Each year, we enjoy asking staff from across the library system to share their favorite kids’ books of the year. From picture books to chapter books, and from graphic novels to nonfiction – here are just a few of the children’s books published in 2024 that our SPL staff loved!
(Annotations are by enthusiastic staff or adapted from Kirkus Reviews and School Library Journal.)
PICTURE BOOKS
Let’s Go! haw êkwa! by Julie Flett is “a sweet tribute to being a beginner. I love how this story celebrates families who cheer on your new passions, the courage-boosting power of friends joining you, and how Indigeneity is part of everything we do as Native people.” [-Bean]
In Monster Hands by Karen Kane & Jonaz McMillan and illustrated by Dion MBD, two friends use American Sign Language to ward off a monster. A thrilling tale of bravery, friendship, and the power of signing. [Kirkus]
It’s all in how you look at things, in Ursula Upside Down by award-winning local author Corey Tabor. Ursula is disconcerted to realize she’s living her life upside down—or is she? A welcome reminder to embrace your view of the world. [Kirkus]
In this laugh-out-loud picture book by X. Fang, three blue, oddly shaped strangers appear in Mr. and Mrs. Li’s backyard one night. “Hello,” the tall one says, “We Are Definitely Human” [Kirkus]
Artistic Director of Seattle Children’s Theater Idris Goodwin’s Your House Is Not Just a House (illustrated by Lorraine Nam) is a rhyming ode to imagination, [as] a young child moves through the house envisioning fantastical purposes for ordinary objects. An exuberant paean to creativity. [Kirkus]
KIDS CHAPTER BOOKS
Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them, as the monitor lizard in Patrick Ness’s Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody soon learns. Heart and weirdness in equal measure prove you should never underestimate the power of a lizard! [Kirkus]
Two young people save the world and all the magic in it, in Katherine Rundell’s Impossible Creatures, an epic fantasy with timeless themes and unforgettable characters. [Kirkus]
In Alicia D. Williams’ Mid-Air, tragedy strikes a trio of friends, and the remaining duo grieve and grow apart, as high school looms. Black boy joy, hurt, anxiety, and perseverance relayed with charm. [Kirkus]
A restless, adventure-seeking tween finds herself in The Secret Library. Kekla Magoon’s latest middle grade novel is a deeply satisfying, page-turning, genre-defying read. [Kirkus]
KIDS GRAPHIC NOVELS
The Circuit by Francisco Jiménez (adapted by Andrew Rostan and illustrated by Celia Jacobs) is a graphic novel adaptation of the classic 1997 memoir of a young Mexican immigrant, his family, and other migrant farm workers. [Kirkus]
In Cai Tse’s Lion Dancers, best friends turned rivals compete to become the top lion dancer on their team. [Kirkus]
Jessica and Jacinta Wibowo’s Lunar Boy is a child found living alone on the Moon [who] is brought to live among humans but struggles with his identity. Stellar: both heartbreaking and heartwarming. [Kirkus]
In We Are Big Time by Hena Khan and illustrated by Safiya Zerrougui, high school freshman Aliya is worried about adjusting to her new Islamic school in Milwaukee, [but] she joins the all-girls basketball team–which is infamously terrible–and it’s there that she finds the support and friendship she had hoped for. [School Library Journal]
KIDS NONFICTION
A blue whale “whirls above and below the currents of the Pacific Ocean” until she dies a natural death. Infused with wonder, Life After Whale: The Amazing Ecosystem of a Whale Fall by local author Lynn Brunelle and illustrated by Caldecott medalist Jason Chin is an account of a natural cycle that occurs, mostly, far below the ocean’s surface. [Kirkus]
Amy Hevron’s Log Life covers a “fascinating subject, told with fun illustrations. Nurse logs rule!!” [- Bean]
The Observologist: A Handbook for Mounting Very Small Scientific Expeditions by Giselle Clarkson is an engaging guide, inviting young readers to pay attention to the small things around them. [Kirkus]
Volcanoes by Nell Cross Beckerman and illustrated by Kalen Chock is a dramatic introduction to volcanic eruptions and those who study them. [Kirkus]
Explore more of our favorite Kids books of the year, here:
- Seattle Staff Faves 2024: Kids Picture Books
- Seattle Staff Faves 2024: Kids Chapter Books, Graphic Novels & Nonfiction
Shelf TalkEach year, we enjoy asking staff from across the library system to share their favorite kids’ books of the year. From picture books to chapter books, and from graphic novels to nonfiction – here are just a few of the children’s books published in 2024 that our SPL staff loved! (Annotations are by enthusiastic staff … Continue reading “Staff Favorites 2024: Children’s Books”
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