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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Unhappy Camper
Lily LaMotte
Illustrator: Ann Xu, colors by Sunmi
Ages: 9+
Published: 2024
Michelle is unhappy when she is sent to camp with her sister to learn about her Taiwanese heritage, but will she perhaps learn something important about herself? Digital illustrations.
Lily LaMotte
Illustrator: Ann Xu, colors by Sunmi
Ages: 9+
Published: 2024
Michelle is unhappy when she is sent to camp with her sister to learn about her Taiwanese heritage, but will she perhaps learn something important about herself? Digital illustrations.
Unicorn Boy
Dave Roman
Illustrator: Dave Roman, colors by Heather Mann
Ages: 9+
Published: 2024
Brian Reyes inexplicably grows a unicorn horn and gains superpowers. Can he rescue his best friend with help from a magic muffin and black cat? Amusing text. Colorful panels.
Dave Roman
Illustrator: Dave Roman, colors by Heather Mann
Ages: 9+
Published: 2024
Brian Reyes inexplicably grows a unicorn horn and gains superpowers. Can he rescue his best friend with help from a magic muffin and black cat? Amusing text. Colorful panels.
Uprooted: A Memoir About What Happens When Your Family Moves Back
Ruth Chan
Illustrator: Ruth Chan
Ages: 9+
Published: 2024
With courage modelled on her father's origin story, Ruth navigates the challenging move from Toronto to Hong Kong. Cartoon-style pastel-colored panels.
Ruth Chan
Illustrator: Ruth Chan
Ages: 9+
Published: 2024
With courage modelled on her father's origin story, Ruth navigates the challenging move from Toronto to Hong Kong. Cartoon-style pastel-colored panels.
Violin of Hope
Ella Schwartz
Illustrator: Juliana Oakley
Ages: 9+
Published: 2024
A violin, seized and discarded by the Nazis, is lovingly restored. The new owner breaks its years of silence, filling concert halls with Jewish music. Poignant illustrations. Author's note.
Ella Schwartz
Illustrator: Juliana Oakley
Ages: 9+
Published: 2024
A violin, seized and discarded by the Nazis, is lovingly restored. The new owner breaks its years of silence, filling concert halls with Jewish music. Poignant illustrations. Author's note.
Volcanoes
Nell Cross Beckerman
Illustrator: Kalen Chock
Ages: 9+
Published: 2024
Magnificent illustrations and poetic language depict the five types of eruptions and more, while conveying the power and mystery of volcanoes.
Nell Cross Beckerman
Illustrator: Kalen Chock
Ages: 9+
Published: 2024
Magnificent illustrations and poetic language depict the five types of eruptions and more, while conveying the power and mystery of volcanoes.
Warrior on the Mound
Sandra W. Headen
Ages: 9+
Published: 2024
The orphaned son of an ace Negro League pitcher dreams of following in his beloved father's footsteps. But North Carolina in 1939 is a dangerous place to be Black. Mature content
Sandra W. Headen
Ages: 9+
Published: 2024
The orphaned son of an ace Negro League pitcher dreams of following in his beloved father's footsteps. But North Carolina in 1939 is a dangerous place to be Black. Mature content
Wat Takes His Shot: The Life & Legacy of Basketball Hero Wataru Misaka
Cheryl Kim
Illustrator: Nat Iwata
Ages: 9+
Published: 2024
Initially relegated to racially segregated teams in pre-World War II Utah, in 1947 a determined Japanese American became the first non-white player in professional basketball. Atmospheric digital illustrations. Back matter.
Cheryl Kim
Illustrator: Nat Iwata
Ages: 9+
Published: 2024
Initially relegated to racially segregated teams in pre-World War II Utah, in 1947 a determined Japanese American became the first non-white player in professional basketball. Atmospheric digital illustrations. Back matter.
Weirdo
Tony Weaver, Jr.
Illustrator: Jes Wibowo and Cin Wibowo
Ages: 9+
Published: 2024
Tony, a Black boy, is bullied because of his love of comic books and anime, until he finds other nerdy kids and himself. Semi-autobiographical. Emotional graphic drawings in many different styles.
Tony Weaver, Jr.
Illustrator: Jes Wibowo and Cin Wibowo
Ages: 9+
Published: 2024
Tony, a Black boy, is bullied because of his love of comic books and anime, until he finds other nerdy kids and himself. Semi-autobiographical. Emotional graphic drawings in many different styles.
We Sing from the Heart: How The Slants® Took Their Fight for Free Speech to the Supreme Court
Mia Wenjen
Illustrator: Victor Bizar Gómez
Ages: 9+
Published: 2024
A rock band battled to keep its chosen name, a racial slur that its own members had been called. Expressive digital art. Short biographies of other Asian American activists. Sources. Song lyrics.
Mia Wenjen
Illustrator: Victor Bizar Gómez
Ages: 9+
Published: 2024
A rock band battled to keep its chosen name, a racial slur that its own members had been called. Expressive digital art. Short biographies of other Asian American activists. Sources. Song lyrics.
We Who Produce Pearls: An Anthem for Asian America
Joanna Ho
Illustrator: Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya
Ages: 9+
Published: 2024
Strong free verse praises the Asians who settled, worked, and created in North America, but were disregarded or discriminated against. Bold digital illustrations. Discussion questions and "starting points" in back matter.
Joanna Ho
Illustrator: Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya
Ages: 9+
Published: 2024
Strong free verse praises the Asians who settled, worked, and created in North America, but were disregarded or discriminated against. Bold digital illustrations. Discussion questions and "starting points" in back matter.
Whales and Us: Our Shared Journey
India Desjardins
Illustrator: Nathalie Dion
Ages: 9+
Published: 2024
Whales and humans have a powerful impact on each other. How can we use our knowledge of their biology and behavior to keep them safe? Informative digital illustrations. Index, references.
India Desjardins
Illustrator: Nathalie Dion
Ages: 9+
Published: 2024
Whales and humans have a powerful impact on each other. How can we use our knowledge of their biology and behavior to keep them safe? Informative digital illustrations. Index, references.
What Is Color?: The Global and Sometimes Gross Story of Pigments, Paint, and the Wondrous World of Art
Steven Weinberg
Illustrator: Steven Weinberg
Ages: 9+
Published: 2024
This overview clearly defines scientific principles like the electromagnetic spectrum while describing the connections between color and art throughout history. Energetic cartoon-style illustrations. Back matter.
Steven Weinberg
Illustrator: Steven Weinberg
Ages: 9+
Published: 2024
This overview clearly defines scientific principles like the electromagnetic spectrum while describing the connections between color and art throughout history. Energetic cartoon-style illustrations. Back matter.
When Wishes Were Horses
Cynthia Voigt
Illustrator: Ramona Kaulitzki
Ages: 9+
Published: 2024
Two girls and two boys each receive a mysterious letter offering to grant two wishes with the caution “Be wise.” The wishes come true, but in surprising ways. Greyscale spot art.
Cynthia Voigt
Illustrator: Ramona Kaulitzki
Ages: 9+
Published: 2024
Two girls and two boys each receive a mysterious letter offering to grant two wishes with the caution “Be wise.” The wishes come true, but in surprising ways. Greyscale spot art.
Who's Writing This Story?
Robin Newman
Illustrator: Deborah Zemke
Ages: 9+
Published: 2024
The three little pigs and the big bad wolf commandeer an oft-told tale and give it an exciting, modern twist while teaching the components of great stories. Graphic novel-like illustrations.
Robin Newman
Illustrator: Deborah Zemke
Ages: 9+
Published: 2024
The three little pigs and the big bad wolf commandeer an oft-told tale and give it an exciting, modern twist while teaching the components of great stories. Graphic novel-like illustrations.
Wildflower Emily: A Story About Young Emily Dickinson
Lydia Corry
Illustrator: Lydia Corry
Ages: 9+
Published: 2024
Dickinson and her dog Carlo come to life as she wanders meadows in search of flowers. Dramatic, engaging panels interspersed with Dickinson's poems. Biographical highlights, suggested reading.
Lydia Corry
Illustrator: Lydia Corry
Ages: 9+
Published: 2024
Dickinson and her dog Carlo come to life as she wanders meadows in search of flowers. Dramatic, engaging panels interspersed with Dickinson's poems. Biographical highlights, suggested reading.
Wildful
Kengo Kurimoto
Illustrator: Kengo Kurimoto
Ages: 9+
Published: 2024
A chance forest encounter gives Poppy a fresh appreciation of the wondrous web of existence, opening a path, for both her and her mother, away from grieving. Sepia ink and Photoshopped artwork.
Kengo Kurimoto
Illustrator: Kengo Kurimoto
Ages: 9+
Published: 2024
A chance forest encounter gives Poppy a fresh appreciation of the wondrous web of existence, opening a path, for both her and her mother, away from grieving. Sepia ink and Photoshopped artwork.
Wild Wave (The Wild series)
Rodman Philbrick
Ages: 9+
Published: 2024
After a powerful tsunami destroys their coastal town, classmates Nick and Jess escape through a devastated forest but must struggle to get aid for missing helpers who they met as they fled.
Rodman Philbrick
Ages: 9+
Published: 2024
After a powerful tsunami destroys their coastal town, classmates Nick and Jess escape through a devastated forest but must struggle to get aid for missing helpers who they met as they fled.
Wings of an Eagle: the Gold Medal Dreams of Billy Mills
Billy Mills and Donna Janell Bowman
Illustrator: S. D. Nelson
Ages: 9+
Published: 2024
Clinging to his Lakota values and his athletic dream, a boy who experienced extreme poverty, racism, and grief became an Olympic winner. Sensitively rendered illustrations. Photos. Extensive back matter.
Billy Mills and Donna Janell Bowman
Illustrator: S. D. Nelson
Ages: 9+
Published: 2024
Clinging to his Lakota values and his athletic dream, a boy who experienced extreme poverty, racism, and grief became an Olympic winner. Sensitively rendered illustrations. Photos. Extensive back matter.
Wings to Soar
Tina Athaide
Ages: 9+
Published: 2024
Viva and her Indian family adapt to a British camp for Ugandan Asian refugees, but face greater hardships at their relatives' London home while waiting for her father's return. Archival photographs. Author's note.
Tina Athaide
Ages: 9+
Published: 2024
Viva and her Indian family adapt to a British camp for Ugandan Asian refugees, but face greater hardships at their relatives' London home while waiting for her father's return. Archival photographs. Author's note.
Wolf Effect, The: A Wilderness Revival Story (Voice of the Wilderness series)
Roseanne Parry
Illustrator: Jennifer Thermes
Ages: 9+
Published: 2024
Informative lyrical, rhyming text and lively talking animals bring the story of repopulating gray wolves into the Rocky Mountains to life. Detailed watercolors. Map. Extensive back matter.
Roseanne Parry
Illustrator: Jennifer Thermes
Ages: 9+
Published: 2024
Informative lyrical, rhyming text and lively talking animals bring the story of repopulating gray wolves into the Rocky Mountains to life. Detailed watercolors. Map. Extensive back matter.
World of Rot: Learn All About the Wriggly, Slimy, Super-Cool Decomposers We Couldn't Live Without
Britt Crow-Miller
Illustrator: Bruno Valasse
Ages: 9+
Published: 2024
Accessible text and format and dynamic color illustrations portray the complex contribution of organisms in the stages of the decomposition process and its effect on climate change. Experiments and activities included.
Britt Crow-Miller
Illustrator: Bruno Valasse
Ages: 9+
Published: 2024
Accessible text and format and dynamic color illustrations portray the complex contribution of organisms in the stages of the decomposition process and its effect on climate change. Experiments and activities included.
Wrong Way Home, The
Kate O'Shaughnessy
Ages: 9+
Published: 2024
Fern and her mother have been members of the "Ranch" for six years. Their escape to California from this closed community leaves Fern questioning everyone and everything she has known and loved.
Kate O'Shaughnessy
Ages: 9+
Published: 2024
Fern and her mother have been members of the "Ranch" for six years. Their escape to California from this closed community leaves Fern questioning everyone and everything she has known and loved.
Adia Kelbara and the Circle of Shamans
Isi Hendrix
Ages: 9+
Published: 2023
Twelve-year-old orphan Adia seizes the opportunity to apprentice at the Academy of Shamans. Can she channel her powers to rid the emperor of a wicked demon?
Isi Hendrix
Ages: 9+
Published: 2023
Twelve-year-old orphan Adia seizes the opportunity to apprentice at the Academy of Shamans. Can she channel her powers to rid the emperor of a wicked demon?
American Story, An
Kwame Alexander
Illustrator: Dare Coulter
Ages: 9+
Published: 2023
A teacher explains how the effects of slavery connect the past to the present. Free verse. Powerful mixed-media illustrations.
Kwame Alexander
Illustrator: Dare Coulter
Ages: 9+
Published: 2023
A teacher explains how the effects of slavery connect the past to the present. Free verse. Powerful mixed-media illustrations.
Ancestory: The Mystery and Majesty of Cave Art
Hannah Salyer
Illustrator: Hannah Salyer
Ages: 9+
Published: 2023
Vivid images created with colored pencil, charcoal, and pigment illuminate the creative spark that has united humankind throughout the millennia. Back matter includes site map, glossary, and timeline
Hannah Salyer
Illustrator: Hannah Salyer
Ages: 9+
Published: 2023
Vivid images created with colored pencil, charcoal, and pigment illuminate the creative spark that has united humankind throughout the millennia. Back matter includes site map, glossary, and timeline