Publishers Weekly has released their Best Books List for 2021. The top picks for children range from picture books to middle grade to young adult. Here are the books that made the list:

PICTURE BOOKS

The 1619 Project: Born on the Water by Nikole Hannah-Jones and Renée Watson, illus. by Nikkolas Smith

The Big Bath House by Kyo Maclear, illus. by Gracey Zhang

Chez Bob by Bob Shea

Circle Under Berry by Carter Higgins

Dad Bakes by Katie Yamasaki

Fish and Sun by Sergio Ruzzier

Have You Seen Gordon? by Adam Jay Epstein, illus. by Ruth Chan

Keeping the City Going by Brian Floca

Let Me Fix You a Plate by Elizabeth Lilly

The Longest Storm by Dan Yaccarino

Mel Fell by Corey R. Tabor

Milo Imagines the World by Matt de la Peña, illus. by Christian Robinson

The Night Walk by Marie Dorléans

Nina: A Story of Nina Simone by Traci N. Todd, illus. by Christian Robinson

The People’s Painter: How Ben Shahn Fought for Justice with Art by Cynthia Levinson, illus. by Evan Turk

The Rock from the Sky by Jon Klassen

Soul Food Sunday by Winsome Bingham, illus. by C.G. Esperanza

Thank You, Neighbor by Ruth Chan

Watercress by Andrea Wang, illus. by Jason Chin

MIDDLE GRADE

The Beatryce Prophecy by Kate DiCamillo, illus. by Sophie Blackall

Black Boy Joy edited by Kwame Mbalia

Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Shutdown by Steve Sheinkin

Gone to the Woods: Surviving a Lost Childhood by Gary Paulsen

How to Become a Planet by Nicole Melleby

The Insiders by Mark Oshiro

Katie the Catsitter by Colleen AF Venable, illus. by Stephanie Yue

The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera

Playing the Cards You’re Dealt by Varian Johnson

The Raconteur’s Commonplace Book by Kate Milford, illus. by Nicole Wong

Samira Surfs by Rukhsanna Guidroz, illus. by Fahmida Azim

Sisters of the Neversea by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Starfish by Lisa Fipps

Stuntboy, in the Meantime by Jason Reynolds, illus. by Raúl the Third

Too Bright to See by Kyle Lukoff

Too Small Tola by Atinuke, illus. by Onyinye Iwu

YOUNG ADULT

Blackout by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon

Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley

From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry: The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial that Galvanized the Asian American Movement by Paula Yoo

Himawari House by Harmony Becker

In the Wild Light by Jeff Zentner

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

Let’s Talk about It: The Teen’s Guide to Sex, Relationships, and Being a Human by Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan

The Mary Shelley Club by Goldy Moldavsky

The Mirror Season by Anna-Marie McLemore

The Other Merlin by Robyn Schneider

Revolution in Our Time: The Black Panther Party’s Promise to the People by Kekla Magoon

Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen

A Snake Falls to Earth by Darcie Little Badger

Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet by Laekan Zea Kemp

The Witch King by H.E. Edgmon

The An Post Irish Book Awards 2021 Shortlists have been announced. These Irish book awards include awards for top bookshops and poetry as well as fiction and nonfiction for adults and juvenile titles. Here are the shortlisted titles for the two children’s awards and the teen awards.

CHILDREN’S BOOK OF THE YEAR (SENIOR)

Aldrin Adams and the Cheese Nightmares by Paul Howard, illustrated by Lee Cosgrove

Lily’s Dream: A Lissadell Story by Judi Curtin, illustrated by Rachel Corcoran

The Little Bee Charmer of Henrietta Street by Sarah Webb, illustrated by Rachel Corcoran

Mr Spicebag by Freddie Alexander, illustrated by Helen O’Higgins

The Shadows of Rookhaven by Pádraig Kenny, illustrated by Edward Bettison

The Summer I Robbed A Bank by David O’Doherty, illustrated by Chris Judge

CHILDREN’S BOOK OF THE YEAR (JUNIOR)

Evie’s Christmas Wishes by Siobhán Parkinson, illustrated by Shannon Bergin

A Hug For You by David King, illustrated by Rhiannon Archard

Maybe… by Chris Haughton

Puffling and the Egg by Erika McGann & Gerry Daly

There’s a Ghost in this House by Oliver Jeffers

Up on the Mountain by Peter Donnelly

TEEN/YOUNG ADULT BOOK OF THE YEAR

Baby Teeth by Meg Grehan

Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar

The Legend of Valentine Sorrow by Caroline Busher

The New Girl by Sinéad Moriarty

Not My Problem by Ciara Smyth

What Love Looks Like by Jarlath Gregory

The 2021 PM’s Literary Awards Shortlist has been announced. The book awards celebrate the best in Australian books of the year. The awards are given to adult and juvenile titles. Winners will be announced in December. Here are the shortlisted titles for the children’s and teen awards:

CHILDREN’S LITERATURE

Fly on the Wall by Remy Lai

How to Make a Bird by Meg McKinlay, illustrated by Matt Ottley

The January Stars by Kate Constable

The Stolen Prince of Cloudburst by Jaclyn Moriarty, illustrated by Kelly Canby

The Year the Maps Changed by Danielle Binks

YOUNG ADULT LITERATURE

The End of the World Is Bigger Than Love by Davina Bell

The F Team by Rawah Arja

Loner by Georgina Young

Metal Fish, Falling Snow by Cath Moore

When Rain Turns to Snow by Jane Godwin

The Finalists for the 2021 National Book Award in Young People’s Literature have been announced by the National Book Foundation. The five finalists are mostly first-time nominees with the exception of Kekla Magoon who has received her second nomination. Here are the finalists:

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

The Legend of Auntie Po by Shing Yin Khor

Me (Moth) by Amber McBride

Revolution in Our Time: The Black Panther Party’s Promise to the People by Kekla Magoon

Too Bright to See by Kyle Lukoff

Every Child a Reader has rebranded their annual awards into the Kids’ Book Choice Awards with new categories. The awards are voted on by children with voting currently open until November 14th. Here are the finalists in each category:

BEST PICTURE BOOK DUO (AGE 3-8)

Beautiful Shades of Brown: The Art of Laura Wheeler Waring by Nancy Churnin, illustrated by Felicia Marshall

Click Clack, Good Night by Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin

The Heart of Mi Familia by Carrie Lara, illustrated by Christine Battuz

How Do Dinosaurs Show Good Manners? by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Mark Teague

Lift by Minh Le, illustrated by Dan Santat

The Merry Christmas Mittens by Sarah Janco, illustrated by Blayne Fox

BEST PICTURE BOOK PAGE (AGE 3-8)

All Along the River by Magnus Weightman

All Because You Matter by Tami Charles, illustrated by Bryan Collier

The Alphabet’s Alphabet by Chris Harris, illustrated by Dan Santat

Arlo the Lion Who Couldn’t Sleep by Catherine Rayner

Babbit and Joan, a Rabbit and a Phone by Denise Turu

How to Spot an Artist by Danielle Krysa

FAVORITE EARLY READER SERIES

Billie B. Brown Series by Sally Rippin, illustrated by Aki Fukuoka

Elephant and Piggie Like Reading Series by Ryan T. Higgins and Mo Willems

Feel Better Books Series by Leah Bowen and Holly Brochmann, illustrated by Shirley Ng

Little People, Big Dreams Series by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara, illustrated by Sophie Beer

Little Monster Series by Helen Ketteman, illustrated by Bonnie Leick

The Magnificent Makers Series by Theanne Griffith, illustrated by Reggie Brown

FAVORITE ILLUSTRATED CHARACTER

Bentley Bee from Bee Heartful by Frank J. Sileo, illustrated by Claire Keay

Little Blue Truck from Little Blue Truck’s Valentine by Alice Schertle, illustrated by Jill McElmurry

Nibbles the Book Monster from Nibbles: Colors by Emma Yarlett

Ms. Johnson from The Noisy Classroom by Angela Shante, illustrated by Alison Hawkins

Old Dog from This Old Dog by Martha Brockenbrough, illustrated by Gabriel Alborozo

The Princess in Black from The Princess in Black and the Giant Problem by Shannon and Dean Hale, illustrated by LeUyen Pham

BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: K-2ND GRADE

Bedtime for Sweet Creatures by Nikki Grimes, illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon

Evelyn Del Rey Is Moving Away by Meg Medina, illustrated by Sonia Sanchez

Every Color of Light by Hiroshi Osada, illustrated by Ryoji Arai

I Am Every Good Thing by Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Gordon C. James

I Talk Like a River by Jordan Scott, illustrated by Sydney Smith

We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom, illustrated by Michaela Goade

BEST BOOK OF FACTS (AGE 8-12)

50 Adventures in the 50 States by Kate Siber, illustrated by Lydia Hill

Brave. Black. First.: 50+ African American Women Who Changed the World by Cheryl Hudson, illustrated by Erin K. Robinson

Hop To It: Poems to Get You Moving by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong, illustrated by Franzi Paetzold

I Ate Sunshine for Breakfast by Michael Holland, illustrated by Phillip Giordano

Kate the Chemist: The Big Book of Experiments by Kate Biberdorf

A Search for the Northern Lights by Elizabeth and Izzi Rusch, illustrated by Cedar Lee

BEST GRAPHIC NOVEL (AGE 8-12)

Big Nate: The Gerbil Ate My Homework by Lincoln Pierce

Class Act by Jerry Craft

InvestiGators by John Patrick Green

Max Meow: Cat Crusader by John Gallagher

Camping with Unicorns by Dana Simpson

When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed

FAVORITE AUTHOR (AGE 8-12)

Chris Grabenstein

Jeff Kinney

Dav Pilkey

Jason Reynolds

Rick Riordan

Trudi Trueit

Jacqueline Woodson

BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: 3RD-4TH GRADE

Beetle and the Hollowbones by Aliza Layne

Girl on a Motorcycle by Amy Novesky, illustrated by Julie Morstad

Honeybee: The Busy Life of Apis Mellifera by Candace Fleming, illustrated by Eric Rohmann

The Paper Boat by Thao Lam

Skunk and Badger by Amy Timberlake, illustrated by Jon Klassen

Ways to Make Sunshine by Renee Watson

BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: 5TH-6TH GRADE

All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys’ Soccer Team by Christina Soontornvat

Efren Divided by Ernesto Cisneros

Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Loretta Little Looks Back: Three Voices Go Tell It by Andrea Davis Pinkney, illustrated by Brian Pinkney

Once Upon an Eid edited by S. K. Ali and Aisha Saeed

Twins by Varian Johnson, illustrated by Shannon Wright

BEST FANTASY WORLD BUILDING (AGE 12-18)

Cassandra Clare

Suzanne Collins

Helena Dahlgren

Melissa de la Cruz

Sabaa Tahir

F.C. Yee

FAVORITE BOOK COVER (AGE 12-18)

All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson

Camper Girl by Glenn Erick Miller

Fangs by Sarah Anderson

Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

What If…? by Carrie Turley, illustrated by Lara Law

FAVORITE TRUE STORY (AGE 12-18)

The Black Friend: On Being a Better White Person by Frederick Joseph

Blood and Germs: The Civil War Battle Against Wounds and Disease by Gail Jarrow

Finish the Fight!: The Brave and Revolutionary Women Who Fought for the Right to Vote by Veronica Chambers

No Voice Too Small: Fourteen Young Americans Making History by Lindsay H. Metcalf, Keila V. Dawson, and Jeanette Bradley

This Is Your Time by Ruby Bridges

We Had to Be Brave: Escaping the Nazis on the Kindertransport by Deborah Hopkinson

BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: TEEN

Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang

Everything Sad Is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri

Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko

The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh by Candace Fleming

Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi

We Are Not Free by Traci Chee

The American Booksellers Association has announced their picks for the Winter/Spring 2022 Indies Introduce program. The books selected by booksellers across the country are focused on debut titles. There is both an adult and kids list. Here are the titles on the 2022 Kids’ Debuts list:

And We Rise by Erica Martin

Cameron Battle and the Hidden Kingdom by Jamar Perry

A Comb of Wishes by Lisa Stringfellow

Hell Followed with Us by Andrew Joseph White

Hide and Geek by T. P. Jagger

Love Radio by Ebony LaDelle

Messy Roots: A Graphic Memoir of a Wuhanese-American by Laura Gao

A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy I. Lin

The Way I Say It by Nancy Tandon

What We Harvest by Ann Fraistat

The Author School has announced the shortlist for The Diverse Book Awards 2021. The books highlight the best diverse books published in the UK during 2020. The awards are open only to UK-based authors. Here are the shortlists for the Children’s and Young Adults categories:

CHILDREN’S

Baller Boys by Venessa Taylor, illustrated by Kenneth Ghann

Clean Up! by Nathan Bryon, illustrated by Dapo Adeola

Do You Know Me? by Rebecca Westcott, Libby Scott

Little Badman and the Time-Travelling Teacher of Doom by Humza Arshad and Henry White, illustrated by Aleksei Bitskoff

Too Small Tola by Atinuke, illustrated by Onyinye Iwu

Windrush Child by Benjamin Zephaniah

Zombierella: Fairy Tales Gone Bad by Joseph Coelho, illustrated by Freya Hartas

YOUNG ADULTS

And The Stars Were Burning Brightly by Danielle Jawando

Boy, Everywhere by A. M. Dassu

Cane Warriors by Alex Wheatle

Eight Pieces of Silva by Patrice Lawrence

Hideous Beauty by William Hussey

Run, Rebel by Manjeet Mann

Wonderland by Juno Dawson

The finalists for the 2021 Kirkus Prize for Young Readers have been announced. The finalists are selected from books published between October 1, 2020 and September 30, 2021 that have received a Kirkus star. Two finalists are selected in each age group. Here are the selected titles:

PICTURE BOOKS

Your Mama by NoNieqa Ramos, illustrated by Jacqueline Alcántara

Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Floyd Cooper

MIDDLE GRADE

Legacy: Women Poets of the Harlem Renaissance by Nikki Grimes

All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys’ Soccer Team by Christina Soontornvat

YOUNG ADULT

The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling by Wai Chim

The Life I’m In by Sharon G. Flake