Each year the ALSC Notable Children’s Books Committee identifies 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 (birth through age 14) that reflect and encourage children’s interests in exemplary ways.
This year the 2022 Notable Children’s Book Committee will be meeting on Wednesday, June 16, Thursday, June 17, and Friday, June 18 beginning at 2pm EST/1pm CST/11amPST. Register to attend here.
Check out the 2022 ALSC Notable Children’s Books Committee discussion list:
Fiction (10 titles)
- Amari and the Night Brothers. By B.B. Alston. HarperCollins/Balzer+ Bray, $17.99 (9780062975164).
- The In-Between. By Rebecca K.S. Ansari. HarperCollins/WaldenPond, $16.99 (9780062916099).
- The Leak. By Kate Reed Petty. Illus. by Andrea Bell. First Second, $14.99 (9781250217950).
- Red, White and Whole. By Rajani LaRocca. HarperCollins/QuillTree, $16.99 (9780063047426).
- Root Magic. By Eden Royce. HarperCollins/Walden Pond, $16.99 (9780062899576).
- The Sea in Winter. By Christine Day. HarperCollins/Heartdrum, $16.99 (9780062872043).
- Starfish. By Lisa Fipps. Penguin/Nancy Paulsen, $17.99 (9781984814500).
- Sydney and Taylor Explore the Whole Wide World. By Jacqueline Davies. Illus. by Deborah Hocking. HMH, $14.99 (9780358106319).
- Training Day. By Raúl the Third. Colors by Elaine Bay. HMH/Versify, $9.99 (9780358380382).
- War and Millie McGonigle. By Karen Cushman. Knopf,$16.99 (9781984850102).
Non-Fiction (16 titles)
- Bartali’s Bicycle: The True Story of Gino Bartali, Italy’s Secret Hero. By Megan Hoyt. Illus.by Iacopo Bruno. HarperCollins/Quill Tree, $17.99 (9780062908117).
- Big Ideas That Changed the World: A Shot in the Arm! By Don Brown. Abrams/Amulet, $13.99 (9781419750014).
- If Bees Disappeared. By Lily Williams. Roaring Brook,$18.99 (9781250232458).
- The Last Straw: Kids vs. Plastics. By Susan Hood. Illus. by Christiane Engel. HarperCollins, $18.99 (9780062981394).
- Mornings with Monet. By Barb Rosenstock. Illus. by Mary GrandPré. Knopf, $17.99(9780525708179).
- The People’s Painter: How Ben Shain Fought for Justice with Art. By Cynthia Levinson. Illus. by Evan Turk. Abrams, $18.99 (9781419741302).
- Race Against Time: The Untold Story of Scipio Jones and the Battle to Save Twelve Innocent Men. By Sandra Neil Wallace & Rich Wallace. Boyds Mills & Kane/Calkins Creek, $18.99 (9781629798165).
- Runaway: The Daring Escape of Ona Judge. By Ray Anthony Shepard. Illus. by Keith Mallett. Farrar, $18.99 (9780374307042).
- Saving American Beach: The Biography of African American Environmentalist MaVynee Betsch. By Heidi Tyline King. Illus. by Ekua Holmes.Putnam, $17.99 (9781101996294).
- Ten Animals in Antarctica: A Counting Book. By Moira Court. Charlesbridge, $16.99 (978162354232).
- Thao. By Thao Lam. Owlkids, $17.95 (9781771474320).
- Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre. By Carole Boston Weatherford. Illus. by Floyd Cooper. Lerner/Carolrhoda, $17.99 (9781541581203).
- The Water Lady: How Darlene Arviso Helps a Thirsty Navajo Nation. By Alice B. McGinty. Illus. by Shonto Begay. Schwartz & Wade, $17.99 (9780525645009).
- We Are Still Here: Native American Truths Everyone Should Know. By Traci Sorell. Illus.by Frané Lessac. Charlesbridge, $17.99 (9781623541927).
- We Wait for the Sun. By Dovey Johnson Roundtree & Katie McCabe. Illus. by Raissa Figueroa. Roaring Brook, $18.99 (9781250229021).
- The Wisdom of Trees: How Trees Work Together to Form a Natural Kingdom. By Lita Judge. Roaring Brook, $19.99 (9781250237071).
Picture Books (13 titles)
- Don’t Hug Doug: (He Doesn’t Like It). By Carrie Finison. Illus. by Daniel Wiseman. Putnam,$16.99 (9781984813022).
- Eyes That Kiss in the Corners. By Joanna Ho. Illus.by Dung Ho. HarperCollins, $17.99 (9780062915627).
- Home Is in Between. By Mitali Perkins. Illus. by Lavanya Naidu. Farrar, $18.99 (9780374303679).
- I Dream of Popo. By Livia Blackburne. Illus. by Julia Kuo. Roaring Brook, $18.99 (9781250249319).
- Kafka and the Doll. By Larissa Theule. Illus. by Rebecca Green. Viking, $17.99(9780593116326).
- Laxmi’s Mooch. By Shelly Anand. Illus. by Nabi H. Ali. Penguin/Kokila, $17.99 (9781984815651).
- Mel Fell. By Corey R. Tabor. HarperCollins/Balzer+Bray, $17.99 (9780062878014).
- Milo Imagines the World. By Matt de la Peña. Illus.by Christian Robinson. Putnam, $18.99 (9780399549083).
- My First Day. By Phùng Nguyên Quang & Huỳnh Kim Liên. Penguin Random House/MakeMe a World, $17.99 (9780593306277).
- Someone Builds the Dream. By Lisa Wheeler. Illus. by Loren Long. Dial, $19.99 (9781984814333).
- Ten Beautiful Things. By Molly Beth Griffin. Illus.by Maribel Lechuga. Charlesbridge, $16.99 (9781580899369).
- Wishes. By Mượn Thị Văn. Illus. by Victo Ngai. Scholastic/Orchard,$18.99 (9781338305890).
- Your Mama. By No Nieqa Ramos. Illus. by Jacqueline Alcántara. HMH/Versify, $17.99 (9781328631886).
Poetry (2 titles)
- Legacy: Women Poets of the Harlem Renaissance. By Nikki Grimes. Bloomsbury, $18.99 (9781681199443).
- The One Thing You’d Save. By Linda Sue Park. Illus. by Robert Sae-Heng. Clarion, $16.99 (9781328515131)
Alex Bell, chair, and the entire 2022 Notable Children’s Books Committee, are excited to share this opportunity to learn more about critical evaluation of children’s books and listen to their summer discussions; all are welcome.