Staff Favorite Books for Kids 2023

Updated November 20, 2023
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Mother of sharks
Márquez, Melissa Cristina
Paper Book
Forbes 30 Under 30 Honoree and globally renowned shark scientist Melissa Cristina Márquez teams up with award-winning illustrator Devin Elle Kurtz to create an informative, powerful picture book. With lyrical writing and gorgeous art, this moving story explores Melissa's personal journey...
Big
Harrison, Vashti
Paper Book
Winner of the Caldecott Medal! A Coretta Scott King Award Author and Illustrator Honor book, a National Book Award finalist, and a New York Times bestseller! This deeply moving story shares valuable lessons about fitting in, standing out, and the beauty of joyful acceptance,...
Papá's magical water-jug clock
Trejo, Jesús
Paper Book
★Kirkus Reviews★Publishers Weekly★School Library Journal A 2024Pura Belpre Honor Award, American Library Association International Latino Book Award HonorableMention In Mexican American comedian Jesos Trejo's debut picture book, a...
Carina Felina
Deedy, Carmen Agra
Paper Book
Carmen Agra Deedy, New York Times bestselling author and one of Scholastic's most talented and cherished storytellers, retells a hilarious folktale set in Havana, Cuba. Illustrated by the brilliant, award-winning artist, Henry Cole. "This fun folktale will delight readers...
The museum of lost and found
Sales, Leila
Paper Book
Award-winning author Leila Sales's The Museum of Lost and Found is a warm, relatable middle-grade story about a friendship falling apart and the abandoned museum that becomes a shrine to lost connections--featuring black-and-white illustrations by Jacqueline Li.
The Swifts : a dictionary of scoundrels
Lincoln, Beth
Paper Book
#1 New York Times bestseller! The critically lauded, wickedly smart whodunit with a "Knives Out feel by way of Lemony Snicket," now in paperback. On the day they are born, every Swift child is brought before the sacred Family Dictionary. They are given...
Cat on the run in cat of death!
Blabey, Aaron
Paper Book
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Bad Guys comes another hilarious illustrated series starring a pampered cat who is way tougher than anyone realizes. What happens when the world's biggest cat video star gets accused of a crime she...
Curlfriends 1 : New in Town
Miller, Sharee.
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER!   2024 Golden Kite Award Winner * An NPR and New York Public Library Best Book of the Year   "I want to be friends with them all" -- Vashti Harrison, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Little...
Frizzy
Ortega, Claribel A.
Paper Book
Winner of the Pura Belpré Award for Children's Text Winner of the Eisner for Best Publication for Kids Indie Bestseller New York Times-bestselling author Claribel A. Ortega and star debut artist Rose Bousamra's Frizzy is about Marlene, a...
Welcome to our table
Mucha, Laura
Paper Book
Find out what children eat all around the world in this beautifully illustrated book, written by bestselling poet and author Laura Mucha, alongside trained chef and food writer Ed Smith.  From biltong to biryani, papaya to passionfruit, and ramen to roti, there are so many different dishes and...
Fox has a problem
Tabor, Corey R.
Paper Book
A Geisel Award winner! In his next I Can Read adventure, Fox--the hilarious trickster character featured in previous Geisel Award winners Fox at Night and Fox the Tiger--learns to solve a problem in an unexpected way. Fox has a problem: His kite is stuck in a tree! But every...
All are welcome : give what you can
Penfold, Alexandra
Paper Book
Celebrate the act of giving with the beloved characters from the beloved bestseller All Are Welcome! This Step 2 early reader is perfect for emerging readers who are learning to give back to their communities. Get together, lend a hand. Can we do it? Yes,...
Cat vs. vac
Windness, Kaz
Paper Book
The arrival of a mysterious box sets off a battle for control of the house in this hilarious rhyming Level 1 Ready-to-Read from Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor-winning author-illustrator Kaz Windness! When a recently delivered package opens to reveal a vacuum, the house...
At the poles
Elliott, David
Paper Book
The author of At the Pond and In the Woods takes readers to the most remote regions of our planet in this beautifully illustrated poetic ode to the creatures that inhabit the North and South poles. The stark, cold landscapes of Earth's poles may seem inhospitable,...
As night falls : creatures that go wild after dark
Napoli, Donna Jo
Paper Book
A NEW YORK TIMES/NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY BEST ILLUSTRATED CHILDREN'S BOOK * This picture book is for the littlest nature aficionado. Bursting with vibrant illustrations, it offers an inviting look into the secret world of how nature goes BERSERK at night! As night falls....
Glitter everywhere! : where it came from, where it's found & where it's going
Barton, Chris
Paper Book
Fans of How It's Made will love this fresh, irreverent look at the science and story behind glitter. If you love glitter, this book is for you. If you hate glitter, this book is also for you. Everyone seems to have an opinion about glitter. But how much...
Born reading : 20 stories of women reading their way into history
Krull, Kathleen
Paper Book
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jason Reynolds comes the "action-packed...banter-filled" (School Library Journal, starred review) sequel to his groundbreaking young adult novel Miles Morales: Spider-Man about the adventures of the unassuming, everyday kid who just...
When moon became the moon
Hodgson, Rob
Paper Book
Meet Moon! Follow along as she guides us through her origin and her purpose in this charming and humorous nonfiction picture book. Following the success of When Cloud Became a Cloud comes Rob Hodgson's next long-form picture book about the moon's origin and phases. This...
Hooray for DNA! : how a bear and a bug are a lot like us
Thompson, Pauline Elizabeth
Paper Book
Bill Nye meets Green Eggs and Ham in this playful and rhythmic nonfiction picture book that introduces readers to the concept of DNA, and celebrates the similarities we share with all life-forms--and each other! DNA is the ABC of what makes you, you
The book of turtles
Montgomery, Sy
Paper Book
**A SIBERT HONOR BOOK! ** ** A KIRKUS BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR ** A BOOKLIST EDITORS' CHOICE OF THE YEAR ** From National Book Award finalist and New York Times bestseller Sy Montgomery comes an ode to one of the most diverse, fascinating, and beloved species on the...
Fungi grow
Gianferrari, Maria
Paper Book
Discover when, how, where, and why fungi grow in this poetic and illuminating nonfiction picture book in the vein of When the Sky Glows and Animal Architects. Above ground, below ground, all around, fungi grow. They root and fruit and twist and twine everywhere on...
Nat the cat takes a bath
Lerner, Jarrett
Paper Book
The big book of butts
Manzano, Eva
Paper Book
Did you know that sea cucumbers use their butts to breathe? Or that the famous red butts of mandrills help them see each other in the jungle? Butts are used for...
Bluey and Bingo's fancy restaurant cookbook
Paper Book
A deliciously fun cookbook perfect for fans of the wildly successful animated series Bluey, as seen on Disney+ Learn how to make yummy food with Bluey and Bingo! Bake some Shadowland Cupcakes, make BBQ Sausages, Capsicum Salad, or write your very own Fancy Restaurant menu!...

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