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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Salvage
by Alexandra Duncan
Ages: 14+
Published: 2014
Cast out of her male-dominated interplanetary home by her misogynist father, Ava, a bright but illiterate teenager, builds a life on what remains of Earth.
by Alexandra Duncan
Ages: 14+
Published: 2014
Cast out of her male-dominated interplanetary home by her misogynist father, Ava, a bright but illiterate teenager, builds a life on what remains of Earth.
Say What You Will
by Cammie McGovern
Ages: 14+
Published: 2014
When Matthew, who has OCD, becomes a paid companion to Amy, a high-school classmate with cerebral palsy, their lives become entwined in unexpected ways.
by Cammie McGovern
Ages: 14+
Published: 2014
When Matthew, who has OCD, becomes a paid companion to Amy, a high-school classmate with cerebral palsy, their lives become entwined in unexpected ways.
Schizo
by Nic Sheff
Ages: 14+
Published: 2014
Sixteen-year-old Miles, suffering from mental illness, must deal with the disease's impact on his family and his own future.
by Nic Sheff
Ages: 14+
Published: 2014
Sixteen-year-old Miles, suffering from mental illness, must deal with the disease's impact on his family and his own future.
Sekret
by Lindsay Smith
Ages: 14+
Published: 2014
In 1963 Communist Russia, seventeen-year-old Yulia is captured by the KGB and forced to use her psychic powers to reveal space secrets.
by Lindsay Smith
Ages: 14+
Published: 2014
In 1963 Communist Russia, seventeen-year-old Yulia is captured by the KGB and forced to use her psychic powers to reveal space secrets.
Side Effects May Vary
by Julie Murphy
Ages: 14+
Published: 2014
High schooler Alice, fighting leukemia, pulls friend Harvey into her bucket list, seeking revenge. What happens when Alice goes into remission and sees that living is an option?
by Julie Murphy
Ages: 14+
Published: 2014
High schooler Alice, fighting leukemia, pulls friend Harvey into her bucket list, seeking revenge. What happens when Alice goes into remission and sees that living is an option?
Smart Spending
by Kara McGuire
Ages: 14+
Published: 2014
Clear explanations of economic principles combine with commonsense strategies to help young adults manage their finances. Charts, color photographs and extensive back matter.
by Kara McGuire
Ages: 14+
Published: 2014
Clear explanations of economic principles combine with commonsense strategies to help young adults manage their finances. Charts, color photographs and extensive back matter.
Soldier Doll
by Jennifer Gold
Ages: 14+
Published: 2014
As her father is about to ship out to Afghanistan, Elizabeth is determined to discover whether the antique soldier doll she found is the same one described in a famous poem.
by Jennifer Gold
Ages: 14+
Published: 2014
As her father is about to ship out to Afghanistan, Elizabeth is determined to discover whether the antique soldier doll she found is the same one described in a famous poem.
Something Real
by Heather Demetrios
Ages: 14+
Published: 2014
Being a reality TV star makes seventeen-year-old Bonnie miserable. Will it ever be possible for her to have the normal life she desperately longs for?
by Heather Demetrios
Ages: 14+
Published: 2014
Being a reality TV star makes seventeen-year-old Bonnie miserable. Will it ever be possible for her to have the normal life she desperately longs for?
Storm
by Donna Jo Napoli
Ages: 14+
Published: 2014
When a catastophic flood wipes away the world, sixteen-year-old Sebah stows away on Noah's ark with subsequent adventures and struggles.
by Donna Jo Napoli
Ages: 14+
Published: 2014
When a catastophic flood wipes away the world, sixteen-year-old Sebah stows away on Noah's ark with subsequent adventures and struggles.
Straight Punch
by Monique Polak
Ages: 14+
Published: 2014
When Tessa's graffiti offenses send her to an alternative high school for troubled teens, the students, the faculty, and the boxing program help build her confidence.
by Monique Polak
Ages: 14+
Published: 2014
When Tessa's graffiti offenses send her to an alternative high school for troubled teens, the students, the faculty, and the boxing program help build her confidence.
Strike!
by Larry Dane Brimner
Ages: 14+
Published: 2014
This account of the California grape strike led by Mexican American César Chávez and Filipino Larry Itliong also explores the rise and fall of the United Farm Workers of America.
by Larry Dane Brimner
Ages: 14+
Published: 2014
This account of the California grape strike led by Mexican American César Chávez and Filipino Larry Itliong also explores the rise and fall of the United Farm Workers of America.
Tease
by Amanda Maciel
Ages: 14+
Published: 2014
When sixteen-year-old Emma commits suicide, high school juniors Sara and her friend Brielle are forced to confront their role in her death.
by Amanda Maciel
Ages: 14+
Published: 2014
When sixteen-year-old Emma commits suicide, high school juniors Sara and her friend Brielle are forced to confront their role in her death.
The Chance You Won't Return
by Annie Cardi
Ages: 14+
Published: 2014
When Alex's mom, suffering from mental illness, come to believe herself to be Amelia Earhart, teenager Alex attempts to hold herself and her family together.
by Annie Cardi
Ages: 14+
Published: 2014
When Alex's mom, suffering from mental illness, come to believe herself to be Amelia Earhart, teenager Alex attempts to hold herself and her family together.
The Family Romanov
by Candace Fleming
Ages: 14+
Published: 2014
As the Russian Empire floundered in the face of intense social unrest and the toll of World War I, Tsar Nicholas II did nothing, with disastrous results for his family and his country.
by Candace Fleming
Ages: 14+
Published: 2014
As the Russian Empire floundered in the face of intense social unrest and the toll of World War I, Tsar Nicholas II did nothing, with disastrous results for his family and his country.
The Freedom Summer Murders
by Don Mitchell
Ages: 14+
Published: 2014
This meticulously researched account explores the lives of the three young men whose brutal murders were a pivotal event in the civil rights movement. Archival photographs.
by Don Mitchell
Ages: 14+
Published: 2014
This meticulously researched account explores the lives of the three young men whose brutal murders were a pivotal event in the civil rights movement. Archival photographs.
The Half Life of Molly Pierce
by Katrina Leno
Ages: 14+
Published: 2014
When seventeen-year-old Molly, suffering from identity disorder, confronts her two personalities, she unravels the source of her issues.
by Katrina Leno
Ages: 14+
Published: 2014
When seventeen-year-old Molly, suffering from identity disorder, confronts her two personalities, she unravels the source of her issues.
The Impossible Knife of Memory
by Laurie Halse Anderson
Ages: 14+
Published: 2014
Witty and rebellious teenager Hayley must care for her PTSD-ravaged father while struggling with school and a volatile relationship. Will she grow enough to cope with her challenges?
by Laurie Halse Anderson
Ages: 14+
Published: 2014
Witty and rebellious teenager Hayley must care for her PTSD-ravaged father while struggling with school and a volatile relationship. Will she grow enough to cope with her challenges?
The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf
by Ambelin Kwaymullina
Ages: 14+
Published: 2014
The future of her tribe is threatened when Ashala, a leader of youngsters who have supernatural abilities, is captured by the totalitarian government.
by Ambelin Kwaymullina
Ages: 14+
Published: 2014
The future of her tribe is threatened when Ashala, a leader of youngsters who have supernatural abilities, is captured by the totalitarian government.
The Island of Excess Love
by Francesca Lia Block
Ages: 14+
Published: 2014
Having survived the near destruction of the world, Pen, her brother, her lover, and her two dearest friends leave their home on a perilous journey.
by Francesca Lia Block
Ages: 14+
Published: 2014
Having survived the near destruction of the world, Pen, her brother, her lover, and her two dearest friends leave their home on a perilous journey.
The Killing Woods
by Lucy Christopher
Ages: 14+
Published: 2014
Damon, the victim's boyfriend, and Emily, whose father is accused of murder, alternately narrate their quest to find out what happened during the adventurous night games the teenagers play.
by Lucy Christopher
Ages: 14+
Published: 2014
Damon, the victim's boyfriend, and Emily, whose father is accused of murder, alternately narrate their quest to find out what happened during the adventurous night games the teenagers play.
The Kiss of Deception
by Mary E. Pearson
Ages: 14+
Published: 2014
Seventeen-year-old Lia refuses an arranged marriage and begins a quest to discover her destiny and that of her kingdom.
by Mary E. Pearson
Ages: 14+
Published: 2014
Seventeen-year-old Lia refuses an arranged marriage and begins a quest to discover her destiny and that of her kingdom.
The Museum of Intangible Things
by Wendy Wunder
Ages: 14+
Published: 2014
When seventeen-year-old Hannah and her best friend Zoe, who has bipolar disorder, take a road trip, Zoe enables Hannah to experience life and friendship.
by Wendy Wunder
Ages: 14+
Published: 2014
When seventeen-year-old Hannah and her best friend Zoe, who has bipolar disorder, take a road trip, Zoe enables Hannah to experience life and friendship.
The Scar Boys
by Len Vlahos
Ages: 14+
Published: 2014
Left physically and emotionally scarred after a horrible incident, lonely and bullied Harry finds redemption playing in a punk rock band.
by Len Vlahos
Ages: 14+
Published: 2014
Left physically and emotionally scarred after a horrible incident, lonely and bullied Harry finds redemption playing in a punk rock band.
The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender
by Leslye Walton
Ages: 14+
Published: 2014
Born with a pair of speckled wings, Ava journeys through her family's history to discover who she is and where she came from.
by Leslye Walton
Ages: 14+
Published: 2014
Born with a pair of speckled wings, Ava journeys through her family's history to discover who she is and where she came from.
The Things You Kiss Goodbye
by Leslie Connor
Ages: 14+
Published: 2014
When sixteen-year-old Bettina's boyfriend becomes physically abusive, she must evaluate her own self-worth.
by Leslie Connor
Ages: 14+
Published: 2014
When sixteen-year-old Bettina's boyfriend becomes physically abusive, she must evaluate her own self-worth.