2024 SLJ Best Books - Poetry, Non-FictionLike this list

19 items

• Best Books 2024 | School Library Journal

  View on slj.com

  The curation of this list is evidence of the gigantic community working together, no questions asked, to campaign for literacy and an educated republic, by inviting young readers into the pages of a book. We’d love to know what you think…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• In Praise of Mystery

  Limón, Ada

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  Poetry. "This excellent book takes the mystery and wonder in the world and wraps it up into a moving poem by U.S. Poet Laureate Limón. With further information shared about how the poem is engraved on NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft, the…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Autumn

  Posey, Alexander Lawrence, 1873-1908

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  Poetry. "A celebration of the changing season through the eyes of a child. This book poignantly breaks up Posey’s (Muscogee) classic poem. Coupled with the warm and bright illustrations, it feels like a crisp autumn day."

• The Smell of Wet Dog

  and Other Dog Poems and Drawings

  Saltzberg, Barney

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  Poetry. Also available as an eBook. "A lighthearted book of 27 jolly poems all about the love of dogs. Sketches in a palette of mostly browns and blacks show the canines and their human companions interacting in various ways. This is a…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Black Girl You Are Atlas

  Watson, Renée

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  Poetry. "A semi-autobiographical collection of poetry that encourages Black girls to cele brate themselves with love. Presented in a variety of poetic forms and combined with full-color collage art, these poems will resonate with young…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• I See Color

  An Affirmation and Celebration of Our Diverse World

  Bolling, Valerie

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  Non-Fiction, Primary. "Pairing with Frazier’s gravitas-filled portraits, a narrator intones a list of colors—often matching that of skin—found in BIPOC figures and their allies. This palette has the clarity of a bell, ringing out with…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• From Plant to Plate

  Gadzekpo, Darryl

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  Non-Fiction, Primary. "With an embrace of environmental justice and a look-at-me graphic treatment that will make gardeners of the dirt-averse, this book gives farm-to-table a twist and young readers will be eating it up. The shared…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Mother Aspen

  LeBox, Annette

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  Non-Fiction, Primary. "“Short and sweet,” said one committee member, while another found this “a perfect combination of information, artwork, and emotional impact.” A wonderful introduction to the importance of forest biodiversity and the…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Time to Make Art

  Mack, Jeff

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  Non-Fiction, Primary. "For story hours or art classes, this appealing, inquisitive, and informative work will bonk readers over the head with humor but precisely conveys the age-old concept of “what is art.” Many artists and their styles…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• How to Explain Robotics to a Grown-up

  Spiro, Ruth

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  Non-Fiction, Primary. "For makerspaces or classroom theory, this STEM title is both accessible and unique, empowering children and utterly inclusive in its design. Tech terms are clearly explained and readers will be itching to get…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Remembering Rosalind Franklin

  Rosalind Franklin & the Discovery of the Double Helix Structure of DNA

  Stone, Tanya Lee

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  Non-Fiction, Primary. "Franklin, born to a Jewish family, was pivotal to the discovery of DNA in particular and science in general, in an era when women did not receive the same accolades as men. Compelling writing, lots of science, and a…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Bard and the Book

  How the First Folio Saved the Plays of William Shakespeare From Oblivion

  Bausum, Ann

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  Non-Fiction, Intermediate or HIgh-School. "The story of how Shakespeare’s plays were preserved after his death is also an incisive overview of his life and a broad survey of his work. Brilliantly illustrated with Sevilla’s…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Observologist

  Clarkson, Giselle

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  Non-Fiction, Intermediate or High School. Also available as an eBook. "Clarkson crafts an eye-catching, interactive field guide to observology: the study of looking. Insects, birds, ecosystems, and more are drawn in lush color and stunning…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Barracoon

  Adapted for Young Readers

  Hurston, Zora Neale, 1901-1960

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  Non-Fiction, Intermediate or High-Schook. "Anti-racist scholar Kendi adapts anthropologist Hurston’s 1927 interviews with Cudjoe Lewis, a formerly enslaved Alabama man thought to be the last American with direct knowledge of the Middle…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Made in Asian America

  a History for Young People

  Lee, Erika

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  Non-Fiction, Intermediate or High-School. "Historian Lee and Newbery Honor recipient Soontornvat collaborate to share the untold story of the diverse Asian American community. This in-depth text offers a nuanced look at the group’s…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Road Home

  Ogle, Rex

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  Non-Fiction, Intermediate or High-School. Also available as an eBook. "Ogle shares the pivotal experiences of being rejected by his father for being gay and living on the streets in this entry of his memoir series. No situation was…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Frozen in Time

  What Ice Cores Can Tell Us About Climate Change

  Van Vleet, Carmella

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  Non-Fiction, Intermediate or High-School. "An astounding introduction to the fascinating field of paleoclimatology, the study of climate history, and how cylinders of ice all over the world can reveal the impact of the changing climate.…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• What Is Color?

  the Global and Sometimes Gross Story of Pigments, Paint, and the Wondrous World of Art

  Weinberg, Steven, 1984-

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  Non-Fiction, Intermediate or High-School. "This creative primer on color explores the science, art, and history behind our favorite hues. Weinberg’s rollicking text, gross facts, and quirky illustrations will draw kids in and spark their…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Amazing Immortals

  a Guide to Gods and Goddesses Around the World

  Williams, Dinah (Dinah J.)

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  Non-Fiction, Intermediate or High-School. "This jaw-dropping compilation introduces readers to over 80 gods and goddesses. Accompanied by the work of 17 diverse artists from around the world, these entries will captivate mythology newbies…Read moreRead more of this annotation