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PowellsBooks.Blog
Authors, readers, critics, media − and booksellers.

Lists

Best Kids' and Young Adult Books of 2019

by Powell's Staff, December 3, 2019 9:52 AM
Best of 2019: Kids' and Young Adult

Can you feel that? That rumbling all along the ground? That’s us jumping up and down because we’re so excited that it’s time to choose our favorite kids’ books of the WHOLE YEAR!

Oh, wait. Now we’re stamping our feet a little, too, because we’re just a tiny bit mad that we don’t have enough room to fit ALL our favorite books on this list — I mean, we love SO MANY BOOKS! (Stamp, stamp, stamp!)

But just look at these books… Now we’re excited again. Now we’re jumping again! Check out these books we LOVE LOVE LOVE! (Jump, jump, jump!)

(Pant, pant, pant.) Okay, we’re tired now. We have to go sit down.
FOR YOUNGER KIDS:
Small in the City Small in the City
by Sydney Smith

Wow. This NYT's Best Illustrated Book of the Year immediately took hold of my heart. The gritty yet warmly nostalgic illustrations lead us along a narrative that changes course to give way to new meaning toward the end. An unforgettable classic in the making, it felt quietly powerful and moved me nearly to tears. I absolutely loved it. — Heather A.

Hum and Swish Hum and Swish
by Matt Myers

“Jamie and the sea are friends. Jamie hums. The waves swish.” With quiet, spare prose, children’s book artist Matt Myers proves that he writes as beautifully as he illustrates in Hum and Swish, his first solo picture book. The art is luminous and expansive. The story is subtle and elegant. And that combination, along with Myers’s many lovely added details, makes for the perfect storybook tribute to introversion, creativity, and just being yourself. — Gigi L.

Her Fearless Run: Kathrine Switzer’s Historic Boston Marathon Her Fearless Run: Kathrine Switzer’s Historic Boston Marathon
by Kim Chaffee and Ellen Rooney

I’ve been in awe of Kathrine Switzer ever since I first saw the now iconic photos of a race official attempting to physically remove her from the course. Her run challenged the belief that women were too frail for sports, leaving a path for others to follow in her footsteps. This is a beautiful and inspirational biography honoring an amazing woman. — Elizabeth H.

The Hike The Hike
by Alison Farrell

This beautiful picture book by local Portland author Alison Farrell reminds me so much of my own hikes in the Pacific Northwest. The burst of excitement at the beginning when you can’t help but run, crossing bridges, bird watching, even getting lost and getting so very tired only to be rewarded with a breath-taking view! — Kim T.

Spencer's New Pet Spencer's New Pet
by Jessie Sima

Spencer's New Pet is so much fun! With an old-timey style, thoughtful details, and a super clever story line, it's surprising and suspenseful (yes, really!) and just generally a joy to read. — Emily F.

Stonewall: A Building. An Uprising. A Revolution. Stonewall: A Building. An Uprising. A Revolution.
by Rob Sanders and Jamey Christoph

Told primarily from the point of view of the building, this book provides a good introduction, scaled down for a younger audience, to this important historical event. Beautifully illustrated and a good starting point for important discussions. — Elizabeth H.

My Heart My Heart
by Corinna Luyken

It took me 40 years to learn the lesson of self-acceptance that this achingly gentle picture book lays out in 32 pages. Wow. Not only an important message for any child, but really an important message for any human. It's not until we understand ourselves, and embrace all of the complex prisms of our own hearts, that we can finally know empathy and, ultimately, acceptance. — Heather A.


FOR OLDER KIDS:
Rumple Buttercup Rumple Buttercup
by Matthew Gray Gubler

This book is an absolute delight! I'm totally obsessed with Rumple Buttercup and his underground trash lair and his banana-peel disguise and his BFF made of garbage. This is a story about being a weirdo, and it's also a story about how you might not be as big a weirdo as you think you are. — Emily F.

Genesis Begins Again Genesis Begins Again
by Alicia D. Williams

This book is honest, raw, and very important. It deals with poverty, a parent's addiction, and both external and internalized racism in ways that feel true to life and which are good for kids to see depicted in fiction (either because they can relate to those things, or because they can't.) Genesis Begins Again will break your heart, then put it back together again. — Jaye N.

Planet Earth Is Blue Planet Earth Is Blue
by Nicole Panteleakos

It’s 1986, and Nova is eagerly awaiting the launch of the space shuttle Challenger. She loves astronomy — plus, her sister Bridget promised she’d be back for the launch, no matter what. Nova is autistic and nonverbal, and navigating a new foster family and a new school alone is extra tough; no one but Bridget has ever fully understood that she’s a whole, intelligent person. As Nova counts down to the launch, we share in her excitement, her worries, her grief, and her joys. Panteleakos (who herself is on the spectrum, and who has been an instructor in an autism school) has crafted a compelling, compassionate debut. — Madeline S.

Pilu of the Woods Pilu of the Woods
by Mai K. Nguyen

Willow escapes to the woods with her sweet dog Chicory when she feels upset. Along the way she meets a lost forest spirit named Pilu and together they find their way home. Pilu is an adorable and important graphic novel for all ages because it addresses how to process feelings (which manifest for Willow in the form of little monsters) which can grow and take over if we don’t confront them. — Kim T.

A Wolf Called Wander A Wolf Called Wander
by Rosanne Parry

With excitement, humor, sweetness, and a beautiful, imaginative voice full of innocence, exuberance, and downright wolfiness, A Wolf Called Wander is the incredible tale, based on a true story, of one young wolf’s coming-of-age during his adventurous 1,000-mile trip in search of a new home. — Gigi L.

Stargazing Stargazing
by Jen Wang

Jen Wang’s newest graphic novel for the 8+ crowd is so good! It’s about a new friendship and the ups and downs that come with it. Christine and Moon have a lot of differences, but they grow close when Moon and her mother move into Christine’s family’s guest house. This one hits all the emotional notes of childhood friendship perfectly. — Jennifer H.

The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James
by Ashley Herring Blake

This funny and heartwarming tearjerker of a book depicts something many LGBTQ adolescents struggle with: the pressure to be or to act straight. Sunny's eventual realization and acceptance of her sexuality and herself is so beautiful. If I'd had this book at 12, it would have made a huge difference to me. — Jaye N.


FOR YOUNG ADULTS:
House of Salt and Sorrows House of Salt and Sorrows
by Erin A. Craig

This is a fabulously creepy, dark, and Gothic retelling of “The Twelve Dancing Princesses” wrapped up in curses and gods. Full of death and mystery: Can you really believe what you see? Dance if you dare. I cannot recommend this book enough! — Mecca A.

Dig Dig
by A. S. King

A. S. King is known for stories that defy categorization (save for categorically bowling me over with their brilliance), and Dig is no exception. Her immersive writing meanders between a handful of teenagers and the retired couple that eventually connects them, like tangled roots climbing back to their source. (That source is a potato. It will make sense later.) — Madeline S.

Permanent Record Permanent Record
by Mary H. K. Choi

I loved Mary H. K. Choi's debut Emergency Contact, but I loved her second book Permanent Record even more. In it, Choi tackles fame, social media and that moment between childhood and adulthood where so many of us tend to be lost — and she also takes on debt and the way young people are preyed upon by the credit card and loan industry. Permanent Record should be required reading for teens in high school and college. It wouldn't hurt if their parents read it too. — Erin K.

Pumpkinheads Pumpkinheads
by Rainbow Rowell and Faith Erin Hicks

I’m so excited that two of my favorite creators have come together to create Pumpkinheads! Deja and Josiah have been partnered up at work every fall, but now they are looking at their last shift together. Instead of sticking to the usual plan, Deja wants to make this last shift the best one ever. Exploring the pumpkin patch and the friendship between these two was a ton of fun. — Jennifer H.

There's Something About Sweetie There's Something About Sweetie
by Sandhya Menon

Full of heartfelt laughs and swoon-worthy banter, this book is a MUST! Sweetie is just such a force of nature. She accepts and embraces all of herself in a world that overly focuses on flaws that people have. Ashish and Sweetie are hopelessly adorable as they navigate their new relationship, standing up for what they need to succeed in their lives, both individually and as a couple. Sandhya Menon excels with stories that you just can't help but smile and gush over, both while reading and months later. Everyone needs to get on board for the “Sassy Sweetie Project”! — Mecca A.

We Hunt the Flame We Hunt the Flame
by Hafsah Faizal

The intricate, character-driven plotting of Graceling, the world-building of Rebel of the Sands, and the boundary-defying heroines of Tamora Pierce collide in this fierce debut from Hafsah Faizal. The Hunter is renowned in Arawiya, for he alone can enter the deadly magical forest of the Arz and return with food to spare. Prince Nasir is spoken of too, but in whispers, for he is his father’s best and cruelest assassin. But there are things the rumor mill gets wrong: the Hunter is a young woman, Zafira, who would be accosted by her caliphate if it were known she has been doing what her leaders insist is a man’s duty. And while what they say of Nasir is true, it isn’t true by choice. When Zafira and Nasir are pushed together on a quest to return magic to Arawiya and heal their hurting land, they may embolden each other to be the best versions of themselves — if they don’t kill each other first. — Madeline S.




Books mentioned in this post

Graceling

Kristin Cashore

Her Fearless Run: Kathrine Switzer's Historic Boston Marathon

Kim Chaffee and Ellen Rooney

Genesis Begins Again

Alicia D. Williams

Emergency Contact

Mary H K Choi

Pilu of the Woods

Mai K. Nguyen

The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James

Ashley Herring Blake

Rumple Buttercup: A Story of Bananas, Belonging, and Being Yourself

Matthew Gray Gubler

We Hunt the Flame

Hafsah Faizal

Stargazing

Jen Wang

Pumpkinheads

Rainbow Rowell and Faith Erin Hicks

Stonewall: A Building. An Uprising. A Revolution

Rob Sanders and Jamey Christoph

A Wolf Called Wander

Rosanne Parry and Monica Armino

My Heart

Corinna Luyken

Hum and Swish

Matt Myers

There's Something About Sweetie

Sandhya Menon

Dig.

A. S. King

House of Salt and Sorrows

Erin A Craig

Small in the City

Sydney Smith

Planet Earth Is Blue

Nicole Panteleakos

The Hike

Alison Farrell

Spencer's New Pet

Jessie Sima

Permanent Record

Mary H. K. Choi
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