When reading for 20 minutes a night
is a school assignment, you quickly start looking for some fun books that will hold your children’s attention night after night.
Here is a rundown of some of the most notable children’s books of 2013, according to the Association of Library Service to Children.
For Younger Readers (ages Preschool-grade 2 (age 7), including easy-to-read books)
And Then It’s Spring. By Julie Fogliano. Illus. by Erin E. Stead. Roaring Brook/Neal Porter.
A spare, lyrical narrative and delicate woodblock print and pencil illustrations capture the anticipation of spring. Accompanied by a coterie of animals, a boy plants seeds and waits expectantly for them to sprout.
Hippopposites. By Janik Coat. Appleseed.
A hippo demonstrates a clever variety of opposites in this oversized board book designed to amuse and instruct the youngest readers.
Bear Has a Story to Tell. By Philip C. Stead. Illus. by Erin E. Stead. Roaring Brook/Neal Porter.
Seasons change but friendship remains as Bear patiently awaits to tell his story in a world created through delicate illustrations and a strong message.
Dogs on Duty. By Dorothy Hinshaw Patent. Walker.
Brave, loyal dogs are hard to resist, especially those trained to serve on difficult military missions. Easy-to-read blocks of text are paired with photos to walk readers through the history of these hero hounds.
Dreaming Up: A Celebration of Building. By Christy Hale. Illus. by the author. Lee & Low.
Poetry combined with images illustrates how children’s play influences the creative process as it pertains to the buildings we inhabit and will inspire readers to dream big.
Nighttime Ninja. By Barbara DaCosta. Illus. by Ed Young. Little, Brown.
A ninja stealthily goes about his mission until his mother catches him and puts him to bed. A dark palette of cut paper and mixed-media illustrations intensify the story’s intrigue.
Oh, No! By Candace Fleming. Illus. by Eric Rohmann. Random/Schwartz & Wade.
With exuberant rhythmic phrases and jungle colored illustrations, five animals are disturbed by a grinning tiger and fall into a hole, one by one. This suspenseful cumulative tale is an engaging read-aloud.
One Cool Friend. By Toni Buzzeo. Illus. by David Small. Dial/Penguin.
Energetic line and dizzying perspective combine for a rollicking tale of Father, Elliot, and a highly improbable pet (or two). (A 2013 Caldecott Honor Book)
For Middle Readers (Grades 3-5, ages 8-10)
Abraham Lincoln & Frederick Douglass: The Story behind an American Friendship. By Russell Freedman. illus. Clarion/Houghton.
Though one was born a free man and the other a slave, Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass had much in common. In this dynamic study, Freedman explains how their influential lives intersected and benefitted a nation.
The Beetle Book. By Steve Jenkins. Illus. by the author. Houghton.
With jewel-like collage art, this over-sized edition examines different beetle species and their distinctive characteristics.
A Black Hole Is Not a Hole. By Carolyn Cinami DeCristofano. Illus. by Michael Carroll. Charlesbridge.
Using analogies within a child’s experience, this deceptively clear, engaging introduction to black holes describes, explains, excites, and sparks a sense of wonder.
Iceberg, Right Ahead!: The Tragedy of the Titanic. By Stephanie Sammartino McPherson. illus. Lerner/Twenty-First Century.
Drawing from official documents, logs, and diaries and illlustrated with plentiful photographs, this well-organized, gripping chronicle records the tragic story, from the original design and construction to the discovery of the ship’s remains and motion picture recreations.
In a Glass Grimmly. By Adam Gidwitz. illus. Dutton/Penguin.
Inspired by the tales of Grimm and Andersen, Gidwitz leads Jack and Jill on a quest full of adventure and fantastical creatures. Wit and wisdom packaged as fun.
Island: A Story of the Galápagos. By Jason Chin. Illus. by the author. Roaring Brook/Neal Porter.
Vivid illustrations and brief text explain the evolution of one Galápagos island and its animal inhabitants. Back matter adds weight to the information and prompts further research.
See You at Harry’s. By Jo Knowles. Candlewick.
Fern’s family life revolves around her family’s restaurant and upbeat-three-year-old Charlie until tragedy strikes. A surprisingly funny book about a family coming together as they grieve.
Splendors and Glooms. By Laura Amy Schlitz. Candlewick.
Lizzie Rose, Parsefall, and Clara are caught in the clutches of a wicked puppeteer and a powerful witch in this deliciously dark and complex good-versus-evil tale set in Dickensian England. (A 2013 Newbery Honor Book)
Older Readers (Grades 6-8, ages 11-14)
Drama. By Raina Telgemeier. Illus. by the author. Graphix/Scholastic.
Callie’s personal drama on the tech-crew — unrequited crushes, a first kiss, middle-school cliques — is a spot-on tribute to teamwork, strong friendships, and individuality. (A 2013 Stonewall Honor Book)
A Game for Swallows: To Die, to Leave, to Return. By Zeina Abirached. Illus. by the author. Lerner/Graphic Universe.
This graphic novel memoir focuses on one night during the Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990) during which the author, her brother, and neighbors huddle in the safest corner of their apartment sharing memories, food, and comfort. (A 2013 Batchelder Honor Book)
We’ve Got a Job: The 1963 Birmingham Children’s March. By Cynthia Y. Levinson. illus. Peachtree.
Four children, who risked their lives in the momentous march, provide their personal accounts of that historic event. Beautifully designed and illustrated with archival photographs.
Seraphina. By Rachel Hartman. Random.
In Goredd, dragons and humans live in uneasy peace. Hartman pulls Seraphina, a half-human/half-dragon teen musician, into the intrigue at court. Internally logical, suspenseful with just a hint of romance. (The YALSA 2013 William C. Morris Award Book)
My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece. By Annabel Pitcher. Little, Brown.
A painful, sometimes comic, but ultimately hopeful, story about a family coping with grief, while confronting their own biases against Muslims.
For All Ages (Has appeal and interest for children in all of the above age ranges)
Little Bird. By Germano Zullo. Illus. by Albertine. Enchanted Lion.
The expressive, simple illustrations wordlessly show how a man’s kindness is repaid by a grateful bird; a graphic depiction of “It’s the little things that count.”
National Geographic Book of Animal Poetry: 200 Poems with Photographs that Squeak, Soar, and Roar! Ed. by J. Patrick Lewis. illus. National Geographic.
In a collection for all ages, Lewis pairs poems by classic and modern poets with breathtaking photos from the National Geographic archives that capture the amazing diversity of the animal world.
Step Gently Out. By Helen Frost. Illus. by Rick Lieder. Candlewick.
Frost’s poem, paired with Lieder’s luminous photographs, invite readers to examine insects’ lives as they soar through the air or somersault across a blade of grass.
To see their entire list of notable books for 2013, visit their site.
