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
Trim Saves the Day (Adventures of Trim series
Deborah Hopkinson
Illustrator: Kristy Caldwell
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Causing all kinds of havoc doing his chores, Trim notices a leak in the ship's cask. Can he save the ship before it sinks? Mixed-media illustrations.
Deborah Hopkinson
Illustrator: Kristy Caldwell
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Causing all kinds of havoc doing his chores, Trim notices a leak in the ship's cask. Can he save the ship before it sinks? Mixed-media illustrations.
Tumblebaby
Adam Rex
Illustrator: Audrey Helen Weber
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
A baby rolls out of their parents' home, meets up with scoundrels and coyotes, and even wins a gold medal at the Winter Olympics. Whimsical language. Acrylic and gouache paintings.
Adam Rex
Illustrator: Audrey Helen Weber
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
A baby rolls out of their parents' home, meets up with scoundrels and coyotes, and even wins a gold medal at the Winter Olympics. Whimsical language. Acrylic and gouache paintings.
Up, Up, Ever Up!: Junko Tabei: A Life in the Mountains
Anita Yasuda
Illustrator: Yuko Shimizu
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
The first woman to reach Mount Everest's summit subsequently determined to protect the area, cleaning it and planting trees. Imaginative, soaring mixed-media illustrations. Time line, resources. Japanese glossary.
Anita Yasuda
Illustrator: Yuko Shimizu
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
The first woman to reach Mount Everest's summit subsequently determined to protect the area, cleaning it and planting trees. Imaginative, soaring mixed-media illustrations. Time line, resources. Japanese glossary.
Verts, The: A Story of Introverts and Extroverts
Ann Patchett
Illustrator: Robin Preiss Glasser
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Introvert Ivan doesn't want a birthday party, but big sister Estie can't imagine not wanting to celebrate and throws him one, inviting all the neighbors. Whimsical mixed-media illustrations.
Ann Patchett
Illustrator: Robin Preiss Glasser
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Introvert Ivan doesn't want a birthday party, but big sister Estie can't imagine not wanting to celebrate and throws him one, inviting all the neighbors. Whimsical mixed-media illustrations.
Viewfinder
Christine D.U. Chung & Salwa Majoka
Illustrator: Christine D.U. Chung & Salwa Majoka
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
In this wordless story, a young space traveler explores Earth after an ecological catastrophe there and discovers a time capsule with a viewfinder showing scenes from the planet's past. Dreamlike digital painted artwork.
Christine D.U. Chung & Salwa Majoka
Illustrator: Christine D.U. Chung & Salwa Majoka
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
In this wordless story, a young space traveler explores Earth after an ecological catastrophe there and discovers a time capsule with a viewfinder showing scenes from the planet's past. Dreamlike digital painted artwork.
Vigdís: A Book About the World's First Female President
Rán Flygenring
Illustrator: Rán Flygenring
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
A Reykjavik girl grew up to be the first single woman in Iceland to adopt a child and the first democratically elected female president in the world. Detailed, whimsical illustrations.
Rán Flygenring
Illustrator: Rán Flygenring
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
A Reykjavik girl grew up to be the first single woman in Iceland to adopt a child and the first democratically elected female president in the world. Detailed, whimsical illustrations.
Voice in the Storm, A
Karl James Mountford
Illustrator: Karl James Mountford
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Overwhelmed by inner turmoil, Rat encounters Bear, who helps her understand and express her emotions. Geometric digital art in purple, blues, and greens.
Karl James Mountford
Illustrator: Karl James Mountford
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Overwhelmed by inner turmoil, Rat encounters Bear, who helps her understand and express her emotions. Geometric digital art in purple, blues, and greens.
Voice of Hope, A: The Myrlie Evers-Williams Story
Nadia Salomon
Illustrator: London Ladd
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
A shy Black girl with musical talent put her dreams on hold to fight hatred and continued to work for civil rights after the assassination of her husband, Medgar Evers. Lyrical language. Expressive, realistic artwork.
Nadia Salomon
Illustrator: London Ladd
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
A shy Black girl with musical talent put her dreams on hold to fight hatred and continued to work for civil rights after the assassination of her husband, Medgar Evers. Lyrical language. Expressive, realistic artwork.
Voyage, The
Stéphane Servant
Illustrator: Audrey Spiry
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
A Black woman's ocean odyssey becomes a metaphor for life, adventure, and the human spirit. Wild, expressionistic artwork.
Stéphane Servant
Illustrator: Audrey Spiry
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
A Black woman's ocean odyssey becomes a metaphor for life, adventure, and the human spirit. Wild, expressionistic artwork.
Wanjikũ, Child of Mine
Ciikũ Ndũng'ũ-Case
Illustrator: Karen Vermeulen
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Wanjikũ shares her journey from her childhood in the Kenyan countryside and then in the streets of Nairobi, to her adolescence at boarding school, always remembering her cultural identity. Evocative illustrations. Glossary. Back matter
Ciikũ Ndũng'ũ-Case
Illustrator: Karen Vermeulen
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Wanjikũ shares her journey from her childhood in the Kenyan countryside and then in the streets of Nairobi, to her adolescence at boarding school, always remembering her cultural identity. Evocative illustrations. Glossary. Back matter
Water: Discovering the Precious Resource All Around Us (Spectacular STEAM for Curious Readers series)
Olga Fadeeva
Illustrator: Olga Fadeeva
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Learn how rivers form, why oceans are salty, what causes tides, and much more. RIch acrylic paint and water illustrations
Olga Fadeeva
Illustrator: Olga Fadeeva
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Learn how rivers form, why oceans are salty, what causes tides, and much more. RIch acrylic paint and water illustrations
Way Back Then
Germaine Arnattaujuq and Neil Christopher
Illustrator: Germaine Arnattaujuq and Neil Christopher
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
An Inuit father tells a bedtime story about the days when the world was magic. Full-page evocative drawings by an Inuit artist. Inuktitut glossary and pronunciation guide. Bilingual in Inuktitut and English.
Germaine Arnattaujuq and Neil Christopher
Illustrator: Germaine Arnattaujuq and Neil Christopher
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
An Inuit father tells a bedtime story about the days when the world was magic. Full-page evocative drawings by an Inuit artist. Inuktitut glossary and pronunciation guide. Bilingual in Inuktitut and English.
We Are Definitely Human
X. Fang
Illustrator: X. Fang
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Three aliens seek help mending their broken spaceship while maintaining the implausible claim that they are ordinary earthlings. Graphite pencil art, colored digitally.
X. Fang
Illustrator: X. Fang
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Three aliens seek help mending their broken spaceship while maintaining the implausible claim that they are ordinary earthlings. Graphite pencil art, colored digitally.
What Happened on Thursday?: A Nigerian Civil War Story
Ayo Oyeku
Illustrator: Lydia Mba
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
A young boy narrates the story of his Biafran family's experience of homelessness and starvation amid war, until they finally return home from a refugee camp. Animated illustrations. Back matter. Mature content.
Ayo Oyeku
Illustrator: Lydia Mba
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
A young boy narrates the story of his Biafran family's experience of homelessness and starvation amid war, until they finally return home from a refugee camp. Animated illustrations. Back matter. Mature content.
What's Inside a Bird's Nest?: And other Questions about Nature & Life Cycles
Rachel Ignotofsky
Illustrator: Rachel Ignotofsky
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Informative text and cheerful, intricately labeled soft, colorful illustrations depict how different birds hatch, nest, raise their young, and more. Includes ways we can help protect birds.
Rachel Ignotofsky
Illustrator: Rachel Ignotofsky
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Informative text and cheerful, intricately labeled soft, colorful illustrations depict how different birds hatch, nest, raise their young, and more. Includes ways we can help protect birds.
When the Stammer Came to Stay
Maggie O'Farrell
Illustrator: Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
When chatty, outgoing but disorganized Min suddenly develops a stutter, her quiet, organized sister Bea tries to help and learns something surprising about herself. Ink and watercolor illustrations.
Maggie O'Farrell
Illustrator: Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
When chatty, outgoing but disorganized Min suddenly develops a stutter, her quiet, organized sister Bea tries to help and learns something surprising about herself. Ink and watercolor illustrations.
Whirligigs: The Wondrous Windmills of Voillis Simpson's Imagination
Carol Boston Weatherford
Illustrator: Edwin Fotheringham, photgraphs by Keith Barnes and Duffy Healey
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Using spare parts and scrap metal, a creative mechanic constructed huge, elaborate, brightly colored towers on his North Carolina farm. Cheerful, dynamic illustrations and color photos. Back matter.
Carol Boston Weatherford
Illustrator: Edwin Fotheringham, photgraphs by Keith Barnes and Duffy Healey
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Using spare parts and scrap metal, a creative mechanic constructed huge, elaborate, brightly colored towers on his North Carolina farm. Cheerful, dynamic illustrations and color photos. Back matter.
Why Not?: A Story about Discovering Our Bright Possibilities
Kobi Yamada
Illustrator: Gabriella Barouch
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
An ode to children's unique traits and limitless potential, explored through fantasy imagery of animals and nature in glowing, jewel-toned art.
Kobi Yamada
Illustrator: Gabriella Barouch
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
An ode to children's unique traits and limitless potential, explored through fantasy imagery of animals and nature in glowing, jewel-toned art.
Wildlife Crossings: Protecting Animal Pathways Around the World
Catherine Barr
Illustrator: Christiane Engel
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Follow seven animals as they find alternate, often man-made, crossings that make their migrating and traveling safe as they encounter highways and other obstacles. Colorful mixed-media illustrations. Back matter/
Catherine Barr
Illustrator: Christiane Engel
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Follow seven animals as they find alternate, often man-made, crossings that make their migrating and traveling safe as they encounter highways and other obstacles. Colorful mixed-media illustrations. Back matter/
Wild Places: The Life of Naturalist David Attenborough
Hayley Rocco
Illustrator: John Rocco
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Throughout his career, the internationally honored conservationist has shown animals in their habitats and sounded warnings about Earth's future to audiences worldwide. Vibrant mixed-media illustrations. Photos. Author's note.
Hayley Rocco
Illustrator: John Rocco
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Throughout his career, the internationally honored conservationist has shown animals in their habitats and sounded warnings about Earth's future to audiences worldwide. Vibrant mixed-media illustrations. Photos. Author's note.
Winnie-the-Pooh
A. A. Milne, adapted by Travis Dandro
Illustrator: Travis Dandro
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
The adventures of that silly old bear and his friends in Hundred Acre Wood come to life in this graphic adaptation. Simple black-and-white illustrations.
A. A. Milne, adapted by Travis Dandro
Illustrator: Travis Dandro
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
The adventures of that silly old bear and his friends in Hundred Acre Wood come to life in this graphic adaptation. Simple black-and-white illustrations.
Wire Zoo, The: How Elizabeth Berrien Learned to Turn Wire into Amazing Art
Natasha Wing
Illustrator: Joanie Stone
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Frustrated by art teachers who wouldn't acknowledge that she was left-handed, a girl with a love of animals finally discovered the medium that allowed her talent to soar. Digitally rendered, realistic illustrations.
Natasha Wing
Illustrator: Joanie Stone
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Frustrated by art teachers who wouldn't acknowledge that she was left-handed, a girl with a love of animals finally discovered the medium that allowed her talent to soar. Digitally rendered, realistic illustrations.
With Dad
Richard Jackson
Illustrator: Brian Floca
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
A boy remembers a cherished camping trip with his lovingly mentoring father, who is now at a “far-away war.” Nostalgic pen, ink, watercolor, and gouache art.
Richard Jackson
Illustrator: Brian Floca
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
A boy remembers a cherished camping trip with his lovingly mentoring father, who is now at a “far-away war.” Nostalgic pen, ink, watercolor, and gouache art.
World of Dogs, A: A Celebration of Fascinating Facts and Amazing Real-Life Stories for Dog Lovers
Carlie Sorosiak
Illustrator: Luisa Uribe
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Learn which breeds are oldest, whether dogs dream, the many ways they help people, and much more. Informative colorful illustrations. Index, glossary.
Carlie Sorosiak
Illustrator: Luisa Uribe
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Learn which breeds are oldest, whether dogs dream, the many ways they help people, and much more. Informative colorful illustrations. Index, glossary.
Yasmeen Lari, Green Architect: The True Story of Pakistan's First Woman Architect
Marzieh Abbas
Illustrator: Hoda Hadadi
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
A lifelong listener and learner, Lari has brought eco-conscious and traditional practices to her male-dominated profession, addressing the ravages of natural disasters. Striking cut-paper illustrations. Extensive back matter.
Marzieh Abbas
Illustrator: Hoda Hadadi
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
A lifelong listener and learner, Lari has brought eco-conscious and traditional practices to her male-dominated profession, addressing the ravages of natural disasters. Striking cut-paper illustrations. Extensive back matter.