"Best of" Books is a bloghop hosted by Diane Estrella at That's What I'm Here For
Picking the top five children's/middle grade books that I read this year isn't an easy task, I have read so many good one and there are still some that I missed. But of all there books that I did read, I think these are the best:
Top 5 Children's Books:
The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt, illustrated by Oliver Jeffers
This was hands down a favorite. It was delightful and laugh out loud funny.
Read my review here
The Story of Fish & Snail written and illustrated by Deborah Freedman
Done is soft pastels, this is a charming story of friendship and taking chances, and some meta-fiction thrown in for good measure.
Read my review here
This is the Rope, a Story from the Great Migration by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by James Ransome
A multigenerational story of a family and how one simple piece of rope connects their stories together.
Read my review here
Flight of the Honey Bee by Raymond Huber, illustrated by Brian Lovelock
Follow Scout as she leaves her bee hive to collect nectar and pollen and learn about the serious disappearance/collapse of bee colonies about the world at the same time.
Read my review here
Building Our House written and illustrated by Jonathan Bean
This gentle story follows a family as they change and grow and as they carefully build thier house in the country over time.
Read my review here
Top 5 Middle Grade Books:
The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp by Kathi Appelt
The Bayour Tourterelle is in danger of being destroyed and it is up to one 12 year old boy and two raccoon brothers to save it. When it came to MG books, this was my hands down favorite.
Read my review here
P.S. Be Eleven by Rita Williams-Garcia
This sequel to One Crazy Summer brings the Gaither sisters back to Brooklyn and new adventures in the pivotal year1968. Williams-Garcia depiction of the times is just so spot on.
Read my reviw here
Doll Bones by Holly Black
Normally, I hate doll stories because I find them to be too creepy, but this novel has just the right about of creepiness to make it a fun coming of age novel to read.
Read my review here
Africa is My Home by Monica Edinger, illustrated by Robert Byrd
Based on a true story, it tells the story of Sarah Kinson, formerly Margru, who was sold to slave traders at age 9 and taken on the Amistad to be sold to a Caribbean plantation. The Amistad Revolt on board ship changed her destiny forever.
Read my review here
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein
This was a fun mystery about finding your way our of a state of the art library using games, technology and literature. Clever and entertaining, I couldn't put this book down.
Read my review here
Be sure to visit the blogs below to see what their Best of 2013 Children's and Middle Grade choices are:
Love the variety you included. I have not heard of any of these. Will have to troll around for some new reads. thanks for joining the blog hop!
ReplyDeleteThese all look fantastic. Very different from other best lists I've seen (and my own) but they all look fab. I am especially interested in reading This Is The Rope.
ReplyDeleteNice list!! I really liked Escape from Mr. Limoncello's Library too! I need to read more of the picture books but I loved The Day the Crayons Quit and The Story of Fish and Snail too!
ReplyDeleteMy two favorite picture books so far are Journey by Aaron Becker and Mr. Tiger Goes Wild! by Peter Brown. Oh, and Knock Knock: A Father's Dream for Me by Daniel Beaty
I loved Catch Rider by Jennifer H. Lyne too!