These are the 2019 releases I’ve already read, loved, and think will stand the test of time to still be favorites a year from now. All are worth a pre-order.

PICTURE BOOKS

Where Are You From?

In which a girl who is asked where she’s really from turns to her abuelo for the answer.

Under My Hijab

Grandma wears it clasped under her chin. Aunty pins hers up with a beautiful brooch. Jenna puts it under a sun hat when she hikes. Zara styles hers to match her outfit. As a young girl observes six very different women in her life who each wear the hijab in a unique way, she also dreams of the rich possibilities of her own future, and how she will express her own personality through her hijab. Written in sprightly rhyme and illustrated by a talented newcomer, Under My Hijab honors the diverse lives of contemporary Muslim women and girls, their love for each other, and their pride in their culture and faith.

Say Something!

The world needs your voice.
If you have a brilliant idea…say something!
If you see an injustice…say something!
In this empowering new picture book, beloved author Peter H. Reynolds explores the many ways that a single voice can make a difference. Each of us, each and every day, have the chance to say something: with our actions, our words, and our voices. Perfect for kid activists everywhere, this timely story reminds readers of the undeniable importance and power of their voice. There are so many ways to tell the world who you are…what you are thinking…and what you believe. And how you’ll make it better. The time is now: SAY SOMETHING!

It’s Not Hansel and Gretel

In the fairytale mashup, Hansel and Gretel talk back to the narrator, refusing to play their roles.

Carl and the Meaning of Life

From the often Caldecott-buzzed Deborah Freedman, a sweet and funny story about finding your place in the world.
Carl is an earthworm. He spends his days happily tunneling in the soil until a field mouse asks him a simple question that stops him short: “Why?” Carl’s quest takes him on an adventure to meet all the animals of the forest, each of whom seems to know exactly what they were put on this earth to do, unlike the curious Carl. But it’s not until the world around him has changed that Carl begins to realize everyone, no matter how small, makes a big difference just by being themselves.

Dandy

From popular author Ame Dyckman and rising star Charles Santoso comes the laugh-out-loud story of a father desperate to destroy the dandelion marring his perfectly manicured lawn, and his daughter’s fierce attempts to save it.
When Daddy spots a solitary weed in his lawn, he’s appalled (along with all of his neighborhood friends). But his daughter Sweetie has fallen in love with the beautiful flower, even going so far as to name it Charlotte. Racing against time and the mockery of his friends, Daddy has to find a way to get rid of the errant dandelion without breaking his little girl’s heart.

The Roots of Rap: 16 Bars on the 4 Pillars of Hip Hop

Explore the roots of rap in this stunning, rhyming, triple-timing picture book!
A generation voicing
stories, hopes, and fears
founds a hip-hop nation.
Say holler if you hear.
The roots of rap and the history of hip-hop have origins that precede DJ Kool Herc and Grandmaster Flash. Kids will learn about how it evolved from folktales, spirituals, and poetry, to the showmanship of James Brown, to the culture of graffiti art and break dancing that formed around the art form and gave birth to the musical artists we know today. Written in lyrical rhythm by award-winning author and poet Carole Boston Weatherford and complete with flowing, vibrant illustrations by Frank Morrison, this book beautifully illustrates how hip-hop is a language spoken the whole world ’round, it and features a foreward by Swizz Beatz, a Grammy Award winning American hip-hop rapper, DJ, and record producer.

Remarkably You

Pat Zietlow Miller celebrates individuality in her picture book about the beauty of being yourself.
Remarkably You is a manifesto about all of the things—little or small, loud or quiet—that make us who we are.
You might go unnoticed, or shine like a star,
but wherever you go and whoever you are…
don’t change how you act to be just like the rest.
Believe in yourself and the things you do best.

The Undefeated 

The Newbery Award-winning author of THE CROSSOVER pens an ode to black American triumph and tribulation, with art from a two-time Caldecott Honoree.
Originally performed for ESPN’s The Undefeated, this poem is a love letter to black life in the United States. It highlights the unspeakable trauma of slavery, the faith and fire of the civil rights movement, and the grit, passion, and perseverance of some of the world’s greatest heroes. The text is also peppered with references to the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks, and others, offering deeper insights into the accomplishments of the past, while bringing stark attention to the endurance and spirit of those surviving and thriving in the present. Robust back matter at the end provides valuable historical context and additional detail for those wishing to learn more.

EARLY READER

I’m super excited about the new Acorn line for ages 4-7 new readers, a younger version of Scholastic’s Branches line. These are going to be perfect for my elementary students!
Pick a book. Grow a Reader! These series are part of Scholastic’s early reader line, Acorn, aimed at children who are learning to read. With easy-to-read text, a short-story format, plenty of humor, and full-color artwork on every page, these books will boost reading confidence and fluency. Acorn books plant a love of reading and help readers grow!

Hello, Crabby!

Crabby is NOT happy. Sun is in Crabby’s eyes. Salt is in Crabby’s teeth. Sand is in Crabby’s shell. Plankton tries again and again to cheer Crabby up — with laugh-out-loud results! Will Crabby ever crack a smile? Or will Crabby always be crabby? With comic speech bubbles and full-color artwork throughout, Geisel Award Honoree Jonathan Fenske’s early reader series is sure to be a hit with new readers!

Unicorn and Yeti: Sparkly New Friends

Unicorn has a horn and can do magic.
Yeti is big and furry and cannot do magic.
Yeti likes snowball fights.
Unicorn does not like snowball fights.
But Unicorn and Yeti both love sparkly things, hot chocolate with rainbow sprinkles, and — most of all — being best friends! These laugh-out-loud stories with full-color artwork and easy-to-read text throughout are perfect for new readers!

YOUNG ADULT

On the Come Up

Sixteen-year-old Bri wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. Or at least make it out of her neighborhood one day. As the daughter of an underground rap legend who died before he hit big, Bri’s got big shoes to fill. But now that her mom has unexpectedly lost her job, food banks and shutoff notices are as much a part of Bri’s life as beats and rhymes. With bills piling up and homelessness staring her family down, Bri no longer just wants to make it—she has to make it.
On the Come Up is Angie Thomas’s homage to hip-hop, the art that sparked her passion for storytelling and continues to inspire her to this day. It is the story of fighting for your dreams, even as the odds are stacked against you; of the struggle to become who you are and not who everyone expects you to be; and of the desperate realities of poor and working-class black families.

Internment

Rebellions are built on hope.
Set in a horrifying near-future United States, seventeen-year-old Layla Amin and her parents are forced into an internment camp for Muslim American citizens.
With the help of newly made friends also trapped within the internment camp, her boyfriend on the outside, and an unexpected alliance, Layla begins a journey to fight for freedom, leading a revolution against the internment camp’s Director and his guards.
Heart-racing and emotional, Internment challenges readers to fight complicit silence that exists in our society today.

Frankly in Love

This smart, romantic, and totally original coming-of-age YA contemporary debut about a Korean-American teen falling in (and out) of love is perfect for fans of The Sun is Also a Star, Eleanor & Park, and Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda.
High school senior Frank Li is a Limbo–his term for Korean-American kids who find themselves caught between their parents’ traditional expectations and their own Southern California upbringing. His parents have one rule when it comes to romance–“Date Korean”–which proves complicated when Frank falls for Brit Means, who is smart, beautiful–and white. Fellow Limbo Joy Song is in a similar predicament, and so they make a pact: they’ll pretend to date each other in order to gain their freedom. Frank thinks it’s the perfect plan, but in the end, Frank and Joy’s fake-dating maneuver leaves him wondering if he ever really understood love–or himself–at all.

There’s Something About Sweetie

Ashish Patel didn’t know love could be so…sucky. After he’s dumped by his ex-girlfriend, his mojo goes AWOL. Even worse, his parents are annoyingly, smugly confident they could find him a better match. So, in a moment of weakness, Ash challenges them to set him up.
The Patels insist that Ashish date an Indian-American girl—under contract. Per subclause 1(a), he’ll be taking his date on “fun” excursions like visiting the Hindu temple and his eccentric Gita Auntie. Kill him now. How is this ever going to work?
Sweetie Nair is many things: a formidable track athlete who can outrun most people in California, a loyal friend, a shower-singing champion. Oh, and she’s also fat. To Sweetie’s traditional parents, this last detail is the kiss of death.
Sweetie loves her parents, but she’s so tired of being told she’s lacking because she’s fat. She decides it’s time to kick off the Sassy Sweetie Project, where she’ll show the world (and herself) what she’s really made of.
Ashish and Sweetie both have something to prove. But with each date they realize there’s an unexpected magic growing between them. Can they find their true selves without losing each other?

With the Fire on High

With her daughter to care for and her abuela to help support, high school senior Emoni Santiago has to make the tough decisions, and do what must be done. The one place she can let her responsibilities go is in the kitchen, where she adds a little something magical to everything she cooks, turning her food into straight-up goodness. Still, she knows she doesn’t have enough time for her school’s new culinary arts class, doesn’t have the money for the class’s trip to Spain — and shouldn’t still be dreaming of someday working in a real kitchen. But even with all the rules she has for her life — and all the rules everyone expects her to play by — once Emoni starts cooking, her only real choice is to let her talent break free.

I really need to up my game with incorporating more nonfiction picture books into my reading plans and piles, as I know there were many more out this year that would be worthy of this list, but these are the standout memorable ones from what I read.

NONFICTION PICTURE BOOKS

Edit 1/6/19 – Correction: Why did I need to make a correction? Because I messed up. Native tribes are recognized sovereign Nations, thus any informational book about a Nation’s culture would clearly be categorized as a nonfiction book. I know this, and I still missed it. When looking through my list to pull out the nonfiction books, I glossed right over We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga as my mind didn’t even flag that it would be nonfiction. And that right there is a problem. It’s a problem for all of us because too often our society reinforces an inaccurate and stereotyped viewpoint that Native Nations only existed in the past. But there are currently 573 federally recognized tribes in the United States and each one is its own sovereign Nation whose enrolled members have dual citizenship in their Native Nation and the USA. We need to start thinking of Native Nations are contemporary thriving cultures (because they are), and we need students to hear books about them – both fiction and nonfiction – written by #ownvoices writers and illustrators. We learn from what we read and see, and that’s part of why We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga is a valuable book to share. I’ve read the book, I love the book, and I know it is telling the a real-life explanation of an important part of the Cherokee Nation’s cultural viewpoints, yet I still missed it. Thank you Traci Sorell for the reminder. And thank you Debbie Reese for always providing important viewpoints on twitter that remind us all what to keep in mind when reading books about Native Nations.

BIOGRAPHY PICTURE BOOKS

FICTION PICTURE BOOKS

EARLY READERS / TRANSITIONAL CHAPTER BOOKS

MIDDLE GRADE

GRAPHIC NOVELS
&
POETRY

YOUNG ADULT

Sometimes Tim feels invisible at school-until one day, when Tim meets Sam. But Sam isn’t just any new friend: he’s a blue whale, and he can’t find his way home! Returning Sam to the sea is hard work, but Tim is determined to help. After all, it’s not every day you meet a new friend!
This picture book about the power of friendship by new talent Cale Atkinson is brought to life by charming, dynamic illustrations.

Perfect for a new generation of Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day readers, this charming story about a grumpy cat gently shows how far a little sharing can go. Bernice is having a truly rotten time at her friend’s birthday party. First, everyone else gets a piece of cake with a frosting rose. But not Bernice. Then, everyone else gets strawberry-melon soda. Bernice gets the prune-grapefruit juice. And it’s warm. The last straw is the one lousy (squished) candy she gets from the piñata. So when the balloons arrive, Bernice knows just what she has to do: grab them all. And then, poor cross Bernice gets carried up, up, and away. Luckily, she figures out just how to make her way back down to the party…and she brightens lots of other animals’ days on her way.
Hannah Harrison’s gorgeous animal paintings come alive in her second picture book. Her “exceptionally polished” debut, Extraordinary Jane, received starred reviews from Kirkus, Publisher’s Weekly, and  School Library Journal. 

Just behind an ordinary housefilled with too little fun,Ernest D. decides that today will be the day he explores the depths of his pond.
Beyond the pond, he discovers a not-so-ordinary world that will change him forever.

Firefly. Cricket. Vole. Peter. Can four creatures from four very different Nations help one another find their ways in the world that can feel oh-so-big? Delve into this lush, unforgettable tale in the tradition of Charlotte’s Web and The Rats of NIMH, from the author of the New York Times bestselling Someday.
Firefly doesn’t merely want to fly, she wants to touch the moon. Cricket doesn’t merely want to sing about baseball, he wants to catch. When these two little creatures with big dreams wander out of Firefly Hollow, refusing to listen to their elders, they find themselves face-to-face with the one creature they were always told to stay away from…a giant.
But Peter is a Miniature Giant. They’ve always been told that a Miniature Giant is nothing but a Future Giant, but this one just isn’t quite as big or as scary as the other Giants. Peter has a dream of his own, as well as memories to escape. He is overwhelmed with sadness, and a summer with his new unlikely friends Firefly and Cricket might be just what he needs. Can these friends’ dreams help them overcome the past?
Firefly Hollow is nothing short of enchanting, reminding us all that the very best friend is the one who wants you to achieve your dreams. Full-color tip-in illustrations and dozens of black-and-white drawing provide added glow.

When a country raccoon used to a soft life winds up all alone in the big city, there’s no telling what he’ll do to survive — and to save his fellow wild animals in the process.
Kit, a young raccoon, has lived his whole life under the Big Sky in the comfort of his parents’ burrow. But when a pack of hunting dogs destroy his home and kill his parents, Kit finds himself in Ankle Snap Alley, a city in the midst of a turf war between the Wild Ones and the people’s pets who call themselves The Flealess. There he follows the clues his parents left behind to uncover the secret that they died for–the existence of an ancient truce that gives Ankle Snap Alley to the Wild Ones. But The Flealess will stop at nothing to keep that secret buried forever–and Kit is in serious danger.   Perfect for fans of the Warriors, Spirit Animals, or Redwall series, this first book in the Wild Ones epic is sure capture young readers’ imaginations and take them on a great adventure. 

In her first novel since winning the Newbery Medal, Katherine Applegate delivers an unforgettable and magical story about family, friendship, and resilience.
Jackson and his family have fallen on hard times. There’s no more money for rent. And not much for food, either. His parents, his little sister, and their dog may have to live in their minivan. Again.
Crenshaw is a cat. He’s large, he’s outspoken, and he’s imaginary. He has come back into Jackson’s life to help him. But is an imaginary friend enough to save this family from losing everything?
Beloved author Katherine Applegate proves in unexpected ways that friends matter, whether real or imaginary.

For fans of Raina Telgemeier’s Smile, a heartwarming graphic novel about friendship and surviving junior high through the power of roller derby. 
Twelve-year-old Astrid has always done everything with her best friend Nicole. So when Astrid signs up for roller derby camp, she assumes Nicole will too. But Nicole signs up for dance camp with a new friend instead, and so begins the toughest summer of Astrid’s life. There are bumps and bruises as Astrid learns who she is without Nicole…and what it takes to be a strong, tough roller girl. 

If seventeen-year-old Skylar Evans were a typical Creek View girl, her future would involve a double-wide trailer, a baby on her hip, and the graveyard shift at Taco Bell. But after graduation, the only thing standing between straightedge Skylar and art school are three minimum-wage months of summer. Skylar can taste the freedom—that is, until her mother loses her job and everything starts coming apart. Torn between her dreams and the people she loves, Skylar realizes everything she’s ever worked for is on the line.
Nineteen-year-old Josh Mitchell had a different ticket out of Creek View: the Marines. But after his leg is blown off in Afghanistan, he returns home, a shell of the cocksure boy he used to be. What brings Skylar and Josh together is working at the Paradise—a quirky motel off California’s dusty Highway 99. Despite their differences, their shared isolation turns into an unexpected friendship and soon, something deeper. 

In an unforgettable new novel from award-winning authors Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely, two teens—one black, one white—grapple with the repercussions of a single violent act that leaves their school, their community, and, ultimately, the country bitterly divided by racial tension.
A bag of chips. That’s all sixteen-year-old Rashad is looking for at the corner bodega. What he finds instead is a fist-happy cop, Paul Galuzzi, who mistakes Rashad for a shoplifter, mistakes Rashad’s pleadings that he’s stolen nothing for belligerence, mistakes Rashad’s resistance to leave the bodega as resisting arrest, mistakes Rashad’s every flinch at every punch the cop throws as further resistance and refusal to STAY STILL as ordered. But how can you stay still when someone is pounding your face into the concrete pavement?
But there were witnesses: Quinn Collins—a varsity basketball player and Rashad’s classmate who has been raised by Paul since his own father died in Afghanistan—and a video camera. Soon the beating is all over the news and Paul is getting threatened with accusations of prejudice and racial brutality. Quinn refuses to believe that the man who has basically been his savior could possibly be guilty. But then Rashad is absent. And absent again. And again. And the basketball team—half of whom are Rashad’s best friends—start to take sides. As does the school. And the town. Simmering tensions threaten to explode as Rashad and Quinn are forced to face decisions and consequences they had never considered before.
Written in tandem by two award-winning authors, this tour de force shares the alternating perspectives of Rashad and Quinn as the complications from that single violent moment, the type taken from the headlines, unfold and reverberate to highlight an unwelcome truth. 

Laia is a slave. 
Elias is a soldier. 
Neither is free.
Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.
It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.
But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.
There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself. 

What books are you buying as gifts this year?

I like looking back at my reading “year in review” and being reminded of all of the worlds I’ve spent time in and characters I’ve gotten to know over the past year of reading. In looking back at this year, I read many more picture books, tried to get to more middle grades because of my committee obligations, and started a #bookaday picture book read aloud goal with my classes for this school year. All in all, 2014 was a great year of reading, although I did feel that I was doing more reading out of obligation instead of just by choice/pleasure, which might have impacted what I was able to read, and felt like I missed a lot of YA books I wish I would have had the chance to read.

Not all of these released in 2013, that’s just when I read them. Also, I have not included any 2014 releases that I read for this list, but I will be posting a favorites list for those on January 3rd.


Standalones
THE COLDEST GIRL IN COLDTOWN by Holly Black
THE REAL BOY by Anne Ursu
SOMETHING LIKE NORMAL by Trish Doller
THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US by Kasie West
OUT OF THE EASY by Ruta Sepetys
GHOST HAWK by Susan Cooper
JUMPING OFF SWINGS by Jo Knowles
WHERE THE STARS STILL SHINE by Trish Doller
MY LIFE AFTER NOW by Jessica Verdi
TWO BOYS KISSING by David Levithan
OCTOBER MOURNING: A SONG FOR MATTHEW SHEPARD by Leslea Newman

Picture Books
Journey by Aaron Becker
Mr. Tiger Goes Wild by Peter Brown
The Dark by Lemony Snicket
On a Beam of Light: A Story of Albert Einstein by Jennifer Berne
Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds
Rocket Writes a Story by Tad Hills
Exclamation Mark by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Mr. Zinger’s Hat by Cary Fagan
Flora & the Flamingo by Molly Idle
A Day With No Crayons by Elizabeth Rusch

Series Starters
BOY NOBODY by Allen Zadoff
I HUNT KILLERS by Barry Lyga
THE TESTING by Joelle Charbonneau
THE LIVING by Matt de la Pena
THE 5th WAVE by Rick Yancey
THE NATURALS by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
THE RULES FOR DISAPPEARING by Ashley Elston

Continuing Series
PERFECT SCOUNDRELS by Ally Carter (3rd book in HEIST SOCIETY series)
BANG by Lisa McMann (book 2 in Visions series)
CROWN OF MIDNIGHT by Sarah J. Maas (book 2 in THRONE OF GLASS series)
ENDLESS by Jessica Shirvington (book 4 in EMBRACE series)
CRASH INTO YOU by Katie McGarry (book 3 in PUSHING THE LIMITS series)
THE RUNAWAY KING by Jennifer A. Nielsen (book 2 in THE FALSE PRINCE series)
SNAKEROOT by Andrea Cremer (book 4 in the NIGHTSHADE series/start of NIGHTSHADE LEGACY series)

Series Finales
CHAMPION by Marie Lu (finale in LEGEND series)
CLOCKWORK PRINCESS by Cassandra Clare (3rd book in Infernal Devices series)
INFINITYGLASS by Myra McEntire (finale of HOURGLASS series)
JUST ONE YEAR by Gayle Forman (sequel to JUST ONE DAY)

My Reading Tally Door Display (read more about it here)

Students’ End-of-Year Reading Tally Signs (idea from Donalyn Miller) which I put up at the beginning of this school year to put us in the right frame of mind to start the year.

Our year-long “In middle school, we are readers” bookshelves (idea inspired by Pinterest)

Students write a book spine for each book they read. I’m hoping we’re overflowing this bulletin board by the end of the school year!

Student Book Recommendations Signs/Wall

Day five is fantastic because I’ve been reading so many ARCs since NCTE and I’ve been lucky enough to have read some amazing 2013 releases a little early. And since many of these come out in the next month or two, I didn’t want to have to wait until December of next year to tell you that you should definitely add to your To Be Read list!
Titles link to my reviews (already or soon to be posted).

ALTERED by Jennifer Rush {Jan 1}
CRASH (Visions book 1) by Lisa McMann {Jan 8}
JUST ONE DAY by Gayle Forman {Jan 8} 

 
PIVOT POINT by Kasie West {Feb 12} 
MIND GAMES by Kiersten White {Feb 19}

WHEN YOU WERE HERE by Daisy Whitney {June 4}

 

The Young Adult Continuing Series Books

THROUGH THE EVER NIGHT (UNDER THE NEVER SKY #2) by Veronica Rossi {Jan 8}

 
PRODIGY (LEGEND #2) by Marie Lu {Jan 29}

 
SCARLET (The Lunar Chronicles #2 sequel to CINDER) by Marissa Meyer {Feb 5}

UNRAVEL ME (SHATTER ME #2) by Tahereh Mafi {Feb 5}

Day four is so exciting for me because I rediscovered my love of picture books this year, especially using them in the classroom, and as such, I read many, many more than in previous years. Because of this, I was actually able to put together a Top Ten that I think represents some of the best. If you
haven’t read these, you should definitely add to your To Be Read list!

Disclaimer: I read a lot of books this year, but there are still so many picture books I didn’t get to. This is by no means an
exhaustive list of the quality picture books that came out in 2012. 

EACH KINDNESS by Jacqueline Woodson

THE CLOUD SPINNER by Michael Catchpool

THIS IS NOT MY HAT by Jon Klassen (follow-up to I WANT MY HAT BACK)

 
A FLOWER IN THE SNOW by Tracey Corderoy

THE FANTASTIC FLYING BOOKS OF MR. MORRIS LESSMORE by William Joyce

TOO TALL HOUSES by Gianna Marino

 
UNSPOKEN: A Story From the Underground Railroad by Henry Cole (wordless)

SKY COLOR by Peter H. Reynolds

THE MONSTERS’ MONSTER by Patrick McDonnell

HELLO! HELLO! by Matthew Cordell

Bonus (older book I just discovered this year)  

WE ARE IN A BOOK by Mo Willems

Day three is to where I’m sharing my adoration for the Young Adult series books. It seems to be more and more popular to have trilogies nowadays, and I’ve been reading and anticipating so many fantastic series that I wanted to give those second and third novels their own place – not competing against first books or standalones. Hence, today’s list. If you
haven’t read these, you should definitely add to your To Be Read list!
Titles link to my reviews.

Disclaimer: I read a lot of books this year, but there are still quite a
few well-received young adult series books I didn’t get to. This is by no means an
exhaustive list of the quality young adult series books that came out in 2012. 

INSURGENT (DIVERGENT #2) by Veronica Roth
 

THE EVOLUTION OF MARA DYER (sequel to THE UNBECOMING OF MARA DYER) by Michelle Hodkin

RIFT (NIGHTSHADE prequel #1) by Andrea Cremer
BLOODROSE (NIGHTSHADE #3) by Andrea Cremer

TIMEPIECE (HOURGLASS #2) by Myra McEntire

HALLOWED (UNEARTHLY #2) by Cynthia Hand

NECROMANCING THE STONE (NECROMANCER #2) by Lish McBride

REACHED (Matched #3) by Ally Condie

CITY OF LOST SOULS (The Mortal Instruments #5) by Cassandra Clare
CLOCKWORK PRINCE (The Infernal Devices #2) by Cassandra Clare

Day two is where my heart lies – the Young Adult Novels. This list does not include any YA books I read this year that were beyond the first book in a series (that’s for tomorrow). If you
haven’t read these, you should definitely add to your To Be Read list!
Titles link to my reviews.

Books make my best list for one or more of many different reasons: high
quality of the writing, the story I needed to hear, a story that should
be told to others, the characters I connected with, an engrossing read,
an escapist read, maybe it was just the right book at the right time
for me, or perhaps just one that I think my students will connect with and enjoy.

Disclaimer: I read a lot of books this year, but there are still quite a
few well-received young adult books I didn’t get to. This is by no means an
exhaustive list of the quality young adult books that came out in 2012. 

UNDER THE NEVER SKY by Veronica Rossi
THRONE OF GLASS by Sarah J. Maas

EMBRACE / ENTICE by Jessica Shirvington

Today starts my daily listing of my Top Ten lists (in no particular order – it’s hard enough for me to limit it to ten!) of the Best Books I’ve Read this year in different categories.

Since it’s a Monday, I’m starting with the Middle Grades books. If you haven’t read these, you should definitely add to your To Be Read list! Titles link to my reviews.

Disclaimer: I read a lot of books this year, but there are still quite a few middle grades books I didn’t get to. This is by no means an exhaustive list of the quality middle grades book that came out in 2012.

 (In no particular order) (* indicates a series book)
Best I’ve Read 2011
THE UNBECOMING OF MARA DYER by Michelle Hodkin* (psychological thriller with a paranormal twist & debut)
DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE by Laini Taylor* (urban fantasy & paranormal romance)
DIVERGENT by Veronica Roth* (dystopian & debut)
SHATTER ME by Tahereh Mafi* (dystopian & debut)
RIVAL by Sara Bennett Wealer (contemp & debut)
FIVE FLAVORS OF DUMB by Antony John (contemp)
SHIP BREAKER by Paolo Bacigalupi (dystopian)
LEGEND by Marie Lu* (dystopian & debut)
HOURGLASS by Myra McEntire* (sci-fi, time-travel, suspense-mystery, romance & debut)
WHERE SHE WENT (sequel to IF I STAY) by Gayle Forman* (contemp)
LOLA AND THE BOY NEXT DOOR by Stephanie Perkins (contemporary romance)
DELIRIUM by Lauren Oliver* (dystopian, romance)
BEAUTY QUEENS by Libba Bray (contemporary, satire, adventure-survival)
FORGOTTEN by Cat Patrick (contemporary romance, mystery, supernatural)
FOREVER* & THE SCORPIO RACES by Maggie Stiefvater (I couldn’t possibly choose one Maggie book over the other) (fantasy, supernatural, mythology, romance)

Best Middle Grades Books I’ve Read
THE UNWANTEDS by Lisa McMann* (dystopian, fantasy)
BREADCRUMBS by Anne Ursu (fantasy, fairy tales, friendship)
THE EMERALD ATLAS by John Stephens* (fantasy, science-fiction & debut)
THE STRANGE CASE OF ORIGAMI YODA by Tom Angleberger* (contemp, humor & debut)
THE FOURTH STALL by Chris Rylander* (contemp, humor, mystery & debut)

Best Authors with Multiple Books I’ve Read
(I would buy and read any books these authors write in the future)
Elizabeth Eulberg
Kiersten White*
Daisy Whitney*
Andrea Cremer*
Maggie Steifvater*
Stephanie Perkins
Lauren Oliver*
Lisa McMann*
Cassandra Clare*
Rick Riordan*