomorrow on his birthday and senior prom night. Funeral preparations go crazily awry.
by Lance Rubin
Ages: 12+
Published: 2015
Death dates are known to all. Denton will die tomorrow on his birthday and senior prom night. Funeral preparations go crazily awry.
Diary of a Waitress
by Carolyn Meyer
Ages: 12+
Published: 2015
Deprived of college by her father's business failure, Kitty leaves home to become a Harvey Girl, though her ultimate goal is to be journalist.
by Carolyn Meyer
Ages: 12+
Published: 2015
Deprived of college by her father's business failure, Kitty leaves home to become a Harvey Girl, though her ultimate goal is to be journalist.
Drowned City
written and illustrated by Don Brown
Ages: 12+
Published: 2015
The matter-of-fact text coupled with dramatic pen-and-ink illustrations capture the gut-wrenching story of Hurricane Katrina and its impact on New Orleans. Includes source notes and bibliography.
written and illustrated by Don Brown
Ages: 12+
Published: 2015
The matter-of-fact text coupled with dramatic pen-and-ink illustrations capture the gut-wrenching story of Hurricane Katrina and its impact on New Orleans. Includes source notes and bibliography.
Ebola
by Patricia Newman
Ages: 12+
Published: 2015
The origin, treatment, and ongoing challenges of the deadly disease is explained. Photographs, maps, and backmatter.
by Patricia Newman
Ages: 12+
Published: 2015
The origin, treatment, and ongoing challenges of the deadly disease is explained. Photographs, maps, and backmatter.
Echo
by Pat Muñoz Ryan
Ages: 12+
Published: 2015
With the help of a very special harmonica, three children, in three very different places and circumstances, are able to meet serious challenges.
by Pat Muñoz Ryan
Ages: 12+
Published: 2015
With the help of a very special harmonica, three children, in three very different places and circumstances, are able to meet serious challenges.
Everybody Knows Your Name
by Andrea Seigel
Ages: 12+
Published: 2015
Teenagers Ford and Magnolia, contestants in a reality TV singing competition, have more at stake than just winning; they're trying to escape their pasts. Will they succeed?
by Andrea Seigel
Ages: 12+
Published: 2015
Teenagers Ford and Magnolia, contestants in a reality TV singing competition, have more at stake than just winning; they're trying to escape their pasts. Will they succeed?
Everything that Makes You
by Moriah McStay
Ages: 12+
Published: 2015
What if? Alternating chapters tell a different story about the same girl. In one she is horribly scarred as a child, in the other there is no accident. How does her life differ?
by Moriah McStay
Ages: 12+
Published: 2015
What if? Alternating chapters tell a different story about the same girl. In one she is horribly scarred as a child, in the other there is no accident. How does her life differ?
Fatal Fever
by Gail Jarrow
Ages: 12+
Published: 2015
In the early 1900s, numerous cases of typhoid fever are traced to one individual. This meticulously researched history is related with clarity and suspense. Archival photographs, notes, bibliography.
by Gail Jarrow
Ages: 12+
Published: 2015
In the early 1900s, numerous cases of typhoid fever are traced to one individual. This meticulously researched history is related with clarity and suspense. Archival photographs, notes, bibliography.
Finding Fortune
by Delia Ray
Ages: 12+
Published: 2015
The town of Fortune, Iowa, famous for shell buttons, is down on its luck. So is Ren, whose father is in Afghanistan. Everybody's fortune turns around.
by Delia Ray
Ages: 12+
Published: 2015
The town of Fortune, Iowa, famous for shell buttons, is down on its luck. So is Ren, whose father is in Afghanistan. Everybody's fortune turns around.
Goodbye Stranger
by Rebecca Stead
Ages: 12+
Published: 2015
Three seventh grade friends and their siblings deal with family, school bullying, viral selfies, and evolving relationships.
by Rebecca Stead
Ages: 12+
Published: 2015
Three seventh grade friends and their siblings deal with family, school bullying, viral selfies, and evolving relationships.
Great Ball of Light
by Evan Kuhlman
Illustrator: Fiona North
Ages: 12+
Published: 2015
When twins Fiona and Fenton catch a ball of light that has the magical power of restoring life, there are unexpected events. Black-and-white drawings.
by Evan Kuhlman
Illustrator: Fiona North
Ages: 12+
Published: 2015
When twins Fiona and Fenton catch a ball of light that has the magical power of restoring life, there are unexpected events. Black-and-white drawings.
Honor Girl
written and illustrated by Maggie Thrash
Ages: 12+
Published: 2015
Maggie, fifteen, finds herself attracted to an older camp counselor. Watercolor, pencil and pen graphics.
written and illustrated by Maggie Thrash
Ages: 12+
Published: 2015
Maggie, fifteen, finds herself attracted to an older camp counselor. Watercolor, pencil and pen graphics.
Horses of the Dawn: Star Rise
by Kathryn Lasky
Ages: 12+
Published: 2015
Tijo, a lame boy rejected by his clan, forms an extraordinary bond with a group of wild horses that helps them all survive.
by Kathryn Lasky
Ages: 12+
Published: 2015
Tijo, a lame boy rejected by his clan, forms an extraordinary bond with a group of wild horses that helps them all survive.