NYPL Releases Their Annual Lists (Plural!)
Each year New York Public Library produces what I seriously consider to be the most beautiful Best Books list of them all. Encompassing 100 books in total, it breaks all children’s books written in different categories to the following: Picture Books, Early Chapter Books, Middle Grade Fiction, Poetry, Folk and Fairytales, Graphic Novels, and Nonfiction. They print out hundreds of gorgeous lists with lush covers and great interior art from the winners. The list will now be in its 105th year, and for those of us unable to see the print version (*sniff*) you can get to see the next best thing: An interactive one.
Not to be outdone, the YA list of NYPL has arisen from the dead. You may not know it but the Books for the Teen Age list started decades and decades ago. It suffered quite a lot when it was renamed “Stuff for the Teen Age” (cause . . . teens don’t . . . read?) and then was killed outright in the bad old days when NYPL did away with specialties. Now things are happy and good again, so after a trial run last year it’s almost up to full power. You can see their beauty of a list here.
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I was able to give my input to the children’s NYPL list up until my leaving at the end of July. The YA list pretty much operated outside my sphere. And I adore these choices. Do I agree with all of them? Not even! Example: No Cuckoo Song on the YA list, and in what universe is Human Body Theater doing there for teens?!?! I mean, seriously, that’s my 4-year-old’s favorite book. In any case, they’re still brilliant choices and the lists I spend all year waiting for. Huzzah!
Filed under: Best Books, Best Books of 2015
About Betsy Bird
Betsy Bird is currently the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system and a former Materials Specialist for New York Public Library. She has served on Newbery, written for Horn Book, and has done other lovely little things that she'd love to tell you about but that she's sure you'd find more interesting to hear of in person. Her opinions are her own and do not reflect those of EPL, SLJ, or any of the other acronyms you might be able to name. Follow her on Twitter: @fuseeight.
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Joe says
Human Body Theater just arrived at my library; I bought it because the reviews made it sound firmly planted in middle school territory.
I’m taken aback by how “young” it appears. I’ll give it a read, though, and hope it circulates.
Elizabeth Bird says
It’s quite young. Perfect for 4th-6th graders, though I know middle school kids could potentially get something out of it. There is a section on reproduction but body parts are kept particularly oblique, so I suspect formal challenges will be few and far between.
Alex Baugh says
I can’t agree with you about about the lack of Cuckoo Song, which was definitely one of my favorites this year, and the inclusion of Human Body Theater, clearly on the wrong list.
Off to look at the rest of the book chosen this year…
Cathy Lichtman says
I love this list though I haven’t read many of the books. The collage of covers is beautiful. Amazing art work!