The Yarn
Tag: Best Books of 2017
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 […]
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 […]
31 Days, 31 Lists: Day Twenty-Nine – 2017 Fiction Reprints
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 […]
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31 Days, 31 Lists: Day Twenty-Eight – 2017 Nonfiction Chapter Books
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
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 […]
31 Days, 31 Lists: Day Twenty-Six – 2017 Unique Biographies
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. […]
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31 Days, 31 Lists: Day Twenty-Five – 2017 Transcendent Holiday Picture Books
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
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
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 […]
31 Days, 31 Lists: Day Twenty-Two – 2017 Fictionalized Nonfiction for Kids
Okay. Fun with defining terms. So what exactly do I mean when I say that something is a work of “fictionalized nonfiction”? Well, let’s look at what makes a book a work of fiction or nonfiction. When writing for children, I personally believe that it is possible to write something fun and fabulous without relying […]
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