The ALSC Notable Children’s Books committee is charged with identifying the best of the best in children’s books. According to the Notables Criteria, “notable” is defined as: Worthy of note or notice, important, distinguished, outstanding. As applied to children’s books, notable should be thought to include books of especially commendable quality, books that exhibit venturesome creativity, and books of fiction, information, poetry and pictures for all age levels (through age 14) that reflect and encourage children’s interests in exemplary ways.
Here is the complete list of 65 titles which will be discussed at the ALA Annual Meetings in Washington DC beginning at 1:00pm on Saturday, June 22, 2019. Enjoy!
PICTURE BOOKS (28 Titles)
Another. By Christian Robinson. Simon & Schuster/Atheneum. $17.99 (9781534421677)
The Bear, the Piano, the Dog, and the Fiddle. By David Litchfield. Clarion. $17.99 (9781328595898)
Because. By Mo Willems. Illustrated by Amber Ren. Disney/Hyperion. $17.99 (9781368019019)
The Bell Rang. By James E. Ransome. Simon & Schuster/Atheneum/A Caitlyn Dlouhy Book. $17.99 (9781442421134)
Bikes for Sale. By Carter Higgins. Illustrated by Zachariah OHora. Chronicle $16.99 (9781452159324)
Circle. By Mac Barnett. Illustrated by Jon Klassen. Candlewick. $15.99 (9780763696085)
Gittel’s Journey, An Ellis Island Story. By Leslea Newman. Illustrated by Amy June Bates. Abrams. $17.99 (9781419727474)
Hands Up! By Breanna J. McDaniel. Illustrated by Shane Evans. Dial. $17.99 (9780525552314)
How to Two. By David Soman. Dial. $17.99 (9780525427841)
Inside Outside. By Anne-Margot Ramstein and Matthias Arégui. Candlewick. $18.99 (9781536205978)
The Little Red Stroller. By Joshua Furst. Illustrated by Katy Wu. Dial. $17.99 (9780735228801)
Lottie & Walter. By Anna Walker. Clarion. $17.99 (9781328470386)
Lubna and Pebble. By Wendy Meddour. Illustrated by Daniel Egneus. Dial. $17.99 (9780525554165)
Luca’s Bridge/El Puente de Luca. By Mariana Llanos. Illustrated by Anna Lopez Real. Penny Candy Books. $16.95 (9780998799957)
Maybe Tomorrow? By Charlotte Agell. Illustrated by Ana Ramirez Gonzalez. Scholastic. $17.99 (9781338214888)
My Heart. By Corinna Luyken. Dial. $17.99 (9780735227934)
The Neighbors. By Einat Tsarfati. Abrams. $16.99 (9781419731686)
Nine Months Before a Baby is Born. By Miranda Paul. Illustrated by Jason Chin. Holiday/Neal Porter. $18.99 (9780823441617)
Not Your Nest! By Gideon Sterer. Illustrated by Andrea Tsurumi. Dial. $17.99 (9780735228276)
Olive & Pekoe: In Four Short Walks by Jacky Davis. Illustrated by Giselle Potter. Greenwillow. $17.99 (9780062573100)
The Panda Problem. By Deborah Underwood. Illustrated by Hannah Marks. Dial. $17.99 (9780735228504)
Say Something. By Peter Reynolds. Scholastic/Orchard. $17.99 (9780545865036)
A Scarf for Keiko. By Ann Malaspina. Illustrated by Merrilee Liddiard. Kar-Ben. $17.99 (9781541521643)
Sea Bear: A Journey for Survival. By Lindsay Moore. Greenwillow. $17.99 (9780062791283)
Sea Glass Summer. ByMichelle Houts, Illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline. Candlewick. $16.99 (9780763684433)
Snakes on a Train. By Kathryn Dennis. Feiwel and Friends. $17.99 (9781250304407)
UNDERWEAR! By Jenn Harney. Disney/Hyperion. $12.99 (9781368027939)
¡Vamos! Let’s Go to the Market. By Raúl the Third. colors by Elaine Bay. Versify. $14.99 (9781328557261)
FICTION (22 Titles)
Because of the Rabbit. By Cynthia Lord. Scholastic Press. $17.99 (9780545914246)
The Bridge Home. By Padma Venkatraman. Nancy Paulsen. $16.99 (9781524738112)
Dragon Pearl. By Yoon Ha Lee. Disney/Hyperion/Rick Riordan Presents. $16.99 (9781368015196)
Eventown. By Corey Ann Haydu. HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen. $16.99 (9780062689801)
Genesis Begins Again. By Alicia D. Williams. Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy. $17.99 (9781481465809)
Good Enough. By Jen Petro-Roy. Feiwel & Friends. $16.99 (9781250123510)
A Good Kind of Trouble. By Lisa Moore Ramée. HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray. $16.99 (9780062836687)
How High the Moon. By Karen Parsons. Little, Brown. $16.99 (9780316484008)
The Iliad. Adapted by Gareth Hinds. Candlewick. $16.99 (9780763696634)
The Lost Girl. By Anne Ursu. HarperCollins/Walden Pond. $16.99 (9780062275097)
The Missing Piece of Charlie O’Reilly. By Rebecca K.S. Ansari. HarperCollins/Walden Pond. $16.99 (9780062679666)
New Kid. By Jerry Craft. HarperCollins. $12.99 (9780062691200)
Pay Attention, Carter Jones. By Gary D. Schmidt. Clarion. $16.99 (9780544790858)
Sal & Gabi Break the Universe. By Carlos Hernandez. Disney/Hyperion/Rick Riordan Presents. $16.99 (9781368022028)
Someday We Will Fly. By Rachel DeWoskin. Viking. $17.99 (9780670014965)
Song for a Whale. By Lynne Kelly. Delacorte. $16.99 (9781524770235)
Spy Runner. By Eugene Yelchin. Holt. $17.99 (9781250120816)
Storm Keeper’s Island. By Catherine Doyle. Bloomsbury. $16.99 (9781681199597)
A Story About Cancer (with a Happy Ending). By India Desjardins. Illustrated by Marianne Ferrer. Quarto Knows/Frances Lincoln. $14.99 (9781786039774)
Sweeping Up the Heart. By Kevin Henkes. Greenwillow. $16.99 (9780062852540)
To Night Owl From Dogfish. By Holly Goldberg Sloan and Meg Wolitzer. Dial. $17.99 (9780525553236)
Trace. By Pat Cummings. HarperCollins. $16.99 (9780062698841)
NONFICTION (11 Titles)
Bloom Boom! By April Pulley Sayre. Simon & Schuster/Beach Lane. $17.99 (9781481494724)
The Bluest of Blues: Anna Atkins and the First Book of Photographs. By Fiona Robinson. Abrams Books for Young Readers. $17.99 (9781419725517)
The Electric War: Edison, Tesla, Westinghouse, and the Race to Light the World. By Mike Winchell. Holt/Christy Ottaviano. $19.99 (9781250120168)
A Green Place to Be: The Creation of Central Park. By Ashley Benham Yazdani. Candlewick. $17.99 (9780763696955)
Hedy and Her Amazing Invention. By Jan Wahl. Illustrated by Morgana Wallace. Penny Candy. $16.95 (9780998799995)
Let ‘er Buck!: George Fletcher, the People’s Champion. By Vaunda Micheaux Nelson. Illustrated by Gordon C. James. Carolrhoda. $18.99 (9781512498080)
Ninita’s Big World: The True Story of a Deaf Pygmy Marmoset. By Sarah Glenn Marsh. Illustrated by Stephanie Fizer Coleman. Clarion. $17.99 (9781328770011)
Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré. By Anika Aldamuy Denise. Illustrated by Paola Escobar. HarperCollins. $17.99 (9780062748683)
A Ray of Light. By Walter Wick. Scholastic. $17.99 (9780439165877)
This Promise of Change: One Girl’s Story in the Fight for School Equality. By Jo Ann Allen Boyce and Debbie Levy. Bloomsbury. $17.99 (9781681198521)
Titanosaur. By Dr. Jose Luis Carballido and Dr. Diego Pol. Illustrated by Florencia Gigena. Scholastic/Orchard. $18.99 (9781338207392)
POETRY (4 Titles)
Predator and Prey: A Conversation in Verse. By Susannah Buhrman-Deever. Illustrated by Bert Kitchen. Candlewick. $18.99 (9780763695330)
The Roots of Rap: 16 Bars on the 4 Pillars of Hip-Hop. By Carole Boston Weatherford. Illustrated by Frank Morrison. Bonnier/little bee. $18.99 (9781499804119)
Thinker: My Puppy Poet and Me. By Eloise Greenfield. Illustrated by Ehsan Abdollahi. Sourcebooks/Jabberwocky. $15.99 (9781492677246)
The Undefeated. By Kwame Alexander. Illustrated by Kadir Nelson. Versify. $17.99 (9781328780966)
Melody Frese, chair, and the entire 2020 Notable Children’s Books Selection Committee invite you to listen to their discussions; these meetings are open to all registered conference attendees.
This post addresses the following ALSC Core Competencies: Professionalism and Professional Development & Knowledge Curation and Management of Materials.