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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Final Draft
by Riley Redgate
Ages: 14+
Published: 2018
Laila loves writing science fiction until her teacher and biggest supporter is replaced by a prize-winning author who pushes her to question all her choices.
by Riley Redgate
Ages: 14+
Published: 2018
Laila loves writing science fiction until her teacher and biggest supporter is replaced by a prize-winning author who pushes her to question all her choices.
Fire Song
adapted from his film by Adam Garnet Jones
Ages: 14+
Published: 2018
Shane, 17, a Canadian Cree, confronts his sister's suicide, his sexual orientation, and a life removed from the reservation. Adapted from the film.
adapted from his film by Adam Garnet Jones
Ages: 14+
Published: 2018
Shane, 17, a Canadian Cree, confronts his sister's suicide, his sexual orientation, and a life removed from the reservation. Adapted from the film.
For Every One
by Jason Reynolds
Ages: 14+
Published: 2018
In a letter written to anyone who has a dream, and based on his own experience, Reynolds offers reassurance and encouragement that following your dream is of paramount importance.
by Jason Reynolds
Ages: 14+
Published: 2018
In a letter written to anyone who has a dream, and based on his own experience, Reynolds offers reassurance and encouragement that following your dream is of paramount importance.
Fresh Ink
edited by Lamar Giles
Ages: 14+
Published: 2018
YA authors celebrate teens as they struggle with their identities and express their humanity. Genres include short stories, one-act plays, and graphic format.
edited by Lamar Giles
Ages: 14+
Published: 2018
YA authors celebrate teens as they struggle with their identities and express their humanity. Genres include short stories, one-act plays, and graphic format.
Glimmer of Hope
by the founders of March for Our Lives
Ages: 14+
Published: 2018
Students who survived the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School share how they turned grief into the March for Our Lives movement. Includes “10 Commonsense Reforms,” photographs.
by the founders of March for Our Lives
Ages: 14+
Published: 2018
Students who survived the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School share how they turned grief into the March for Our Lives movement. Includes “10 Commonsense Reforms,” photographs.
Half-Witch
by John Schoffstall
Ages: 14+
Published: 2018
In an alternate Holy Roman Empire, devout Lizbet's beloved but reckless father is imprisoned. The only one who can help her free him is a witch.
by John Schoffstall
Ages: 14+
Published: 2018
In an alternate Holy Roman Empire, devout Lizbet's beloved but reckless father is imprisoned. The only one who can help her free him is a witch.
Heretics Anonymous
by Katie Henry
Ages: 14+
Published: 2018
An atheist, Michael is resistant to attending a Catholic high school. Meeting classmates who share his discomfort with the status quo helps. So does falling in love.
by Katie Henry
Ages: 14+
Published: 2018
An atheist, Michael is resistant to attending a Catholic high school. Meeting classmates who share his discomfort with the status quo helps. So does falling in love.
Hey, Kiddo
by Jarrett J. Krosoczka
Ages: 14+
Published: 2018
Jarrett grows up with his single, heroin-addicted mother, moves in with his grandparents, and finds his voice through art. Pencil-and-ink soft=edged panels finished digitally including muted orange watercolor.
by Jarrett J. Krosoczka
Ages: 14+
Published: 2018
Jarrett grows up with his single, heroin-addicted mother, moves in with his grandparents, and finds his voice through art. Pencil-and-ink soft=edged panels finished digitally including muted orange watercolor.
Home After Dark
written and illustrated by David Small
Ages: 14+
Published: 2018
Abandoned first by his mother and then his father, Russell survives a lonely adolescence with the help of a loving Chinese-American couple who take him in. Expressive pen and ink sketches.
written and illustrated by David Small
Ages: 14+
Published: 2018
Abandoned first by his mother and then his father, Russell survives a lonely adolescence with the help of a loving Chinese-American couple who take him in. Expressive pen and ink sketches.
Hooper
by Geoff Herbach
Ages: 14+
Published: 2018
Brought to America after a nightmarish existence in Poland, Adam looks to basketball for a better life. Should he sacrifice his future to fight an injustice to a teammate?
by Geoff Herbach
Ages: 14+
Published: 2018
Brought to America after a nightmarish existence in Poland, Adam looks to basketball for a better life. Should he sacrifice his future to fight an injustice to a teammate?
Hope Nation
edited by Rose Brock
Ages: 14+
Published: 2018
Twenty-four YA authors share candid, encouraging stories, drawn from their lives, about the diverse experiences that have helped them find hope.
edited by Rose Brock
Ages: 14+
Published: 2018
Twenty-four YA authors share candid, encouraging stories, drawn from their lives, about the diverse experiences that have helped them find hope.
I Am Still Alive
by Kate Alice Marshall
Ages: 14+
Published: 2018
Disabled after a car accident that killed her mother, Jess moves to her father's isolated home in Canada where she fights again to survive.
by Kate Alice Marshall
Ages: 14+
Published: 2018
Disabled after a car accident that killed her mother, Jess moves to her father's isolated home in Canada where she fights again to survive.
I, Claudia
by Mary McCoy
Ages: 14+
Published: 2018
Claudia, a history buff who stutters and walks with a limp, is unexpectedly elected to student government at her elite LA high school. Will power corrupt her?
by Mary McCoy
Ages: 14+
Published: 2018
Claudia, a history buff who stutters and walks with a limp, is unexpectedly elected to student government at her elite LA high school. Will power corrupt her?
If Only
by Jennifer Gilmore
Ages: 14+
Published: 2018
Bridget, pregnant at 16, gives her baby to a lesbian couple for adoption. Seventeen years later, her daughter Ivy searches for her birth mother.
by Jennifer Gilmore
Ages: 14+
Published: 2018
Bridget, pregnant at 16, gives her baby to a lesbian couple for adoption. Seventeen years later, her daughter Ivy searches for her birth mother.
If You Don't Have Anything Nice to Say
by Leila Sales
Ages: 14+
Published: 2018
When an offensive remark posted on social media by Winter, 17, goes viral her world collapses. Is redemption possible?
by Leila Sales
Ages: 14+
Published: 2018
When an offensive remark posted on social media by Winter, 17, goes viral her world collapses. Is redemption possible?
I Have the RIght To
by Chessy Prout
Ages: 14+
Published: 2018
Although the author endured trauma from a sexual assault, she has become an advocate for other survivors. Support from family, therapists, friends, and others overcomes obstacles.
by Chessy Prout
Ages: 14+
Published: 2018
Although the author endured trauma from a sexual assault, she has become an advocate for other survivors. Support from family, therapists, friends, and others overcomes obstacles.
Inkmistress
by Audrey Coulthurst
Ages: 14+
Published: 2018
Demigod Asra possesses powers as a healer; writing with her blood can change the future. Betrayed into unleashing a dragon, Asra must now save her kingdom.
by Audrey Coulthurst
Ages: 14+
Published: 2018
Demigod Asra possesses powers as a healer; writing with her blood can change the future. Betrayed into unleashing a dragon, Asra must now save her kingdom.
In Search of Us
by Ava Dellaira
Ages: 14+
Published: 2018
17-year-old biracial Angie is determined to uncover the secret of her parentage. Parallel stories of mother and daughter as teens reveal much about identity and family.
by Ava Dellaira
Ages: 14+
Published: 2018
17-year-old biracial Angie is determined to uncover the secret of her parentage. Parallel stories of mother and daughter as teens reveal much about identity and family.
Isle of Blood and Stone
by Makiia Lucier
Ages: 14+
Published: 2018
After a curious map appears, Lord Elias uncovers the 18-year-old mystery behind the disappearance of his father and the kingdom's young princes. Black-and-white map.
by Makiia Lucier
Ages: 14+
Published: 2018
After a curious map appears, Lord Elias uncovers the 18-year-old mystery behind the disappearance of his father and the kingdom's young princes. Black-and-white map.
Jabber-Walking
written and illustrated by Juan Felipe Herrera
Ages: 14+
Published: 2018
Inspired by Lewis Carroll's epic Jabberwocky, this United States Poet Laureate encourages performance poetry in the moment, while on the move. Biographical vignettes. Black-line scribble illustrations.
written and illustrated by Juan Felipe Herrera
Ages: 14+
Published: 2018
Inspired by Lewis Carroll's epic Jabberwocky, this United States Poet Laureate encourages performance poetry in the moment, while on the move. Biographical vignettes. Black-line scribble illustrations.
Just Wreck It All
by N. Griffin
Ages: 14+
Published: 2018
Before the accident involving her best friend, Bett was fearless. Now she punishes herself to allay her guilt.
by N. Griffin
Ages: 14+
Published: 2018
Before the accident involving her best friend, Bett was fearless. Now she punishes herself to allay her guilt.
Learning to Breathe
by Janice Lynn Mather
Ages: 14+
Published: 2018
At a yoga retreat in the Bahamas near the home where she lives with relatives, Indy, 16, finds peace and safety from the cousin who has raped and impregnated her.
by Janice Lynn Mather
Ages: 14+
Published: 2018
At a yoga retreat in the Bahamas near the home where she lives with relatives, Indy, 16, finds peace and safety from the cousin who has raped and impregnated her.
Legacy
by Jessica Blank
Ages: 14+
Published: 2018
Trying to fill the black hole of grief and guilt after her brother's tragic death, Alison joins a radical environmental group and finds courage and hope.
by Jessica Blank
Ages: 14+
Published: 2018
Trying to fill the black hole of grief and guilt after her brother's tragic death, Alison joins a radical environmental group and finds courage and hope.
Little Do We Know
by Tamara Ireland Stone
Ages: 14+
Published: 2018
Life-long best friends Hannah and Emory haven't spoken in months. Then Hannah finds Emory's boyfriend near death, leading all three teens to question long-held beliefs.
by Tamara Ireland Stone
Ages: 14+
Published: 2018
Life-long best friends Hannah and Emory haven't spoken in months. Then Hannah finds Emory's boyfriend near death, leading all three teens to question long-held beliefs.
Love, Hate & Other Filters
by Samira Ahmed
Ages: 14+
Published: 2018
Maya, a Muslim teenager, risks her family's disapproval over her attraction to a non-Muslim boy. The family is targeted after what appears to be a Muslim terrorist act.
by Samira Ahmed
Ages: 14+
Published: 2018
Maya, a Muslim teenager, risks her family's disapproval over her attraction to a non-Muslim boy. The family is targeted after what appears to be a Muslim terrorist act.