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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History of Me, A
Adrea Theodore
Illustrator: Erin K. Robinson
Ages: 6+
Published: 2022
The only brown girl in her class, racially demeaned by her peers, gains perspective and pride from her mother's stories about theirfemale ancestors. Animated color illustrations
Adrea Theodore
Illustrator: Erin K. Robinson
Ages: 6+
Published: 2022
The only brown girl in her class, racially demeaned by her peers, gains perspective and pride from her mother's stories about theirfemale ancestors. Animated color illustrations
Hold Them Close: A Love Letter to Black Children
Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow
Illustrator: Patrick Dougher, with photography by Jamel Shabazz
Ages: 6+
Published: 2022
Verse, photographs, collage, and gold-leaf illustrations celebrate Blackness, inspiring pride and joy.
Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow
Illustrator: Patrick Dougher, with photography by Jamel Shabazz
Ages: 6+
Published: 2022
Verse, photographs, collage, and gold-leaf illustrations celebrate Blackness, inspiring pride and joy.
Home Is Where the Birds Sing
Cynthia Rylant
Illustrator: Katie Harnett
Ages: 6+
Published: 2022
Expressive, brightly colored illustrations and simple text explore the experiences and love that make a place a home.
Cynthia Rylant
Illustrator: Katie Harnett
Ages: 6+
Published: 2022
Expressive, brightly colored illustrations and simple text explore the experiences and love that make a place a home.
Honeybee Rescue: A Backyard Drama
Loree Griffin Burns
Illustrator: Ellen Harasimowicz
Ages: 6+
Published: 2022
Wy do bees swarm? How do they build their hives? Find out when Mr. Connery calls a bee rescuer to remove and relocate a colony from his barn. Clear photographs follow the process. Back matter.
Loree Griffin Burns
Illustrator: Ellen Harasimowicz
Ages: 6+
Published: 2022
Wy do bees swarm? How do they build their hives? Find out when Mr. Connery calls a bee rescuer to remove and relocate a colony from his barn. Clear photographs follow the process. Back matter.
Hot Dog
Doug Salati
Illustrator: Doug Salati
Ages: 6+
Published: 2022
A little dachshund with a big personality ventures out for a refreshing day at the beach. Expressive illustrations appear in panels and full-page spreads.
Doug Salati
Illustrator: Doug Salati
Ages: 6+
Published: 2022
A little dachshund with a big personality ventures out for a refreshing day at the beach. Expressive illustrations appear in panels and full-page spreads.
How Old Is Mr. Tortoise?
Dev Petty
Illustrator: Ruth Chan
Ages: 6+
Published: 2022
Animal friends insist on knowing Mr. Tortoise's age, but he's more interested in getting to the cake. Lighthearted illustrations.
Dev Petty
Illustrator: Ruth Chan
Ages: 6+
Published: 2022
Animal friends insist on knowing Mr. Tortoise's age, but he's more interested in getting to the cake. Lighthearted illustrations.
How Science Saved the Eiffel Tower
Emma Bland Smith
Illustrator: Lisa Visirin
Ages: 6+
Published: 2022
Gustave Eiffel saved the tower he'd created for the 1889 World's Fair from being dismantled by demonstrating its value for many scientific and technological advances. Digital art, sources. Additional back matter.
Emma Bland Smith
Illustrator: Lisa Visirin
Ages: 6+
Published: 2022
Gustave Eiffel saved the tower he'd created for the 1889 World's Fair from being dismantled by demonstrating its value for many scientific and technological advances. Digital art, sources. Additional back matter.
How to Bake a Universe
Alec Carvlin
Illustrator: Brian Biggs
Ages: 6+
Published: 2022
Whimsical storytelling and bold illustrations, grounded in science, make this a great introduction to the Big Bang theory and astrophysics. Thorough back matter. Visually stunning time line.
Alec Carvlin
Illustrator: Brian Biggs
Ages: 6+
Published: 2022
Whimsical storytelling and bold illustrations, grounded in science, make this a great introduction to the Big Bang theory and astrophysics. Thorough back matter. Visually stunning time line.
How to Eat a Book
Mrs. & Mr. MacLeod
Illustrator: Mrs. & Mr. MacLeod
Ages: 6+
Published: 2022
Zany illustrations complement the hilarious and only slightly scary story of the three Grunion children who are literally consumed by their books. Offbeat fun!
Mrs. & Mr. MacLeod
Illustrator: Mrs. & Mr. MacLeod
Ages: 6+
Published: 2022
Zany illustrations complement the hilarious and only slightly scary story of the three Grunion children who are literally consumed by their books. Offbeat fun!
I Am Ruby Bridges: How One Six-Year Old Girl's March to School Changed the World
Ruby Bridges
Illustrator: Nikkolas Smith
Ages: 6+
Published: 2022
With school segregation banned, Ruby, escorted by federal marshals in 1960, was the first Black student to attend an all-white elementary school. Painted scenes capture watershed moments. Back matter.
Ruby Bridges
Illustrator: Nikkolas Smith
Ages: 6+
Published: 2022
With school segregation banned, Ruby, escorted by federal marshals in 1960, was the first Black student to attend an all-white elementary school. Painted scenes capture watershed moments. Back matter.
I DID See a Mammoth!
Alex Willmore
Illustrator: Alex Willmore
Ages: 6+
Published: 2022
Colorful, cartoon-like illustrations depict a youngster convinced he's seen a mammoth while exploring the Antarctic. Will the grownups believe him?
Alex Willmore
Illustrator: Alex Willmore
Ages: 6+
Published: 2022
Colorful, cartoon-like illustrations depict a youngster convinced he's seen a mammoth while exploring the Antarctic. Will the grownups believe him?
I Don't Care
Julie Fogliano
Illustrator: Molly Idle and Juana Martinez-Neal
Ages: 6+
Published: 2022
Rhyming text and limited-palette illustrations portray a developing friendship between two children who "don't care" about their differences and embrace their similarities.
Julie Fogliano
Illustrator: Molly Idle and Juana Martinez-Neal
Ages: 6+
Published: 2022
Rhyming text and limited-palette illustrations portray a developing friendship between two children who "don't care" about their differences and embrace their similarities.
If You're a Kid Like Gavin: The True Story of a Young Trans Activist
Gavin Grimm and Kyle Lukoff
Illustrator: J Yang
Ages: 6+
Published: 2022
Because he was a trans boy barred from using the boys' bathroom, Gavin Grimm chose to become an activist for trans rights. Colorful, cartoony digital illustrations.
Gavin Grimm and Kyle Lukoff
Illustrator: J Yang
Ages: 6+
Published: 2022
Because he was a trans boy barred from using the boys' bathroom, Gavin Grimm chose to become an activist for trans rights. Colorful, cartoony digital illustrations.
I'll Go and Come Back
Rajani LaRocca
Illustrator: Sara Palacios
Ages: 6+
Published: 2022
On a trip to India, Jyoti finds it difficult to communicate with her grandmother until they begin to play, read and cook together. Warmly patterned digital art.
Rajani LaRocca
Illustrator: Sara Palacios
Ages: 6+
Published: 2022
On a trip to India, Jyoti finds it difficult to communicate with her grandmother until they begin to play, read and cook together. Warmly patterned digital art.
Impossible Moon
Breanna J. McDaniel
Illustrator: Tonya Engel
Ages: 6+
Published: 2022
African American Mable wants to help her Grana get better, visiting constellations with African backstories and trying to touch the moon. Swirling acrylic and oil paintings. Explanatory back matter.
Breanna J. McDaniel
Illustrator: Tonya Engel
Ages: 6+
Published: 2022
African American Mable wants to help her Grana get better, visiting constellations with African backstories and trying to touch the moon. Swirling acrylic and oil paintings. Explanatory back matter.
It's So Difficult
Raúl Nieto Guridi
Illustrator: Raúl Nieto Guridi
Ages: 6+
Published: 2022
Counting and calculating soothe a nonverbal child whose daily routine feels noisy and chaotic. White text on black backgrounds and scratchy drawings evoke the child's emotions.
Raúl Nieto Guridi
Illustrator: Raúl Nieto Guridi
Ages: 6+
Published: 2022
Counting and calculating soothe a nonverbal child whose daily routine feels noisy and chaotic. White text on black backgrounds and scratchy drawings evoke the child's emotions.
I Want to Be a Vase
Julio Torres
Illustrator: Julian Glander
Ages: 6+
Published: 2022
A toilet plunger becomes his true self encouraging other home furnishings to do the same. Vibrant digital art adds to the outrageous fun.
Julio Torres
Illustrator: Julian Glander
Ages: 6+
Published: 2022
A toilet plunger becomes his true self encouraging other home furnishings to do the same. Vibrant digital art adds to the outrageous fun.
Jack Knight's Brave Flight: How One Gutsy Pilot Saved The U.S. Air Mail Service
Jill Esbaum
Illustrator: Stacy Innerst
Ages: 6+
Published: 2022
In 1921, during a blizzard, one courageous pilot took charge for much of the nighttime coast-to-coast route. Text and illustrations in a somber palette capture the drama and danger. Archival photos. Time line.
Jill Esbaum
Illustrator: Stacy Innerst
Ages: 6+
Published: 2022
In 1921, during a blizzard, one courageous pilot took charge for much of the nighttime coast-to-coast route. Text and illustrations in a somber palette capture the drama and danger. Archival photos. Time line.
John's Turn
Mac Barnett
Illustrator: Kate Berube
Ages: 6+
Published: 2022
It's John's turn to present at Friday assembly and he's nervous. Will the other students like his ballet recital or make fun of him? Ink and paint illustrations.
Mac Barnett
Illustrator: Kate Berube
Ages: 6+
Published: 2022
It's John's turn to present at Friday assembly and he's nervous. Will the other students like his ballet recital or make fun of him? Ink and paint illustrations.
Just Like Jesse Owens
Ambassador Andrew Young as told to Paula Young Shelton
Illustrator: Gordon C. James
Ages: 6+
Published: 2022
When neighbors shouted "Heil Hitler," young Andrew's father countered the hate with a film about the 1936 Olympics runner. Jesse Owens has inspired Young ever since. Dramatic pastel llustrations.
Ambassador Andrew Young as told to Paula Young Shelton
Illustrator: Gordon C. James
Ages: 6+
Published: 2022
When neighbors shouted "Heil Hitler," young Andrew's father countered the hate with a film about the 1936 Olympics runner. Jesse Owens has inspired Young ever since. Dramatic pastel llustrations.
Katha Chest, The
Radhiah Chowdhury
Illustrator: Lavanya Naidu
Ages: 6+
Published: 2022
When Asiya visits her grandmother, she loves exploring all the quilts that depict their family stories. Bold textured illustrations bring the quilt stories alive. Author's note.
Radhiah Chowdhury
Illustrator: Lavanya Naidu
Ages: 6+
Published: 2022
When Asiya visits her grandmother, she loves exploring all the quilts that depict their family stories. Bold textured illustrations bring the quilt stories alive. Author's note.
Kat Hats
Daniel Pinkwater
Illustrator: Aaron Renier
Ages: 6+
Published: 2022
Cats that keep people's (and witches') heads warm? Zany antics, a white dad, a brown mom and children, and many felines fill the vivid over-the-top gouache paintings.
Daniel Pinkwater
Illustrator: Aaron Renier
Ages: 6+
Published: 2022
Cats that keep people's (and witches') heads warm? Zany antics, a white dad, a brown mom and children, and many felines fill the vivid over-the-top gouache paintings.
Keepunumuk: Weeâchumun's Thanksgiving Story
Danielle Greendeer, Anthony Perry, & Alexis Bunten
Illustrator: Gary Meeches Sr.
Ages: 6+
Published: 2022
A Wampanoag grandmother relates how her people and guardian spirits made survival possible for the English Pilgrims in Massachusetts 400 years ago. Imaginative illustrations. Back matter.
Danielle Greendeer, Anthony Perry, & Alexis Bunten
Illustrator: Gary Meeches Sr.
Ages: 6+
Published: 2022
A Wampanoag grandmother relates how her people and guardian spirits made survival possible for the English Pilgrims in Massachusetts 400 years ago. Imaginative illustrations. Back matter.
Kitten in Gooseberry Park, A (Gooseberry Park series)
Cynthia Rylant
Illustrator: Arthur Howard
Ages: 6+
Published: 2022
Good friends labrador Kona, hermit crab Gwendolyn, and bat Murray help a bobcat kitten find his family after rain sweeps him down the mountain. Cartoony black and white spot illustrations.
Cynthia Rylant
Illustrator: Arthur Howard
Ages: 6+
Published: 2022
Good friends labrador Kona, hermit crab Gwendolyn, and bat Murray help a bobcat kitten find his family after rain sweeps him down the mountain. Cartoony black and white spot illustrations.
Late, Great Endlings, The: Stories of the Last Survivors
Deborah Kerbel
Illustrator: Aimée van Drimmelen
Ages: 6+
Published: 2022
The last known survivors of several species are honored. Includes actions children can take to help combat mass extinction. Large watercolor illustrations.
Deborah Kerbel
Illustrator: Aimée van Drimmelen
Ages: 6+
Published: 2022
The last known survivors of several species are honored. Includes actions children can take to help combat mass extinction. Large watercolor illustrations.