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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What the Chickadee Knows (Great Lakes Book series)
Margaret Noodin
Ages: 9+
Published: 2020
The world shared with a North American indigenous people -- despite differences in language and history -- is rapturously celebrated in both their native tongue and English. Preface.
Margaret Noodin
Ages: 9+
Published: 2020
The world shared with a North American indigenous people -- despite differences in language and history -- is rapturously celebrated in both their native tongue and English. Preface.
What We Found in the Corn Maze and How It Saved a Dragon
Henry Clark
Ages: 9+
Published: 2020
When three kids discover magic spells that can only be cast a few minutes a day, they cooperate to save a dying magical world, its last dragon, and themselves. Clever wordplay.
Henry Clark
Ages: 9+
Published: 2020
When three kids discover magic spells that can only be cast a few minutes a day, they cooperate to save a dying magical world, its last dragon, and themselves. Clever wordplay.
When Life Gives You Mangos
Kereen Getten
Ages: 9+
Published: 2020
Twelve-year-old Clara can't remember anything that happened the previous summer after a hurricane and lately Gaynah is not acting like a best friend.
Kereen Getten
Ages: 9+
Published: 2020
Twelve-year-old Clara can't remember anything that happened the previous summer after a hurricane and lately Gaynah is not acting like a best friend.
When Stars Are Scattered
Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed
Illustrator: Victoria Jamieson
Ages: 9+
Published: 2020
With resourcefulness, intelligence, and kindheartedness, two brothers living in a Kenyan refugee camp wait in hope of resettlement in the U.S. in this graphic novel based on a true story.
Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed
Illustrator: Victoria Jamieson
Ages: 9+
Published: 2020
With resourcefulness, intelligence, and kindheartedness, two brothers living in a Kenyan refugee camp wait in hope of resettlement in the U.S. in this graphic novel based on a true story.
When You Trap a Tiger
Tae Keller
Ages: 9+
Published: 2020
When her grandmother becomes very ill, granddaughter Lily makes a deal with a magical tiger - return the stories her grandmother stole and she would feel better.
Tae Keller
Ages: 9+
Published: 2020
When her grandmother becomes very ill, granddaughter Lily makes a deal with a magical tiger - return the stories her grandmother stole and she would feel better.
Willa and the Whale
Chad Morris and Shelly Brown
Ages: 9+
Published: 2020
Willa, 12, devastated with grief after her marine biologist mother's death, unable to communicate with her father and his new family, discovers she can talk with a whale.
Chad Morris and Shelly Brown
Ages: 9+
Published: 2020
Willa, 12, devastated with grief after her marine biologist mother's death, unable to communicate with her father and his new family, discovers she can talk with a whale.
William Still and His Freedom Stories: The Father of the Underground Railroad
Don Tate
Illustrator: Don Tate
Ages: 9+
Published: 2020
Born free in Pennsylvania to parents who had escaped their enslavement but had to leave their other children behind, Still made it his life's work to help freedom seekers. Expressive sepia toned and color illustrations.
Don Tate
Illustrator: Don Tate
Ages: 9+
Published: 2020
Born free in Pennsylvania to parents who had escaped their enslavement but had to leave their other children behind, Still made it his life's work to help freedom seekers. Expressive sepia toned and color illustrations.
Wink
Rob Harrell
Ages: 9+
Published: 2020
Despite tear-duct cancer, Ross discovers a new talent and finds new friends in Middle School. Humorous black-and-white comics and spot art.
Rob Harrell
Ages: 9+
Published: 2020
Despite tear-duct cancer, Ross discovers a new talent and finds new friends in Middle School. Humorous black-and-white comics and spot art.
Wish and the Peacock, The
Wendy S. Swore
Ages: 9+
Published: 2020
Twelve-year-old Paige has been trying to save the family farm since her father's death. Can her plans to sabotage her mother's decision to sell the farm succeed?
Wendy S. Swore
Ages: 9+
Published: 2020
Twelve-year-old Paige has been trying to save the family farm since her father's death. Can her plans to sabotage her mother's decision to sell the farm succeed?
Wishes and Wellingtons
Julie Berry
Ages: 9+
Published: 2020
At strict Miss Salamanca's London Boarding School for Upright Young Ladies, Maeve discovers a hidden, magical Djinni and learns to harness its powers for adventure and personal growth.
Julie Berry
Ages: 9+
Published: 2020
At strict Miss Salamanca's London Boarding School for Upright Young Ladies, Maeve discovers a hidden, magical Djinni and learns to harness its powers for adventure and personal growth.
Wish in the Dark, A
Christina Soontornvat
Ages: 9+
Published: 2020
After escaping orphan's prison, Pong, 13, is pursued by Nok, the prison warden's daughter, as a revolution against the tyrannical governor of Chattana is planned.
Christina Soontornvat
Ages: 9+
Published: 2020
After escaping orphan's prison, Pong, 13, is pursued by Nok, the prison warden's daughter, as a revolution against the tyrannical governor of Chattana is planned.
Witches of Brooklyn
Escabasse, Sophie
Illustrator: Escabasse, Sophie
Ages: 9+
Published: 2020
Charmed by her eccentric aunts, Effie, a temperamental rock star in crisis, begins life as a witch. a lively, full-color graphic novel.
Escabasse, Sophie
Illustrator: Escabasse, Sophie
Ages: 9+
Published: 2020
Charmed by her eccentric aunts, Effie, a temperamental rock star in crisis, begins life as a witch. a lively, full-color graphic novel.
WOKE: A Young Poet's Call to Justice
Mahogany L. Browne with Elizabeth Acevedo, Olivia Gatwood, et al.
Illustrator: Theodore Taylor III
Ages: 9+
Published: 2020
Encouragement for young poets to find their own voices and stand up for what is right. Bold, stylized illustrations.
Mahogany L. Browne with Elizabeth Acevedo, Olivia Gatwood, et al.
Illustrator: Theodore Taylor III
Ages: 9+
Published: 2020
Encouragement for young poets to find their own voices and stand up for what is right. Bold, stylized illustrations.
Wolf for a Spell, A
Karah Sutton
Illustrator: Pauliina Hannuniemi
Ages: 9+
Published: 2020
An orphan, a witch, a wolf all want to protect the forest, but the rules of the forest require a favor for a favor. Black-and-white digital illustrations.
Karah Sutton
Illustrator: Pauliina Hannuniemi
Ages: 9+
Published: 2020
An orphan, a witch, a wolf all want to protect the forest, but the rules of the forest require a favor for a favor. Black-and-white digital illustrations.
Wonder of Wildflowers, The
Anna Staniszewski
Ages: 9+
Published: 2020
In Amberland since she was five, Mira, 10, is still seen as an outsider. Will a magic dose of Amber change attitudes?
Anna Staniszewski
Ages: 9+
Published: 2020
In Amberland since she was five, Mira, 10, is still seen as an outsider. Will a magic dose of Amber change attitudes?
World of Glass: The Art of Dale Chihuly
Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan
Illustrator: Archival photos
Ages: 9+
Published: 2020
Full color photography showcase the art, creative process, and life of Dale Chihuly's contemporary glassblowing techniques. Endnotes, bibliography, art locations.
Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan
Illustrator: Archival photos
Ages: 9+
Published: 2020
Full color photography showcase the art, creative process, and life of Dale Chihuly's contemporary glassblowing techniques. Endnotes, bibliography, art locations.
Wrong Way Summer
Heidi Lang
Ages: 9+
Published: 2020
Claire, 12, and her younger brother start living on the road in a van when her always-inventive father can't pay the mortgage.
Heidi Lang
Ages: 9+
Published: 2020
Claire, 12, and her younger brother start living on the road in a van when her always-inventive father can't pay the mortgage.
Yorick and Bones: The Last Graphic Novel by William Shakespeare
Jeremy Tankard and Hermione Tankard
Illustrator: Jeremy Tankard
Ages: 9+
Published: 2020
Shakespeare would laugh up his puffy sleeve at the antics of "poor Yorick" and the furry friend who digs him up. Vibrant, colorful illustrations.
Jeremy Tankard and Hermione Tankard
Illustrator: Jeremy Tankard
Ages: 9+
Published: 2020
Shakespeare would laugh up his puffy sleeve at the antics of "poor Yorick" and the furry friend who digs him up. Vibrant, colorful illustrations.
You're Invited To a Moth Ball: A Nighttime Insect Celebration
Loree Griffin Burns
Illustrator: Ellen Harasimowicz (photographer)
Ages: 9+
Published: 2020
How to create an outdoor science lab to attract and study moths. Color photographs. Glossary, resources.
Loree Griffin Burns
Illustrator: Ellen Harasimowicz (photographer)
Ages: 9+
Published: 2020
How to create an outdoor science lab to attract and study moths. Color photographs. Glossary, resources.
Your Place in the Universe
Jason Chin
Illustrator: Jason Chin
Ages: 9+
Published: 2020
Dramatic illustrations with clearly labeled diagrams and child-friendly text convey the majesty and the relative sizes and distances of various components of the cosmos.
Jason Chin
Illustrator: Jason Chin
Ages: 9+
Published: 2020
Dramatic illustrations with clearly labeled diagrams and child-friendly text convey the majesty and the relative sizes and distances of various components of the cosmos.
A Book about Whales
written and illustrated by Andrea Antinori
Ages: 9+
Published: 2019
Clear, detailed writing and whimsical black-and-white drawings bring the underwater world of earth's marvelous mammals to life. Bibliography, index.
written and illustrated by Andrea Antinori
Ages: 9+
Published: 2019
Clear, detailed writing and whimsical black-and-white drawings bring the underwater world of earth's marvelous mammals to life. Bibliography, index.
A Green Place to Be
written and illustrated by Ashley Benham Yazdani
Ages: 9+
Published: 2019
The creation of New York's Central Park is depicted in beautiful watercolors. Extensive back matter.
written and illustrated by Ashley Benham Yazdani
Ages: 9+
Published: 2019
The creation of New York's Central Park is depicted in beautiful watercolors. Extensive back matter.
Allies
by Alan Gratz
Ages: 9+
Published: 2019
What was D-Day really like? The invasion is seen through the eyes of a American soldier whose family fled Germany and French citizens living through the invasion. Back matter. [Single map at the beginning of the book]
by Alan Gratz
Ages: 9+
Published: 2019
What was D-Day really like? The invasion is seen through the eyes of a American soldier whose family fled Germany and French citizens living through the invasion. Back matter. [Single map at the beginning of the book]
All in a Drop
by Lori Alexander
Illustrator: Vivien Mildenberger
Ages: 9+
Published: 2019
In 17th century Netherlands, a young cloth dealer discovers a world invisible to the naked eye. Notes, glossary, sources, timeline. Pastel, colored pencil, and watercolor illustrations.
by Lori Alexander
Illustrator: Vivien Mildenberger
Ages: 9+
Published: 2019
In 17th century Netherlands, a young cloth dealer discovers a world invisible to the naked eye. Notes, glossary, sources, timeline. Pastel, colored pencil, and watercolor illustrations.
All of Me
by Chris Baron
Ages: 9+
Published: 2019
Ari, chronically overweight, journeys to define himself beyond his body image, discovering his true worth and those of family and friends. Told in free verse.
by Chris Baron
Ages: 9+
Published: 2019
Ari, chronically overweight, journeys to define himself beyond his body image, discovering his true worth and those of family and friends. Told in free verse.