Once again, time has run out for the year. As I look at best books lists from 2023, I see some that I almost reviewed or that I thought about reviewing or that I would have reviewed if I had known about them. Here are a dozen of them.
Cat on the Run in Cat of Death! by Aaron Blabey
Published by Scholastic
The Bad Guys are popular with my students, especially since the movie came out last year. I gave this book a try, but it was too low brow, even for me. I’m sure the kids will love it, though. 192 pages; grades 2-5.
Dust by Dusti Bowling
Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
I’ve enjoyed other Dusti Bowling books, and this one looks really good, featuring a girl with severe allergies whose community experiences severe dust storms around the time a mysterious new boy named Adam arrives at her school. 352 pages; grades 4-7.
A Walk in the Woods by Nikki Grimes, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney and Brian Pinkney
Published by Neal Porter Books
Normally I would enthusiastically embrace a book written and illustrated by this team, but when I saw that it was about a boy dealing with his father’s death, I felt like I couldn’t deal with one more picture book about grief. 40 pages; ages 4-8.
Alebrijes by Donna Barba Higuera
Published by Levine Querido
Dystopian sci-fi isn’t my favorite, so I gave this one a pass, but given how much I enjoyed the Newbery Award-winning The Last Cuentista, I’m sure I would have liked it. It looks like a great one for middle school. 416 pages; grades 5-8.
A Crown for Corina by Laekan Zea Kemp, illustrated by Elisa Chavarri
Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
I’ve seen this on some Caldecott prediction and other best books lists, but it somehow never got enough on my radar to review it. A birthday celebration for Corina brings a crown with flowers that celebrate her family connections. 40 pages; grades K-3.
Tiger Daughter by Rebecca Lim
Published by Delacorte Press
This book looks right up my alley (first-generation Chinese-Australian girl dealing with family and friend issues), but I don’t remember hearing about it until I saw it on an end-of-the-year list. It may be because it’s an Australian import, originally published in 2021. 192 pages; grades 5-8.
The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams by Daniel Nayeri, illustrated by Daniel Miyares
Published by Levine Querido
I tried to read this story of a journey along the Silk Road but didn’t get past the first few pages. It’s been popping up on a lot of Newbery and best book lists, though. 224 pages; grades 4-7.
Darwin’s Super-Pooping Worm Spectacular by Polly Owen, illustrated by Gwen Millward
Published by Wide Eyed Editions
I feel real regret that I never heard about this book when it came out at the beginning of the year. Looks like a great nonfiction book about how Charles Darwin discovered earthworms’ superpower: pooping. 32 pages; grades 1-4.
Wish Soup: A Celebration of Seollal by Junghwa Park
Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
This book came out on December 5, and I had it on hold at the library, but the year ran out before I got my hands on it. A story of the Korean holiday Seollal. 40 pages; ages 4-8.
A Bit of Earth by Karuna Riazi
Published by Greenwillow Books
As I read the description of this retelling of The Secret Garden featuring a Pakistani girl sent to America, I’m kind of shocked that I didn’t read it. It sounds like a book I would have loved. 368 pages; grades 4-7.
The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass
Published by Feiwel & Friends
I’ve enjoyed books by both Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass, and I started to read this one a couple weeks ago, but again, the year ended before I got to finish it. 224 pages; grades 3-7.
Bea Wolf by Zach Weinersmith, illustrated by Boulet
Published by First Second
This has gotten many accolades at the end of the year, but my PTSD from reading Beowulf in college prevented me from getting beyond page one of this graphic retelling. 208 pages; grades 4-7.
Cat on the Run in Cat of Death! by Aaron Blabey
Published by Scholastic
The Bad Guys are popular with my students, especially since the movie came out last year. I gave this book a try, but it was too low brow, even for me. I’m sure the kids will love it, though. 192 pages; grades 2-5.
Dust by Dusti Bowling
Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
I’ve enjoyed other Dusti Bowling books, and this one looks really good, featuring a girl with severe allergies whose community experiences severe dust storms around the time a mysterious new boy named Adam arrives at her school. 352 pages; grades 4-7.
A Walk in the Woods by Nikki Grimes, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney and Brian Pinkney
Published by Neal Porter Books
Normally I would enthusiastically embrace a book written and illustrated by this team, but when I saw that it was about a boy dealing with his father’s death, I felt like I couldn’t deal with one more picture book about grief. 40 pages; ages 4-8.
Alebrijes by Donna Barba Higuera
Published by Levine Querido
Dystopian sci-fi isn’t my favorite, so I gave this one a pass, but given how much I enjoyed the Newbery Award-winning The Last Cuentista, I’m sure I would have liked it. It looks like a great one for middle school. 416 pages; grades 5-8.
A Crown for Corina by Laekan Zea Kemp, illustrated by Elisa Chavarri
Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
I’ve seen this on some Caldecott prediction and other best books lists, but it somehow never got enough on my radar to review it. A birthday celebration for Corina brings a crown with flowers that celebrate her family connections. 40 pages; grades K-3.
Tiger Daughter by Rebecca Lim
Published by Delacorte Press
This book looks right up my alley (first-generation Chinese-Australian girl dealing with family and friend issues), but I don’t remember hearing about it until I saw it on an end-of-the-year list. It may be because it’s an Australian import, originally published in 2021. 192 pages; grades 5-8.
The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams by Daniel Nayeri, illustrated by Daniel Miyares
Published by Levine Querido
I tried to read this story of a journey along the Silk Road but didn’t get past the first few pages. It’s been popping up on a lot of Newbery and best book lists, though. 224 pages; grades 4-7.
Darwin’s Super-Pooping Worm Spectacular by Polly Owen, illustrated by Gwen Millward
Published by Wide Eyed Editions
I feel real regret that I never heard about this book when it came out at the beginning of the year. Looks like a great nonfiction book about how Charles Darwin discovered earthworms’ superpower: pooping. 32 pages; grades 1-4.
Wish Soup: A Celebration of Seollal by Junghwa Park
Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
This book came out on December 5, and I had it on hold at the library, but the year ran out before I got my hands on it. A story of the Korean holiday Seollal. 40 pages; ages 4-8.
A Bit of Earth by Karuna Riazi
Published by Greenwillow Books
As I read the description of this retelling of The Secret Garden featuring a Pakistani girl sent to America, I’m kind of shocked that I didn’t read it. It sounds like a book I would have loved. 368 pages; grades 4-7.
The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass
Published by Feiwel & Friends
I’ve enjoyed books by both Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass, and I started to read this one a couple weeks ago, but again, the year ended before I got to finish it. 224 pages; grades 3-7.
Bea Wolf by Zach Weinersmith, illustrated by Boulet
Published by First Second
This has gotten many accolades at the end of the year, but my PTSD from reading Beowulf in college prevented me from getting beyond page one of this graphic retelling. 208 pages; grades 4-7.