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
Desert Queen
Jyoti Rajan Gopal
Illustrator: Svabhu Kohli
Ages: 9+
Published: 2023
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books/Levine Querido
ISBN: 978-1-64614-262-0
Keywords: Jaisalmer, Northern India, folk dance-India, drag performers, orphans, discrimination, LGBTQ+
When he and his sisters were orphaned, a boy used his dance talents to become a famous drag performer, championing the folk traditions of Rajasthan. Lyrical free verse text. Swirling mixed-media illustrations. Back matter.