Every year the Children’s Book Committee sorts through hundreds of books and then publishes their extremely useful “The Best Children’s Books of the Year,” booklets.
Above is a selection of publications from 2000-2010.
Age Ranges
Most editions are organized into four age-range groups:
- under five
- five to nine
- nine to twelve
- twelve & up.
There’s also a special interests section which covers topics like poetry, memoir, technology… and these also have age-range recommendations.
Key
A feature I like is that each entry is annotated and includes extra information to help busy teachers and parents select appropriate materials. Below is a key you might expect to find in a typical Children’s Book Committee publication:
- outstanding merit
- babies and toddlers
- board books
- new edition
- easy to read
- mature reading
- series
- age range
- read-aloud
- graphic novel
- paperback
Where Are They?
So, glad you asked! They’re in the Library in the Children’s Literature Corner part of the reference area (thank you Carol), and in the general stacks. Their call numbers start with 028.52 C536by (followed by year of publication). And, yes you can check-out non-reference copies.
Online
You can also find the 2010, 2011, and 2012 editions in PDF form online through the Bank Street Center for Children’s Literature website. Make sure you have the latest version of Adobe Reader to ensure an enjoyable viewing experience.
