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

Once There Was

Kiyash Monsef

Ages: 14+

Published: 2023

Publisher: Simon & Schuster BFYR/S & S

ISBN: 978-1-6659-2850-2

Keywords: Magic, unicorns, storytelling, grief, friendship, griffon, manticore, monsters, djinn

Following the sudden death of her Iranian father, Marjan inherits his veterinary clinic, discovering his patients included mythical animals. She resolves to uncover the mystery surrounding his life.