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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The One and Only Ivan
by Katherine Applegate
Illustrator: Patricia Castelao
Ages: 9+
Published: 2012
Ivan, a silverback gorilla, must entertain customers in the tacky Big Top Mall. Can Ivan's artistic talents save a baby elephant from the same fate? Soulful half-tone illustrations add dimension to the animal characters.
by Katherine Applegate
Illustrator: Patricia Castelao
Ages: 9+
Published: 2012
Ivan, a silverback gorilla, must entertain customers in the tacky Big Top Mall. Can Ivan's artistic talents save a baby elephant from the same fate? Soulful half-tone illustrations add dimension to the animal characters.
The Plant Hunters
by Anita Silvey
Ages: 9+
Published: 2012
Adventurous plant hunters risked their lives in uncharted places as they collected new, unusual plant specimens for science and profitable agriculture.
by Anita Silvey
Ages: 9+
Published: 2012
Adventurous plant hunters risked their lives in uncharted places as they collected new, unusual plant specimens for science and profitable agriculture.
The Poppy Lady
by Barbara Elizabeth Walsh
Illustrator: Layne Johnson
Ages: 9+
Published: 2012
Learn about the school teacher from Georgia who helped make the poppy a symbol of the sacrifice of fallen soldiers. Rich oil paintings.
by Barbara Elizabeth Walsh
Illustrator: Layne Johnson
Ages: 9+
Published: 2012
Learn about the school teacher from Georgia who helped make the poppy a symbol of the sacrifice of fallen soldiers. Rich oil paintings.
The Prince Who Fell From the Sky
by John Claude Bemis
Ages: 9+
Published: 2012
A motherly bear, a clever rat, and a dog join forces to to protect a young human survivor in a dangerous postapocalyptic world.
by John Claude Bemis
Ages: 9+
Published: 2012
A motherly bear, a clever rat, and a dog join forces to to protect a young human survivor in a dangerous postapocalyptic world.
The Sea Wolves
by Christopher Golden
Illustrator: Greg Ruth
Ages: 9+
Published: 2012
Young Jack is abducted aboard a pirate ship; with a captain and crew of werewolves. He manages to be the victor with the help of a strange woman.
by Christopher Golden
Illustrator: Greg Ruth
Ages: 9+
Published: 2012
Young Jack is abducted aboard a pirate ship; with a captain and crew of werewolves. He manages to be the victor with the help of a strange woman.
The Seven Tales of Trinket
by Shelley Moore Thomas
Ages: 9+
Published: 2012
After her mother's death, Trinket leaves home on a quest to find her father and to win the right to call herself a storyteller.
by Shelley Moore Thomas
Ages: 9+
Published: 2012
After her mother's death, Trinket leaves home on a quest to find her father and to win the right to call herself a storyteller.
The Skull in the Rock
by Lee R. Berger
Ages: 9+
Published: 2012
After nine-year-old Matthew finds a fossil, his father discovers new ways of looking at human evolution.
by Lee R. Berger
Ages: 9+
Published: 2012
After nine-year-old Matthew finds a fossil, his father discovers new ways of looking at human evolution.
The Spindlers
by Lauren Oliver
Illustrator: Iacopo Bruno
Ages: 9+
Published: 2012
When Liza's little brother goes missing, she knows she needs to save him by going Below; facing fears and uncertainty, she is a heroine to be admired. Elegant black-and-white illustrations.
by Lauren Oliver
Illustrator: Iacopo Bruno
Ages: 9+
Published: 2012
When Liza's little brother goes missing, she knows she needs to save him by going Below; facing fears and uncertainty, she is a heroine to be admired. Elegant black-and-white illustrations.
The Story of Silk
by Richard Sobol
Ages: 9+
Published: 2012
Chinese legends, mulberries, worms, spit, and poop unite to make beautiful silk clothing, providing Thai women with a viable trade and a proud heritage. Photo essay.
by Richard Sobol
Ages: 9+
Published: 2012
Chinese legends, mulberries, worms, spit, and poop unite to make beautiful silk clothing, providing Thai women with a viable trade and a proud heritage. Photo essay.
The Templeton Twins Have an Idea
by Ellis Weiner
Illustrator: Jeremy Holmes
Ages: 9+
Published: 2012
The resourceful Templeton twins rescue their inventor father from a vengeful former student. A cranky narrator, humorous quizzes, and enticing blue illustrations add to the fun.
by Ellis Weiner
Illustrator: Jeremy Holmes
Ages: 9+
Published: 2012
The resourceful Templeton twins rescue their inventor father from a vengeful former student. A cranky narrator, humorous quizzes, and enticing blue illustrations add to the fun.
The Universe of Fair
by Leslie Bulion
Illustrator: Frank W. Dormer
Ages: 9+
Published: 2012
Eleven-year-old Miller desperately wants to join his friend and have fun at the annual fair but finds more obstacles than his scientific mind could have imagined. Cartoonlike illustrations.
by Leslie Bulion
Illustrator: Frank W. Dormer
Ages: 9+
Published: 2012
Eleven-year-old Miller desperately wants to join his friend and have fun at the annual fair but finds more obstacles than his scientific mind could have imagined. Cartoonlike illustrations.
The Vengekeep Prophecies
by Brian Farrey
Ages: 9+
Published: 2012
Clumsy Jaxten Grimjinx may have the solution to the prophecy foretold with seemingly impenetrable fateskein.
by Brian Farrey
Ages: 9+
Published: 2012
Clumsy Jaxten Grimjinx may have the solution to the prophecy foretold with seemingly impenetrable fateskein.
The Voyage of Lucy P. Simmons
by Barbara Mariconda
Ages: 9+
Published: 2012
After Lucy's parents drown, a mysterious woman comes to her defense against a greedy uncle's bid for her grand house and family fortune.
by Barbara Mariconda
Ages: 9+
Published: 2012
After Lucy's parents drown, a mysterious woman comes to her defense against a greedy uncle's bid for her grand house and family fortune.
The White Zone
by Carolyn Marsden
Ages: 9+
Published: 2012
In 2007 two cousins, one Shiite and one half-Sunni, struggle to live a normal life in war-torn Baghad. Soldiers and civilians are caught up in fighting, and families are torn apart.
by Carolyn Marsden
Ages: 9+
Published: 2012
In 2007 two cousins, one Shiite and one half-Sunni, struggle to live a normal life in war-torn Baghad. Soldiers and civilians are caught up in fighting, and families are torn apart.
The Whole Story of Half a Girl
by Veera Hiranandani
Ages: 9+
Published: 2012
No one at the public school looks like Sonia--half South Indian, half Jewish. She uses her talents to try to make friends and find herself.
by Veera Hiranandani
Ages: 9+
Published: 2012
No one at the public school looks like Sonia--half South Indian, half Jewish. She uses her talents to try to make friends and find herself.
The Wild Book
by Margarita Engle
Ages: 9+
Published: 2012
Growing up in post-revolutionary Cuba, dyslexic Fefa learns to read--and is able to save her family--through writing words in a notebook. Written in blank verse.
by Margarita Engle
Ages: 9+
Published: 2012
Growing up in post-revolutionary Cuba, dyslexic Fefa learns to read--and is able to save her family--through writing words in a notebook. Written in blank verse.
Three Times Lucky
by Sheila Turnage
Ages: 9+
Published: 2012
In a small town, eleven-year-old Mo LoBeau tries every creative escapade imaginable to solve a murder and protect the only family she has ever known
by Sheila Turnage
Ages: 9+
Published: 2012
In a small town, eleven-year-old Mo LoBeau tries every creative escapade imaginable to solve a murder and protect the only family she has ever known
Touch the Sky
by Ann Malaspina
Illustrator: Eric Velasquez
Ages: 9+
Published: 2012
Lyrical poetry and expressive oil paintings contribute to this life of the first African American woman to win an Olympic medal in 1948. Bibliography, photographs.
by Ann Malaspina
Illustrator: Eric Velasquez
Ages: 9+
Published: 2012
Lyrical poetry and expressive oil paintings contribute to this life of the first African American woman to win an Olympic medal in 1948. Bibliography, photographs.
Tracks
by Diane Lee Wilson
Ages: 9+
Published: 2012
Despite mistrust and prejudice, an Irish boy and a Chinese boy become friends while working on the Transcontinental Railroad in 1866.
by Diane Lee Wilson
Ages: 9+
Published: 2012
Despite mistrust and prejudice, an Irish boy and a Chinese boy become friends while working on the Transcontinental Railroad in 1866.
True Colors
by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock
Ages: 9+
Published: 2012
The Korean War is raging, England is preparing for Elizabeth II's coronation, and Blue Spooner, an orphan abandoned as an infant, is searching for her mother.
by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock
Ages: 9+
Published: 2012
The Korean War is raging, England is preparing for Elizabeth II's coronation, and Blue Spooner, an orphan abandoned as an infant, is searching for her mother.
Tua and the Elephant
by R. P. Harris
Illustrator: Taeeun Yoo
Ages: 9+
Published: 2012
Tua, a young Thai girl, releases an abused elephant from its chains. Can she find a safe place for the elephant without being caught herself? Colorful illustrations rendered in charcoal, linoleum block print, and Photoshop.
by R. P. Harris
Illustrator: Taeeun Yoo
Ages: 9+
Published: 2012
Tua, a young Thai girl, releases an abused elephant from its chains. Can she find a safe place for the elephant without being caught herself? Colorful illustrations rendered in charcoal, linoleum block print, and Photoshop.
Ungifted
by Gordon Korman
Ages: 9+
Published: 2012
When prankster Donovan Curtis lands in a school for the gifted, he knows he is misplaced, but unexpectedly makes his mark.
by Gordon Korman
Ages: 9+
Published: 2012
When prankster Donovan Curtis lands in a school for the gifted, he knows he is misplaced, but unexpectedly makes his mark.
Unspoken
written and illustrated by Henry Cole
Ages: 9+
Published: 2012
Pencil drawings on charcoal paper depict the dramatic story of a girl who discovers a runaway slave on the family farm and helps him escape. A wordless book with an afterward by the artist.
written and illustrated by Henry Cole
Ages: 9+
Published: 2012
Pencil drawings on charcoal paper depict the dramatic story of a girl who discovers a runaway slave on the family farm and helps him escape. A wordless book with an afterward by the artist.
Unusual Creatures
by Michael Hearst
Ages: 9+
Published: 2012
The blobfish is the Jell-O of the sea, the Jesus Christ Lizard appears to walk on water, and the Hagfish secretes gross slime--learn more about these and other extraordinary animals.
by Michael Hearst
Ages: 9+
Published: 2012
The blobfish is the Jell-O of the sea, the Jesus Christ Lizard appears to walk on water, and the Hagfish secretes gross slime--learn more about these and other extraordinary animals.
Vanishing Acts
by Leslie Margolis
Ages: 9+
Published: 2012
Who's egging dogs in Prospect Park and where is the young star of a film being shot there? Can Maggie Brooklyn solve these two mysteries?
by Leslie Margolis
Ages: 9+
Published: 2012
Who's egging dogs in Prospect Park and where is the young star of a film being shot there? Can Maggie Brooklyn solve these two mysteries?