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

Not an Easy Win

Chrystal D. Giles

Ages: 12+

Published: 2023

Publisher: Random House Children's Books/PRH

ISBN: 978-0-593-17521-7

Keywords: Friendship, Mentors, Grandparents, Prison, African Americans

Following another school fight, African American Lawrence, 12, is suspended, but finds refuge at the local recreation center where learning to play competitive chess gives him new hope.