It’s the last batch of Top 10s of 2020! It’s impossible to read every book the year it comes out, and there are some fantastic reads that I don’t get around to reading until a year or two or ten later, so today it’s time for those fantastic first time reads for me in 2020 of books that came out in the past. 2020 was insane and not fun in many ways, but I do have to say I got a lot of books read that have been sitting in my TBR pile for years. At least it was good for something. 😁 Click on the title to see my full review. This middle grade list was the hardest list for me to narrow down of all the lists. I had way more than ten 5 star reads in this category this year! The Brainstorm will take a few weeks off for Christmas break and then be back mid-January. Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!
Here’s the Top 10s of 2020s Schedule for this year:
Dec 4: Most recent fiction (Picture Books, Lower Grade, Middle Grade, YA, Adult, & Graphic Novels mostly published in 2019-2020)
Dec 11: Elementary librarian, Sarah Foit’s Top 10s
Dec 18: Nonfiction (Lower Grade, Middle Grade & YA, Adult, Christian, Graphic Novels) & Asian Lit
Dec 24: Older fiction (More Picture Books, Lower Grade, Middle Grade, & YA mostly published 2018/2019 and older)
Top 10 Young Adult Fiction Books
(limited to those published in 2018 or before)
Before She Ignites (Fallen Isles, #1) by Jodi Meadows
Sanctuary (Sanctuary, #1) by Caryn Lix
Brightly Burning by Alexa Donne
The Echo Room by Parker Peevyhouse
The Traitor Prince (Ravenspire, #3) by C.J. Redwine
My Real Name Is Hanna by Tara Lynn Maish
The Keeper of the Mist by Rachel Neumeier
Timeless: Diego and the Rangers of the Vastlantic (Timeless, #1) by Armand Baltazar
Dead Reckoning by Mercedes Lackey & Rosemary Edghill
The Transatlantic Conspiracy by G.D. Falksen, ill. by Nat Iwata
Top 10 Middle Grade Fiction Books
(limited to those published in 2019 or before)
Shine by J.J. & Chris Grabenstein
The Girl Who Could Not Dream by Sarah Beth Durst
Float by Laura Martin
Disaster Days by Rebecca Behrens
Pay Attention, Carter Jones by Gary D. Schmidt
Changeling (The Oddmire, #1) by William Ritter
Freedom Fire (Dactyl Hill Squad, #2) by Daniel José Older
Midsummer’s Mayhem by Rajani LaRocca
Anya and the Dragon (Anya, #1) by Sofiya Pasternack
Sweep: the Story of a Girl and Her Monster by Jonathan Auxier
Top 10 Lower Grade Fiction Books
(limited to those published in 2018 or before)
Drake Makes a Splash! (Galaxy Zack, #8) by Ray O’Ryan, ill. by Colin Jack
The Frandidate (Franny K. Stein, Mad Scientist, #7) by Jim Benton
Super Frozen Magic Forest (Super Happy Magic Forest, #3) by Matty Long
Stairway to Doom (Miss Mallard Mystery) by Robert Quackenbush
Mr. Putter & Tabby Hit the Slope (Mr. Putter & Tabby, #25) by Cynthia Rylant, ill. by Arthur Howard
Poppy the Police Horse by Gavin Puckett, ill. by Tor Freeman
To the Moon (Sydney & Simon) by Paul A. & Peter Reynolds
How to Track a Pterodactyl (Dino Riders, #5) by Will Dare
Attack of the Snack (Rabbit & Bear, #3) by Jullian Gough, ill. by Jim Field
Grilled Cheese and Dragons (Princess Pulverizer, #1) by Nancy Krulik
Top 10 Fiction Picture Books
(limited to those published in 2019 or before)
Sulwe by Lupita Nyong’o, ill. by Vashti Harrison
The Scarecrow by Beth Ferry, ill. by the Fan Brothers
Little Red and the Very Hungry Lion by Alex T. Smith
Sometimes You Fly by Katherine Applegate, ill. by Jennifer Black Reinhardt
The Cool Bean (The Bad Seed, #3) by Jory John, ill. by Pete Oswald
Abner & Ian Get Right-Side Up by Dave Eggers, ill. by Laura Park
Angel in Beijing by Belle Yang
The Hard Hat for Kids by Jon Gordon and Lauren Gallagher, ill. by Korey Scott
Stormy by Guojing
Bear Came Along by Richard T. Morris, ill. by LeUyen Pham
