It’s time for this year’s Top 10s of 2021!
For the next 3 weeks I will be sharing with you my favorite reads of the year. If you are looking for a good read for yourself or someone you love, these are some of my top recommendations!
In general, I’ve put my favorite book(s) on top and then in descending order, but considering many of these books beat out 100s of others in the same category, that’s a minor thing at this point. They are all amazing in my opinion if they’ve made these lists. I’ve set limiters for certain lists to help myself narrow things down, and all of these are books I've read in the past 12 months. I've also limited it to books that are already in our libraries at ICS, or books that are coming soon to our shelves.
You can click on the titles to read my full review of each book.
Here’s the Top 10s of 2021s Schedule for this year:
Dec 3: Nonfiction books
Dec 10: Fiction books
Dec 17: Graphic novels & Asian Lit
Some notes on terms:
Lower Grade (LG) books are aimed at Pre-K-3 grade readers
Middle Grade (MG) books are aimed at 3rd-8th grade readers
Young Adult (YA) books are aimed at teen readers
Top 10 Middle Grade and/or YA Nonfiction
All Thirteen: the Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys’ Soccer Team by Christina Soontornvat
Gidget the Surfing Dog: Catching Waves with a Small But Mighty Pug by Elizabeth Rusch
While I Was Away by Waka T. Brown
Bee Fearless: Dream Like a Kid by Mikaila Ulmer
A Thousand Sisters: the Heroic Airwomen of the Soviet Union in World War II by Elizabeth Wein
The Light of Days: the Untold Story of Women Resistance Fighters in Hitler’s Ghettos Young Readers’ Edition by Judy Batalion
The Impossible First Young Readers’ Edition by Colin O’Brady
Games of Deception: the True Story of the First U.S. Olympic Basketball Team at the 1936 Olympics in Hitler’s Germany by Andrew Maraniss
How We Got to the Moon: the People, Technology, and Daring Feats of Science Behind Humanity’s Greatest Adventure by John Rocco
This Is Your Time by Ruby Bridges
Top 10 Adult Nonfiction
An Elephant in My Kitchen: What the Herd Taught Me about Love, Courage and Survival by Françoise Malby-Anthony with Katja Willemsen
The Queens of Animation: the Untold Story of the Women Who Transformed the World of Disney and Made Cinematic History by Nathalia Holt
Becoming by Michelle Obama
The Sakura Obsession: the Incredible Story of the Plant Hunter Who Saved Japan’s Cherry Blossoms by Naoko Abe
New on Earth: Baby Animals in the Wild by Suzi Eszterhas
The House of Yan: a Family at the Heart of a Century of Chinese History by Lan Yan, translated by Sam Taylor
A Village with My Name: a Family History of China’s Opening to the World by Scott Tong
The Riddle of the Labyrinth: the Quest to Crack an Ancient Code by Margalit Fox
The Perfect Predator: a Scientist’s Race to Save Her Husband from a Deadly Superbug: a Memoir by Steffanie Strathdee & Thomas Patterson
The Ravenmaster: My Life with the Ravens by Christopher Skaife
Top 10 MG, YA, or Adult Christian Nonfiction
How (Not) to Save the World: the Truth about Revealing God’s Love to the People Right Next to You by Hosanna Wong
When Strivings Cease: Replacing the Gospel of Self-Improvement with the Gospel of Life-Transforming Grace by Ruth Chou Simmons
Turning of Days: Lessons from Nature, Season, and Spirit by Hannah Anderson, ill. by Nathan Anderson
The Powerful Purpose of Introverts: Why the World Needs You to Be You by Holly Gerth
Gentle and Lowly: the Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers by Dane C. Ortlund
How Happiness Happens: Finding Lasting Joy in a World of Comparison, Disappointment, and Unmet Expectations by Max Lucado
A Kid’s Guide to the Names of Jesus (A Kid’s Guide to) by Tony Evans
Sacred Endurance: Finding Grace and Strength for a Lasting Faith by Trillia J. Newbell
Singing in the Dark: Finding Hope in the Songs of Scripture by Ginny Owens
Following Jesus: Biblical Reflections on Discipleship by N.T. Wright
Top 10 Christian Picture Books
(Mostly nonfiction books, though the last 2 are fiction. Christian leveled readers in the leveled reader list.)
The Bright Light and the Super Scary Darkness by Dan DeWitt, ill. by Rhea Zai
Jesus and the Lions’ Den: a True Story about How Daniel Points Us to Jesus (Tales That Tell the Truth) by Alison Mitchell, ill. by Catalina Echeverri
Go and Do Likewise!: the Parables and Wisdom of Jesus by John Hendrix
The Prisoners, the Earthquake, and the Midnight Song: a True Story about How God Uses People to Save People (Tales That Tell the Truth) by Bob Hartman, ill. by Catalina Echeverri
Christmas Is Coming! by Tama Fortner, ill. by Wazza Pink
The God Contest: a True Story of Elijah, Jesus, and the Greatest Victory (Tales That Tell the Truth) by Carl Laferton, ill. by Catalina Echeverri
Near: Psalm 139 by Sally Lloyd-Jones, ill. by Jago
Goodbye to Goodbyes: a True Story about Jesus, Lazarus, and an Empty Tomb (Tales That Tell the Truth) by Lauren Chandler, ill. by Catalina Echeverri
A Hero’s Prayer by Sheri Rose Shepherd, ill. by Jennifer Zivoin
Sophie and the Heidelberg Cat by Andrew Wilson, ill. by Helena Perez Garcia
Top 10 Lower Grade Nonfiction
(Limited to 1 per author; picture book biographies in their own category.)
The Brain Is Kind of a Big Deal by Nick Seluk
Swish!: the Slam-Dunking, Alley-Ooping, High-Flying Harlem Globe Trotters by Suzanne Slade, ill. by Don Tate
Hey, Water! by Antoinette Portis
Do You Know Dewey?: Exploring the Dewey Decimal System by Brian P. Cleary, ill. by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff
Play in the Wild: How Baby Animals Like to Have Fun by Lita Judge
Red Rover: Curiosity on Mars by Richard Ho, ill. by Katherine Roy
Solar Story: How One Community Lives Alongside the World’s Biggest Solar Plant by Allan Drummond
You’re Invited to a Moth Ball: a Nighttime Insect Celebration by Loree Griffin Burns, photos by Ellen Harasimowicz
Follow the Recipe: Poems about Imagination, Celebration, & Cake by Marilyn Singer, ill. by Marjorie Priceman
The Frog Book by Steve Jenkins & Robin Page
Top 10 Picture Book Biographies
(Leveled reader picture book biographies excluded and in leveled reader list.)
The Most Beautiful Thing by Kao Kalia Yang, ill. by Khoa Le
Monument Maker: Daniel Chester French and the Lincoln Memorial by Linda Booth Sweeney, ill. by Shawn Fields
R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul by Carole Boston Weatherford, ill. by Frank Morrison
Flight for Freedom: the Wetzel Family’s Daring Escape from East Germany by Kristen Fulton, ill. by Torben Kuhlmann
The Cat Man of Aleppo by Irene Latham & Karim Shamsi-Basha, ill. by Yuko Shimizu
The Polio Pioneer: Dr. Jonas Salk and the Polio Vaccine by Linda Elovitz Marshall, ill. by Lisa Anchin
Thank You, Sarah: the Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving by Laurie Halse Anderson, ill. by Matt Faulkner
Just Like Rube Goldberg: the Incredible True Story of the Man Behind the Machines by Sarah Aronson, ill. by Robert Neubecker
Cézanne’s Parrot by Amy Guglielmo, ill. by Brett Helquist
Anna & Samia: the True Story of Saving a Black Rhino by Paul Meisel
Top 10 Nonfiction Leveled Readers/Beginning Readers
(An * indicates a Christian title.)
A Pony with Her Writer: the Story of Marguerite Henry and Misty (Tails from History) by Thea Feldman, ill. by Rachel Sanson
All about Bears by Jennifer Szymanski
A Zebra’s Day by Aubre Andrus
Forest Friends by Mary Hassinger*
Where We Live by Brenda Stones & Thea Feldman
Jesus Saves the World by Kelly Pulley*
Lucy Maud Montgomery by Sarah Howden, ill. by Nick Craine
Animals That Change Color by Libby Romero
The Bravest Cat: the True Story of Scarlett by Laura Driscoll, ill. by DyAnne DiSalvo
Animal Survivors by Clive Gifford, ill. by Sarah Horne
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