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/.
How to Perform a Search and Save a List
Search
Advanced Search
Abzuglutely!: Battling, Bellowing Bella Abzug
Sarah Aronson
Illustrator: Andrea D'Aquino
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Influenced by her family's Jewish values, lawyer, activist, and congresswoman Bella Abzug fought unrelentingly for justice and equality for minorities, consumers, and women, Colorful quirky illustrations. Back matter.
Sarah Aronson
Illustrator: Andrea D'Aquino
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Influenced by her family's Jewish values, lawyer, activist, and congresswoman Bella Abzug fought unrelentingly for justice and equality for minorities, consumers, and women, Colorful quirky illustrations. Back matter.
Addy McBean: Numbers Queen (Quix Fast-Fun-Reads series)
Margery Cuyler
Illustrator: Stacy Curtis
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
In preparing for a class math project, Addy is not paired with her best friend. Mishaps and lovely discoveries occur with her new partner. Black-and-white spot illustrations.
Margery Cuyler
Illustrator: Stacy Curtis
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
In preparing for a class math project, Addy is not paired with her best friend. Mishaps and lovely discoveries occur with her new partner. Black-and-white spot illustrations.
Adela's Mariachi Band
Denise Vega
Illustrator: Erika Rodríguez Medina
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Though not yet able to dance or play an instrument, a girl finds her own way to participate in the family band. Colorful digital illustrations. Also available in Spanish.
Denise Vega
Illustrator: Erika Rodríguez Medina
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Though not yet able to dance or play an instrument, a girl finds her own way to participate in the family band. Colorful digital illustrations. Also available in Spanish.
Adventuremice: Otter Chaos! (Adventuremice series)
Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre
Illustrator: Sarah McIntyre
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Pedro longs for adventure, but can he and his new-found friends save the mouse community from a fearsome otter? Bright, coloful illustrations.
Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre
Illustrator: Sarah McIntyre
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Pedro longs for adventure, but can he and his new-found friends save the mouse community from a fearsome otter? Bright, coloful illustrations.
Ahoy!
Sophie Blackall
Illustrator: Sophie Blackall
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
An imaginative child cajoles his adult to play along as they embark on a wild sailing adventure. Speech bubble dialogue with colorful nautical terms. Swashbuckling mixed-media illustrations.
Sophie Blackall
Illustrator: Sophie Blackall
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
An imaginative child cajoles his adult to play along as they embark on a wild sailing adventure. Speech bubble dialogue with colorful nautical terms. Swashbuckling mixed-media illustrations.
All About the Brain (All About the Body series)
Dr. Gabriel Dabscheck
Illustrator: Kim Siew
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
What is the brain's role in speech, memory, movement, and more? Accessible explanations og complex concepts. Amusing, instructive illustrations.
Dr. Gabriel Dabscheck
Illustrator: Kim Siew
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
What is the brain's role in speech, memory, movement, and more? Accessible explanations og complex concepts. Amusing, instructive illustrations.
All That Grows
Jack Wong
Illustrator: Jack Wong
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
A child learns about plant life from a knowledgeable older sister while exploring the neighborhood and working in their garden. Soft, deep-hued pastel art.
Jack Wong
Illustrator: Jack Wong
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
A child learns about plant life from a knowledgeable older sister while exploring the neighborhood and working in their garden. Soft, deep-hued pastel art.
Always Carry Me with You
Hervé Éparvier
Illustrator: Fred Benaglia
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Stones large and small create amazing things, but a father wishes he were a pebble in his daughter's pocket to remind her how much he loves her. Lively mixed-media art.
Hervé Éparvier
Illustrator: Fred Benaglia
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Stones large and small create amazing things, but a father wishes he were a pebble in his daughter's pocket to remind her how much he loves her. Lively mixed-media art.
Angela's Glacier
Jordan Scott
Illustrator: Diana Sudyka
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
From the day of her birth, a girl's life is enriched by her sensory connection to an Icelandic landmark. Immersive gouache artwork; Extensive back matter.
Jordan Scott
Illustrator: Diana Sudyka
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
From the day of her birth, a girl's life is enriched by her sensory connection to an Icelandic landmark. Immersive gouache artwork; Extensive back matter.
Animal Albums from A to Z
Cece Bell
Illustrator: Cece Bell
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
A collection of album covers feature animal music styles from armadillo Americana to zebra zydeco, with track listings, song lyrics, and memorabilia. Quirky, colorful painting and cut-paper collage illustrations.
Cece Bell
Illustrator: Cece Bell
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
A collection of album covers feature animal music styles from armadillo Americana to zebra zydeco, with track listings, song lyrics, and memorabilia. Quirky, colorful painting and cut-paper collage illustrations.
Animal Superpowers!
Amy Cherrix
Illustrator: Frann Preston-Gannon
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Defying gravity, electrifying their prey, and using camouflage are among various animals' astonishing survival behaviors. Engaging format. Vibrant, colorful artwork. Back matter.
Amy Cherrix
Illustrator: Frann Preston-Gannon
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Defying gravity, electrifying their prey, and using camouflage are among various animals' astonishing survival behaviors. Engaging format. Vibrant, colorful artwork. Back matter.
Are You Big?
Mo Willems
Illustrator: Mo Willems
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
A series of increasingly large anthropomorphic entities, from a hot air balloon to a galaxy, demonstrates that size is relative. Wacky collage-style artwork in bright, bold colors.
Mo Willems
Illustrator: Mo Willems
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
A series of increasingly large anthropomorphic entities, from a hot air balloon to a galaxy, demonstrates that size is relative. Wacky collage-style artwork in bright, bold colors.
Are You Small?
Mo Willems
Illustrator: Mo Willems
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
A series of increasingly tiny anthropomorphic entities, from a book to a quark, demonstrates that size is relative. Humorous bold, colorful lllustrations.
Mo Willems
Illustrator: Mo Willems
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
A series of increasingly tiny anthropomorphic entities, from a book to a quark, demonstrates that size is relative. Humorous bold, colorful lllustrations.
Ava Lin: Best Friend! (Ava Lin series)
Vicky Fang
Illustrator: Vicky Fang
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Equipped with lunchbox, backpack, and pencil, Chinese American Ava has everything she needs for first grade—except a best friend. Simple text, including speech bubbles. Greyscale illustrations.
Vicky Fang
Illustrator: Vicky Fang
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Equipped with lunchbox, backpack, and pencil, Chinese American Ava has everything she needs for first grade—except a best friend. Simple text, including speech bubbles. Greyscale illustrations.
Back Home: Story Time with My Father
Arlène Elizabeth Casimir
Illustrator: Ken Daley
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Lune learns the power of stories when her father shares magical tales of his life in Haiti, inspiring her to create her own narratives. Lush, colorful digital illustrations. Haitian Creole glossary. Author's note.
Arlène Elizabeth Casimir
Illustrator: Ken Daley
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Lune learns the power of stories when her father shares magical tales of his life in Haiti, inspiring her to create her own narratives. Lush, colorful digital illustrations. Haitian Creole glossary. Author's note.
Band in Our Basement, The
Kelly J. Baptist
Illustrator: Jenin Mohammed
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
The grownups in a Black family are jamming after bedtime. Will the kids get caught sneaking downstairs for a peek? Rhyming text. Bright, lively gel printing and digital art.
Kelly J. Baptist
Illustrator: Jenin Mohammed
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
The grownups in a Black family are jamming after bedtime. Will the kids get caught sneaking downstairs for a peek? Rhyming text. Bright, lively gel printing and digital art.
Barrio Rising: The Protest That Built Chicano Park
María Dolores Águila
Illustrator: Magdalena Mora
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
When the city begins building a police station instead of a promised local park, a Mexican American neighborhood launches a peaceful protest. Energetic mixed-media spreads. Back matter.
María Dolores Águila
Illustrator: Magdalena Mora
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
When the city begins building a police station instead of a promised local park, a Mexican American neighborhood launches a peaceful protest. Energetic mixed-media spreads. Back matter.
Bea Breaks Barriers!: How Florence Beatrice Price's Music Triumphed over Prejudice
Caitlin DeLems
Illustrator: Tonya Engel
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
The first Black woman whose symphony was played by a major orchestra composed over 300 works, including a spiritual sung by Marian Anderson. Soft-colored period illustrations. Back matter.
Caitlin DeLems
Illustrator: Tonya Engel
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
The first Black woman whose symphony was played by a major orchestra composed over 300 works, including a spiritual sung by Marian Anderson. Soft-colored period illustrations. Back matter.
Bear's Lost Glasses
Leo Timmers
Illustrator: Leo Timmers
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Bear searches for his missing glasses (which are on top of his head), mistaking everyday objects for exotic animals along the way. Bright mixed-media illustrations.
Leo Timmers
Illustrator: Leo Timmers
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Bear searches for his missing glasses (which are on top of his head), mistaking everyday objects for exotic animals along the way. Bright mixed-media illustrations.
Behind My Doors: The Story of the World's Oldest Library
Hena Khan
Illustrator: Nabila Adani
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Founded by a woman in 859 and renovated by a woman beginning in 2012, this centuries-old Moroccan library tells its own story. Subtle, detailed digital illustrations. Back matter.
Hena Khan
Illustrator: Nabila Adani
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Founded by a woman in 859 and renovated by a woman beginning in 2012, this centuries-old Moroccan library tells its own story. Subtle, detailed digital illustrations. Back matter.
Behold the Hummingbird!
Suzanne Slade
Illustrator: Thomas Gonzalez
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Learn about the tiny, elusive creature, endemic to the Americas, that can migrate up to 5,000 miles a year, and is an important pollinator. Jewel-toned illustrations. Photographs. Sources, suggested reading.
Suzanne Slade
Illustrator: Thomas Gonzalez
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Learn about the tiny, elusive creature, endemic to the Americas, that can migrate up to 5,000 miles a year, and is an important pollinator. Jewel-toned illustrations. Photographs. Sources, suggested reading.
Best in Show
David Elliott
Illustrator: illustrated by various artists
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Rhyming poetry and illustrations in various forms combined with factual information provide a celebration of many different breeds of dogs.
David Elliott
Illustrator: illustrated by various artists
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Rhyming poetry and illustrations in various forms combined with factual information provide a celebration of many different breeds of dogs.
Between Words: A Friendship Tale
Saki Tanaka
Illustrator: Saki Tanaka
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Living a nomadic lifestyle with his father, Kai has trouble making friends, until he has a chance encounter with a mermaid. Warm pencil and watercolor art. Author's note.
Saki Tanaka
Illustrator: Saki Tanaka
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Living a nomadic lifestyle with his father, Kai has trouble making friends, until he has a chance encounter with a mermaid. Warm pencil and watercolor art. Author's note.
Bicycle, The: How an Act of Kindness Changed a Young Refugee's Life
Patricia McCormick and Mevan Babakar
Illustrator: Yas Imamura
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
A kind neighbor's gift of a bicycle helps a young Kurdish refugee in a distant, unfamiliar place begin to adjust. Atmospheric mixed-media art.
Patricia McCormick and Mevan Babakar
Illustrator: Yas Imamura
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
A kind neighbor's gift of a bicycle helps a young Kurdish refugee in a distant, unfamiliar place begin to adjust. Atmospheric mixed-media art.
Bird Is Dead
Tiny Fisscher
Illustrator: Herma Starreveld
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
A delicate journey through grief as birds suffer the loss of their friend, supporting each other through a range of emotions. Watercolor and collage art.
Tiny Fisscher
Illustrator: Herma Starreveld
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
A delicate journey through grief as birds suffer the loss of their friend, supporting each other through a range of emotions. Watercolor and collage art.