Brainstorm 197: Top 10s of 2019 Part 2

We had to switch up the schedule of the Top 10s so I'm sharing my lists of favorite picture books, lower grade (K-3rd) books, and favorite Asian characters/settings/creators this week. Sarah Foit will share her Top 10s next week. Unless stated otherwise, books could have been published at any time (though most were published in 2018 or 2019), to make it to this list I just had to read them sometime in 2019. Choosing picture books and Asian creators were two of the hardest lists to determine for the top 10s. I had to cut so many that I really loved! You can click on the titles to see my reviews of each of the books. The lists are somewhat arranged with my favorites on top, but again, anything that made this list really stood out from my reading this year. Enjoy!

Dec 7: Top 10s of 2019 Part 1: Middle Grade Books, Young Adult & Adult Nonfiction, Bios of People of Asian Heritage
Dec 20 Dec 27: My amazing coworker, Elementary teaching librarian, Sarah Foit, will share her top 10s.
Dec 27 Jan 3 : Top 10s of Young Adult & Adult Fiction, Christian Fiction & Nonfiction, and top Asian settings & Asian creators

Top 10 Science Fiction/Fantasy Picture Books
(limited to those published in 2018-2019)

Reading Beauty by Deborah Underwood, ill. by Megan Hunt

Dragon Post by Emma Yarlett

If I Built a School (If I Built, #3) by Chris Van Dusen

There Are No Bears in This Bakery by Julian Sarcone-Roach

Linus the Little Yellow Pencil by Scott Magoon

I Don’t Want to Go to Sleep (Little Frog, #4) by Dev Petty, ill. by Mike Boldt

This Is Not That Kind of Book by Christopher Healy, ill. by Ben Mantle

Harold & Hog Pretend for Real (Elephant & Piggie Like Reading, #6) by Dan Santat & Mo Willems

Marigold Finds the Magic Words (Marigold the Cat, #2) by Mike Malbrough

A Piglet Named Mercy (Mercy Watson, #0.5) by Kate DiCamillo, ill. by Chris Van Dusen

Top 10 Contemporary Fiction/Historical Fiction Picture Books
(limited to those published in 2018-2019)

How to Read a Book by Kwame Alexander, ill. by Melissa Sweet

Hello Lighthouse by Sophie Blackall

Because by Mo Willems, ill. by Amber Ren

Home in the Woods by Eliza Wheeler

The Truth about Old People by Elina Ellis

Be Kind by Pat Zietlow Miller, ill. by Jen Hill

Stack the Cats by Susie Gharemani

Oak Leaf by John Sandford

The Rhythm of the Rain by Grahame Baker-Smith

Islandborn by Junot Díaz, ill. by Leo Espinoza

Top 10 Lower Grade Nonfiction Books
(limited to those published in 2018-2019)

Magic Ramen: the Story of Momofuku Ando by Andrea Wang, ill. by Kana Urbanowicz

Water Land: Land and Water Forms around the World by Christy Hale

Hedy Lamarr’s Double Life: Hollywood Legend and Brilliant Inventor by Laurie Wallmark, ill. by Katy Wu

So Tall Within by Gary D. Schmidt, ill. by Daniel Minter

Lights! Camera! Alice!: the Thrilling True Adventures of the First Woman Filmmaker by Mara Rockliff, ill. by Simona Ciraolo

Just Like Beverly: a Biography of Beverly Cleary by Vicki Conrad, ill. by David Hohn

The Crayon Man: the True Story of the Invention of Crayola Crayons by Natascha Biebow, ill. by Steven Salerno

The Boy Who Invented the Popsicle: The Cool Science Behind Frank Epperson’s Famous Frozen Treat by Anne Renaud, ill. by Milan Pavlović

Sparky & Spike: Charles Schulz and the Wildest, Smartest Dog Ever by Barbara Lowell, ill. by Dan Andreasen

Helpers in Your Neighborhood (National Geographic Kids Readers) by Shira Evans

Top 10 Lower Grade Fiction Books
(limited to those published in 2018-2019)

Mighty Meg and the Magical Ring (Mighty Meg, #1) by Sammy Griffin, ill. by Micah Player

Snow Place Like Home (Diary of an Ice Princess, #1) by Christina Soontornvat, ill. by Barbara Szepesi Szucs

Big Problemas (Juana & Lucas, #2) by Juana Medina

Bad Hair Day (Franny K. Stein, Mad Scientist, #8) by Jim Benton

A Bite in the Night (Rabbit and Bear, #4) by Julian Gough, ill. by Jim Field

Truman the Dog (My Furry Foster Family, #1) by Debbi Michiko Florence, ill. by Melanie Demmer

The Magic Mirror (Once Upon a Fairy Tale, #1) by Anna Staniszewski, ill. by Macky Pamintuan

Thief Strikes! (Hilde Cracks the Case, #6) by Hilde Lysiak with Matthew Lysiak, ill. by Joanne Lew-Vrietthoff

Balto and the Race Against Time (Time Dogs, #1) by Helen Moss, ill. by Misa Saburi

Sand Trap! (Marvel Super Hero Adventures) by MacKenzie Cadenhead, Sean Ryan, ill. by Darío Brizuela

Top 10 Lower Grade Graphic Novels/Comics
(limited to those published in 2018-2019)

Superbad (Bad Guys, #8) by Aaron Blabey

A Bridge Too Fur (Kitten Construction Company, #2) by John Patrick Green

Kitten Trouble (Bad Kitty, #12) by Nick Bruel

Narwhal’s Otter Friend (A Narwhal and Jelly Book, #4) by Ben Clanton

Sparkly New Friends (Unicorn & Yeti, #1) by Heather Ayris Burnell, ill. by Hazel Quintanilla

Wake Up, Crabby (Crabby Book, #3) by Jonathan Fenske

Kai and the Monkey King (Brownstone’s Mythical Collection, #3) by Joe Todd-Stanton

Much Too Much Birthday (Maud the Koala) by J.E. Morris

The Traveling Dustball (Big Words, Small Stories) by Judith Henderson, ill. by T.L. McBeth

Noodleheads Find Something Fishy (Noodleheads, #3) by Tedd Arnold, Martha Hamilton, and Mitch Weiss, ill. by Tedd Arnold

Top 10 Characters (or Character Pairs) of Asian Heritage
(limited to books published in 2018-2019)

Somewhere Only We Know by Maureen Goo
*Lucky & Jack
Korean American

City of Ink (Li Du, #3) by Elsa Hart
*Li Du & Hamza
Chinese

Sea Sirens (A Trot & Cap’n Bill Adventure, #1) by Amy Chu, ill. by Janet K. Lee
*Trot & Grandpa
Vietnamese American

Death by Dumpling (A Noodle Shop Mystery, #1) by Vivien Chien
*Lana Lee
Taiwanese American

Teenage Wasteland (Ms Marvel, Vol. 9) by G. Willow Wilson, ill. by Nico Leon
*Kamala (aka Ms Marvel) & Red Dagger
Pakistani American & Pakistani

Aru Shah and the Song of Death (The Pandava Quartet, #2) by Roshani Chokshi
*Aru Shah
Indian American

Newcomer (Detective Kaga, #2) by Keigo Higashino, trans. by Giles Murray
*Detective Kaga
Japanese

Tamamo the Fox Maiden and Other Stories edited by Kel McDonald
*Mu Waan in “Ghost Pepper”
Lao

Klawde, Evil Alien Warlord Cat (Klawde, Evil Alien Warlord Cat, #1) by Johnny Marciano and Emily Chenoweth, ill. by Robb Mommaerts
*Raj
Indian American

Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee
* Korean

Top 10 Asian Settings
(limited to books published in 2018-2019)

Somewhere Only We Know by Maureen Goo
*Modern Hong Kong

Tamamo the Fox Maiden and Other Stories edited by Kel McDonald
*Fantasy/Mythical China, Japan, India, Laos, Myanmar, Tibet,

The Yin-Yang Sisters and the Dragon Frightful by Nancy Tupper Ling, ill. by Andrea Offermann
*Fantasy China

I Do Not Trust You by Laura J. Burns & Melinda Metz
*Significant part in Thailand

The Bridge Home by Padma Venkatraman
*Modern India

City of Ink (Li Du, #3) by Elsa Hart
*18th century China

Laid-Back Camp 1 (Laid-Back Camp, #1) by Afro
*Modern Japan

In the Shadow of the Sun by Anne Sibley O’Brien
*Modern North Korea

Magic Ramen: the Story of Momofuku Ando by Andrea Wang, ill. by Kana Urbanowicz
 *20th century Taiwan/Japan

Moth and Wasp, Soil and Ocean: Remembering Chinese Scientist Pu Zhelong’s Work for Sustainable Farming by Sigrid Schmalzer, ill. by Melanie Linden Chan
*Historic China

Top 10 Creators (or Creator Pairs) of Asian Heritage
(limited to those published in English in 2018-2019)

Sea Sirens (A Trot & Cap’n Bill Adventure, #1) by Amy Chu, ill. by Janet K. Lee
*Author & Illustrator

Beneath the Waves by Lily Murray, ill. by Helen Ahnpornsiri
*Illustrator

Pilu of the Woods by Mai K. Nguyen
*Author/Illustrator

Magic Ramen: the Story of Momofuku Ando by Andrea Wang, ill. by Kana Urbanowicz
*Author & Illustrator

Aru Shah and the Song of Death (The Pandava Quartet, #2) by Roshani Chokshi
*Author

Chirri & Chirra, Underground by Kaya Doi, trans. by David Boyd
*Author/Illustrator

Somewhere Only We Know by Maureen Goo
*Author

Snow Place Like Home (Diary of an Ice Princess, #1) by Christina Soontornvat, ill. by Barbara Szepesi Szucs
*Author

Newcomer (Detective Kaga, #2) by Keigo Higashino, trans. by Giles Murray
*Author

Cats Are Liquid by Rebecca Donnelly, ill. by Misa Saburi 
*Illustrator (also illustrated in the Top 10s of 2019: Balto and the Race Against Time)