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Publisher's Weekly has named the following children's and young adults' books best of the year.
Click on book titles for reviews and purchasing information from Amazon.com.
The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing by M.T. Anderson
In this stunningly well-researched novel set in a philosophers' society in Boston during the Revolution, narrator 16-year-old Octavian, son of an African princess, comes of age.
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo
Subtle shifts in the narrative and breathtaking illustrations chronicle the gradual changes within Edward, an arrogant china rabbit—an unlikely and ultimately sympathetic hero.
Saint Iggyby K.L. Going
Iggy, born to an addicted mother in a New York City housing project, remains determined to do one heroic deed, and his disarming first-person narrative will turn readers' perceptions of the world upside-down.
Fly by Night by Frances Hardinge
Hardinge's stylish way with prose gives her sprawling debut fantasy, set in a kingdom where reading is forbidden, a literate yet often humorous tone.
Incantation by Alice Hoffman
Set during the Spanish Inquisition, this searing novel, narrated by a 16-year-old who learns the dangers of her true identity, echoes profoundly in present-day events.
Firestorm by David Klass
From the very beginning of this gripping environmental fantasy, Klass taps into universal themes of adolescence, as a high school senior discovers that everything he thought was true is false.
Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt
With elements of a medieval tale, this magical novel narrated by Keturah, the village storyteller, describes how she follows a mythical hart into the forest and meets Lord Death.
Fairest by Gail Carson Levine
Some readers may argue that this novel surpasses Levine's Ella Enchanted, as the author gives a visionary rendering of the Snow White tale that challenges conventional ideas of beauty.
Sold by Patricia McCormick
Spare free-verse poems expose the plight of a 13-year-old Nepali girl sold into sexual slavery, and her gradual awakening to the harshness of the world around her.
Clementine by Sara Pennypacker
Readers meet an eight-year-old whose spirit rivals Ramona and Judy Moody, with an unfailing nose for trouble and a comical way with words.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
In this WWII novel narrated by Death, a nine-year-old girl develops a love of books and words, even as life in her small German town starts to unravel.
Pick Me Up
With its eye-catching graphics, and a scope that covers everything from pop culture to politics and geography, this hefty volume has a tone that winks at the audience while respecting kids' intelligence.
Escape!: The Story of the Great Houdini by Sid Fleischman
Fleischman's childhood fascination with the legendary magician emanates from this accessible, attractively designed biography.
To Dance: A Ballerina's Graphic Novel by Siena Cherson Siegel and Mark Siegel
In an innovative use of the graphic novel format, the Siegels fluidly balance autobiographical events in Siena's life with onstage action.