Best & Brightest Children’s Books of 2018Board Books
I Am a Baby by Kathryn Madeline Allen. Birth-Toddler
Walk and See ABCWalk and See: 123Walk and See: ColorsWalk and See: Oppositesby Rosalind Beardshaw. Birth-Preschool
Vroom Vroom: Garbage Truckby Asia Citro. Toddler-Preschool
Llamaphones by Janik Coat. Toddler-Preschool
Jungle Animals by Xavier Deneux. Birth-Toddler
Animal ABC Animal 123by Jonny Lambert. Birth-Preschool
Black Bird Yellow Sunby Steve Light. Birth-Toddler
Ciao, Baby!: In the ParkCiao, Baby!: Ready for a Rideby Carole Lexa Schaefer. Birth-Toddler
Find Colors by Tamara Shopsinand Jason Fulford. Toddler-Preschool
Wiggles by Claire Zucchelli-Romer. Toddler-Preschool
Picture BooksUnpluggedby SteveAntony. Preschool-2nd grade
A Stone for Sascha by Aaron Becker. Kindergarten-3rd grade
Good Morning, Snowplow!by Deborah Bruss. Preschool-2nd grade
My Hair is a Gardenby Cozbi A. Cabrera. Kindergarten-2nd grade
Tiny Little Rocketby Richard Collingridge. Preschool-2nd grade
Stick by Irene Dickson. Toddler-Kindergarten
The Rabbit Listenedby Cori Doerrfeld. Preschool-2nd grade
Trampoline Boy by Nan Forler. Preschool-2nd grade
Mad, Mad Bear! by Kimberly Gee. Toddler-Preschool
A Couch for Llama by Leah Gilbert. Preschool-2nd grade
Honk! Splat! Vroom! by Barry Gott. Toddler-Kindergarten
The Honeybee by Kirsten Hall. Preschool-2nd grade
Night Job by Karen Hesse. Preschool-2nd grade
My Dog Laughs by Rachel Isadora. Preschool-2nd grade
Drawn Together by Minh Lê. Preschool-2nd grade
Stop That Yawn! by Caron Levis. Preschool-2nd grade
A Big Mooncake for Little Starby Grace Lin. Preschool-2nd grade
Julián is a Mermaid by Jessica Love. Preschool-2nd grade
Alma and How She Got Her Name by Juana Martinez-Neal. Preschool-2nd grade
100 Bugs!: A Counting Bookby Kate Narita.Preschool-2nd grade
Niblet and Ralphby Zachariah OHora. Preschool-2nd grade
The Field by Baptiste Paul. Preschool-2nd grade
Summer Supper by Rubin Pfeffer.Toddler-1st grade
The Breaking Newsby Sarah Lynne Reul. Kindergarten-3rd grade
Festival of Colors by Kabir Sehgal and Surishtha Sehgal. Preschool-2nd grade
Harriet Gets Carried Awayby Jessie Sima. Preschool-2nd grade
My Family Four Floors Upby Caroline Stutson. Toddler-Preschool
First Laugh: Welcome Baby! by Rose Ann Tahe and Nancy Bo Flood. Preschool-2nd grade
Mommy’s Khimarby Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow.Preschool-2nd grade
How to Be a Lion by Ed Vere. Preschool-2nd grade
Beginning ReadersKick It, Mo!by DavidA. Adler. 1st-2nd grade
Meet Yasmin! by Saadia Faruqi. 1st-3rd grade
Rocket the Brave! by Tad Hills. Kindergarten-1st grade
Daddy Can’t Danceby Fran Manushkin. 1st-2nd grade
See Pip Flap by David Milgrim. Kindergarten-1st grade
I Like My Car by Michael Robertson. Preschool-Kindergarten
Baby Monkey, Private Eyeby Brian Selznick and David Serlin.1st-3rd grade
Fox is Late Fox the Tigerby Corey R. Tabor. Kindergarten-2nd grade
Children’s Graphic NovelsCatstronauts: Robot Rescue by Drew Brockington. 2nd-4th grade
Sanity & Tallulah by Molly Brooks. 3rd-6th grade
Mega Robo Bros by Neill Cameron. 2nd-5th grade
Fake Blood by Whitney Gardner. 4th-6th grade
My Beijing: Four Stories of Everyday Wonder by Nie Jun. 3rd-5th grade
Hocus & Pocus: The Legend of Grimm’s Wood by Manuro. 3rd-6th grade
Fox + Chick. The Party and Other Stories by Sergio Ruzzier. 1st-3rd grade
The Cardboard Kingdomby Chad Sell, et al.2nd-5th grade
Mr. Wolf’s Classby Aron Nels Steinke. 2nd-4th grade
Short & Skinny by Mark Tatulli. 5th-7th grade
Tiger vs. Nightmare by Emily Tetri. 1st-3rd grade
New Shoes by Sara Varon. 2nd-4th grade
Children’s FictionThe Assassination of Brangwain Spurge by M.T. Anderson. 5th-9th grade
The Lastby Katherine Applegate.4th-7th grade
Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster by Jonathan Auxier. 3rd-7th grade
Drum Roll, Pleaseby Lisa Jenn Bigelow. 3rd-7th grade
Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World by Ashley Herring Blake. 5th-7th grade
Marcus Vega Doesn’t Speak Spanish by Pablo Cartaya. 5th-6th grade
Finding Langstonby Lesa Cline-Ransome. 3rd-7th grade
Shadow Weaverby MarcyKate Connolly. 4th-7th grade
The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle by Leslie Connor. 4th-7th grade
The Journey of Little Charlieby Christopher Paul Curtis. 4th-7th grade
Serpent’s Secretby Sayantani DasGupta. 3rd-8th grade
The Creature of the Pinesby Adam Gidwitz. 3rd-7th grade
Avalanche! (Survivor Diaries) by Terry Lynn Johnson. 3rd-5th grade
The Parker Inheritanceby Varian Johnson. 4th-6th grade
You Go First by Erin Entrada Kelly. 3rd-7th grade
Power Forward by Hena Khan. 2nd-5th grade
Out of Left Field by Ellen Klages. 3rd-7th grade
The Season of Styx Maloneby Kekla Magoon. 3rd-7th grade
The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by Stacy McAnulty. 4th-6th grade
A Dash of Trouble by Anna Meriano. 3rd-6th grade
Secret Sisters of the Salty Seaby Lynne Rae Perkins. 2nd-5th grade
Knights vs. Dinosaursby Matt Phelan. 3rd-7th grade
Big Foot and Little Footby Ellen Potter. 2nd-4th grade
Sunny by Jason Reynolds. 5th-6th grade
Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes. 4th-8th grade
Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed. 5th-6th grade
Just Like Jackieby Lindsey Stoddard. 3rd-7th grade
Road Trip with Max and His Mom by Linda Urban.1st-3rd grade
Toaff’s Way by Cynthia Voigt. 3rd-6th grade
Nightbooks by J.A. White. 4th-6th grade
Children’s NonfictionI want to be a DoctorI want to be a Police OfficerI want to be a Veterinarianby Laura Driscoll.
Kindergarten-3rd grade
What a Wonderful Word: A Collection of Untranslatable Words from around the Worldby Nicola Edwards. 3rd-6th grade
Earthrise: Apollo 8 and the Photo that Changed the Worldby James Gladstone. Kindergarten-3rd grade
Water Land: Land and Water Forms Around the Worldby Christy Hale. Preschool-1st grade
A History of Pictures for Children: From Cave Paintings to Computer Drawings by David Hockney. 3rd-6th grade
Bird Builds a Nestby Martin Jenkins. Preschool-1st grade
Pass Go and Collect $200: The Real Story of How Monopoly Was Invented by Tanya Lee Stone. 1st-4th grade
One Day a Dot by Ian Lendler.Kindergarten-3rd grade
Snails are Just My Speed!by Kevin McCloskey. Kindergarten-3rd grade
Curiosity: The Story of a Mars Rover by Markus Motum. Kindergarten-3rd grade
The Secret Kingdom: Nek Chand, a Changing India, and a Hidden World of Art by Barb Rosenstock. 2nd-5th grade
Avalanche Dog Heroes: Piper and Friends Learn to Search the Snow by Elizabeth Rusch. 2nd-5th grade
Look at the Weather by Britta Teckentrup. Kindergarten-4th grade
Children’s BiographiesSomeone Like Me: How One Undocumented Girl Fought for Her American Dreamby Julissa Arce. 4th-6th grade
Mary, Who Wrote Frankensteinby Linda Bailey.2nd-5th grade
Nothing Stopped Sophie: The Story of Unshakable Mathematician Sophie Germain by Cheryl Bardoe. 1st-4th grade
No Truth Without Ruth: The Life of Ruth Bader Ginsburgby Kathleen Krull. 2nd-5th grade
Best & Brightest Children’s Books of 2018
The Vast Wonder of the World: Biologist Ernest Everett Justby Mélina Mangal. 1st-4th grade
Lights! Camera! Alice!: The Thrilling True Adventures of the First Woman Filmmakerby Mara Rockliff. Kindergarten-3rd grade
The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian’s Art Changed Science by Joyce Sidman. 3rd-6th grade
Children’s PoetryThe Ghostly Carousel: Delightfully Frightful Poems by Calef Brown. 2nd-5th grade
World Make Way: New Poems Inspired by Art from The Metropolitan Museum of Artedited by Lee Bennett Hopkins. 4th-8th grade
Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Black Boy by Tony Medina. 2nd-5th grade
Martin Rising: Requiem for a King by Andrea Davis Pinkney. 4th-8th grade
The Horse’s Haikuby Michael J. Rosen. 2nd-5th grade
Every Month is a New Year: Celebrations Around the Worldby Marilyn Singer.2nd-5th grade
With My Hands: Poems About Making Thingsby Amy Ludwig VanDerwater.Preschool-2nd grade
Sing a Song of Seasonsedited by Fiona Waters. 2nd-5th grade
Sakura’s Cherry Blossoms by Robert Paul Weston. Preschool-2nd grade
Did You Hear What I Heard? Poems About School by Kay Winters. Preschool-2nd grade
Children’s Spanish BooksTravesías en la ciudadby Ave Barrera. Kindergarten-3rd grade
¡Hermanos! by Rocio Bonilla.Preschool & up
Colores1 2 3 by Audrey Bouquet. Birth-Toddler
Hablemos con el fuegoHablemos con la tierraby Ernesto Colavita.Preschool-3rd grade
Contar leones: Retratos de animales en libertadby Katie Cotton.Preschool-3rd grade
Rana de tres ojos by Olga de Dios. Preschool & up
Mis amigos by Glòria Fort. Birth-Toddler
La matadragones: Cuentos de Latinoamérica by Jaime Hernandez.4th grade & up
Mi loca familia en la partede abajo Mi loca familia está más locaby Chris Higgins. 4th grade & up
La cueva by Rob Hodgson. Preschool & up
Marcelina en la cocinaby Gracia Iglesias Lodares. Preschool-2nd grade
El golazo de PedroPedro, candidato a presidentePedro el ninja by Fran Manushkin. Kindergarten-3rd grade
¡Puff! by Margarita del Mazo. Birth-Toddler
¡Es hora de ir a la camita! by Alberto Pellai and Barbara Tamborini. Preschool-1st grade
¡No quiero comer! by Alberto Pellai and Barbara Tamborini.Preschool-1st grade
Las gafas de sentirby Vanesa Pérez-Sauquillo.Preschool-Kindergarten
La niña invisible by Puño. 4th grade & up
Cantinflas: a bilingualgeography bookby Patty Rodríguez and Ariana Stein.Birth-Toddler
La catrina: emotions = emociones by Patty Rodríguez and Ariana Stein.Birth-Toddler
The Life of Selena = La vida de Selena by Patty Rodríguez and Ariana Stein.Birth-Toddler
Álbum de bichosby Antonio Rubio. Preschool-Kindergarten
Hay un tigre en el jardínby Lizzy Stewart.Preschool & up
¿Qué está pasando allá arriba?by Jazmin Villagrán. Preschool-1st grade
Best & Brightest Children’s Books of 2018
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Teen FictionThe Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo. 9th grade & up
Children of Blood and Boneby Tomi Adeyemi. 9th grade & up
Leah on the Offbeatby Becky Albertalli. 9th grade & up
Undead Girl Gangby Lily Anderson. 7th grade & up
Devils Unto Dustby Emma Berquist. 9th grade & up
American Panda by Gloria Chao. 7th grade & up
Lovely, Dark, and Deepby Justina Chen. 7th grade & up
The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton. 7th grade & up
Tyler Johnson Was Hereby Jay Coles. 7th grade & up
Jazz Owls: A Novel of the Zoot Suit Riots by Margarita Engle. 6th grade & up
How We Roll by Natasha Friend. 6th grade & up
Chaotic Good by Whitney Gardner. 9th grade & up
Tess of the Roadby Rachel Hartman. 8th grade & up
Heretics Anonymousby Katie Henry. 8th grade & up
Monday’s Not Comingby Tiffany D. Jackson. 8th grade & up
The Loneliest Girl in the Universe by Lauren James. 9th grade & up
Darius the Great is Not Okayby Adib Khorram. 7th grade & up
Summer of Salt by Katrina Leno. 7th grade & up
The Unfortunates by Kim Liggett. 7th grade & up
Tortot, The Cold Fish Who Lost His World and Found His Heartby Benny Lindelauf.7th grade & up
Flight Seasonby Marie K. Marquardt.9th grade & up
All Out: The No-Longer-Secret Stories of Queer Teens Throughout the Agesedited by Saundra Mitchell. 7th grade & up
A Thousand Beginnings and Endings: 15 Retellings of Asian Myths and Legends edited by Ellen Oh and Elsie Chapman. 7th grade & up
The Astonishing Color of Afterby Emily X. R. Pan. 8th grade & up
Neverworld Wake by Marisha Pessl. 7th grade & up
The Agony House by Cherie Priest. 7th grade & up
The Museum of Usby Tara Wilson Redd. 9th grade & up
The Summer of Jordi Perez: (and the Best Burger in Los Angeles)by Amy Spalding. 7th grade & up
Sadie by Courtney Summers. 9th grade & up
Mapping the Bones by Jane Yolen. 7th grade & up
Teen Graphic NovelsSpeak: The Graphic Novel by Laurie Halse Anderson.8th grade & up
Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol. 6th grade & up
Nuclear Winter: Volume Oneby Cab. 6th & up
Firebug by Johnnie Christmas. 10th grade & up
Illegal by Eoin Colfer andAndrew Donkin. 8th grade & up
Isola. Vol 1. by Brendan Fletcher.8th grade & up
Hey, Kiddo by Jarrett J. Krosoczka. 8th grade & up
Royden Lepp’s Rust. Volume 4, Soul in the Machine by Royden Lepp. 6th grade & up
Grand Theft Horse by Greg Neri.10th grade & up
Animus by Antoine Revoy. 8th grade & up
Scarlett Hart: Monster Hunterby Marcus Sedgwick. 6th grade & up
Check, Please!. Book 1, #Hockey! by Ngozi Ukazu. 10th grade & up
The King of Birdsby Alexander Utkin.6th grade & up
Last Pick by Jason Walz. 8th grade & up
The Prince and the Dressmakerby Jen Wang.8th grade & up
Teen NonfictionCourageous Women of the Vietnam War: Medics, Journalists, Survivors, and More by Kathryn J. Atwood. 9th grade & up
Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World by Pénélope Bagieu.8th grade & up
March Forward, Girl: From Young Warrior to Little Rock Nineby Melba Beals.6th grade & up
Bonnie and Clyde: The Making of a Legend by Karen Blumenthal. 7th grade & up
Strange Fruit Volume II: More Uncelebrated Narratives from Black History by Joel Christian Gill.6th grade & up
Bringing Back Our Oceansby Carol Hand. 7th grade & up
Ginger Kid: Mostly True Tales from a Former Nerd by Steve Hofstetter. 7th grade & up
Mary’s Monster: Love, Madness, and how Mary Shelley Created Frankenstein by Lita Judge.9th grade & up
Note to Self: Inspiring Words from Inspiring People edited by Gayle King and Paige Kendig.9th grade & up
Proud [Young Readers Edition]: Living My American Dreamby Ibtihaj Muhammad. 5th grade & up
Boots on the Ground: America’s War in Vietnamby Elizabeth Partridge. 6th grade & up
Rad Girls Can: Stories of Bold, Brave, and Brilliant Young Women by Kate Schatz.7th grade & up
Chasing King’s Killer: the Hunt for Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Assassin by James L. Swanson. 9th grade & up
We Say #neveragain: Reporting by the Parkland Student Journalists edited by MSD teachers Melissa Falkowski and Eric Garner. 6th grade & up
Teen PoetryLight Filters In: Poems by Caroline Kaufman. 7th grade & up
Voices in the Air: Poems for Listeners by Naomi Shihab Nye. 7th grade & up
For Everyone by Jason Reynolds. 7th grade & up
Best & Brightest Teen Books of 2018