Good news for young bibliophiles: The New York Public Library just announced the best books of 2019, and its comprehensive list includes the 100 best books for kids. Consider it the Library's holiday gift to the city.
After all, the library is free—every parent and caregiver knows that the kids' library branches in New York are one of the city's greatest resources. If you want to get your hands on any book on the list, from the touching Lubna and Pebble to the thought-provoking Snowman - Cold + Puddle: Spring Equations to the moody Camp Tiger by 2019 National Book Award winner Susan Choi, all you need is a library card.
Involved in book clubs for kids? Use the list to choose your next title. The best children's books make learning fun. The Young Adventurer's Guide to (Almost) Everything: Build a fort, camp like a champ, poop in the woods—45 action-packed outdoor activities is full of useful information, solid facts and just enough gross-out humor to grab hold of any kid's attention.
- Carter Reads the Newspaper by Deborah Hopkinson, illustrated by Don Tate
- Maximillian Fly by Angie Sage
- The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James by Ashley Herring Blake
- Mr. Penguin and the Lost Treasure by Alex T. Smith
- My Papi Has a Motorcycle by Isabel Quintero, illustrated by Zeke Peña
- The Roots of Rap: 16 Bars on the 4 Pillars of Hip Hop by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Don Tate
- New Kid by Jerry Craft
- Pokko and the Drum by Matthew Forsythe
- This Promise of Change: One Girl’s Story in the Fight for School Equality by Jo Ann Allen Boyce and Debbie Levy
- This Was Our Pact by Ryan Andrews
If you have older readers in your crew, check out the selections for the best 10 young adult novels:
- As Many Nows As I Can Get by Shana Youngdahl
- Birthday by Meredith Russo
- Kiss Number 8 by Colleen Venable
- Like a Love Story by Abdi Nazemian
- The Music of What Happens by Bill Konigsberg
- Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay
- Pet by Akwaeke Emezi
- SLAY by Brittney Morris
- Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson
- Witch Hat Atelier by Kamome Shirahama
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