2022 - A Year of Book Picks

2022 was quite the year in publishing. We are so lucky to have more inclusive and broader range of perspectives represented in literature. Thinking back to my year in reading, here are my highest rated chapter books that I recommend for children, teens and adults: 

Early Readers (ages 5-9)

Slug Days - realistic fiction, autism, school, friendship

Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey - realistic fiction, overcoming fears, friendship, family

Surely Surely Marisol Rainey - realistic fiction, school, self-confidence, friendship

The Weird Sisters: A Note, a Goat and a Casserole - fantasy, mystery, humor, sisters

Bee & Flea and the Compost Caper - science, biology, humor

Ada Twist and the Perilous Plants - science, inquiry

Pet That Cat! - nonfiction, cat care, cat behavior

Middle Grade (ages 9-14)

Fantasy 

Cress Watercress - fantasy, animals, grief, humor, adventure, community 

The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez - fantasy, military families, bullying, mystery, Cuban folklore

The Ogress and the Orphans - fantasy, community, family, social commentary 

Too Bright to See - paranormal, mystery, grief, ghosts, identity, LGBTQ, family, friendship

The Last Mapmaker - fantasy, family, mystery, adventure, humor, dragons

Lalani of the Distant Sea - fantasy, Filipino folklore, adventure, monsters

Lotería - magical realism, Mexico, mortality, fate

Scary Stories for Young Foxes: The City - fantasy, suspense, scary, animal adventure, sequel to Scary Stories for Young Foxes

The Silver Arrow - fantasy, train travel, family, friendship, mystery, humor

The Marvellers - fantasy, action, family secrets, magic school

Pony - supernatural, historical fiction, 1860s, U.S., horses, grief, sons, fathers, horses, bandits

Snapdragon - fantasy, graphic novel, friendship, LGBTQ, mystery

Zatanna and the House of Secrets - fantasy, magic, graphic novel, family secrets, mystery

Scritch Scratch - paranormal, Chicago, tragedies, family, friendship

The Year I Flew Away - fantasy, historical fiction, 1980s New York City, Haitian folklore, immigrants in the U.S.

Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians, Book 1 - fantasy, humor, adventure, grandfathers, magic, clumsiness

Frances and the Monster - fantasy, adventure, humor

Historical Fiction

The Other Side of the River - historical fiction, Mexican revolution, immigrants in the U.S., identity, sequel to The Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna

The Door of No Return - historical fiction, Africa, slavery, family

The Blackbird Girls - historical fiction, 1980s Chernobyl Explosion, Russia, family, friendship, religion

Red, White and Whole - historical fiction, 1980s, Indian, immigrants the U.S., ill parent, family, identity

My Own Lightning - historical fiction, 1940s Pennsylvania, mystery, sequel to Wolf Hollow

Long Road to the Circus - historical fiction, 1900s, U.S. farms, gender roles, family

Starting from Seneca Falls - historical fiction, 1800s, U.S., women's rights, child abuse

Moonwalking - historical fiction, 1980s New York City, novel in verse, art, autism, friendship, ill parent, bullying, race

By the Light of the Fireflies - historical fiction, American Revolution, child hero, family

Being Clem - historical fiction, 1940s Chicago, grief, race, family, friendship, class

The Legend of Auntie Po - historical fiction, graphic novel, 1880s NW U.S., LGBTQ, Chinese voices, logging history

A Place to Hang the Moon - historical fiction, WWII, England, siblings, orphans, community 

 

Nonfiction

Alias Anna - biography, WWII, novel in verse, music, family

While I Was Away - memoir, immigrants in the U.S., Japanese, friendship, family, grandparents

Short Stories

Beyond the Stars - short stories, Irish authors, emotional

Hope Wins - short stories, inspiring, overcoming challenges

Realistic Fiction

Stuntboy, in the Meantime - realistic fiction, graphic novel, anxiety, bullying, community, family

Out of My Heart - realistic fiction, disability POV, friendship, sequel to Out of My Mind

The Best Liars in Riverview - realistic fiction, mystery, LGBTQ, friendship, bullying 

Maizy Chen's Last Chance - realistic fiction, identity, racism, immigrants in the U.S., Asian, family, community

Efrén Divided - realistic fiction, immigrants in the U.S., Mexico, deportation, friendship, family

Worser - realistic fiction, school, friendship, family, ill parent, autism, bullying, community activism

Golden Girl - realistic fiction, novel in verse, Pakistani immigrants in the U.S., family, kleptomaniac

Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence - realistic fiction, friendship, pets, inspiring 

New From Here - realistic fiction, COVID lockdown, Asian, racism, community, family, ADHD

Tune it Out - realistic fiction, homelessness, sensory processing disorder, family, friendship

Turtle Boy - realistic fiction, identity, friendship, grief, religion, death

Brave Like That - realistic fiction, adoption, identity, friendship

Five Things About Ava Andrews - realistic fiction, friendship, social anxiety, community activism

96 Miles - realistic fiction, family, survival, friendship, mystery, suspense

This Last Adventure - realistic fiction, grandparents, Alzheimers, friendship

The Amelia Six - realistic fiction, friendship, mystery, gender, humor

Jennifer Chan is Not Alone - realistic fiction, friendship, mystery, identity, bullying, Asian, aliens

Solving for M - realistic fiction, ill parent, friendship, family

Stuck - realistic fiction, learning disabilities, friendship, school, family

Lemon Drop Falls - realistic fiction, grief, OCD, anxiety, family, friendship

Samira Surfs - realistic fiction, novel in verse, Rohingya refugees, gender roles, identity, Bangladesh, surfing

One Time - realistic fiction, school, imagination, friendship, identity

How to Become a Planet - realistic fiction, LGBTQ, anxiety, depression, family, friendship

Violets are Blue - realistic fiction, opioids, divorce, friendship, special FX makeup 

Count Me In - realistic fiction, Indian, immigrants in the U.S., racism, community activism, friendship

The Girl Who Stole an Elephant - realistic fiction, adventure, Sri Lanka, friendship, class

Young Adult (ages 14 +)

Nonfiction

Black Birds in the Sky - nonfiction, Tulsa Race Massacre, racism, American history, Oklahoma

From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry - nonfiction, true crime, Asian, justice, American history 

Fallout - nonfiction, Cold War, espionage, nuclear war, Soviet Union, United States, communism

Revolution in Our Time - nonfiction, Black Panthers, history, politics

The Woman All Spies Fear - nonfiction, biography, code breaker, heroism

Historical Fiction

Last Night at the Telegraph Club - historical fiction, 1950s San Fransisco, LGTBQ, Chinese immigrants, gender, identity

A Sitting in St. James - historical fiction, 1860s Louisiana, enslaved generation, plantation life, identity, racism, class 

I Must Betray You - historical fiction, Romania, Communism, spies, romance, family  

Under a Painted Sky - historical fiction, 1849 Oregon Trail, romance, friendship, gender roles

Displacement - historical fiction, graphic novel, Japanese-American Internment Camps, WWII, Asian

Realistic Fiction

All My Rage - realistic fiction, immigrants in the U.S., romance, ill parent, abuse, identity, trauma, Middle Eastern

Firekeeper's Daughter - realistic fiction, Ojibwe, identity, mystery, thriller, family

You Should See Me in a Crown - realistic fiction, LGBTQ, high school, friendship, social pressure

Jagged Little Pill - realistic fiction, sexual assault, multiple narrators, community, friendship

Ain't Burned All the Bright - poetry, COVID, Black voices, social commentary

Blackout - short stories (intertwined), realistic fiction, identity, LGBTQ, relationships, romance

Fantasy

A Snake Falls to Earth - fantasy, Indigenous futurism, family, community, Lipan Apache, supernatural

Me (Moth) - supernatural, romance, grief, identity, spiritualism, Navajo

Gleanings - short stories, dystopian, death, power, part of the Arc of a Scythe trilogy

Poster Girl - dystopian, mystery, power, family

Adult

When Women Were Dragons - fantasy, gender roles, family, mystery, social commentary

Nightcrawling - poverty, crime, realistic fiction, law enforcement

Wrong Place, Wrong Time - organized crime, time travel, family, betrayal 

The It Girl - mystery, suspense, murder, Oxford, friendship, romance 

Book Lovers - romance, family, book publishing industry

Tracy Flick Can't Win - realistic fiction, dark humor, community, high school, sequel to Election

One Italian Summer - realistic fiction, grief, marriage, mothers, romance

She Come By it Natural - nonfiction, culture, music, feminism 

This Tender Land - historical fiction, 1930s ,Great Depression, midwest U.S., epic quest

Compiling this list reflects the genres I gravitate towards and what I need to seek out more.  The upcoming year provides the perfect time to read more books that will leave their mark in my psyche.  If you have any suggestions for me, please leave them in the comments. 90% of these books I read come from others' recommendations!

 I'm incredibly grateful to be a part of book clubs, review groups and other professional learning networks that allow me to discuss the best books.  The American Library Association's Youth Media Awards are also a source of my selected books to read in the coming year.  The nominees and winning books are announced on January 30, 2023 from 8 a.m. - 9:45 a.m. CENTRAL time. I can't wait!