Best of 2023: Favorite Children's Books Published This Year

July meets a boy at school who claims he isn't a ghost though only she can see him. As she helps her new friend escape from hungry ghosts and seemingly freak accidents, they discover they were born on the same day twelve years ago, when two people were supposed to be escorted to the underworld, but the King of the Underworld's underlings only brought one. This spooky full color graphic novel about friendship and ghosts by the author of Pie in the Sky is recommended for ages 8-12.

Thirteen year old twins Hope and Gordon are scholarship students at academy, and live a happy but frugal life with their single mom - until she loses her job and possibly their home, and their future as a family becomes uncertain. A chance to compete in the annual spelling bee could save them financially but requires them to stay at the mysterious Winterton family estate, deal with the condescending Winterton family, and take part in a high-stakes treasure hunt. A fun middle-grade mystery reminiscent of The Westing Game. 

High school football is the thing to do on Friday nights in Rye, Virginia, but not everyone feels comfortable when the fans support their Braves by waving tomahawks around with the team mascot. An eighth-grade English teacher creates an assignment that pairs up six middle schoolers who have opposing views on the subject of whether or not to keep the mascot and the issue comes to take over the whole town. This taut middle grade novel in verse uses multiple perspectives to examine identity and tradition.

An adorable moon teaches preschoolers about orbits, eclipses, phases and other astronomical facts in this highly accessible non-fiction picture book.

What does a scientist look like? What does it take to be a scientist? This book profiles sixteen people of diverse backgrounds, religions, abilities, and genders working in the field of climate science to show kids that they don't have to fit a certain mold in order to study what they are interested in and make a difference caring for the planet. Their personal stories, advice, and descriptions of their work in areas from oceanography to urban ecology are brought to life by engaging text, beautiful photos, a clear layout and plenty of back matter. Inspiring reading for grades 4-8.

Amanda Gorman, award-winning writer and youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history, is joined by the renowned illustrator Christian Robinson in a picture book that addresses kids directly, validating their feelings about the state of their world and what they can do about it. "You're told that what's going on is very, very sad. But you're not just sad. You're scared. And confused. You're angry. And maybe, just maybe, a little hopeful." And doing something, even if it's small, will someday make an impact.

In this charming, mostly true adventure Ævar tells the story of how his grandfather was stranded on a volcanic island is Iceland with little food and water, nearly getting cooked by the lava while trying to stay warm. Vibrant illustrations and additional information about Iceland and Norse mythology rounds out this picture book for older readers, ages 6-10.

Fox has a problem. His kite has gotten stuck in a tree. Unfortunately his attempts for fix this problem cause even more problems for his friends. He blows all the leaves from the forest into Bear's den, then vacuums up everything - including Bear. Luckily Elephant saves the day in another hilarious beginning reader from Corey Tabor that manages to be wildly entertaining while still providing the simple, repetitive vocabulary that will allow kids to confidently develop their reading skills.

Toddlers will see how fun reading and learning can be - and caregivers will be happy when pages aren't ripped - as they turn split pages all by themselves to match up emergency vehicles in this sturdy, brightly-colored board book.