For more on this important topic, check out our roundup of resources on the Tulsa Race Massacre. Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre ( Amazon | Indiebound) by Carole Boston Weatherford and Floyd Cooper helps us talk to our kids about this horrific, but often untaught, moment in US history that our kids should know about. (Ed Note: We’re also grateful that the publisher is a recent sponsor of ours, because wow do we love all the opportunities to share great books, as you can tell!) This quiet reflection on the complex family dynamics and tensions we lived through during the beginnings of the COVID quarantine is difficult but important.
The Longest Storm ( Amazon | Indiebound) by Dan Yaccarino is almost more for adults than children. Pull your child into your lap with The Happiness of a Dog with a Ball in Its Mouth( Amazon | Indiebound) by Bruce Handy & Hyewon Yum and explore what makes people feel happiness. The sweet, empowering story of a fawn’s journey through beautiful but dangerous territory will inspire. If your child could use a little dose of bravery these days, then Bright Star ( Amazon | Indiebound) by Yuyi Morales (one of our perennial faves) is an excellent pick. The New York Times Best Children’s Books category The American Library Association (ALA) hands out the biggest awards in children’s publishing every year, but they also partner with more niche groups, like the American Indian Library Association, the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association, and the Association of Jewish Libraries to recognize important books in those categories too. Past “Best Children’s Book Lists of the Year” posts Brightly Editors Best Children’s Books of 2021 The Marginalian’s (formerly Brain Picking’s) Loveliest Children’s Books of 2021Ĩ. Amazon Editors’ Best Children’s Books of 2021ħ. Publisher’s Weekly Best Children’s Books of 2021ĥ. The New York Times Best Children’s Books of 2021Ĥ. (Caldecott, Newbery, Coretta Scott King, Pura Belpré & Stonewall)ģ. Related: The cutest board books for babies and toddlers The Best Children’s Books and Award Winners of 2021: All the Best-Of Lists in One Place This post contains affiliate links, and purchases may generate a small commission that helps support our team at no additional cost to you.
(Note: some of the 2021 lists include books from 2020, but you can never have too many good book recommendations, in my opinion.) There were too many good ones to mention them all here. Please do click through to each list and support all these authors, though. So, from picture books to early chapter books to YA novels I love to read even without my kids, I present the best children’s books of 2021. This year, diversity and representation continue to color these lists, and I particularly noticed how many women writers, Asian authors and protagonists, and a growing number of Indigenous authors and storylines are featured this year.
Related: The top 10 Spawned podcasts of 2021: From parenting teens to reframing self-care It takes days for me to read through all these lists of the best children’s books of 2021, read some of them myself, and highlight the ones I think our readers will love. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: this article is always a huge labor of love, and it’s my favorite one to write every year. Bookmark this page so you can have it handy at your local bookstore or library too. So, this year I’ve got my library reservations page handy as I’ve been scouring all the best-of award lists. And I’m so proud of myself I read 36 books this year - most of them from our own list! While there have been plenty of downsides to 2021, one really wonderful upside are all the fantastic children’s books and YA lit that has come out this year.Īfter compiling the best books of 2020 last year, I decided to put down my phone and read a lot more.