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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Maya Angelou Finds Her Voice

Connie Roop and Peter Roop

Illustrator: Noa Denmon

Ages: 6+

Published: 2024

Publisher: Aladdin/Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing/Simon & Schuster

ISBN: 978-1-4814-4926-7

Keywords: Biography/Memoir-Selective mutism, African-Americans, segregation, poets, authors, SEL sexual abuse

Following a traumatic assault, young Maya refused to speak for years, until the wise and patient Mrs. Flowers helped her find her words again. Artwork portrays the time period, capturing both joy and sorrow.