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Best Books of 2017

January 3, 2018 by Betsy Bird

The Lost Reviews 2017: Books and Their Hooks

Julie Danielson calls it her Ghost File, and that’s as good a name as any for the books a blogger fails to talk up sufficiently in the previous year. 2017 was a pretty nice year for me personally, all things considered, so I’d like to pay it forward a bit and offer an homage to […]

December 31, 2017 by Betsy Bird

31 Days, 31 Lists: Day Thirty-One – 2017 Picture Books

And just like that . . . *poof!* It’s gone! Not gone, exactly. The 31 Days, 31 Lists series may indeed continue next year. Just so long as the books or my eyesight holds out. In the meantime, it’s been a blast, guys. I appreciate that not a single one of you pointed out to […]

December 30, 2017 by Betsy Bird

31 Days, 31 Lists: Day Thirty – 2017 Middle Grade Novels

Not a particularly complete list, or a very long one. Yet for 2017 these were the books that left a lasting impression on my little noggin. I read ’em. I liked ’em, every last one. I think they’re the bee’s knees. And I hope you like them too. Fiction for the masses! 2017 Middle Grade […]

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31 Days, 31 Lists: Day Twenty-Nine – 2017 Fiction Reprints

December 29, 2017 by Betsy Bird

I think it takes a special kind of bravery on the part of the publisher to reprint a chapter book for children. Beloved works of fiction are funny beasts. You’ll have a distinct segment of the population that fondly remembers the title, but because are dealing with books they read in their youth, that memory […]

31 Days, 31 Lists: Day Twenty-Eight – 2017 Nonfiction Chapter Books

December 28, 2017 by Betsy Bird

Okay, folks. The rules are the same as yesterday. Books that have already appeared on previous lists won’t get a write-up. Newer inclusions that didn’t slot neatly onto another list will. And in some cases you’ll be wondering why a book that has a limited number of pages is on the “Chapter Books” list. If […]

31 Days, 31 Lists: Day Twenty-Seven – 2017 Favorite Nonfiction Picture Books

December 27, 2017 by Betsy Bird

Well folks, we’re reaching the end of this month-long party. There are only a few lists to go, and it looks like I’ve been saving some of the biggies to the end. And because there are only so many hours in a day, and because I’ve mentioned a lot of these titles before, I’m just […]

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31 Days, 31 Lists: Day Twenty-Six – 2017 Unique Biographies

December 26, 2017 by Betsy Bird

In January of 2018 the cover story of SLJ will be one I penned summarizing the current crop of biographies for kids and teens of famous women and how this listing has changed over decades. In the past it was all Helen Keller, Amelia Earhart, and Rosa Parks as far as the eye could see. […]

31 Days, 31 Lists: Day Twenty-Five – 2017 Transcendent Holiday Picture Books

December 25, 2017 by Betsy Bird

The holiday picture book is a fascinating object in terms of artistic quality. Most public libraries, due to space issues, will create separate “Holiday” book sections where these books are sequestered away for all time. They are pigeonholed to a particular time of the year, sometimes to the good and sometimes to their detriment. And […]

31 Days, 31 Lists: Day Twenty-Four – 2017 Science & Nature Books

December 24, 2017 by Betsy Bird

Someday I long to see a breakdown of what kinds of nonfiction children’s books win the ALA Youth Media Awards. How many books that win are biographies? How many cover STEM topics? How many are about math? (I kid – those never win) But science and nature are awfully popular topics and with good reason. […]

31 Days, 31 Lists: Day Twenty-Three – 2017 American History Books for Kids

December 23, 2017 by Betsy Bird

Of all the lists on this blog this one may seem an odd little inclusion, but I have my reasons. A couple years ago I helped serve on the first committee selecting The New-York Historical Society Children’s History Book Prize. The requirements of the prize are simple: You and a group of schoolchildren must find […]

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