Instead of a book review, today I offer the best books kids books of the year, as chosen by the American Library Association. Each year a committee of librarians is chosen to read most of the books published for kids in the US. They choose a select few for these awards. Click on each title to check it's availability in our system.

The Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children.

Medal Winner:
Locomotive by Brian Floca

Honor Books:
Journey by Aaron Becker
Flora and the Flamingo by Molly Idle
Mr. Wuffles by David Wiesner






The John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children's literature

Medal Winner:
Flora and Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo

Honor Books:
Doll Bones by Holly Black
The Year of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes
One Came Home by Amy Timberlake
Paperboy by Vince Vawter





The Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award for the most distinguished informational book for children

Winner:
Parrots over Puerto Rico by Susan L. Roth and Cindy Trumbore

Honor Books:
A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin by Jen Bryant
Look Up! Bird-Watching in Your own Backyard
by Annette LeBlanc Cate
Locomotive by Brian Floca
The Mad Potter: George E. Ohr, Eccentric Genius by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan

Theodore Seuss Geisel Award for the most distinguished book for beginning readers:

Winner:
The Watermelon Seed by Greg Pizzoli

Honor Books:
Ball by Mary Sullivan
A Big Guy Too My Ball by Mo Willems
Penny and her Marble by Kevin Henkes

Book Bites Reviews

Flora and Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo
Review by B-liz
The book is about a super awesome squirrel that can type and it can fly. My favorite character is Flora because she is a comic book reader. I liked this book because it was very hilarious.

The Forgotten Door by Alexander Key
Review by Destiny
A boy from a different planet falls through a door and travels all day with a stick to hold his balance. A family finds him. My favorite character is Sally because she is funny. I loved this book because it was awesome.

Sure Signs of Crazy by Karen Harrington
Review by Elizabeth
A girl's mother is crazy. The girl is sent away and left with her drunk dad. My favorite character is Sarah Nelson because she is the main character. She thinks she is crazy and her life is funny and sad. I loved this book because it is funny and her life is crazy.

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
Review by Paige
A girl named Miranda is wondering why she is getting these notes. My favorite character is Miranda because the book is based on her perspective and she has a sense of humor. I loved this book because every clue she gets all come together at the end.


Other Titles Discussed
The Kite Runner

You Have Seven Messages by Stewart Lewis
Review by Katelyn
Luna's mom died a year ago, but she wants to know the mystery behind it. Luna has a crush on the boy across the street named Oliver. My favorite character is Tile (Luna's Brother), he is a really smart 10 year old boy and really likes French fries. I loved this book because it was a really good story.

Stone Fox by John Gardiner
Review by Paige
A boy's grandpa falls ill and he needs to go in a race. My favorite character is the dog because the dog is very kind and caring. I disliked this book because it was too short and it is sad and upsetting.

The Boy In The Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
Review by Liz
Bruno moves from Berlin to Poland. he must make do with what he has. My favorite character is Bruno because he is an adventurer. I loved this book because it is based on history.

Other Titles Discussed
Paper Towns by John Green
Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Book Bites Reviews

Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson
Review by Paige
This book is about a girl who lives in Philadelphia and owns a coffee shop with her mom, grandpa and
another person. Now she is in the middle of Yellow Fever. My favorite character is Matty Cook because she is the main character and she is very brave during Yellow Fever. I liked this book because Matty Cook is trying to survive during the Fever.

My Side Of The Mountain by Jean Craighead George
Review by Hannah
Sam, a city boy, leaves his home and tries to survive in the Catskill mountains. My favorite character is the old lady because she makes Sam help her pick strawberries for jam. I loved this book because there were great illustrations.

The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner
Review by Destiny
Four homeless kids walk into a baker and buy some bread. The lady lets them stay there. The two older kids overhear the baker saying she is going to take them. My favorite character is Benny because he's cute. I loved this book because I did.

Black Buter by Yana Toboso
Review by B-liz
Sebastian has to serve Ciel until he dies. My favorite character is Sebastian because he loves cats. I loved this book because it is funny.

Titles Also Discussed
A Great And Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

Book Bites Reviews

Bud Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
Review by Paige
Bud, a 10 year-old boy wants to find his father. My favorite character is Bud because he is very curious and interesting. I like this book because it gets yo wondering about what is going to happen next.

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Review by Katelyn
Katniss is a girl from District 12 (the poorest district) and her sister gets chosen for the Hunger Games (a game where people fight to the death for fame and for their district.) Katniss volunteers as tribute and the boy chosen to for the Hunger Games is Peeta Mellark. A long time ago he tossed her bread, and she is really grateful. Then, at the interview, he shays he is in love with her. and she gets really mad. During her training session she shoots an arrow at the Game Makers and gets an 11. All the other tributes really hate Katniss and get Peeta to join the Careers. Katniss and a girl named Rue become allies and they make a really good team. Then Claudius Templesmith says there is a rule change where two tributes from the same district can win the Hunger Games.

Black Butler by Yana Toboso
Review by B-liz
The demon butler saves Ciel. My favorite character is Ciel because he is funny. I loved this book because it is hilarious and serious and sad.

The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade
Review by Katelyn
Alona (ghost) and Will Killian (Goth) fall in love. My favorite character is Will because he sounds really cute and he is really smart. I liked this book because I kept wanting to read it.

The Curse of the Wendigo by Rick Yancey
Review by Hannah
Dr. Warthrop and Will Henry go to Canada to find Mr. Chanler, while trying to disprove the existence of the monster, the Wendigo, that starves even when it is gorging, and must have a human host. This is ironic because upon finding Mr. Chanler, they find the Wendigo.

Swindle by Gordon Korman
Review by Destiny
Ben Slovak and Griffin Bing stay at the old Rockford House which is geting torn down, and Griffin can't sleep. He went to look around the house and finds a Babe Ruth baseball card. My favorite character is Savannah because she is an animal lover. I loved this book.

No More Dead Dogs by Gordon Korman
Review by Destiny
Wallace Wallace gets detention for not writing a proper review of Old Shep, My Pal. My favorite character is Trudi Davis because she is the funniest. I loved this book.

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
Review by B-liz
Maggie kills the dragon Rusalye. She gets and amplifier. She runs away from the darkling. She starts seeing the darkling. She gets marriage proposals. her and her boyfriend are having fights. My favorite character is Ivan because he is evil. I loved this book because it is so addicting. There is a love pentagon (instead of triangle.)

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green
Review by Katie
Hazel, a sixteen year old girl with lung cancer, goes to a support gorp with other cancer kids and meets Augustus, a seventeen year old guy who lost a leg. They fall in love. My favorite characters are Augustus Waters and Hazel Grace because they are very deep when they talk about things and even though they know they're going to die, they try not to focus on that, and just make the most of life. I loved this book because there's so much meaning behind everything said. It's not like most cancer books. It's unique.

Other Books Discussed:
The Happy Birthday Song by Rose Roberts
The Awakening by Michael Carroll
Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Book Bites Reviews

These reviews were written by the members of our tween and teen book club.

Smart Girls Get What They Want by Sarah Strohmeyer
Review by Katelyn
3 girls, Bea, Gigi, Neerja, how they are overachievers and they want to get noticed. Everything is turned upside down. My favorite characters are Mike and Bea, because Mike is really funny, smart and sarcastic, and the same reasons for Bea. I loved this book because it has humor and romance and it is a really good story.

Jinx by Sage Blackwood
Review by Hannah
A boy named Jinx is abandoned in the magical forest, Urwald, and adopted by a wizard, Simon. At first Jinx is just a person who cleans Simon's house, but eventually he finds a way into the Forbidden Wing of the house and convinces Simon to teach him magic. Jinx becomes a listener of the trees of the Urwald. no one believes him because there hasn't been a listener in over a thousand years. Simon then performs a spell on Jinx that takes his life. To get his life back, he travels to Dame Glammer's (an evil witch) house and meets Elfwyn and Reven (two other kids with curses on them). Then on Dame Glammer's advice he goes to the Bone Master's (an evil wizard) house. They are imprisoned for a time and finally find a way out.

If I Stay by Gayle Forman
Review by Tori
Mia and her family get in a car crash, killing all her family and severely injuring her. Realizing the death of her family, she decides between life and death. My favorite character is Kim because she is strong even when her friend's life is in jeopardy. I loved this book because the emotion portrayed in the story is a tear dripper!

White Fang by Jack London
Review by Paige
White Fang is a wolf who is curious and adventurous. Scott, his owner, after a long life, finds White Fang and turns his hate into love. My favorite character is White Fang because he is curious about the world. I loved this book because I like how he's adventurous and survives through lots of problems and it is an amazing book.

Also discussed: House of Night Novels by P.C. Cast

Book Bites Reviews

In The Belly Of The Bloodhound by L.A. Meyer
Review by Paige
Jackie Faber and the Lawson Peabody school for young girls goes on a field trip but they are being tricked onto a slave ship. I like this book because Jackie plans an escape to save herself and her friends. You should read this book because it is adventurous.

Bloody Jack by L.A. Meyer
Review by Paige
This book is about a girl whose name is Mary but changed it to Jackie when she goes on the ship H.M.S. Dolphin. She is disguised as a boy to get on the ship. I like this book because she has lots of adventures on the ship and is a ship's boy and makes a Dread Brotherhood with all the ship's boys. You should read this book because it is very adventurous and is amazing and is a great book.




The Artsy Smartsy Club by Daniel Pinkwater
Review by Melody
This book is about some kids who are on their own with a chicken that eats marshmallows. I like this book because I can relate to the chicken. You should read this book because I like it.

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer
Review by Tori
Cala makes the mistake of saving a mountain hiker from a bear. The Union is nearing when Sha, the hiker she saved in the wood, appears and confuses her life. I like this book because the idea is great. But I'm still deciphering whether Cala is a strong or weak character. You should read this book because it's an action packed story.

Dying to Meet You by Kate Klise
Review by B-liz
A ghost and Seymour live at 43 Old Cemetery Road. Mr. Grumpy is a book writer who has writer's block. I like this book because the ghost doesn't like Mr. Grumpy but loves Seymour. You should read this book because it is all letters and it's really funny.





Other Titles Discussed
Black Butler by Yana Toboso
Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia
Stork by Wendi Delsol
Darkside by Tom Becker
Lifeblood by Tom Becker
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Seer of Shadows by Avi
Kill Me Softly by Sarah Cross