2024 Teacher Favorites
Teacher book recommendations for kids, educators, booksellers, librarians, and caregivers of the best children’s books in 2023.
Ab(solutely) Normal: Short Stories That Smash Mental Health Stereotypes
By: Edited by Nora Shalaway Carpenter and Rocky Callen
ISBN: 9781536224146
Fiction, Teen, Mental / Physical Health
Accountable: The True Story of a Racist Social Media Account and the Teenagers Whose Lives It Changed
By: Dashka Slater
ISBN: 9780374314347
Nonfiction, Teen, Mental / Physical Health
Alithia Ramirez Was an Artist
By: Violet Lemay
Illustrated by:
Violet Lemay with illustrations included from Alithia Ramirez
Violet Lemay with illustrations included from Alithia Ramirez
ISBN: 9781612546490
Nonfiction, 7-12, Biography / Memoir
All Kinds of Kids
By: Bill Martin Jr and Michael Sampson
Illustrated by:
Paul Meisel
Paul Meisel
ISBN: 9781612546414
Fiction, 4-6, Cultural Diversity
Alligator or Crocodile? A Compare and Contrast Book
By: Jennifer Shields
ISBN: 9781643519821
Nonfiction, 7-12, Animals
An American Story
By: Kwame Alexander
Illustrated by:
Dare Coulter
Dare Coulter
ISBN: 9780316473125
Fiction, 7-12, BIPOC Characters and Creators
Angel and the Paper Trail
By: Makenzie Hice
Illustrated by:
Natasja Horne
Natasja Horne
ISBN: 9781605377322
Fiction, 7-12, Action / Adventure
Animals in Surprising Shades: Poems About Earth’s Colorful Creatures
By: Susan Johnston Taylor
Illustrated by:
Annie Bakst
Annie Bakst
ISBN: 9781957655048
Nonfiction, 7-12, Animals
The Antiracist Kitchen: 21 Stories (and Recipes)
By: Edited by Nadia L. Hohn
Illustrated by:
Roza Nozari
Roza Nozari
ISBN: 9781459833432
Nonfiction, 7-12, Cultural Diversity, How-to / Activity
Araña and Spider-Man 2099: Dark Tomorrow
By: Alex Segura
ISBN: 9781368079006
Fiction, Teen, Action / Adventure
The Astronaut’s Guide to Leaving the Planet: Everything You Need to Know, from Training to Re-entry\
By: Terry Virts
Illustrated by:
Andrés Lozano
Andrés Lozano
ISBN: 9781523514564
Nonfiction, 7-12, Science / Nature
Aya: An Anthology of Racial Justice, Healing and the Black Experience
By: Veronica Chapman and Kevin Reese
Illustrated by:
Erianna Jiles
Erianna Jiles
ISBN: 9781959223900
Nonfiction, Teen, Cultural Diversity
Back to School, Backpack!
By: Simon Rich
Illustrated by:
Tom Toro
Tom Toro
ISBN: 9780316628341
Fiction, 4-6, Humor
Bean The Stretchy Dragon: A Sally & Bean Adventure
By: Ari Stocrate
ISBN: 9781524881016
Fiction, 7-12, Animals
Being Ace: An Anthology of Queer, Trans, Femme, and Disabled Stories of Asexual Love and Connection
By: Edited by Madeline Dyer with contributing authors
ISBN: 9781645679561
Fiction, Teen, LGBTQIA+
Big Tree
By: Brian Selznick
Illustrated by:
Brian Selznick
Brian Selznick
ISBN: 9781338180633
Fiction, 7-12, Action / Adventure
Bitsy Bat, School Star
By: Kaz Windness
Illustrated by:
Kaz Windness
Kaz Windness
ISBN: 9781665905053
Fiction, 4-6, Animals
Blood Debts
By: Terry J. Benton-Walker
ISBN: 9781250825926
Fiction, Teen, BIPOC Characters and Creators
Body Music: Poems About the Noises Your Body Makes
By: Jane Yolen and Ryan G. Van Cleave
Illustrated by:
Luis San Vicente
Luis San Vicente
ISBN: 9781638192015
Nonfiction, 7-12, Humor
Border Crossings
By: Sneed B. Collard III
Illustrated by:
Howard Gray
Howard Gray
ISBN: 9781623542382
Nonfiction, 7-12, Animals
The Brothers Zzli
By: Alex Cousseau; translated by Vineet Lal
Illustrated by:
Anne-Lise Boutin
Anne-Lise Boutin
ISBN: 9780802856098
Fiction, 7-12, Cultural Diversity
Building a Dream: How the Boys of Koh Panyee Became Champions
By: Darshana Khiani
Illustrated by:
Dow Phumiruk
Dow Phumiruk
ISBN: 9780802855473
Nonfiction, 7-12, Cultural Diversity
Calling the Moon: 16 Period Stories from BIPOC Authors
By: Edited by Aida Salazar and Yamile Saied Méndez
ISBN: 9781536216349
Fiction, 7-12, Biography / Memoir
Cat Jokes vs. Dog Jokes: A Read-from-Both-Sides Comic Book
By: David Lewman
Illustrated by:
John McNamee
John McNamee
ISBN: 9781523512058
Fiction, 7-12, Animals
City Beet
By: Tziporah Cohen
Illustrated by:
Udayana Lugo
Udayana Lugo
ISBN: 9781534112711
Fiction, 4-6, Cultural Diversity
Colin Kaepernick: Change the Game (Graphic Novel Memoir)
By: Colin Kaepernick and Eve L. Ewing
Illustrated by:
Orlando Caicedo
Orlando Caicedo
ISBN: 9781338789669
Nonfiction, 7-12, Biography / Memoir
Daddy Dressed Me
By: Michael Gardner and Ava Gardner
Illustrated by:
Nadia Fisher
Nadia Fisher
ISBN: 9781665921954
Fiction, 4-6, BIPOC Characters and Creators
The Death and Life of Benny Brooks
By: Ethan Long
ISBN: 9780316333122
Fiction, 7-12, Biography / Memoir
Doña Quixote: Rise of the Knight
By: Rey Terciero
Illustrated by:
Monica M. Magaña
Monica M. Magaña
ISBN: 9781250795472
Fiction, 7-12, Action / Adventure
Eb & Flow (In Verse)
By: Kelly J. Baptist
ISBN: 9780593429136
Fiction, 7-12, BIPOC Characters and Creators
Ellen Takes Flight: The Life of Astronaut Ellen Ochoa
By: Doreen Rappaport
Illustrated by:
Oliver Dominguez
Oliver Dominguez
ISBN: 9780759554948
Nonfiction, 7-12, Biography / Memoir
Family Style: Memories of an American from Vietnam
By: Thien Pham
ISBN: 9781250809728
Nonfiction, Teen, Biography / Memoir
Farewell Cuba, Mi Isla
By: Alexandra Diaz
ISBN: 9781534495401
Fiction, 7-12, BIPOC Characters and Creators
Frank and Bert
By: Chris Naylor-Ballesteros
Illustrated by:
Chris Naylor-Ballesteros
Chris Naylor-Ballesteros
ISBN: 9798887770000
Fiction, 4-6, Action / Adventure
A Funny Thing Happened After School
By: Davide Cali
Illustrated by:
Benjamin Chaud
Benjamin Chaud
ISBN: 9781452183008
Fiction, 7-12, Action / Adventure
Garvey’s Choice: The Graphic Novel
By: Nikki Grimes
Illustrated by:
Theodore Taylor III
Theodore Taylor III
ISBN: 9781662660023
Fiction, 7-12, Art / Performing Arts
The Gift of Being Different
By: Monica and Abigail Berg
Illustrated by:
Sonia Possentini
Sonia Possentini
ISBN: 9798985920000
Fiction, 7-12, Coming of Age
Giraffe Math
By: Stephen Swinburne
Illustrated by:
Geraldo Valério
Geraldo Valério
ISBN: 9780316346771
Fiction, 7-12, Concepts
Glitter Everywhere! Where It Came From, Where It’s Found & Where It’s Going
By: Chris Barton
Illustrated by:
Chaaya Prabhat
Chaaya Prabhat
ISBN: 9781623542528
Nonfiction, 7-12, Environment / Sustainability / Recycling
Goodbye: A First Conversation About Grief
By: Megan Madison and Jessica Ralli
Illustrated by:
Isabel Roxas
Isabel Roxas
ISBN: 9780593662380
Nonfiction, 4-6, Death / Grief / Loss
The Great Banned-Books Bake Sale
By: Aya Khalil
Illustrated by:
Anait Semirdzhyan
Anait Semirdzhyan
ISBN: 9780884489672
Fiction, 7-12, Cultural Diversity
The Great Cold Queen: A Poppenohna Land Adventure (Book 1)
By: Carrie Turley
Illustrated by:
Lara Law
Lara Law
ISBN: 9781956357875
Fiction, 7-12, Action / Adventure
Hattie Harmony: Opening Night
By: Elizabeth Olsen and Robbie Arnett
Illustrated by:
Marissa Valdez
Marissa Valdez
ISBN: 9780593351468
Fiction, 4-6, Mental / Physical Health
Heart Berry Bling
By: Jenny Kay Dupuis
Illustrated by:
Eva Campbell
Eva Campbell
ISBN: 9781774920558
Fiction, 4-6, Cultural Diversity
Hidden: A True Story of the Holocaust
By: Kati Preston
Illustrated by:
Dilleen Marsh
Dilleen Marsh
ISBN: 9781942155539
Nonfiction, Teen, History
The Hole Story
By: Kelly Canby
Illustrated by:
Kelly Canby
Kelly Canby
ISBN: 9781595729392
Fiction, 4-6, Imagination / Play
Holey Moley
By: Bethan Clarke
Illustrated by:
Anders Frang
Anders Frang
ISBN: 9781684645497
Fiction, 4-6, Animals
Hour of Need: The Daring Escape of the Danish Jews during World War II
By: Ralph Shayne
Illustrated by:
Tatiana Goldberg
Tatiana Goldberg
ISBN: 9781499813586
Fiction, 7-12, Historical Fiction
House Party
By: Edited by justin a. reynolds
ISBN: 9780593488157
Fiction, Teen, BIPOC Characters and Creators
How Do You Spell Unfair? MacNolia Cox and the National Spelling Bee
By: Carole Boston Weatherford
Illustrated by:
Frank Morrison
Frank Morrison
ISBN: 9781536215540
Nonfiction, 7-12, Biography / Memoir
How the Sea Came to Be And All the Creatures In It
By: Jennifer Berne
Illustrated by:
Amanda Hall
Amanda Hall
ISBN: 9780802854780
Nonfiction, 7-12, Animals
How to Handle STRESS for Middle School Success
By: Silvi Guerra
Illustrated by:
DeAndra Hodge
DeAndra Hodge
ISBN: 9781433838163
Nonfiction, 7-12, Mental / Physical Health
How to NAVIGATE Middle School
By: Anna Pozzatti and Bonnie Massimino
Illustrated by:
DeAndra Hodge
DeAndra Hodge
ISBN: 9781433838224
Nonfiction, 7-12, Mental / Physical Health
I Will Read to You
By: Gideon Sterer
Illustrated by:
Charles Santoso
Charles Santoso
ISBN: 9780316592611
Fiction, 4-6, Imagination / Play
Just Jerry: How Drawing Shaped My Life
By: Jerry Pinkney
ISBN: 9780316383851
Nonfiction, 7-12, Biography / Memoir
Kariba
By: Daniel Clarke, James Clarke, and Daniel Snaddon
Illustrated by:
Daniel Clarke
Daniel Clarke
ISBN: 9781946395825
Fiction, 7-12, Action / Adventure
The Kid with Big, Big Ideas
By: Britney Winn Lee
Illustrated by:
Jacob Souva
Jacob Souva
ISBN: 9781506487090
Fiction, 7-12, Social Activism / Equality / Feminism
The King Without a Trade: English-Ukrainian Bilingual Edition
By: Idries Shah
Illustrated by:
Charlotte Marshall
Charlotte Marshall
ISBN: 9781959393634
Fiction, 7-12, Cultural Diversity
Less is More: Join the Low-Waste Movement
By: Leah Payne
ISBN: 9781459835443
Nonfiction, 7-12, Science / Nature
Lifesize Deadly Animals
By: Sophy Henn
Illustrated by:
Sophy Henn
Sophy Henn
ISBN: 9781684645671
Nonfiction, 4-6, Animals
Luna Ranchera
By: Rodrigo Morlesin; translated by Sara Lissa Paulson
Illustrated by:
Mariana Ruiz Johnson
Mariana Ruiz Johnson
ISBN: 9781662651106
Fiction, 7-12, Spanish
Major Taylor: World Cycling Champion
By: Charles R. Smith
Illustrated by:
Leo Espinosa
Leo Espinosa
ISBN: 9781536214987
Nonfiction, 7-12, Biography / Memoir
Make More S’mores
By: Cathy Ballou Mealey
Illustrated by:
Ariel Landy
Ariel Landy
ISBN: 9781534111769
Fiction, 4-6, Animals
Make Way for Butterfly (A Very Impatient Caterpillar Book)
By: Ross Burach
Illustrated by:
Ross Burach
Ross Burach
ISBN: 9781338752632
Fiction, 4-6, Humor
Many Deaths of Laila Starr, The Deluxe Edition HC
By: Ram V
Illustrated by:
Filipe Andrade
Filipe Andrade
ISBN: 9781684159161
Fiction, Teen, Fantasy
Mapmakers and the Enchanted Mountain
By: Cameron Chittock and Amanda Castillo
ISBN: 9780593172919
Fiction, 7-12, Action / Adventure
The Mark of Athena: The Graphic Novel (The Heroes of Olympus, Book Three)
By: Rick Riordan
Illustrated by:
Orpheus Collar
Orpheus Collar
ISBN: 9781368081726
Fiction, 7-12, Action / Adventure
Marker
By: Anna Kang
Illustrated by:
Christopher Weyant
Christopher Weyant
ISBN: 9781542039611
Fiction, 4-6, Social Emotional Learning
Mascot
By: Charles Waters and Traci Sorell
ISBN: 9781623543808
Fiction, 7-12, BIPOC Characters and Creators
Meowl-o-ween
By: Diane Muldrow
Illustrated by:
Tiffany Chen
Tiffany Chen
ISBN: 9781662602009
Fiction, 4-6, Animals
A Mighty Long Way (Adapted for Young Readers): My Journey to Justice at Little Rock Central High School
By: Carlotta Walls LaNier with Lisa Frazier Page
ISBN: 9780593486757
Nonfiction, 7-12, BIPOC Characters and Creators
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Recharged Vol. 1 SC
By: Ryan Parrott
Illustrated by:
Marco Renna and Moisés Hidalgo
Marco Renna and Moisés Hidalgo
ISBN: 9781684158959
Fiction, Teen, Fantasy
Miles Morales Suspended: A Spider-Man Novel
By: Jason Reynolds
Illustrated by:
Zeke Peña
Zeke Peña
ISBN: 9781665918466
Fiction, Teen, Action / Adventure
Molly’s Tuxedo
By: Vicki Johnson
Illustrated by:
Gillian Reid
Gillian Reid
ISBN: 9781499813142
Fiction, 4-6, LGBTQIA+
Monster Support Group: The Mummy’s Curse
By: Laura Suárez
Illustrated by:
Laura Suárez
Laura Suárez
ISBN: 9781838741327
Fiction, 7-12, Fantasy
My House, My Family
By: C. Hope Flinchbaugh
Illustrated by:
Laurel Aylesworth
Laurel Aylesworth
ISBN: 9781641709934
Fiction, 4-6, Cultural Diversity
The Night in Question (An Agatha’s Mystery, #2)
By: Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson
ISBN: 9780593645833
Fiction, Teen, Mystery / Thriller
Night Market Rescue
By: Charlotte Cheng
Illustrated by:
Amber Ren
Amber Ren
ISBN: 9780593531723
Fiction, 4-6, Cultural Diversity
NO Is All I Know!
By: Chris Grabenstein
Illustrated by:
Leo Espinosa
Leo Espinosa
ISBN: 9780593302040
Fiction, 4-6, Humor
Northranger: A Modern Graphic Novel Retelling of Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey
By: Rey Terciero
Illustrated by:
Bre Indigo
Bre Indigo
ISBN: 9780063007390
Fiction, Teen, LGBTQIA+
Noticing
By: Kobi Yamada
Illustrated by:
Elise Hurst
Elise Hurst
ISBN: 9781970147896
Fiction, 7-12, Coming of Age
Oh, Olive!
By: Lian Cho
Illustrated by:
Lian Cho
Lian Cho
ISBN: 9780063237490
Fiction, 4-6, Imagination / Play
On the Edge of the World
By: Anna Desnitskaya; translated by Lena Traer
Illustrated by:
Anna Desnitskaya
Anna Desnitskaya
ISBN: 9780802856128
Fiction, 7-12, Cultural Diversity
Once Upon a Book
By: Grace Lin & Kate Messner
Illustrated by:
Grace Lin
Grace Lin
ISBN: 9780316541077
Fiction, 7-12, Folklore / Fairytales / Myths
The Other Pandemic: An AIDS Memoir
By: Lynn Curlee
ISBN: 9781623543501
Nonfiction, Teen, Biography / Memoir
Our Divine Mischief: The Course of True Love Never Did Lack Chaos
By: Hanna C. Howard
ISBN: 9780310156222
Fiction, Teen, Historical Fiction
Party Hearty Kitty-Corn
By: Shannon Hale
Illustrated by:
LeUyen Pham
LeUyen Pham
ISBN: 9781419750953
Fiction, 4-6, Humor
The Pirate and the Porcelain Girl
By: Emily Riesbeck
Illustrated by:
NJ Barna
NJ Barna
ISBN: 9781534487758
Fiction, Teen, Action / Adventure
Poetry Prompts: All sorts of ways to start a poem from Joseph Coelho
By: Joseph Coelho
Illustrated by:
Grasya Oliyko, Amanda Quartey, Georgie Birkett and Viola Wang
Grasya Oliyko, Amanda Quartey, Georgie Birkett and Viola Wang
ISBN: 9780711285125
Nonfiction, 7-12, Biography / Memoir
Pride and Prejudice and Pittsburgh
By: Rachael Lippincott
ISBN: 9781665937535
Fiction, Teen, Coming of Age
The Queen of Chess: How Judit Polgár Changed the Game
By: Laurie Wallmark
Illustrated by:
Stevie Lewis
Stevie Lewis
ISBN: 9781499813067
Nonfiction, 7-12, Careers / Hobbies
Race Against Death: The Greatest POW Rescue of World War II (Scholastic Focus)
By: Deborah Hopkinson
ISBN: 9781338746167
Nonfiction, 7-12, History
Race for the Ruby Turtle
By: Stephen Bramucci
ISBN: 9781547607020
Fiction, 7-12, Environment / Sustainability / Recycling
Ramen for Everyone
By: Patricia Tanumihardja
Illustrated by:
Shiho Pate
Shiho Pate
ISBN: 9781665904353
Fiction, 4-6, Family / Community
See the Ghost: Three Stories About Things You Cannot See
By: David LaRochelle
Illustrated by:
Mike Wohnoutka
Mike Wohnoutka
ISBN: 9781536219821
Fiction, 4-6, Humor
Snake’s Big Mistake
By: Sarah Kurpiel
Illustrated by:
Sarah Kurpiel
Sarah Kurpiel
ISBN: 9780063093218
Fiction, 4-6, Animals
Squished: A Graphic Novel
By: Megan Wagner Lloyd and Michelle Mee Nutter
ISBN: 9781338568943
Fiction, 7-12, Family / Community
Sunshine: A Graphic Novel
By: Jarrett J. Krosoczka
Illustrated by:
Jarrett J. Krosoczka
Jarrett J. Krosoczka
ISBN: 9781338356328
Nonfiction, 7-12, Family / Community
Tacos Today
By: Raúl the Third
Illustrated by:
Raúl the Third
Raúl the Third
ISBN: 9780358539377
Fiction, 7-12, Animals
A Take-Charge Girl Blazes a Trail to Congress: The Story of Jeannette Rankin
By: Gretchen Woelfle
Illustrated by:
Rebecca Gibbon
Rebecca Gibbon
ISBN: 9781662680120
Nonfiction, 7-12, Biography / Memoir
They Hold the Line
By: Dan Paley
Illustrated by:
Molly Mendoza
Molly Mendoza
ISBN: 9781797214504
Nonfiction, 7-12, Environment / Sustainability / Recycling
This Indian Kid: A Native American Memoir (Scholastic Focus)
By: Eddie Chuculate
ISBN: 9781338802085
Nonfiction, 7-12, Cultural Diversity
Three Hens, a Peacock, and the Enormous Egg
By: Lester L. Laminack
Illustrated by:
Henry Cole
Henry Cole
ISBN: 9781682633748
Fiction, 4-6, Animals
Watch Out for the Lion!
By: Brooke Hartman
Illustrated by:
Anna Süßbauer
Anna Süßbauer
ISBN: 9781645677123
Fiction, 4-6, Animals
We Don’t Lose Our Class Goldfish
By: Ryan T. Higgins
Illustrated by:
Ryan T. Higgins
Ryan T. Higgins
ISBN: 9781368076982
Fiction, 4-6, Animals
We Need To Talk About Vaginas
By: Dr. Allison K. Rodgers
Illustrated by:
Annika Le Large
Annika Le Large
ISBN: 9781684492848
Fiction, 7-12, Immigrant Experience
What’s Inside a Caterpillar Cocoon?
By: Rachel Ignotofsky
Illustrated by:
Rachel Ignotofsky
Rachel Ignotofsky
ISBN: 9780593176573
Nonfiction, 7-12, Animals
A Whole World of Art
By: Sarah Phillips
Illustrated by:
Dion Mehaga Bangun Djayasaputra
Dion Mehaga Bangun Djayasaputra
ISBN: 9780711265370
Nonfiction, 7-12, Art / Performing Arts
Whose Egg Is That?
By: Darrin Lunde
Illustrated by:
Kelsey Oseid
Kelsey Oseid
ISBN: 9781623543297
Nonfiction, 4-6, Animals
