Thursday, December 1, 2016

Brainstorm 95: Top 10s of 2016 (Part 1)

Top 10s of 2016 (Part 1): Fiction Picture Books, Lower Grade Fiction, and Middle Grade Fiction

It's hard to believe, but it is that time of year again. 2016 is wrapping up and 2017 will be here before we know it. The last three Fridays of school before Christmas break I come up with the top books I've read in the past year. The purpose is to help those looking for reading ideas hear about my top picks of books I've read this year. Sorting through hundreds of books read in the past 12 months is a long, laborious and grueling process. So many hard choices! But if it helps others find good reads, it is worth it.
Here are the Top 10s coming this year: Fiction Picture books, Lower Grade Fiction, Middle Grade Fiction: Science Fiction/Fantasy, Middle Grade Fiction: Historical Fiction or Contemporary, Young Adult Fiction: Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction: Historical Fiction or Contemporary, Adult Fiction, Poetry/Novels in Verse, Lower Grade & Middle Grade Nonfiction, Lower Grade & Middle Grade Biography/Autobiography, Young Adult/Adult Nonfiction, Young Adult/Adult Biography/Autobiography, and Most Anticipated Reads of 2017.
Unless otherwise stated, the books in the lists could have been published in any year, but I read them in 2016 (or late Dec 2015 after last year's Top 10s). To help myself further in the selection process, I sometimes narrowed down the eligible candidates to just those that came out in 2016. If that's the case, it will be noted in the section heading. The titles are listed with my favorite in each category on top and kinda, sorta going down in favoritism but usually I love them all so much just consider the rest of the list tied for 2nd. In the interest of space, my summaries and reviews of the books are not provided here. Click on the titles to see those. Hope you find some great reads!


Top 10 Fiction Picture Books (published in 2016)



If I Had a Gryphon by Vikki VanSickle, ill. by Cale Atkinson

A Child of Books by Oliver Jeffers & Sam Winston

If You Ever Want to Bring a Piano to the Beach, Don’t! by Elsie (oops, typo!) Elise Parsley

The Water Princess by Susan Verde, ill. by Peter H. Reynolds

Leave Me Alone! by Vera Brosgol


There Is a Tribe of Kids by Lane Smith

We Are Growing! by Laurie Keller & Mo Willems

Hotel Bruce by Ryan T. Higgins

ABC Dream by Kim Krans

All Aboard for the Bobo Road by Stephen Davies, ill. by Christopher Corr



Top 10 Fiction Picture Books (published in 2015 or earlier...because those of us overseas sometimes can't get our hands on them 'til a year or two later)



The Snow Rabbit by Camille Garoche

This is Sadie by Sara O’Leary, ill. by Julie Morstad

Sky Color by Peter H. Reynolds

Nerdy Birdy by Aaron Reynolds, ill. by Matt Davies

Look! by Jeff Mack


Double Happiness by Nancy Tupper Ling, ill. by Alina Chau

Mother Bruce by Ryan T. Higgins

I Really Like Slop! by Mo Willems

Take Away the A by Michaël Escoffier, ill. by Kris Di Giacomo

If You Plant a Seed by Kadir Nelson



Top 10 Lower Grade Fiction Books (published in 2016)


Juana & Lucas (Juana & Lucas, #1) by Juana Medina

Bunjitsu Bunny’s Best Move (Bunjitsu Bunny, #3) by John Himmelman

Where are You Going, Baby Lincoln? (Tales from Deckawoo Drive, #3) by Kate DiCamillo, ill. by Chris Van Dusen

The Great Pet Escape (Pets on the Loose, #1) by Victoria Jamieson

Rabbit’s Bad Habits (Rabbit & Bear, #1) by Julian Gough, ill. by Jim Field


The Princess in Black and the Bunny Horde (The Princess in Black, #3) by Shannon Hale & Dean Hale, ill. by LeUyen Pham

Mouse Scouts (Mouse Scouts, #1) by Sarah Dillard

Inspector Flytrap (Inspector Flytrap, #1) by Tom Angleberger, ill. by CeCe Bell

Hippopotamister by John Patrick Green

Stinky Cecil in Terrarium Terror (Stinky Cecil, #2) by Paige Braddock



Top 10 Middle Grade Fiction Books: Science Fiction or Fantasy (published in 2016)


The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill

The Key to Extraordinary by Natalie Lloyd

Ratpunzel (Hamster Princess, #3) by Ursula Vernon

Wild Robot by Peter Brown

How to Capture an Invisible Cat (The Genius Factor, #1) by Paul Tobin, ill. by Thierry Lafontaine


Troll Overboard (Life of Zarf, #3) by Rob Harrell

Red: the True Story of Red Riding Hood by Liesl Shurtliff

The Poet’s Dog by Patricia MacLachlan

The Dark Talent (Alcatraz Smedry, #5) by Brandon Sanderson

When the Sea Turned to Silver by Grace Lin



Top 10 Middle Grade Fiction Books: Historical Fiction or Contemporary (published in 2016)



Spy Ski School (Spy School, #4) by Stuart Gibbs

Ghost (Track, #1) by Jason Reynolds

Click Here to Start by Denis Markell

Mr. Lemoncello’s Library Olympics (Mr. Lemoncello’s Library, #2) by Chris Grabenstein

Booked by Kwame Alexander


Summerlost by Ally Condie

Mark of the Plague (The Blackthorn Key, #2) by Kevin Sands

Outrun the Moon by Stacey Lee

Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo

Six Kids and a Stuffed Cat by Gary Paulsen


Check back next week for Part 2 with Top 10s of Young Adult Fiction, Adult Fiction, and Poetry/Novels in Verse.

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