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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Doll Bones
by Holly Black
Illustrator: Eliza Wheeler
Ages: 12+
Published: 2013
When Zach, Alice, and Poppy embark on a mission to give spooky bone-china doll a proper burial, their friendship is tested and ultimately strengthened. Black-and-white illustrations.
by Holly Black
Illustrator: Eliza Wheeler
Ages: 12+
Published: 2013
When Zach, Alice, and Poppy embark on a mission to give spooky bone-china doll a proper burial, their friendship is tested and ultimately strengthened. Black-and-white illustrations.
Dr. Frankenstein's Daughters
by Suzanne Weyn
Ages: 12+
Published: 2013
When the seventeen-year-old twin daughters of the in famous Doctor Frankenstein inherit his castle on a remote Scottish island, they discover dark secrets of the past.
by Suzanne Weyn
Ages: 12+
Published: 2013
When the seventeen-year-old twin daughters of the in famous Doctor Frankenstein inherit his castle on a remote Scottish island, they discover dark secrets of the past.
Emancipation Proclamation
by Tonya Bolden
Ages: 12+
Published: 2013
This nuanced look at the events and motivations that led Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation is illustrated with archival images.
by Tonya Bolden
Ages: 12+
Published: 2013
This nuanced look at the events and motivations that led Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation is illustrated with archival images.
Etched in Clay
written and illustrated by Andrea Cheng
Ages: 12+
Published: 2013
When told through different voices in free verse, the life, personal injustices, and final triumphs of a slave artist emerge. Woodcut illustrations; references.
written and illustrated by Andrea Cheng
Ages: 12+
Published: 2013
When told through different voices in free verse, the life, personal injustices, and final triumphs of a slave artist emerge. Woodcut illustrations; references.
Formerly Shark Girl
by Kelly Bingham
Ages: 12+
Published: 2013
Jane, a high school senior recovering from the loss of her arm from a shark attack, discovers her special talents and responsibilities to herself and others. (Sequel to Shark Girl)
by Kelly Bingham
Ages: 12+
Published: 2013
Jane, a high school senior recovering from the loss of her arm from a shark attack, discovers her special talents and responsibilities to herself and others. (Sequel to Shark Girl)
Fourth Down and Inches
by Carla Killough McClafferty
Ages: 12+
Published: 2013
Graphic technical details describe of head and brain traumas that have plagued the game of football since the nineteenth century. Sources, web sites and bibliography. Photos and diagrams.
by Carla Killough McClafferty
Ages: 12+
Published: 2013
Graphic technical details describe of head and brain traumas that have plagued the game of football since the nineteenth century. Sources, web sites and bibliography. Photos and diagrams.
Fox Forever
by Mary E. Pearson
Ages: 12+
Published: 2013
In a dystopian future, bioengineered Locke has been saved by the resistance. Now he's on a perilous mission to help them. Will he succeed?
by Mary E. Pearson
Ages: 12+
Published: 2013
In a dystopian future, bioengineered Locke has been saved by the resistance. Now he's on a perilous mission to help them. Will he succeed?
Going Vintage
by Lindsey Leavitt
Ages: 12+
Published: 2013
When sixteen-year-old Mallory discovers her boyfriend's romantic computer game activity, she gives up technology and uncovers surprises about adolescense.
by Lindsey Leavitt
Ages: 12+
Published: 2013
When sixteen-year-old Mallory discovers her boyfriend's romantic computer game activity, she gives up technology and uncovers surprises about adolescense.
Golden Boy
by Tara Sullivan
Ages: 12+
Published: 2013
Habo, a despised African albino, must flee from his family when a talisman hunter threatens his life and the family's safety.
by Tara Sullivan
Ages: 12+
Published: 2013
Habo, a despised African albino, must flee from his family when a talisman hunter threatens his life and the family's safety.
Hattie Ever After
by Kirby Larson
Ages: 12+
Published: 2013
When seventeen-year-old Hattie leaves the prairie in 1919, she seeks a reporting career in San Francisco. (Sequel to Hattie Big Sky)
by Kirby Larson
Ages: 12+
Published: 2013
When seventeen-year-old Hattie leaves the prairie in 1919, she seeks a reporting career in San Francisco. (Sequel to Hattie Big Sky)
Heaven Is Paved With Oreos
by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
Ages: 12+
Published: 2013
Fourteen-year-old Sarah has a grand adventure in Italy with her grandmother and an opportunity to leave an awkward relationship behind. But she also learns some disturbing family history during the trip.
by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
Ages: 12+
Published: 2013
Fourteen-year-old Sarah has a grand adventure in Italy with her grandmother and an opportunity to leave an awkward relationship behind. But she also learns some disturbing family history during the trip.
Hero on a Bicycle
by Shirley Hughes
Ages: 12+
Published: 2013
In Florence, Italy, in 1944, thirteen-year-old Paolo, his mother and sister, struggle to survive and bravely aid Partisans amid war.
by Shirley Hughes
Ages: 12+
Published: 2013
In Florence, Italy, in 1944, thirteen-year-old Paolo, his mother and sister, struggle to survive and bravely aid Partisans amid war.
Hiding Out at the Pancake Palace
by Nan Marino
Ages: 12+
Published: 2013
Can eleven-year-old superstar Elvis hide out in a small town in the Fire Barrens long enough to recover from the major meltdown he had on national TV?
by Nan Marino
Ages: 12+
Published: 2013
Can eleven-year-old superstar Elvis hide out in a small town in the Fire Barrens long enough to recover from the major meltdown he had on national TV?
Hostage Three
by Nick Lake
Ages: 12+
Published: 2013
Seventeen-year-old Amy, her father and her stepmother become hostages when Somalian pirates seize their yacht.
by Nick Lake
Ages: 12+
Published: 2013
Seventeen-year-old Amy, her father and her stepmother become hostages when Somalian pirates seize their yacht.
House of Secrets
by Chris Columbus
Ages: 12+
Published: 2013
When the Walker family buys the really underpriced Kristoff mansion in San Francisco, weird and very threatening things start to happen.
by Chris Columbus
Ages: 12+
Published: 2013
When the Walker family buys the really underpriced Kristoff mansion in San Francisco, weird and very threatening things start to happen.
Impostor
by Susanne Winnacker
Ages: 12+
Published: 2013
An elite sub-group of the FBI, teenagers with special powers, investigate a group of serial killings to identify the murderer.
by Susanne Winnacker
Ages: 12+
Published: 2013
An elite sub-group of the FBI, teenagers with special powers, investigate a group of serial killings to identify the murderer.
Indivisible
edited by Gail Bush
Ages: 12+
Published: 2013
The America of high ideals and harsh realities is depicted in diverse poetic styles. Line drawings.
edited by Gail Bush
Ages: 12+
Published: 2013
The America of high ideals and harsh realities is depicted in diverse poetic styles. Line drawings.
Jumped In
by Patrick Flores-Scott
Ages: 12+
Published: 2013
Teenager Sam's mom left him with his grandparents. Sam lays low at school and at home. Meeting Luis, whose family has gang connections, changes Sam forever.
by Patrick Flores-Scott
Ages: 12+
Published: 2013
Teenager Sam's mom left him with his grandparents. Sam lays low at school and at home. Meeting Luis, whose family has gang connections, changes Sam forever.
Lauren Yanofsky Hates the Holocaust
by Leanne Lieberman
Ages: 12+
Published: 2013
Lauren doesn't want to be Jewish any more, but when she witnesses her friends playing war games, she must choose between ignoring the games or reporting the students.
by Leanne Lieberman
Ages: 12+
Published: 2013
Lauren doesn't want to be Jewish any more, but when she witnesses her friends playing war games, she must choose between ignoring the games or reporting the students.
March
by John Lewis
Illustrator: Nate Powell
Ages: 12+
Published: 2013
An intimate portrayal of the American Civil Rights movement powerfully told in comic-book style illustrations by activist Congressman John Lewis.
by John Lewis
Illustrator: Nate Powell
Ages: 12+
Published: 2013
An intimate portrayal of the American Civil Rights movement powerfully told in comic-book style illustrations by activist Congressman John Lewis.
Marco Impossible
by Hannah Moskowitz
Ages: 12+
Published: 2013
Two best friends attempt to break into the high school prom so one of them can confess his love for Benji, the bass player in the prom band.
by Hannah Moskowitz
Ages: 12+
Published: 2013
Two best friends attempt to break into the high school prom so one of them can confess his love for Benji, the bass player in the prom band.
Mira in the Present Tense
by Sita Brahmachari
Ages: 12+
Published: 2013
Keeping a diary helps twelve-year-old Mira deal with the many changes she is facing -- losing her beloved Nana Josie and having her first boyfriend.
by Sita Brahmachari
Ages: 12+
Published: 2013
Keeping a diary helps twelve-year-old Mira deal with the many changes she is facing -- losing her beloved Nana Josie and having her first boyfriend.
Mountains Beyond Mountains
by Tracy Kidder
Ages: 12+
Published: 2013
Dr. Farmer began by working in a remote Haitian village and wound up founding one of the world's most effective organizations, providing health to the the poor.
by Tracy Kidder
Ages: 12+
Published: 2013
Dr. Farmer began by working in a remote Haitian village and wound up founding one of the world's most effective organizations, providing health to the the poor.
Muckers
by Sandra Neil Wallace
Ages: 12+
Published: 2013
In 1950 in Hatley, Arizona, the mine is about to close. Can Red lead the town's high school football team to victory against the odds in the Muckers very last season?
by Sandra Neil Wallace
Ages: 12+
Published: 2013
In 1950 in Hatley, Arizona, the mine is about to close. Can Red lead the town's high school football team to victory against the odds in the Muckers very last season?
My Basmati Bat Mitzvah
by Paula J. Freedman
Ages: 12+
Published: 2013
ARC Living in a bicultural world as a “Hin-Jew,” Tara wrestles with her identity, her relationships, and her religious beliefs as she prepares for that special day.
by Paula J. Freedman
Ages: 12+
Published: 2013
ARC Living in a bicultural world as a “Hin-Jew,” Tara wrestles with her identity, her relationships, and her religious beliefs as she prepares for that special day.