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
Cargo
Adèle Tariel
Illustrator: Jérôme Peyrat
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
A young boy, missing his ocean-going father, imagines himself as a seagull following the container ship on its voyage. Colorful, stylized art.
Adèle Tariel
Illustrator: Jérôme Peyrat
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
A young boy, missing his ocean-going father, imagines himself as a seagull following the container ship on its voyage. Colorful, stylized art.
Carina Felina: A Cuban Retelling of a Favorite Folktale
Carmen Agra Deedy
Illustrator: Henry Cole
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
A greedy cat learns a lesson with the help of two crustaceans. Colorful illustrations.
Carmen Agra Deedy
Illustrator: Henry Cole
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
A greedy cat learns a lesson with the help of two crustaceans. Colorful illustrations.
Cat's Very Good Day
Kristen Tracy
Illustrator: David Small
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
Rhyming couplets capture a house cat's varied daily adventures. Digitally rendered illustrations match the active, ever-changing spirit of the feline.
Kristen Tracy
Illustrator: David Small
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
Rhyming couplets capture a house cat's varied daily adventures. Digitally rendered illustrations match the active, ever-changing spirit of the feline.
Cloud Babies
Eoin Colfer
Illustrator: Chris Judge
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
Colorful illustrations accompany this heartfelt story of Erin, a child who endures many hospital stays. Her imagination ultimately enables her to bridge hospital and school life.
Eoin Colfer
Illustrator: Chris Judge
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
Colorful illustrations accompany this heartfelt story of Erin, a child who endures many hospital stays. Her imagination ultimately enables her to bridge hospital and school life.
Clues Are in the Poo, The: The Story of Dinosaur Scientist Karen Chin
Jane Kurtz and Karen Chin
Illustrator: Francisco Riolobos
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
A multiracial paleontologist explores what fossilized dinosaur dung reveals about prehistoric creatures and their world. Bold, colorful illustrations.
Jane Kurtz and Karen Chin
Illustrator: Francisco Riolobos
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
A multiracial paleontologist explores what fossilized dinosaur dung reveals about prehistoric creatures and their world. Bold, colorful illustrations.
Courage of the Little Hummingbird, The: A Tale Told around the World
Leah Henderson
Illustrator: Magaly Morales
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
A little hummingbird refuses to give up, doing all he can and calling others to action. Vivid illustrations. Back matter.
Leah Henderson
Illustrator: Magaly Morales
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
A little hummingbird refuses to give up, doing all he can and calling others to action. Vivid illustrations. Back matter.
Cut!: How Lottie Reiniger and a Pair of Scissors Revolutionized Animation
C. E. Winters
Illustrator: Matt Schu
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
Creating the first animated full-length movie, a German woman used her paper silhouette figures and multiplane camera to provide motion and depth to images. Silent-film-style illustrations. Extensive back matter.
C. E. Winters
Illustrator: Matt Schu
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
Creating the first animated full-length movie, a German woman used her paper silhouette figures and multiplane camera to provide motion and depth to images. Silent-film-style illustrations. Extensive back matter.
Dakota Crumb and the Secret Bookshop: A Tiny Treasure Hunt (Dakota Crumb series)
Jamie Michalak
Illustrator: Kelly Murphy
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
Dakota, a treasure-hunting mouse, follows ingenious clues in her search for a rare book. Detailed, colorful pen and ink illustrations.
Jamie Michalak
Illustrator: Kelly Murphy
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
Dakota, a treasure-hunting mouse, follows ingenious clues in her search for a rare book. Detailed, colorful pen and ink illustrations.
Darwin's Super-Pooping Worm Spectacular
Polly Owen
Illustrator: Gwen Millward
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
Darwin's research with worms revealed how they feed the world with the superpower of poop, as well as how they "see" and "hear." Colorful, detailed illustrations. Back matter.
Polly Owen
Illustrator: Gwen Millward
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
Darwin's research with worms revealed how they feed the world with the superpower of poop, as well as how they "see" and "hear." Colorful, detailed illustrations. Back matter.
Day the River Caught Fire, The: How the Cuyahoga River Exploded and Ignited the Earth Day Movement
Barry Wittenstein
Illustrator: Jessie Hartland
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
KABOOM! A 1969 explosion and fire on Cleveland's Cuyahoga River sparked the creation of Earth Day in 1970 and new environmental laws. Evocative gouache illustrations. Extensive back matter.
Barry Wittenstein
Illustrator: Jessie Hartland
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
KABOOM! A 1969 explosion and fire on Cleveland's Cuyahoga River sparked the creation of Earth Day in 1970 and new environmental laws. Evocative gouache illustrations. Extensive back matter.
Destiny Finds Her Way: How a Rescued Baby Sloth Learned to be Wild
Margarita Engle
Illustrator: Sam Tull Photographer
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
Scientists simulated the diet of an orphaned sloth found in a Costa Rican rain forest and encouraged her socialization, preparing her to return to her natural habitat. Stunning photographs. Back matter.
Margarita Engle
Illustrator: Sam Tull Photographer
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
Scientists simulated the diet of an orphaned sloth found in a Costa Rican rain forest and encouraged her socialization, preparing her to return to her natural habitat. Stunning photographs. Back matter.
Doggo and Pupper Search for Cozy (Doggo and Pupper series)
Katherine Applegate
Illustrator: Charlie Adler
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
Canine characters help Cat understand that you can't create coziness—it just is. Accepting change takes time, especially when you've been given a new bed. Engaging digital art.
Katherine Applegate
Illustrator: Charlie Adler
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
Canine characters help Cat understand that you can't create coziness—it just is. Accepting change takes time, especially when you've been given a new bed. Engaging digital art.
Dream by Dream: The Story of Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise
Geri Kolesar
Illustrator: Sofia Moore
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
While studying, Wise questioned Jewish traditions, such as the unequal treatment of women, and then brought his ideas of modernizing Judaism to the United States. Watercolor digital illustrations.
Geri Kolesar
Illustrator: Sofia Moore
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
While studying, Wise questioned Jewish traditions, such as the unequal treatment of women, and then brought his ideas of modernizing Judaism to the United States. Watercolor digital illustrations.
Eclipse
Andy Rash
Illustrator: Andy Rash
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
A boy and his father bond as they witness the dramatic total eclipse of the sun in 2017. Lively cartoon-style digital art. Brief back matter on eclipses.
Andy Rash
Illustrator: Andy Rash
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
A boy and his father bond as they witness the dramatic total eclipse of the sun in 2017. Lively cartoon-style digital art. Brief back matter on eclipses.
Eleven Words for Love: A Journey through Arabic Expressions of Love
Rana Abdel-Fattah
Illustrator: Maxine Beneba Clarke
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
As her family settles in a new country, a young girl poetically names the different ways to say "love" in their language. Text includes the Arabic words she lists. Soft, colorful mixed-media illustrations.
Rana Abdel-Fattah
Illustrator: Maxine Beneba Clarke
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
As her family settles in a new country, a young girl poetically names the different ways to say "love" in their language. Text includes the Arabic words she lists. Soft, colorful mixed-media illustrations.
Ellen Takes Flight: The Life of Astronaut Ellen Ochoa
Doreen Rappaport
Illustrator: Oliver Dominguez
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
An accomplished flutist and electrical engineer, Ochoa later traveled in space, becoming the first Latina astronaut and the first Latinx director of the Johnson Space Center. Dynamic illustrations. Back matter.
Doreen Rappaport
Illustrator: Oliver Dominguez
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
An accomplished flutist and electrical engineer, Ochoa later traveled in space, becoming the first Latina astronaut and the first Latinx director of the Johnson Space Center. Dynamic illustrations. Back matter.
Emperor of the Ice: How a Changing Climate Affects a Penguin Colony
Nicola Davies
Illustrator: Cathrine Rayner
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
As Antarctic penguins undertake the breeding process, their survival is threatened as the number of nesting ice blocks shrinks due to global warming. Evocative glowing illustrations. Back matter.
Nicola Davies
Illustrator: Cathrine Rayner
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
As Antarctic penguins undertake the breeding process, their survival is threatened as the number of nesting ice blocks shrinks due to global warming. Evocative glowing illustrations. Back matter.
Empty and Me: A Tale of Friendship and Loss
Azam Mahdavi
Illustrator: Maryam Tahmasebi
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
Until she is ready to rejoin the world, a young girl whose mother has died is accompanied through her grief by a translucent creature. Mood-matching digital art in a muted palette. Bilingual in Persian and English.
Azam Mahdavi
Illustrator: Maryam Tahmasebi
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
Until she is ready to rejoin the world, a young girl whose mother has died is accompanied through her grief by a translucent creature. Mood-matching digital art in a muted palette. Bilingual in Persian and English.
Enough Is . . .
Jessica Whipple
Illustrator: Nicole Wong
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
A child considers what lies "between a little and a lot" and finds the value and joy of "just enough." Soft pastel chalk and watercolor illustrations.
Jessica Whipple
Illustrator: Nicole Wong
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
A child considers what lies "between a little and a lot" and finds the value and joy of "just enough." Soft pastel chalk and watercolor illustrations.
Evergreen
Matthew Cordell
Illustrator: Matthew Cordell
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
A fearful young squirrel finds courage through a series of action-filled encounters during a journey through the dangerous Buckthorn Forest. Pen and watercolor art in earth tones.
Matthew Cordell
Illustrator: Matthew Cordell
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
A fearful young squirrel finds courage through a series of action-filled encounters during a journey through the dangerous Buckthorn Forest. Pen and watercolor art in earth tones.
Every Dreaming Creature
Brendan Wenzel
Illustrator: Brendan Wenzel
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
A succession of nighttime visions slip from the mind of one animal to another, exploring the interconnectedness of all life. Hypnotic prose poetry and vibrant mixed-media art.
Brendan Wenzel
Illustrator: Brendan Wenzel
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
A succession of nighttime visions slip from the mind of one animal to another, exploring the interconnectedness of all life. Hypnotic prose poetry and vibrant mixed-media art.
Fish and Worm (I Can Read Comics! series)
Sergio Ruzzier
Illustrator: Sergio Ruzzier
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
Fish develops an unlikely friendship with what was to be his meal. A lighthearted introduction for those who question eating living beings. Pastel colored illustrations.
Sergio Ruzzier
Illustrator: Sergio Ruzzier
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
Fish develops an unlikely friendship with what was to be his meal. A lighthearted introduction for those who question eating living beings. Pastel colored illustrations.
Follow the Flyway: The Marvel of Bird Migration
Sarah Nelson
Illustrator: Maya Hanisch
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
A variety of birds travel South following their annual path. Rhyming, lyrical text. Soft mixed-media illustrations. Extensive back matter.
Sarah Nelson
Illustrator: Maya Hanisch
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
A variety of birds travel South following their annual path. Rhyming, lyrical text. Soft mixed-media illustrations. Extensive back matter.
Friends beyond Measure
Lalena Fisher
Illustrator: Lalena Fisher
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
With pencil, marker, and Photoshop illustrations, this book features 12 types of infographics depicting different aspects of the friendship between two girls, even after one moves away.
Lalena Fisher
Illustrator: Lalena Fisher
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
With pencil, marker, and Photoshop illustrations, this book features 12 types of infographics depicting different aspects of the friendship between two girls, even after one moves away.
Ganesha Goes Green
Lakshmi Thamizhmani
Illustrator: Debasmita Dasgupta
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
Concerned that the Ganesha Chaturthi celebration will pollute the river, Prema and her friends create a safe, earth-friendly alternative to the event's traditional statues. Mixed-media art. Back matter.
Lakshmi Thamizhmani
Illustrator: Debasmita Dasgupta
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
Concerned that the Ganesha Chaturthi celebration will pollute the river, Prema and her friends create a safe, earth-friendly alternative to the event's traditional statues. Mixed-media art. Back matter.