As 2023 draws to a close, Library staff want to share our favorite Kids books of the year – from picture books to chapter books, and from graphic novels to nonfiction, here are just a few of the Kids books published in 2023 that our SPL staff loved!
PICTURE BOOKS
In I’m Going to Build a Snowman by Jashar Awan, a child decides to build “THE BEST SNOWMAN EVER!” A simple, beautiful story about the joy of creativity – and how little perfection matters.
While visiting Grandad for the summer, Milly is inspired to organize a Pride parade in their small seaside village. A celebration of love and inclusivity, Grandad’s Pride by Harry Woodgate affirms that Pride belongs in every community.
Join a child and their mother on a trip to Our Pool on a hot day! Lucy Ruth Cummins creates a joyous celebration of the sights, sounds, and comforting routines of an urban summer tradition. Children’s Librarian Jessica says this is “My favorite picture book in years!”
Pairing a beautiful poem by U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo (Muscogee [Creek]) with gorgeous artwork by Caldecott Medalist Michaela Goade (Tlingit), Remember is a stunning celebration of community, harmony with nature and generational memory by two Indigenous creators.
KIDS CHAPTER BOOKS, GRAPHIC NOVELS & NONFICTION
In Chinese Menu, Newbery Honor-winner Grace Lin shares the history and stories behind the tastiest tidbits of American Chinese cuisine. A feast for the senses!
Winner of the 2023 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, the graphic memoir A First Time for Everything: A True Story chronicles a life-changing, horizon-expanding trip to Europe Dan Santat took as a young teenager.
In local author Nisi Shawl’s historical fantasy Speculation, 10-year-old Winna can see the friendly ghosts of her African American ancestors, with the help of a pair of magical spectacles – and her predecessors have a mystery for her to solve.
Jason Reynolds’ There Was a Party for Langston is a toe-tapping celebration of Langston Hughes and African American authors he inspired, told against the backdrop of a party held at the New York Public Library’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in 1991.
Explore more of our favorite Kids books of the year, here:
~ posted by Lauren M.
Leave a Comment