We have loved sharing our favorites of 2017 with you! Hopefully you have found some amazing reads in these lists! What books did you fall in love with this year? Leave titles in the comments! Without further ado… Here were our favorite favorites!
Miss Christina
Joplin Wishing by Diane Stanley
Joplin had never known her famous grandfather, but that didn’t stop her from taking a tin filled with pieces from a broken platter that had belonged to him. When the platter was repaired and placed over her bed, she was thrilled as she felt she could relate to the girl in the picture. It turns she could do even more than that! Soon, Joplin realizes that the wishes she makes become true. This isn’t your usual wishes come true story. It contains many intricate plot twists and turns that keep you guessing. What I liked about the book is that it had a very realistic feel to it. The magical and mysterious parts blended in so well as to seem believable, and the happy ending is bittersweet.
Miss Sarah
The Bad Seed by Jory John
Don’t let labels define you!
Miss Teresa
Ruth Bader Ginsburg: The Case of RBG vs. Inequality by Jonah Winter
In this clever biography, told as if it were a jury trial, the author presents the story of how Ruth Bader Ginsburg overcame obstacle after obstacle to become the first female Jewish Supreme Court Justice; no small feat for a girl born in an era when women were not encouraged to go to college or work outside the home! The “trial” ends with just one verdict. Because she did not let others define her, Ruth Bader Ginsburg herself has become a symbol of justice in America.
Miss Marta
The Bad Mood and The Stick by Lemony Snicket
It’s baaa-aaack (which is funnier if you have read this book)! As much as we avoid duplicate titles, this one definitely is worth mentioning twice. Don’t let the fact this is a social story scare you away. This is one of the most relatable, funny, simple-yet-brilliant stories you will come across to talk to kids about moods and feelings and how negative energy can spread, but so can positive energy. I read this in a few preschools and had some awesome conversations. The story starts with Curly, who has a bad mood cloud hanging over her. She does something naughty, which makes her feel better, but then makes her mom feel unhappy. The story goes round about through the characters passing the bad mood around (it even has stopped at YOUR house a few times I bet), but it also shows how when you let the bad mood skip over you, good things can happen. The illustrations capture this so beautifully that even three and four year olds understand and relate. Between its humor and its purpose it definitely earned top honors on my shelf.
Miss Janna
The Book of Dust (La Belle Sauvage) by Philip Pullman
In this novel, Philip Pullman returns to the world of his earlier Dark Materials Trilogy with a new twist. Fans of Pullman will recognize his communication of adult concepts in a children’s story setting.
