31 Days, 31 Lists Returns!
It’s almost time for my annual contribution to capitalism. Thaaaaaat’s right! December comes tomorrow and that marks the start of my 31 Days, 31 Lists sequence!
You see, folks, if I’ve learned nothing else this year (thanks in part to the publication of my middle grade debut Long Road to the Circus) it’s that for all the great “Best Of” lists out there, often it’s the same 50-60 books that get mentioned time and time again. Don’t believe me? Check out this crazy keen round-up of the “Best Of” lists of 2021, compiled by Laurie Hnatiuk at her site Bit About Books. Some EXCELLENT books are being honored on those list . . . with a lot of gaps.
The solution? For each day of December, I’ve compiled a list of children’s books. The rules are simple. The books must have been published in 2021 in America. Aaaaaaaand . . . yeah. That’s about it.
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For easy reference you can bookmark this post. I’ll update it with links to each new list as they are released. Here’s how they’ll all play out:
December 1 – Great Board Books
December 2 – Board Book Reprints & Adaptations
December 3 – Transcendent Holiday Picture Books
December 4 – Picture Book Readalouds
December 5 – Rhyming Picture Books
December 6 – Funny Picture Books
December 7 – CaldeNotts
December 8 – Picture Book Reprints
December 9 – Math Books for Kids
December 10 – Books with a Message
December 11 – Fabulous Photography
December 12 – Wordless Picture Books
December 13 – Translated Titles
December 14 – Fairy Tales / Folktales / Religious Tales
December 15 – Unconventional Children’s Books
December 16 – Middle Grade Novels
December 17 – Poetry Books
December 18 – Easy Books & Early Chapter Books
December 19 – Older Funny Books
December 20 – Science Fiction Books
December 21 – Fantasy Books
December 22 – Informational Fiction
December 23 – American History
December 24 – Science & Nature Books
December 25 – Autobiographies *NEW TOPIC!*
December 26 – Biographies
December 27 – Nonfiction Books for Older Readers
December 28 – Nonfiction Picture Books
December 29 – Best Audiobooks for Kids
December 30 – Comics & Graphic Novels
December 31 – Picture Books
Some topics may change too, if I find I have insufficient titles for one list or another. Or, conversely, if I have too many books in a particular area (I swear I could make a Math Baseball list, I’ve seen so many books with that topic in 2021).
So play along at home! Find great new books you might have missed! And, above all, remember that these books are arbitrarily decided by one lone librarian in Illinois and that I miss lots of stuff. So be sure to comment with the titles that you think I should have included.
Merry December!
Filed under: 31 Days 31 Lists, Best Books, Best Books of 2021
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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