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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Destination Unknown
Bill Konigsberg
Ages: 14+
Published: 2022
In 1987 two teen boys in New York City fall in love and help each other navigate life in the shadow of the deadly AIDS pandemic.
Bill Konigsberg
Ages: 14+
Published: 2022
In 1987 two teen boys in New York City fall in love and help each other navigate life in the shadow of the deadly AIDS pandemic.
Don't Look Back: A Memoir of War, Survival, and My Journey from Sudan to America
Achut Deng, Keely Hutton
Ages: 14+
Published: 2022
Achut Deng, one of the few Sudanese girls included in the migration of Lost Boys, recounts her path to American citizenship. A story of love, sacrifice, and family devotion.
Achut Deng, Keely Hutton
Ages: 14+
Published: 2022
Achut Deng, one of the few Sudanese girls included in the migration of Lost Boys, recounts her path to American citizenship. A story of love, sacrifice, and family devotion.
Dream Runners, The
Shveta Thakrar
Ages: 14+
Published: 2022
Tanvi, 17, is a harvester of humans' dreams for immortal Nagas, who cannot dream. When Tanvi's memories of her former life resurface, she turns to Venkat, the dreamsmith, for help.
Shveta Thakrar
Ages: 14+
Published: 2022
Tanvi, 17, is a harvester of humans' dreams for immortal Nagas, who cannot dream. When Tanvi's memories of her former life resurface, she turns to Venkat, the dreamsmith, for help.
Each Night Was Illuminated
Jodi Lynn Anderson
Ages: 14+
Published: 2022
After witnessing a fatal train accident, 17-year-old Cassie, a questioning Catholic, finds herself on a ghost-hunting quest with Elias, a Bangladeshi-Australian visitor, and discovers something to believe in.
Jodi Lynn Anderson
Ages: 14+
Published: 2022
After witnessing a fatal train accident, 17-year-old Cassie, a questioning Catholic, finds herself on a ghost-hunting quest with Elias, a Bangladeshi-Australian visitor, and discovers something to believe in.
Epic Story of Every Living Thing, The
Deb Caletti
Ages: 14+
Published: 2022
When Harper, 17, travels to Hawaii with her half-siblings to meet their sperm donor father, she begins to discover who she really is.
Deb Caletti
Ages: 14+
Published: 2022
When Harper, 17, travels to Hawaii with her half-siblings to meet their sperm donor father, she begins to discover who she really is.
Ethel's Song: Ethel Rosenberg's Life in Poems
Barbara Krasner
Ages: 14+
Published: 2022
Krasner's verses illuminate the short, impassioned life of Ethel Rosenberg, executed as a spy in a probable rush to judgment during the intensely anti-Soviet 1950s. Source notes, time line, bibliography.
Barbara Krasner
Ages: 14+
Published: 2022
Krasner's verses illuminate the short, impassioned life of Ethel Rosenberg, executed as a spy in a probable rush to judgment during the intensely anti-Soviet 1950s. Source notes, time line, bibliography.
Every Variable of Us
Charles A. Bush
Ages: 14+
Published: 2022
Black high schooler Alexis's dreams of a basketball college scholarship vanish when she's injured in a gang shooting. Pushed to participate in the "science team," she discovers other ways for success.
Charles A. Bush
Ages: 14+
Published: 2022
Black high schooler Alexis's dreams of a basketball college scholarship vanish when she's injured in a gang shooting. Pushed to participate in the "science team," she discovers other ways for success.
Family of Liars
E. Lockhart
Ages: 14+
Published: 2022
Carrie, 17, confronts the ghost of her sister while recounting a horrific incident. Spare lyrical prose explores complex themes: guilt, blame, love, truth. A stand-alone prequel to We Were Liars.
E. Lockhart
Ages: 14+
Published: 2022
Carrie, 17, confronts the ghost of her sister while recounting a horrific incident. Spare lyrical prose explores complex themes: guilt, blame, love, truth. A stand-alone prequel to We Were Liars.
Finding Jupiter
Kelis Rowe
Illustrator: Bex Glendining
Ages: 14+
Published: 2022
A summer romance between two Black Memphis teens reveals long-held family secrets that can tear them apart. Poetry and prose. Elegant grayscale illustrations.
Kelis Rowe
Illustrator: Bex Glendining
Ages: 14+
Published: 2022
A summer romance between two Black Memphis teens reveals long-held family secrets that can tear them apart. Poetry and prose. Elegant grayscale illustrations.
First Thing about You, The
Chaz Hayden
Ages: 14+
Published: 2022
After his family moves to New Jersey, Harris, 15, decides to reinvent himself and not just be known as the kid in the wheelchair.
Chaz Hayden
Ages: 14+
Published: 2022
After his family moves to New Jersey, Harris, 15, decides to reinvent himself and not just be known as the kid in the wheelchair.
Forgery of Roses, A
Jessica S. Olson
Ages: 14+
Published: 2022
Myra is a Prodigy: she can heal people and animals by painting them. Is her magic powerful enough to bring back the dead or save her ill sister?
Jessica S. Olson
Ages: 14+
Published: 2022
Myra is a Prodigy: she can heal people and animals by painting them. Is her magic powerful enough to bring back the dead or save her ill sister?
Forging Silver into Stars
Brigid Kemmerer
Ages: 14+
Published: 2022
In a kingdom where magic has been banished, Callyn, a baker, and Jax, a blacksmith, learn their new king has magical powers and become entangled in a conspiracy to overthrow the royal family.
Brigid Kemmerer
Ages: 14+
Published: 2022
In a kingdom where magic has been banished, Callyn, a baker, and Jax, a blacksmith, learn their new king has magical powers and become entangled in a conspiracy to overthrow the royal family.
Four for the Road
K. J. Reilly
Ages: 14+
Published: 2022
Asher vows to avenge his mother's death at the hands of a drunk driver, but his journey takes a different turn when his grief group metamorphoses into a circle of friends.
K. J. Reilly
Ages: 14+
Published: 2022
Asher vows to avenge his mother's death at the hands of a drunk driver, but his journey takes a different turn when his grief group metamorphoses into a circle of friends.
Funeral Girl
Emma K. Ohland
Ages: 14+
Published: 2022
Asexual Georgia lives with her family in a funeral home. After her grandmother's death, she learns she can awaken the dead, which becomes problematic when a classmate dies.
Emma K. Ohland
Ages: 14+
Published: 2022
Asexual Georgia lives with her family in a funeral home. After her grandmother's death, she learns she can awaken the dead, which becomes problematic when a classmate dies.
Galaxy: The Prettiest Star
Jadzia Axelrod
Illustrator: Jess Taylor
Ages: 14+
Published: 2022
Sent to Earth after her planet is attacked, an extraterrestrial princess transforms into a boy, but finds it difficult to hide and lie. Bright candy-colored graphics.
Jadzia Axelrod
Illustrator: Jess Taylor
Ages: 14+
Published: 2022
Sent to Earth after her planet is attacked, an extraterrestrial princess transforms into a boy, but finds it difficult to hide and lie. Bright candy-colored graphics.
Gaps, The
Leanne Hall
Ages: 14+
Published: 2022
Biracial (Chinese Singaporean and white Australian) scholarship student Chloe and white queen bee Natalia forge a friendship that enables each to process complicated feelings after a classmate at their Melbourne school is kidnapped.
Leanne Hall
Ages: 14+
Published: 2022
Biracial (Chinese Singaporean and white Australian) scholarship student Chloe and white queen bee Natalia forge a friendship that enables each to process complicated feelings after a classmate at their Melbourne school is kidnapped.
Ghosts of Rose Hill, The
R. M. Romero
Ages: 14+
Published: 2022
Exiled to Prague for the summer by her Cuban mother and Czech father, Ilana, 16, restores an old Jewish cemetery, falls in love with a ghost, and battles a monster. Free verse.
R. M. Romero
Ages: 14+
Published: 2022
Exiled to Prague for the summer by her Cuban mother and Czech father, Ilana, 16, restores an old Jewish cemetery, falls in love with a ghost, and battles a monster. Free verse.
Girl in the Castle, The
James Patterson & Emily Raymond
Ages: 14+
Published: 2022
A psychiatric patient believing she lives in the 14th century finally confronts the source of her delusions.
James Patterson & Emily Raymond
Ages: 14+
Published: 2022
A psychiatric patient believing she lives in the 14th century finally confronts the source of her delusions.
Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea, The
Axie Oh
Ages: 14+
Published: 2022
In this reimagined Korean folktale, Mina, 16, sacrifices herself to the Sea God in place of her brother's beloved, hoping to save her homeland.
Axie Oh
Ages: 14+
Published: 2022
In this reimagined Korean folktale, Mina, 16, sacrifices herself to the Sea God in place of her brother's beloved, hoping to save her homeland.
Goth Girl, Queen of the Universe
Lindsay S. Zrull
Ages: 14+
Published: 2022
In foster care since age seven, Jess, 17, joins Oscar's cosplay team, hoping a distant costume competition will enable her to reunite with her mentally ill biological mother.
Lindsay S. Zrull
Ages: 14+
Published: 2022
In foster care since age seven, Jess, 17, joins Oscar's cosplay team, hoping a distant costume competition will enable her to reunite with her mentally ill biological mother.
Greatest Thing, The
Sarah Winifred Searle
Illustrator: Sarah Winifred Searle
Ages: 14+
Published: 2022
Blue-tinted illustrations depict Winifred's struggles with mental health and identity. Artistic expression and friendship help her find her voice. skin. Semi-autobiographical.
Sarah Winifred Searle
Illustrator: Sarah Winifred Searle
Ages: 14+
Published: 2022
Blue-tinted illustrations depict Winifred's struggles with mental health and identity. Artistic expression and friendship help her find her voice. skin. Semi-autobiographical.
Great or Nothing
Joy McCullough, Caroline Tung Richmond, Tess Sharpe, Jessica Spotswood
Illustrator: Louise Cannell
Ages: 14+
Published: 2022
In a reimagined Little Women set in 1942, Jo works in an aircraft factory, Amy joins the Red Cross, and the Marches struggle with their grief over Beth's death. Black-and-white spot art.
Joy McCullough, Caroline Tung Richmond, Tess Sharpe, Jessica Spotswood
Illustrator: Louise Cannell
Ages: 14+
Published: 2022
In a reimagined Little Women set in 1942, Jo works in an aircraft factory, Amy joins the Red Cross, and the Marches struggle with their grief over Beth's death. Black-and-white spot art.
Hanged!: Mary Surratt & the Plot to Assassinate Abraham Lincoln
Sarah Miller
Illustrator: archival photographs
Ages: 14+
Published: 2022
Mary Surratt was convicted by a military tribunal, and by public opinion, of conspiracy to kill Abraham Lincoln. Was she innocent? Archival photos, back matter.
Sarah Miller
Illustrator: archival photographs
Ages: 14+
Published: 2022
Mary Surratt was convicted by a military tribunal, and by public opinion, of conspiracy to kill Abraham Lincoln. Was she innocent? Archival photos, back matter.
Heartbreak Symphony
Laekan Zea Kemp
Ages: 14+
Published: 2022
Aarón and Mia, two musically gifted teens, struggle with unresolved personal and family issues, and with increasing attacks on their Latinx community.
Laekan Zea Kemp
Ages: 14+
Published: 2022
Aarón and Mia, two musically gifted teens, struggle with unresolved personal and family issues, and with increasing attacks on their Latinx community.
Here and Queer: A Queer Girl's Guide to Life
Rowan Ellis
Illustrator: Jacky Sheridan
Ages: 14+
Published: 2022
An inclusive guide with practical advice about exploring identity, navigating labels, and handling social situations. Vibrant cartoon-style illustrations.Bibliography, glossary and extensive back matter.
Rowan Ellis
Illustrator: Jacky Sheridan
Ages: 14+
Published: 2022
An inclusive guide with practical advice about exploring identity, navigating labels, and handling social situations. Vibrant cartoon-style illustrations.Bibliography, glossary and extensive back matter.