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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Way Back, The
Gavriel Savit
Ages: 14+
Published: 2020
The arrival of the Messenger of Death in the shtetl of Tupik sends a boy and a girl on intersecting journeys, full of demons, sorcery, and Hasidic mysticism.
Gavriel Savit
Ages: 14+
Published: 2020
The arrival of the Messenger of Death in the shtetl of Tupik sends a boy and a girl on intersecting journeys, full of demons, sorcery, and Hasidic mysticism.
We Are Not Free
Traci Chee
Illustrator: Julia Kuo
Ages: 14+
Published: 2020
Fourteen West Coast Japanese-American teenagers tell intertwining stories of their incarceration in internment camps during World War II. Archival photos and ink drawings. Back matter, maps.
Traci Chee
Illustrator: Julia Kuo
Ages: 14+
Published: 2020
Fourteen West Coast Japanese-American teenagers tell intertwining stories of their incarceration in internment camps during World War II. Archival photos and ink drawings. Back matter, maps.
We Are Not From Here
Jenny Torres Sanchez
Ages: 14+
Published: 2020
Three young immigrants from Guatemala flee the horrors of their gang-ridden town determined to escape to the United States. Brutally realistic.
Jenny Torres Sanchez
Ages: 14+
Published: 2020
Three young immigrants from Guatemala flee the horrors of their gang-ridden town determined to escape to the United States. Brutally realistic.
We Are the Wildcats
Siobhan Vivian
Ages: 14+
Published: 2020
A high school girls' field hockey team comes to recognize the excessive manipulation and intimidation tactics of their coach and mounts a resistance.
Siobhan Vivian
Ages: 14+
Published: 2020
A high school girls' field hockey team comes to recognize the excessive manipulation and intimidation tactics of their coach and mounts a resistance.
What I Carry
Jennifer Longo
Ages: 14+
Published: 2020
About to age out of foster care, Muir finds her fierce self-preservation strategies confounded by a wonderful foster mother, friends, and a passion for the outdoors.
Jennifer Longo
Ages: 14+
Published: 2020
About to age out of foster care, Muir finds her fierce self-preservation strategies confounded by a wonderful foster mother, friends, and a passion for the outdoors.
What I Like About Me
Jenna Guillaume
Ages: 14+
Published: 2020
16-year-old Maisie, overweight and struggling with her self-image, forges new paths toward self-expression.
Jenna Guillaume
Ages: 14+
Published: 2020
16-year-old Maisie, overweight and struggling with her self-image, forges new paths toward self-expression.
What I Want You to See
Catherine Linka
Ages: 14+
Published: 2020
Sabine, homeless due to the recent death of her mother, wins an art school scholarship, but plays a risky game trying to survive in that cutthroat world.
Catherine Linka
Ages: 14+
Published: 2020
Sabine, homeless due to the recent death of her mother, wins an art school scholarship, but plays a risky game trying to survive in that cutthroat world.
When We Vanished (Call of the Crow Quartet series)
Alanna Peterson
Ages: 14+
Published: 2020
Four teens attend a protest at a local food manufacturer and end up being part of a bizarre experiment. First of a quartet.
Alanna Peterson
Ages: 14+
Published: 2020
Four teens attend a protest at a local food manufacturer and end up being part of a bizarre experiment. First of a quartet.
When You Were Everything
Ashley Woodfolk
Ages: 14+
Published: 2020
Cleo and Layla have been best friends for years, but 11th grade brings challenges that tear them apart. Where can Cleo go from here?
Ashley Woodfolk
Ages: 14+
Published: 2020
Cleo and Layla have been best friends for years, but 11th grade brings challenges that tear them apart. Where can Cleo go from here?
Wishbone
Anna Garcia Schaper
Ages: 14+
Published: 2020
In alternating timelines, we see a Mexican-American teen and her great aunt, 45 years apart, each in their heartfelt fights against misogyny and fat-shaming.
Anna Garcia Schaper
Ages: 14+
Published: 2020
In alternating timelines, we see a Mexican-American teen and her great aunt, 45 years apart, each in their heartfelt fights against misogyny and fat-shaming.
Woven in Moonlight
Isabel Ibañez
Ages: 14+
Published: 2020
When a usurper king demands the hand of the deposed princess in marriage, in exchange for hostages, warrior Ximena volunteers to go in her stead. Map. Spanish and Quechua glossary.
Isabel Ibañez
Ages: 14+
Published: 2020
When a usurper king demands the hand of the deposed princess in marriage, in exchange for hostages, warrior Ximena volunteers to go in her stead. Map. Spanish and Quechua glossary.
Yes No Maybe So
Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed
Ages: 14+
Published: 2020
Jamie and Maya, former childhood friends, narrate their reconnection over a political campaign where they confront prejudice, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and their feelings for each other.
Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed
Ages: 14+
Published: 2020
Jamie and Maya, former childhood friends, narrate their reconnection over a political campaign where they confront prejudice, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and their feelings for each other.
You Know I'm No Good
Jessie Ann Foley
Ages: 14+
Published: 2020
After she punches her stepmother, 17-year-old Mia gets sent to a facility for troubled teens. There, she begins her arduous road toward self-awareness and recovery.
Jessie Ann Foley
Ages: 14+
Published: 2020
After she punches her stepmother, 17-year-old Mia gets sent to a facility for troubled teens. There, she begins her arduous road toward self-awareness and recovery.
1919
by Martin W. Sandler
Ages: 14+
Published: 2019
A significant year in American history is detailed. Labor unrest, racial conflicts, fear of communism, Prohibition, violence and demonstrations filled the year. Photographs and back matter.
by Martin W. Sandler
Ages: 14+
Published: 2019
A significant year in American history is detailed. Labor unrest, racial conflicts, fear of communism, Prohibition, violence and demonstrations filled the year. Photographs and back matter.
A Cave in the Clouds
by Badeeah Hassan Ahmed
Ages: 14+
Published: 2019
In 2014, Badeeah, 18, a Yazidi in Iraq, was captured and enslaved by ISIS. She shares her harrowing story of survival and escape. Author's note and maps.
by Badeeah Hassan Ahmed
Ages: 14+
Published: 2019
In 2014, Badeeah, 18, a Yazidi in Iraq, was captured and enslaved by ISIS. She shares her harrowing story of survival and escape. Author's note and maps.
All-American Muslim Girl
by Nadine Jolie Courtney
Ages: 14+
Published: 2019
Though Allie, 16, knows she is from a Middle Eastern family, she has always been viewed as a white American. When she explores her heritage and religion, she experiences discrimination.
by Nadine Jolie Courtney
Ages: 14+
Published: 2019
Though Allie, 16, knows she is from a Middle Eastern family, she has always been viewed as a white American. When she explores her heritage and religion, she experiences discrimination.
Angel Mage
by Garth Nix
Ages: 14+
Published: 2019
Nineteen-year-old mage Liliath engineers the destruction of Ystara and awakens 100-plus-years later with a brutal new plan. Will the four that she seeks join her? Includes maps
by Garth Nix
Ages: 14+
Published: 2019
Nineteen-year-old mage Liliath engineers the destruction of Ystara and awakens 100-plus-years later with a brutal new plan. Will the four that she seeks join her? Includes maps
Angel Thieves
by Kathi Appelt
Ages: 14+
Published: 2019
Angels, and Houston's Buffalo Bayou, watch over and link a motherless boy, a Cajun girl, a young mother fleeing slavery, a nameless Native American stone carver, and an ocelot.
by Kathi Appelt
Ages: 14+
Published: 2019
Angels, and Houston's Buffalo Bayou, watch over and link a motherless boy, a Cajun girl, a young mother fleeing slavery, a nameless Native American stone carver, and an ocelot.
Bad Boys of Fashion
by Jennifer Croll
Illustrator: Aneta Pacholska
Ages: 14+
Published: 2019
Famous men of various eras and occupations are profiled through the lens of clothing and personal style. Vibrant graphics, photos. References.
by Jennifer Croll
Illustrator: Aneta Pacholska
Ages: 14+
Published: 2019
Famous men of various eras and occupations are profiled through the lens of clothing and personal style. Vibrant graphics, photos. References.
Becoming Beatriz
by Tami Charles
Ages: 14+
Published: 2019
ARC - In 1980's Newark, the murder of 15-year-old Beatriz's brother, the Diablos gang leader, reawakens her past traumas. Can she leave the gang and return to her true passion, dancing?
by Tami Charles
Ages: 14+
Published: 2019
ARC - In 1980's Newark, the murder of 15-year-old Beatriz's brother, the Diablos gang leader, reawakens her past traumas. Can she leave the gang and return to her true passion, dancing?
Black Enough
edited by Ibi Zoboi
Ages: 14+
Published: 2019
This thought-provoking anthology shares 17 stories about black teenagers, discussing topics of identity, LGBTQ themes, culture clashes, immigration, microagressions, and racism.
edited by Ibi Zoboi
Ages: 14+
Published: 2019
This thought-provoking anthology shares 17 stories about black teenagers, discussing topics of identity, LGBTQ themes, culture clashes, immigration, microagressions, and racism.
Bloom
by Kevin Panetta
Illustrator: Savanna Ganucheau
Ages: 14+
Published: 2019
Ari thinks his dream of leaving his small, beach side town is answered when Hector replaces him at his Greek-American family's struggling bakery. A relationship blooms, dreams grow. Black and soft blue watercolor illustrations in graphic format.
by Kevin Panetta
Illustrator: Savanna Ganucheau
Ages: 14+
Published: 2019
Ari thinks his dream of leaving his small, beach side town is answered when Hector replaces him at his Greek-American family's struggling bakery. A relationship blooms, dreams grow. Black and soft blue watercolor illustrations in graphic format.
Butterfly Yellow
by Thanhhà Lai
Ages: 14+
Published: 2019
A Vietnamese refugee lands in Texas on the trail of her younger brother, but sadly he does not recognize her. She is determined to awake his memories.
by Thanhhà Lai
Ages: 14+
Published: 2019
A Vietnamese refugee lands in Texas on the trail of her younger brother, but sadly he does not recognize her. She is determined to awake his memories.
Debunk It! Fake News Edition
by John Grant
Ages: 14+
Published: 2019
How can we tell truth from misinformation? The author tackles multiple topics while teaching how to be a critical reader and thinker. Includes footnotes, bibliography, and index.
by John Grant
Ages: 14+
Published: 2019
How can we tell truth from misinformation? The author tackles multiple topics while teaching how to be a critical reader and thinker. Includes footnotes, bibliography, and index.
Deep Girls
by Lori Weber
Ages: 14+
Published: 2019
This provocative collection of short stories about 9 different teenage girls describes some complicated aspects of family relationships with great insight and sensitivity.
by Lori Weber
Ages: 14+
Published: 2019
This provocative collection of short stories about 9 different teenage girls describes some complicated aspects of family relationships with great insight and sensitivity.