PLANETESME PICKS: Best Books of 2016

For a long time, I have been saying that children's books are our best hope for equalizing education in America.  A great book in the hands of a rich child is the same great book in the hands of a poor child.  But more than that, books in thoughtful combination are an education in and of themselves.  I love making these annual lists, because I can only imagine how a child who experiences these titles will be changed, and change is the definition of learning.  Through what will new lenses will the child view the world after experiencing this art?  What biographies will inspire them, what mentors will fly through space and time to scaffold their own dreams and efforts?  How will they view and understand the natural world?  What new friends will they find inside books that will inform them to know how to connect and empathize with people outside of books?  What will make them laugh, cry, think?  After perusing hundreds of books this year with my teacher-librarian eye, these are the finest that I spy.  I hope read in any combination, they will be building blocks...building books!...in an individual ready to meet and embrace the world.

Most perfect book likely to win all sorts of awards:  Swan:  The Life and Dance of Anna Pavlova by Laurel Snyder, illustrated by Julie Morstad (Chronicle)

Personal favorite book that I clutch to my chest and sigh:  The Little Gardener by Emily Hughes (Flying Eye)

Most delightful read-aloud:  Winston & George by John Miller, illustrated by Giuliano Cucco (Enchanted Lion)

Best book for kids destined to watch Downton Abbey some day:  Daisy Saves the Day by Shirley Hughes (Candlewick)

Make your own category and please share it in the comments, with any of your favorites or the past year or from these lists below! Links are for informational use; please remember to support your local independent bookseller or visit your school and public libraries.

Picture Books:

Animal Beauty by Kristin Roskifte (Eerdmans)

Animal Supermarket by Giovanna Zoboli, illustrated by Simona Mulazzani (Eerdmans)

Beep!  Beep!  Go to Sleep! By Todd Tarpley, illustrated by John Rocco (Little, Brown)

Big Bear Little Chair by Lizi Boyd (Chronicle)

Bug in a Vacuum by Melanie Watt (Tundra)

Cats Are Cats by Valeri Gorbachev (Holiday House)

Daisy Saves the Day by Shirley Hughes (Candlewick)

Dear Santa, Love, Rachel Rosenstein by Amanda Peet and Andrea Troyer, illustrated by Christine Davenier (Doubleday)

Dinosaur Rocket! By Penny Dale (Nosy Crow)

Doctor Nice by Valeri Gorbachev (Holiday House)

Finders Keepers by Keiko Kasza (G.P. Putnam’s Sons)

Fowl Play by Travis Nichols (Chronicle)

Happy Birthday, Cupcake! By Terry Border (Philomel)

Have You Seen My Monster?  by Steve Light (Candlewick)

I Don’t Want to Be a Frog by Dev Petty, illustrated by Mike Boldt (Doubleday)

I Will Never Get a Star on Mrs. Benson’s Blackboard by Jennifer K. Mann (Candlewick)

I’m New Here by Anne Sibley O’Brien (Charlesbridge)

It’s Tough to Lose Your Balloon by Jarrett J. Krozoczka (Knopf)

The Kind-Hearted Monster by Max Velhuijs (NorthSouth)

Leo:  A Ghost Story by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Christian Robinson (Chronicle)

Little Red Gliding Hood by Tara Lazar, illustrated by Troy Cummings (Random House)

Little Tree by Loren Long (Philomel)

Mouse’s First Night at Moonlight School by Simon Puttock, illustrated by Ali Pye (Nosy Crow)

My Wild Family by Laurent Moreau (Chronicle)

One Word from Sophia by Jim Averbeck, illustrated by Yasmeen Ismail (Atheneum)

Oskar and the Eight Blessings by Richard and Tanya Simon, illustrated by Mark Siegel (Roaring Brook)

P. Zonka Lays an Egg by Julie Paschkis (Peachtree)

Polar Bear’s Underwear by Tupera Tupera (Chronicle)

Poppy’s Best Paper by Susan Eaddy, illustrated by Rosalinde Bonnet (Charlesbridge)

Red:  A Crayon’s Story by Michael Hall (Greenwillow)

Rude Cakes by Rowboat Watkins (Chronicle)

Rufus the Writer by Elizabeth Bram, illustrated by Chuck Groenink (Schwartz & Wade)

Seen and Not Heard by Katie May Green (Candlewick)

Sharing the Bread:  An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving Story by Pat Zietlow Miller, illustrated by Jill McElmurry (Schwartz & Wade)

Sidewalk Flowers by JonArno Lawson, illustrated by Sydney Smith (Groundwood)

Sleeping Cinderella and Other Princess Mix-Ups by Stephanie Clarkson, illustrated by Brigette Barrager (Orchard)

Snow White and the 77 Dwarfs by Raphaelle Barbanegre (Tundra)

Some Things I’ve Lost by Cybele Young (Groundwood)

Special Delivery by Philip C. Stead, illustrated by Matthew Cordell (Roaring Brook)

Sunday Shopping by Sally Derby, illustrated by Shadra Strickland (Lee and Low)

Tacky and the Haunted Igloo by Helen Lester, illustrated by Lynn Munsinger (HMH)

The Bear Ate Your Sandwich by Julia Sarcone-Roach (Knopf)

The Day the Crayons Came Home by Drew Daywalt, illustrated by Oliver Jeffers (Philomel)

The Full Moon at the Napping House by Audrey and Don Wood (HMH)

The Gingerbread Man Loose at Christmas by Laura Murray, illustrated by Mike Lowery (Putnam)

The Grasshopper & the Ants by Jerry Pinkney (Little, Brown)

Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast by Josh Funk, illustrated by Brendan Kearney (Sterling)

The Little Gardener by Emily Hughes (Flying Eye)

Little Kunoichi, The Ninja Girl by Sanae Ishida (Atheneum)

The Sea Tiger by Victoria Turnbull (Templar)

The Sheepover by John and Jennifer Churchman (Little, Brown)

The Story of Snowflake and Inkdrop by Pierdomenico Baccalario (Enchanted Lion)

Strictly No Elephants by Lisa Mantchev, illustrated by Taeeun Yoo (Simon & Schuster)
So Cozy by Lerryn Korda (Candlewick)

The Turnip by Jan Brett (Putnam)

Two White Rabbits by Jairo Buitrago and Rafael Yockteng (Groundwood)

The Whisper by Pamela Zagarenski (HMH)

The White Book by Minibombo (Candlewick)

The Wonderful Fluffy Little Squishy by Beatrice Alemagna (Enchanted Lion)

There Was an Old Dragon Who Swallowed a Knight by Penny Parker Klostermann, illustrated by Ben Mantle (Random House)

Too Many Toys! By Heidi Deedman (Candlewick)

Tough Guys Have Feelings, Too by Keith Negley (Flying Eye)

Troll and the Oliver by Adam Stower (Templar)

Use Your Imagination by Nicola O’Byrne (Nosy Crow)

Vegetables in Underwear by Jared Chapman (Abrams Appleseed)

When Sophie’s Feelings Are Really, Really Hurt by Molly Bang (Scholastic)

Where Bear? by Sophie Henn (Philomel)

Who Done It?  By Olivier Tallec (Chronicle)

Whose Shoe?  by Eve Bunting, illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier (Clarion)

Wild About Us! By Karen Beaumont, illustrated by Janet Stevens (HMH)

Winston & George by John Miller, illustrated by Giuliano Cucco (Enchanted Lion)

Written and Drawn by Henrietta by Liniers (Toon Books)

Yard Sale by Eve Bunting, illustrated by Lauren Castillo (Candlewick)

Nonfiction:

100 Pablo Picassos by Violet LeMay (Duopress)

A Nest Is Noisy by Dianna Hutts Aston, illustrated by Sylvia Long (Chronicle)

A Tower of Giraffes: Animals in Groups by Anna Wright (Charlesbridge)

An A from Miss Keller by Patricia Polacco (Putnam)

Are You My Dinner? By Tracey West (Smithsonian)

Bigfoot is Missing! By J. Patrick Lewis and Ken Nesbitt, illustrated by Minalima (Chronicle)

Book:  MyAutobiography by John Agard, illustrated by Neil Packer (Candlewick)

Brother Giovanni’s Little Reward:  How the Pretzel Was Born by Anna Egan Smucker, illustrated by Amanda Hall (Eerdmans)

Can We Help?  KidsVolunteering to Help Their Communities by George Ancona (Candlewick)

The Case for Loving: The Fight for Interracial Marriage by Selina Alko, illustrated by Sean Qualls and Selina Alko (Arthur Levine/Scholastic)

Charlie Piechart and the Case of the Missing Pizza Slice by Marilyn Sadler, illustrated by Eric Comstock  (Katherine Tegen Books)

Chinese Fairy Tale Feasts: A Literary Cookbook by Paul Yee, illustrated by Shaoli Wang (Crocodile Books)

Counting Lions by Katie Cotton, illustrated by Stephen Walton (Candlewick)

The Death of the Hat: A Brief History of Poetry in 50 Objects by Paul Janeczko, illustrated by Chris Raschka (Candlewick)

Design Line: History of Men and Women’s Fashion by Sanna Mander (Big Picture Press)

Drum Dream Girl:  HowOne Girl’s Courage Changed Music by Margarita Engle, illustrated by Rafael Lopez (HMH)

Eat Your U.S. History Homework:  Recipes for Revolutionary Minds by Ann McCallum, illustrated by Leeza Hernandez (Charlesbridge)

Enormous Smallness:  A Story of e.e. cummings by Matthre Burgess, illustrated by Kris DiGiacomo (Enchanted Lion)

Finding Winnie:  TheTrue Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear by Lindsay Mattick, illustrated by Sophie Blackall (Little Brown)

Flutter and Hum/Aleteo y Zumbido:  Animal Poems/Poemas de Animales by Julie Paschkis (Henry Holt)
Flying Cars by Andrew Glass (Clarion)

Funny Bones:  Posadaand His Day of the Dead Calaveras by Duncan Tonatuih (Abrams)

Fur, Fins and Feathers: Abraham Dee Barlett and the Invention of the Modern Zoo by Cassandre Maxwell (Eerdmans)

The Girl Who Buried Her Dreams in a Can by Dr. Tererai Trent, illustrated by Jan Spivey Gilchrist (Viking)

Glow:  Animals withTheir Own Night-Lights by W.H. Beck (HMH)

Home by Carson Ellis (Candlewick)

The House that Jane Built: A Story About Jane Addams by Tanya Lee Stone, illustrated by Kathryn Brown (Henry Holt)

How to Swallow a Pig: Step-by-Step Advice from the Animal Kingdom by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page (HMH)

I Don’t Like Snakes by Nicola Davies, illustrated by Luciano Lozano (Candlewick)

Kid President’s Guide to Being Awesome by Brad Montague and Robby Novak (Harper)

Mad About Monkeys by Owen Davey (Flying Eye Books)

The Maine Coon’s Haiku and Other Poems for Cat Lovers by Michael J. Rosen, illustrated by Lee White (Candlewick)

Marvelous Cornelius: Hurricane Katrina and the Spirit of New Orleans by Phil Bildner, illustrated by John Parra (Chronicle)

Mesmerized:  HowBenjamin Franklin Solved a Mystery That Baffled All of France by Mara Rockliff, illustrated by Iacopo Bruno (Candlewick)

The Most Amazing Creature in the Sea by Brenda Z. Guiberson, illustrated by Gennady Spirin (Henry Holt)

Mummy Cat by Marcus Ewert, illustrated by Lisa Brown (Clarion)

My Leaf Book by Monica Wellington (Dial)

One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and The Recycling Women of the Gambia by Miranda Paul, illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon (Milbrook)

Over in the Wetlands: A Hurricane on the Bayou Story by Caroline Starr Rose and Rob Dunlavey (Schwartz & Wade)

A Passion for Elephants: The Real Life Adventure of Field Scientist Cynthia Moss by Toni Buzzeo, illustrated by Holly Berry (Dial)

The Popcorn Astronauts and Other Biteable Rhymes by Deborah Ruddell, illustrated by Joan Rankin (McElderberry Books)

The Queen’s Shadow:  A Story About How Animals See by Cybele Young (Kids Can Press)

Raindrops Roll by April Pulley Sayre (Beach Lane)

Santa Clauses:  ShortPoems from the North Pole by Bob Raczka, illustrated by Chuck Groenink (Carolrhoda)

Sewing Stories: Harriet Powers’ Journey from Slave to Artist by Barbara Herkert, illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton

Swan:  The Life and Dance of Anna Pavlova by Laurel Snyder, illustrated by Julie Morstad (Chronicle)

Trapped!  A Whale’s Rescue by Robert Burleigh, illustrated by Wendell Minor (Charlesbridge)

Tricky Vic:  The Impossibly True Story of the Man Who Sold the Eiffel Tower by Greg Pizzoli (Viking)

Trombone Shorty by Troy Andrews, illustrated by Brian Collier (Abrams)

Water is Water:  A Book About the Water Cycle by Miranda Paul, illustrated by Jason Chin (Roaring Brook)

Where Did My Clothes Come From? By Chris Butterworth, illustrated by Lucia Gaggiotti (Candlewick)

Where Does Kitty Go in the Rain?  By Harriet Ziefert, illustrated by Brigette Barrager (Blue Apple)

Intermediate reads:  

All the Answers by Kate Messner (Bloomsbury)
After the Ashes by Sara K. Joiner (Holiday House)
Another Kind of Hurricane by Tamara Ellis Smith (Schwartz & Wade)
Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman (Holt)
Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate
Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley (Dial)
The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen (Scholastic)
Fish in a Tree by Linda Mulally Hunt (Nancy Paulsen Books)
A Handful of Stars by Cynthia Lord (Scholastic)
The Hired Girl by Laura Amy Schlitz (Candlewick)
Isle of the Lost:  A Descendants Novel by Melissa de la Cruz (Disney Hyperion)
Lilliput by Sam Gayton and Alice Ratterree (Peachtree)
Look Both Ways in the Barrio Blanco by Judith Robbins Rose (Candlewick)
Mars Evacuees by Sophia McDougal (HarperCollins)
The Peddler's Road by Matthew Cody (Knopf)
Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson (Dial)
The Safest Lie by Angela Cerrito (Holiday House)
Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty (Disney Hyperion)
The Seventh Most Important Thing by Shelley Pearsall (Knopf)
Stella by Starlight by Sharon Draper (Atheneum)
The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Reminder, wonderful children: see me personally in the library for chapter books and middle school/young adult fiction for extra assistance! I can help you find the "just right" book and help you to locate all of the latest in your favorite series (yes, including Land of Stories, Amulet and Big Nate)!  Students who need extra time for book selection are invited to come to the library after the morning announcements any day except Tuesday, and the library is also usually open to browsers between 12:30 and 1:00.

This article/list was partially reprinted from The PlanetEsme Plan, your school librarian's personal book-loving web page.  Happy reading in the coming year, dear book-loving friends !