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

Gardener of Alcatraz, The: A True Story

Emma Bland Smith

Illustrator: Jenn Ely

Ages: 6+

Published: 2022

Publisher: Charlesbridge

ISBN: 978-1-62354-160-6

Keywords: cottage-style gardening, warden, trustworthiness, incarceration

When Elliot Michener, convicted counterfeiter, was assigned to work as a prison gardener, he discovered his passion and found redemption. Gouache and digital illustrations. Back matter.