I’m finally getting back into the spirit of checking end-of-year-booklists. NYPL’s is always a solid and thoughtfully curated list. I spent some time at Madison’s Central Public Library on Wednesday to get some work done (check my most recent book review) and talked to one of their selectors (Jody) to see if she has any favorites for the ALA Youth Media Awards in January. We had a really nice convo about how our picks rarely match the committees’ and they rarely align with what kids like…I agree. The winners each year are what those 9-15 people on each committee view as best. I either read or heard this perspective from a past book committee member and it stuck with me because it’s true. We do our best and lean into the books that move us the most, with kid’s sensibilities and passions in mind, and sometimes they align with educators, caregivers, and kids picks and sometimes they don’t. This is a big reason why I love following Mock Book Awards. You can view submitted ALA Mock results here and if you would like to submit mock results from your community/classroom, you can do that here!

Below are links to NYPL’s lists for this year:

Best Books for Kids
Best Books for Teens
All Lists

While I worked at the library this week, any book on this list that caught my eye, I looked up in Madison Library’s catalogue (a consortium of over 40 libraries all over the state of Wisconsin) to check if we own it. It was a swing and a miss for many of them (>_<), but I’m stubborn, so I’ll find the ones I want to read somehow. For example, I really want to read Filo’s Butterflies from the publisher Hardie Grant (new to me!). First of all I love the bright cover, second of all it is so good to see more Samoan/Pacific Islander stories in children’s lit. This one’s on the top of my list to hunt down.

Miss Betti, What is This?: How Detroit’s School Lunch Lady Got Good Food on the Menu also stood out to me! And it’s from another small publisher (Sleeping Bear Press) I don’t know (I LOVE discovering small publishers). I love a good non-fiction picture book, and this topic (and the illustrations) are calling to me. I can’t wait to read it.

I’m also very curious about We Go Slow. I love a good cover (look at that moody art) and a slow book and a story about intergenerational relationships. Can’t wait to find it to read.

I’m enjoying exploring NYPL’s list and I hope you will too! Every time I check it I see a new book to research to find and read. A big thank you to the librarians, staff, and selectors at NYPL who work hard all year long to provide quality service to your communities. I recognize that putting together robust lists like this is more work on top of the work you already do…

Do you have any favorite book lists for kids this time of year?