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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Stone Is a Story, A
Leslie Barnard Booth
Illustrator: Marc Martin
Ages: 9+
Published: 2023
How is a stone formed and transformed over time? Lyrically told and dramatically illustrated in a muted-color palette. Watercolor illustrations. Back matter.
Leslie Barnard Booth
Illustrator: Marc Martin
Ages: 9+
Published: 2023
How is a stone formed and transformed over time? Lyrically told and dramatically illustrated in a muted-color palette. Watercolor illustrations. Back matter.
Storyteller, The
Brandon Hobson
Ages: 9+
Published: 2023
Ziggy, a Cherokee boy searching for his mom who disappeared many years ago, meets humans and animals whose stories help him with his anxiety.
Brandon Hobson
Ages: 9+
Published: 2023
Ziggy, a Cherokee boy searching for his mom who disappeared many years ago, meets humans and animals whose stories help him with his anxiety.
Sweetness All Around
Suzanne Supplee
Ages: 9+
Published: 2023
Her parents' divorce and financial difficulties force almost-11-year-old Josephine to move into a dingy trailer park with her mother. Can she find friends? Set in 1974.
Suzanne Supplee
Ages: 9+
Published: 2023
Her parents' divorce and financial difficulties force almost-11-year-old Josephine to move into a dingy trailer park with her mother. Can she find friends? Set in 1974.
Swifts, The: A Dictionary of Scoundrels
Beth Lincoln
Illustrator: Claire Powell
Ages: 9+
Published: 2023
At a family reunion in a labyrinthine mansion, three clever and resourceful young sisters try to solve a series of murders. Playful wordsmithing. Gothic, comical black-and-white illustrations.
Beth Lincoln
Illustrator: Claire Powell
Ages: 9+
Published: 2023
At a family reunion in a labyrinthine mansion, three clever and resourceful young sisters try to solve a series of murders. Playful wordsmithing. Gothic, comical black-and-white illustrations.
Talia's Codebook for Mathletes
Marissa Moss
Illustrator: Marissa Moss
Ages: 9+
Published: 2023
Facing discrimination as the lone girl on the Mathlete team prompts Talia to form a girls' team to compete. Includes codes to crack. Ink, watercolor, and gouache illustrations.
Marissa Moss
Illustrator: Marissa Moss
Ages: 9+
Published: 2023
Facing discrimination as the lone girl on the Mathlete team prompts Talia to form a girls' team to compete. Includes codes to crack. Ink, watercolor, and gouache illustrations.
To Boldly Go: How Nichelle Nichols and Star Trek Helped Advance Civil Rights
Angela Dalton
Illustrator: Lauren Semmer
Ages: 9+
Published: 2023
Feeling underutilized as Lieutenant Uhura on Star Trek, Nichols was about to quit, until she had a transformative conversation with Martin Luther King Jr. Colorful digital illustrations. Back matter.
Angela Dalton
Illustrator: Lauren Semmer
Ages: 9+
Published: 2023
Feeling underutilized as Lieutenant Uhura on Star Trek, Nichols was about to quit, until she had a transformative conversation with Martin Luther King Jr. Colorful digital illustrations. Back matter.
Total Garbage: A Messy Dive into Trash, Waste, and Our World
Rebecca Donnelly
Illustrator: John Hendrix
Ages: 9+
Published: 2023
What is trash? Where does it come from? Where does it go? And how can we be environmentally responsible? Line drawings match the blue ink of the text, adding humor and providing additional information. Time line, index, and resources.
Rebecca Donnelly
Illustrator: John Hendrix
Ages: 9+
Published: 2023
What is trash? Where does it come from? Where does it go? And how can we be environmentally responsible? Line drawings match the blue ink of the text, adding humor and providing additional information. Time line, index, and resources.
To the Ice
Thomas Tidholm
Illustrator: Anna-Clara Tidholm
Ages: 9+
Published: 2023
When the ice of the creek on which they are playing cracks, Ida, Max, and Jack loat out to the river, then to the sea. Striking color illustrations of the children's adventurous journey.
Thomas Tidholm
Illustrator: Anna-Clara Tidholm
Ages: 9+
Published: 2023
When the ice of the creek on which they are playing cracks, Ida, Max, and Jack loat out to the river, then to the sea. Striking color illustrations of the children's adventurous journey.
Travis Daventhorpe: For the Win! (Travis Daventhorpe series)
Wes Molebash
Illustrator: Wes Molebash
Ages: 9+
Published: 2023
Travis, an 11-year-old genius robotic engineer, is an outcast, until he discovers a multiverse. Now its survival depends on him, a wizard, and his sentient robot. Energetic cartoon illustrations.
Wes Molebash
Illustrator: Wes Molebash
Ages: 9+
Published: 2023
Travis, an 11-year-old genius robotic engineer, is an outcast, until he discovers a multiverse. Now its survival depends on him, a wizard, and his sentient robot. Energetic cartoon illustrations.
Turtles of the Midnight Moon
María José Fitzgerald
Ages: 9+
Published: 2023
Excited to be visiting Honduras, 12-year-old Abby agrees to help her new friend Barana stop local poachers from stealing sea turtles' eggs. Map and author's note.
María José Fitzgerald
Ages: 9+
Published: 2023
Excited to be visiting Honduras, 12-year-old Abby agrees to help her new friend Barana stop local poachers from stealing sea turtles' eggs. Map and author's note.
Unstoppable: How Bayard Rustin Organized the 1963 March on Washington
Michael G. Long
Illustrator: Bea Jackson
Ages: 9+
Published: 2023
Despite the backlash Rustin faced for being gay, his dedication to nonviolence and tireless organizing skills were unwavering. Dynamic prose and full-color illustrations. Back matter.
Michael G. Long
Illustrator: Bea Jackson
Ages: 9+
Published: 2023
Despite the backlash Rustin faced for being gay, his dedication to nonviolence and tireless organizing skills were unwavering. Dynamic prose and full-color illustrations. Back matter.
Vaccine Is Like a Memory, A
Rajani LaRocca, MD
Illustrator: Kathleen Marcotte
Ages: 9+
Published: 2023
A straightforward, accessible explanation of the globe-spanning history and science behind lifesaving vaccines. Extensive sidebars. Cheerful illustrations. Back matter.
Rajani LaRocca, MD
Illustrator: Kathleen Marcotte
Ages: 9+
Published: 2023
A straightforward, accessible explanation of the globe-spanning history and science behind lifesaving vaccines. Extensive sidebars. Cheerful illustrations. Back matter.
Very Unfortunate Wish of Melony Yoshimura, The
Waka T. Brown
Illustrator: Shoko Ishida
Ages: 9+
Published: 2023
Melony wishes for freedom from her overprotective parents. A shape-shifting demon, posing as her best friend, sabotages all her relationships. Spot art. Based on a Japanese folk tale.
Waka T. Brown
Illustrator: Shoko Ishida
Ages: 9+
Published: 2023
Melony wishes for freedom from her overprotective parents. A shape-shifting demon, posing as her best friend, sabotages all her relationships. Spot art. Based on a Japanese folk tale.
Walk in the Woods, A
Nikki Grimes
Illustrator: Jerry Pinkney, Brian Pinkney
Ages: 9+
Published: 2023
A map left by his late father leads a boy through the woods to a treasure trove that assuages his grief. Extraordinary watercolors of woods and wildlife. Free verse.
Nikki Grimes
Illustrator: Jerry Pinkney, Brian Pinkney
Ages: 9+
Published: 2023
A map left by his late father leads a boy through the woods to a treasure trove that assuages his grief. Extraordinary watercolors of woods and wildlife. Free verse.
Welcome to the Wonder House
Rebecca Kai Dotlich & Georgia Heard
Illustrator: Deborah Freedman
Ages: 9+
Published: 2023
Twenty-nine poems, housed on dreamy muted-palette backgrounds and assigned to 12 rooms based on their musings, encourage curiosity and questions.
Rebecca Kai Dotlich & Georgia Heard
Illustrator: Deborah Freedman
Ages: 9+
Published: 2023
Twenty-nine poems, housed on dreamy muted-palette backgrounds and assigned to 12 rooms based on their musings, encourage curiosity and questions.
We Still Belong
Christine Day
Ages: 9+
Published: 2023
Wesley's plans for Indigenous Peoples' Day go all wrong, until she finds herself surrounded by the love of her family and community at the intertribal powwow.
Christine Day
Ages: 9+
Published: 2023
Wesley's plans for Indigenous Peoples' Day go all wrong, until she finds herself surrounded by the love of her family and community at the intertribal powwow.
We the Sea Turtles: A Collection of Island Stories
Michelle Kadarusman
Illustrator: Doug Panton
Ages: 9+
Published: 2023
The lives of young people intersect with the natural world, including the turtles that inhabit it and the effects of climate change. Black-and-white illustrations.
Michelle Kadarusman
Illustrator: Doug Panton
Ages: 9+
Published: 2023
The lives of young people intersect with the natural world, including the turtles that inhabit it and the effects of climate change. Black-and-white illustrations.
Whale of a Time, A: A Funny Poem for Each Day of the Year
Lou Peacock (selected by)
Illustrator: Matt Hunt
Ages: 9+
Published: 2023
Whimsical, witty, often hilarious poems for each calendar day by poets, familiar and unfamiliar. Varied poetic forms. Comical illustrations of diverse children. Indexes. Bibliography.
Lou Peacock (selected by)
Illustrator: Matt Hunt
Ages: 9+
Published: 2023
Whimsical, witty, often hilarious poems for each calendar day by poets, familiar and unfamiliar. Varied poetic forms. Comical illustrations of diverse children. Indexes. Bibliography.
What You Need to Be Warm
Neil Gaiman
Illustrator: 13 illustrators
Ages: 9+
Published: 2023
What are your memories of being warm? The UN Refugee Agency goodwill ambassador has woven the responses to his question into a free-verse poem. Illustrated by 13 notable artists. Back matter.
Neil Gaiman
Illustrator: 13 illustrators
Ages: 9+
Published: 2023
What are your memories of being warm? The UN Refugee Agency goodwill ambassador has woven the responses to his question into a free-verse poem. Illustrated by 13 notable artists. Back matter.
When Sea Becomes Sky
Gillian McDunn
Illustrator: Yaoyao Ma Van As
Ages: 9+
Published: 2023
The enduring love of a sister for her brother shines through as they seek to solve the mystery of a statue found in an island marsh. Atmospheric black-and-white illustrations. Author's note.
Gillian McDunn
Illustrator: Yaoyao Ma Van As
Ages: 9+
Published: 2023
The enduring love of a sister for her brother shines through as they seek to solve the mystery of a statue found in an island marsh. Atmospheric black-and-white illustrations. Author's note.
Where the Water Takes Us
Alan Barillaro
Illustrator: Alan Barillaro
Ages: 9+
Published: 2023
At a remote Canadian lake, Ava has a loving relationship with her grandparents and an interest in birds, but a difficult relationship with a new summer resident. Soft watercolor vignettes.
Alan Barillaro
Illustrator: Alan Barillaro
Ages: 9+
Published: 2023
At a remote Canadian lake, Ava has a loving relationship with her grandparents and an interest in birds, but a difficult relationship with a new summer resident. Soft watercolor vignettes.
Wild Journey of Juniper Berry, The
Chad Morris and Shelly Brown
Ages: 9+
Published: 2023
Juniper enjoys her family's life in the woods. Then her brother requires hospitalization, and they have to venture into “society” and engage with running water and electricity, as well as with other people.
Chad Morris and Shelly Brown
Ages: 9+
Published: 2023
Juniper enjoys her family's life in the woods. Then her brother requires hospitalization, and they have to venture into “society” and engage with running water and electricity, as well as with other people.
Wild Robot Protects, The (The Wild Robot Series)
Peter Brown
Illustrator: Peter Brown
Ages: 9+
Published: 2023
The emotionally intelligent robot, Roz, takes on the fight against environmental pollution. Action-packed monochromatic illustrations.
Peter Brown
Illustrator: Peter Brown
Ages: 9+
Published: 2023
The emotionally intelligent robot, Roz, takes on the fight against environmental pollution. Action-packed monochromatic illustrations.
Wishing Season
Anica Mrose Rissi
Ages: 9+
Published: 2023
Grieving the death of her twin brother, 11-year-old Lily, believes he reappears in a place special to them both. Loving and realistic portrayal of the healing process.
Anica Mrose Rissi
Ages: 9+
Published: 2023
Grieving the death of her twin brother, 11-year-old Lily, believes he reappears in a place special to them both. Loving and realistic portrayal of the healing process.
Witch of Woodland, The
Laurel Snyder
Ages: 9+
Published: 2023
Estranged from her best friend and preparing for her bat mitzvah, witch Zippy conjures an angel-like creature who helps to reconcile Zippy with her Jewish identity.
Laurel Snyder
Ages: 9+
Published: 2023
Estranged from her best friend and preparing for her bat mitzvah, witch Zippy conjures an angel-like creature who helps to reconcile Zippy with her Jewish identity.