Bank Street Best Children's Books of the Year Books

Best Children's Books of the Year is compiled by the Children's Book Committee at Bank Street College of Education. The committee began in 1909 as part of the Child Study Association of America, formed to evaluate children's literature and publish lists to guide parents, librarians, and teachers, and it has produced an annual booklet since 1936. Its roughly forty volunteer members — writers, illustrators, editors, librarians, teachers, and parents — review the year's new titles and select more than 600.

Books are judged on literary quality and excellence of presentation, credibility of characterization and plot, authenticity of time and place, age suitability, positive treatment of ethnic and religious differences, and the absence of stereotypes, with particular attention to a book's likely emotional impact on a young reader. Entries are annotated and grouped by age and category rather than ranked.

That structure is what makes it a working tool rather than an honor roll. The list is organized in age bands — five and under, six and up, nine and up, twelve and up, fourteen and up — so a teacher stocking a classroom library or a librarian filling gaps can read straight down one band and come away with a year's worth of vetted, current titles at the right level.

Information from Bank Street College of Education.