2024 Top SCLS Youth Services Recommended Children, Tween and Teen Books.

The books on this list are recommended by the Sussex County Youth Services Team as their favorite reads in 2024. Many were used in our storytimes, book clubs and other programs throughout the 2024 year.

Updated December 17, 2024
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The Bad Guys in one last thing
Blabey, Aaron
Paper Book
Now a major motion picture! "I wish I'd had these books as a kid. Hilarious!" -- Dav Pilkey, creator of Captain Underpants and Dog Man They may look like Bad Guys, but these wannabe heroes are doing good deeds... whether you like it or not in this New York Times<...
Be quiet! /
Higgins, Ryan T.
Paper Book
All Rupert the mouse wants is to star in a beautiful, wordless picturebook. One that's visually stimulating! With scenic pictures! And style! He has plenty of ideas about what makes a great book, but his friends just WON'T. STOP. TALKING. Children and adults alike will chuckle at this comedic...
Bear snores on /
Wilson, Karma.
Paper Book
One by one, a whole host of different animals and birds find their way out of the cold and into Bear's cave to warm up. But even after the tea has been brewed and the corn has been popped, Bear just snores on! See what happens when he finally wakes up and finds his cave full of uninvited...
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,...
The Bletchley Riddle
Sepetys, Ruta/ Sheinkin, Steve
Paper Book
A stunning collaboration between award-winning and bestselling authors Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin, this middle grade historical adventure follows two siblings at Bletchley Park, the home of WWII codebreakers, as they try to unravel a mystery surrounding their mother's disappearance.
The book thief
Zusak, Markus.
Paper Book
It's just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . . Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak's groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl...
Curious George and the hot air balloon /
Paper Book
While visiting Mt. Rushmore, George and the man with the yellow hat decide to stop at a hot air balloon race. Before long, the rope tethering one of the balloons proves too tempting to George. He decides to climb it and finds himself on an unplanned high-flying adventure! Now...
Endlessly ever after : pick your path to countless fairy tale endings! : a story of Little Red Riding Hood, Jack, Hansel, Gretel, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, a wolf, a witch, a goose, a grandmother, some pigs, and endless variations
Snyder, Laurel
Paper Book
This funny, original, choose-your-path picture book of fractured fairy tales will charm any young fan of the genre, putting the power of storytelling right in the reader's hands! Grab your basket and your coat. Put on some walking shoes. Turn the page...
The field guide /
DiTerlizzi, Tony.
Paper Book
The Grace children discover the faerie world is closer than you think in this repackage of the first book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Spiderwick Chronicles. After finding a mysterious, handmade field guide in the attic of the ramshackle old mansion they've just moved...
The girl who drank the moon /
Barnhill, Kelly Regan.
Paper Book
Winner of the 2017 Newbery Medal The New York Times Bestseller An Entertainment Weekly Best Middle Grade Book of 2016 A New York Public Library Best Book of 2016 A Chicago Public Library Best Book of 2016
Goodnight moon /
Brown, Margaret Wise,
Paper Book
In this classic of children's literature, beloved by generations of readers and listeners, the quiet poetry of the words and the gentle, lulling illustrations combine to make a perfect book for the end of the day. In a great green room, tucked away in bed, is a little bunny. "Goodnight...
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix /
Rowling, J. K.
Paper Book
This special edition of HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX has a gorgeous new cover illustrated by Kazu Kibuishi. Inside is the full text of the original novel with decorations by Mary GrandPreThere is a door at the end of a silent corridor. And it's haunting Harry Potter's dreams. Why...
Hot mess /
Kinney, Jeff
Paper Book
In Hot Mess, book 19 of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series from #1 international bestselling author Jeff Kinney, Greg Heffley is in for a particularly awkward summer with his whole family. The pressure is building for Greg Heffley, who discovers that when you...
The house in the night /
Swanson, Susan Marie.
Paper Book
This Caldecott Medal-winning picture book gets children ready for bed with rhythmic text and glowing illustrations that explore the warmth and light that makes us feel at home. "Here is the key to the house." Inside the house are nighttime things both...
House of roots and ruin /
Craig, Erin A.
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER .A modern masterpiece, this is a classic Gothic thriller-fantasy frombestselling author Erin A. Craig, about doomed love, menacing ambition, and the ghosts that haunt us forever. In a manor by the sea, one sister is still cursed. ...
How do dinosaurs say good night? /
Yolen, Jane
Paper Book
Perfect for bedtime reading, children love the laugh-aloud antics of playful dinosaur children who stomp and fuss and jump on the bed in this award-winning New York Times bestseller, available in a board book format! How do dinosaurs say good night? Brimming with humor...
How to catch an elf /
Wallace, Adam,
Paper Book
From the New York Times and USA Today bestselling How to Catch series comes a hilarious Christmas adventure, perfect for stocking stuffers! "With delightful rhymes, How to Catch an Elf slots itself into place along such classics as 'The Night Before Christmas.'"--Foreword Reviews It...
The hundred dresses /
Estes, Eleanor,
Paper Book
A 1945 Newbery Honor Book Eleanor Estes's The Hundred Dresses won a Newbery Honor in 1945 and has never been out of print since. At the heart of the story is Wanda Petronski, a Polish girl in a Connecticut school who is ridiculed by her classmates for...
I'm a poet and I know it! /
Gutman, Dan
With more than 35 million books sold, the My Weird School series really gets kids reading! A.J. must figure out how to write the best poem to win a contest in this My Weird School Special from New York Times bestselling author Dan Gutman and veteran illustrator Jim Paillot. To...
I'm not scary /
Kaduji, Raahat,
Paper Book
Last night at the Telegraph Club /
Lo, Malinda.
Paper Book
Winner of the National Book Award A New York Times Bestseller "The queer romance we've been waiting for."--Ms. Magazine Seventeen-year-old Lily Hu can't remember exactly when the feeling took root--that desire to look, to move closer, to touch....
Little women /
Alcott, Louisa May,
Paper Book
Timeless in its evocation of idealized family life and robustly enduring, Little Women is recognized as one of the best-loved classic children's stories of all time. Originally written as a "girls" story, its appeal transcends the boundaries of time and age, making it as popular with...
I Love You Little Cottontail
Crow, Katrine/ AtOLOnia
Paper Book
Tell your little one just how much you love them with this charming rhyming board book. Each sturdy board page features a beautiful watercolor animal parent and baby as well as simple text, making this perfect for tummy time with baby or bedtime with your growing little one. The...
The Mona Lisa vanishes :
Day, Nick
Paper Book
A "witty thriller" (The New York Times) for middle-grade readers about how the Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre, how the robbery made the portrait the most famous artwork in the world--and how the painting by Leonardo da Vinci should never have existed at all. ...
Narwhal :
Fleming, Candace/ So'oteh, Deena (ILT)
Paper Book
Venture to the Arctic Ocean and discover real life underwater unicorns--narwhals--in this stunningly illustrated nonfiction picture book. A HORN BOOK AND BOOKLIST BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR You are a narwhal. Shy... Swift... Small...
Neither /
Anderson, Airlie,
Paper Book
In this touching story that celebrates the differences in all of us, a little creature that's not quite a bird and not quite a bunny--it's "neither"--searches for a place to fit in. In the Land of This and That, there are only two kinds: blue bunnies and yellow birds. But one...
Next stop
Fong, Debbie
Paper Book
Get ready for a graphic novel road trip with more than just a few bumps in the road! Middle schooler Pia is dealing with grief as she finds herself on the biggest adventure of her life--a bus tour stopping at weird and wacky roadside attractions. Inspired by a real life road trip and...
Night light /
Blechman, Nicholas.
Paper Book
Count the nighttime lights on a train, a helicopter, a fire truck, and seven more vehicles in this bold picture book with die-cut surprises. 1 light, shining bright? A train! 7 lights, flashing red and white? A fire truck! And so on all the way to ten lights....
The night market /
Wedlick, Seina,
Paper Book
Journey with a young girl as she explores the mesmerizing wonders of a Nigerian night market, where each stall is an adventure waiting to be discovered! Filled with vibrant illustrations, this captivating picture book invites young readers into a world of magic, mystery, and the joy of finding...
The okay witch
Steinkellner, Emma,
Paper Book
A School Library Journal Best Graphic Novel of 2019 A YALSA 2020 Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers A YALSA 2020 Great Graphic Novel for Teens Sabrina the Teenage Witch meets Roller Girl in this hilarious, one-of-a-kind...
The Polar Express /
Van Allsburg, Chris
Paper Book
This beautiful hardcover edition of The Polar Express is the perfect gift for all those--of any age--who believe, come Christmas Eve, that they too will hear the sweet sound of a reindeer's silver bell. This edition includes a keepsake ornament. A young boy, lying awake one Christmas Eve,...
The red pyramid
Riordan, Rick.
Paper Book
Since their mother's death, Carter and Sadie have become near strangers. Sadie lived with her grandparents in London while her brother traveled the world with their father, Egyptologist Dr. Julius Kane. One night, Dr. Kane brings the siblings together for a "research experiment " at the British...
Room on the broom /
Donaldson, Julia.
Paper Book
This fun family read-aloud is the perfect way to start Halloween celebrations with a sweet-but-slightly-spooky story that makes it an ideal gift book The witch and her cat couldn't be happier, flying through the sky on their broomstick-until the witch drops her hat, then her bow,...
The secret of fall /
Coy, John,
Paper Book
Each season has its own qualities that set it apart. Winter, with its stark-white crust of snow, turns even a mundane scene into a sparkling fairyland. Spring, along with her many shades of green, brings a promise of new beginnings. Summer gifts us with long, lazy days of endless blue skies and...
Share some kindness, bring some light
Stott, Apryl
Paper Book
A New York Times bestseller​! "It's impossible to resist [this book's] big-hearted appeal." --BookPage ​A little girl and her friend Bear learn the true meaning of selfless kindness in this sweet, stunningly...
Snowmen at night
Buehner, Caralyn.
Paper Book
Have you ever built a snowman and discovered the next day that his grin has gotten a little crooked, or his tree-branch arms have moved? And you've wondered . . . what do snowmen do at night? This delightful wintertime tale reveals all! Caralyn Buehner's witty, imaginative verse offers many amusing...
A spoonful of frogs /
Lyall, Casey,
Paper Book
Frogs are the most important ingredient in a witch's favorite treat--but they are also the hardest to get into the cauldron! From acclaimed author Casey Lyall and Caldecott Honor artist Vera Brosgol, A Spoonful of Frogs is a humorous and wholly original picture book--and a...
Springtime Storks :
Munro, Carol Joy/ O'byrne, Chelsea (ILT)
Paper Book
Based on the true story of two storks whose dedication to each other captured the world's attention, this soaring tale is a heartfelt call to protect the routes of migratory birds. ★ School Library Journal Katerina and Luka, two majestic, mated white...
Star splitter /
Kirby, Matthew J.,
Paper Book
A 2024 Edgar Award Nominee! Survival and self-determination collide in this haunting, pulse-pounding science fiction novel from Edgar Award-winning author Matthew J. Kirby that spans both space and time. "An intense, read-in-one-sitting kind of ride.″--<...
Strange the dreamer /
Taylor, Laini.
Paper Book
From National Book Award finalist Laini Taylor comes an epic fantasy about a mythic lost city and its dark past. The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around--and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and junior librarian, has always feared his dream chose poorly....
Sunny & the sunflower maze /
Sinha, Raj
Paper Book
A lonely little kitten goes to the sunflower maze to see all the beautiful sunflowers. He chases butterflies and sees lady bugs, bees, a praying mantis, and he meets a photographer named Jim. The kitten and Jim become friends and as the sun sets, Jim becomes worried about the kitten and wonders...
I survived the Black Death, 1348 /
Tarshis, Lauren.
Paper Book
The Black Death was a pandemic of unimaginable propotions, taking the lives of 75 - 200 million people worldwide. Lauren Tarshis's story of one girl surviving the plague pulses with terror, action, and hope. The deadliest disease in the history of the world... Elsie dreams of...
Taxi ghost /
Escabasse, Sophie,
Paper Book
Ade`le just wants to spend her winter break at the library, but she learns she comes from a long line of mediums and that not only can she interact with ghosts, but apparently they have been using her sister's car to get around the city for years.
The Tea Dragon Festival /
O'Neill, Kay
Paper Book
"A lovely, gentle fantasy." -- KIRKUS Now available in paperback, revisit the enchanting world of Tea Dragons with the beloved companion story to the two-time Eisner Award-winning graphic novel The Tea Dragon Society. Rinn has grown up with the Tea Dragons...
The Tea Dragon Society /
O'Neill, Kay
Paper Book
"This book is wonderfully inclusive, and depicts a distinct and expressive cast of LGBTQIA characters and people of color." -- School Library Journal In the bewitching Tea Dragon Society series, two-time Eisner Award-winning creator K. O'Neill offers three stories featuring the...
The Tea Dragon Society /
O'Neill, Kay
Paper Book
The Tea Dragon Society is the two-time Eisner Award-winning gentle fantasy that follows the story of a blacksmith apprentice, and the people she meets as she becomes entwined in the enchanting world of tea dragons. Winner of the 2018 Eisner Award for...
That's not my name /
Lally, Megan,
Paper Book
An instant bestseller! She thought she had her life back. She was wrong. A gripping debut thriller perfect for fans of Natalie D. Richards and Vincent Ralph. It was a mistake to trust him. Shivering and bruised, a teen wakes up on the side of a dirt road with no memory of how...
There was a cold lady who swallowed some snow!
Colandro, Lucille.
Paper Book
A wintry twist on the classic song from the bestselling There Was an Old Lady series for kids! You'll never guess what she'll swallow next! There was a cold lady who swallowed some snow. I don't know why she swallowed some snow. Perhaps you know.<...
Tokyo night parade /
Takahashi, J. P.,
Paper Book
Spirited Away meets Where the Wild Things Are by way of yokai mythology in this enchanting picture book by debut author J. P. Takahashi and illustrator Minako Tomigahara. The night parade is about to begin . . . The ground thunders in Tokyo. A gust of wind blows. The...
Under my hood I have a hat
Kuskin, Karla.
Paper Book
Winter is hereand it's time to put on your gloves and mittens and scarf and hat and...Only award-winning poet Karla Kuskin and illustrator Fumi Kosaka could make bundling up for the snow so much fun
Under this red rock /
McGinnis, Mindy
Paper Book
From award-winning author Mindy McGinnis comes a mesmerizing YA psychological mystery following a teen girl who is grappling with the death of her brother as she starts a new job in the caverns of Ohio--only to become the number one suspect in her coworker's murder. Perfect for fans of Courtney...
The unteachables /
Korman, Gordon
Paper Book
A hilarious new middle grade novel from beloved and bestselling author Gordon Korman about what happens when the worst class of kids in school is paired with the worst teacher--perfect for fans of Ms. Bixby's Last Day. A good choice for summer reading or anytime! The...
I want my hat back /
Klassen, Jon
Paper Book
A New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book of 2011! A picture-book delight by a rising talent tells a cumulative tale with a mischievous twist. The bear's hat is gone, and he wants it back. Patiently and politely, he asks the animals he comes...
We don't eat our classmates! /
Higgins, Ryan T.
Paper Book
It's the first day of school for Penelope Rex, and she can't wait to meet her classmates. But it's hard to make human friends when they're so darn delicious! That is, until Penelope gets a taste of her own medicine and finds she may not be at the top of the food chain after all...
The wild robot /
Brown, Peter,
Paper Book
Now a DreamWorks movie! This #1 New York Times bestselling illustrated middle grade novel from a Caldecott Honor winner tells an extraordinary story full of action and thought-provoking questions as a robot learns to survive--and live--in the wilderness....
Words of Love
Biggin, Jake
Paper Book
An extraordinary book of love, inspiration, and comfort. This is a story about a child and a clever little sausage dog, Sunny, who has little thoughts and big questions. He's wise and full of love. He's a loyal companion, guide, and mentor. Sunny inspires us all - we could all do...
A wrinkle in time /
L'Engle, Madeleine
Paper Book
NEWBERY MEDAL WINNER * TIME MAGAZINE'S 100 BEST FANTASY BOOKS OF ALL TIME * NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE FROM DISNEY Read the ground-breaking science fiction and fantasy classic that has delighted children for over 60 years! "A Wrinkle in Time<...

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