Best of 2022: Children's Books

Grades: K - 3

Dat experiences his first day of school as a series of surreal encounters with monsters and blobs making nonsensical sounds. Then a classmate takes the time to try and make friends, and the world becomes a real place again.

Grades: 3 - 6

A lovely, lavishly illustrated read-aloud animal fantasy from the author of Wicked, about a family of rabbits dealing with change when they move into “The Broken Arms” and encounter their fellow tenants.

Grades: 4 - 7: All the best (read: exciting, scary, icky) parts of traveling in space, shared by one of the most engaging nonfiction authors around.

Grades: 3-up: A fun and funny tour of art from around the world and throughout human history, perfect for budding artists of all kinds.

Grades: 4 - 7

Two real-life sisters share tales of sisters throughout history (and mythology) with lots of entertaining and eye-opening facts on the side. 

Grades: K - 3

Chester’s sudden lack of rhyme offers a fun and (dare we say) educational opportunity for listeners to practice their own rhyming skills. 

Grades:  Pre-K - 3

Affirmations shared by a diverse, inclusive cast of children, promoting healthy and positive practices. 

Grades: Pre-K - 2: When a big truck gets stuck and disrupts all the traffic on a small island, it’s the kids who figure out a solution. Based on a true story, and showing cooperation and community at its finest.

Grades: 4 - 7

A graphic novel about a young girl who will do anything not to celebrate her quinceañera. Sue would rather be hanging out with her friends this summer but has to go visit family in Honduras, and gets a surprise... she's having her party there! How will she get through everything this summer? 

Grade: 5 - 7: In this series starter, we meet Ella, the first Conjuror who attends the Arcanum Training Institute, where kids from around the world practice and learn magic. She quickly learns that being the first is not easy. Without having met her, there are those who show prejudice towards her. Just as she finds her foothold, a beloved teacher disappears, and a renowned villain breaks out of jail.

Grades: 1 - 4: This informational picture book weaves together art, science, and history to tell a complex story of the color blue. Gorgeous illustrations by Daniel Minter depict the varying blues of nature, as well as the historical attempts to reproduce these vivid hues for human consumption. Brew-Hammond celebrates these artistic and technological innovations, but does not ignore the costs and repercussions to the people whose labor made them possible.

Grades: Pre-K - 2

A simple walk on the beach inspires a child to wonder about the wide world beyond. The soft acrylic illustrations by Laura Dronzek show not only the things we can find on the seashore - shells, birds, rocks, friends, and kindly grandparents - but also offer a glimpse at what’s living under the sea. A gentle picture book that works on a number of levels.

Grades: Pre-K - 3

Woodson reminisces about childhood “in Brooklyn in the summer not so long ago,” when kids had the freedom to play in the streets all day long. Leo Espinosa’s illustrations are the perfect complement, portraying bell-bottoms, afros, and roller skates in the style of a 1970s cartoon. Parents and grandparents will want to share their own memories of childhood as they read.

Grades: Pre-K - 2

When two dachshunds brothers are left alone at home they can't help but get into some trouble. First they need to figure out a plan to get outside and figure out who to blame for the mischievousness before Mom gets home. 

Grades: Pre-K - 2: For anyone who likes to dance, prance, or perform, this story is in rhyme and interacts with readers, "Welcome. Enter. Sit right there, upon our finest driftwood chair." A beautiful, hilarious show that even has an intermission. Perfect for young ocean explorers as well as ballet fans, with pastel watercolor illustrations. Ballet terms and their definitions are provided at the end of the book.

Grades: 4 - 7

Twelve-year-old Sophie lives in Communist East Berlin during the Cold War, where the Stasi police watch everyone.  She and her best friend Katrina pass by the infamous Berlin Wall every day, dreaming up ways to get out of East Berlin.  When the Stasi tells Sophie to spy on her neighbor or else her mother will be put in a facility for the disabled, the two best friends display great courage and ingenuity in figuring out how to do just that. A gripping historical novel.

Grades: K - 3

This illustrated biography of Dolores Huerta gives us a glimpse into who Dolores (nicknamed Lola) was before we knew her as a labor leader and civil rights activist. It is an imagined story based on a time when Lola was a Girl Scout.  Even then she was too young to adhere to ALL the rules and expectations at home, but she certainly recognized injustice when she saw it. A reminder to readers that some courageous adults were courageous kids, and one is never too young to stand up for what they know is right.