Welcome back for week 2 of the Top 10s of 2021!
This week I’ve got my favorite fiction titles I read in the past 12 months. If you are looking for a good read for yourself or someone you love, these are some of my top recommendations!
I read quite a lot of middle grade fiction and fiction picture books, so I’ve further divided those by genre to share a few more of my favorites since they make up a huge percentage of the 700+ books I read a year. You’ll also notice that graphic novels are excluded from all of these lists today. That’s not because I think they are any less important, it’s because my students and I love graphic novels, so they get their own special day next week.
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 books are aimed at Pre-K-3 grade readers
Middle Grade books are aimed at 3rd-8th grade readers
Young Adult books are aimed at teen readers
Top 10 Adult Fiction Books
(Limited to one per author; excludes graphic novels)
The Silence of Bones by June Hur
A Match of Wits (Ladies of Distinction, #4) by Jen Turano
Rhythm of War (The Stormlight Archive, #4) by Brandon Sanderson
Yours Cheerfully (The Emmy Lake Chronicles, #2) by AJ Pearce
A Natural History of Dragons (The Memoirs of Lady Trent, #1) by Marie Brennan
The Mother Code by Carole Stivers
The Paris Dressmaker by Kristy Cambron
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
Prince of Spies (Hope and Glory, #3) by Elizabeth Camden
Egg Drop Dead (A Noodle Shop Mystery, #5) by Vivien Chien
Top 10 Young Adult Fiction Books
(Excludes graphic novels)
The Blood Spell (Ravenspire, #4) by C.J. Redwine
The Light in Hidden Places by Sharon Cameron
When She Reigns (Fallen Isles, #3) by Jodi Meadows
Woven in Moonlight (Woven in Moonlight, #1) by Isabel Ibañez
Rogue Heart (Rebel Seoul, #2) by Axie Oh
Love & Olives (Love & Gelato, #3) by Jenna Evans Welch
A Deadly Education (The Scholomance, #1) by Naomi Novik
K-Pop Confidential (K-Pop Confidential, #1) by Stephan Lee
This Light Between Us by Andrew Fukuda
Jackaby (Jackaby, #1) by William Ritter
Top 10 Middle Grade Science Fiction Books
(Includes dystopias, steampunk, superhero stories, and time travel; limited to 1 per series; excludes graphic novels)
The Mutant Mushroom Takeover (Maggie and Nate Mysteries, #1) by Summer Rachel Short
June’s Wild Flight (The Last Kids on Earth, #5.5) by Max Brallier, ill. by Douglas Holgate
Nessie Quest by Melissa Savage
The Countdown Conspiracy by Katie Slivensky
Jonesy Flux and the Gray Legion by James Pray
Alone by Megan E. Freeman
The Smartest Kid in the Universe (The Smartest Kid in the Universe, #1) by Chris Grabenstein
The Lion of Mars by Jennifer L. Holm
Quest for the Nautilus (Young Captain Nemo, #1) by Jason Henderson
Nikki Tesla and the Ferret-Proof Death Ray (Elements of Genius, #1) by Jess Keating
Top 10 Middle Grade Fantasy Fiction Books
(Includes mythology-based adventures and talking animal stories; limited to 1 per series; excludes graphic novels)
Dog Squad by Chris Grabenstein
The Accidental Apprentice (Wildlore, #1) by Amanda Foody
Once upon a Unicorn by Lou Anders
Much Ado about Baseball by Rajani LaRocco
The Shadow Crosser (Storm Runner, #3) by J.C. Cervantes
Voyage on the Eversteel Sea (Snared, #3) by Adam Jay Epstein
Fowl Twins Deny All Charges (The Fowl Twins, #2) by Eoin Colfer
Escaping Ordinary (Talespinners, #2) by Scott Reintgen
Flunked (Fairy Tale Reform School, #1) by Jen Calonita
Aru Shah and the City of Gold (Pandava, #4) by Roshani Chokshi
Top 10 Middle Grade Contemporary Fiction Books
(Limited to 1 per series; excludes graphic novels)
Keep It Together, Keiko Carter by Debbi Michiko Florence
Super Puzzletastic Mysteries: Short Stories for Young Sleuths from Mystery Writers of America by Chris Grabenstein, et al
Spy School at Sea (Spy School, #9) by Stuart Gibbs
Out of My Mind (Out of My Mind, #1) by Sharon M. Draper
Golden Gate (City Spies, #2) by James Ponti
Bear Bottom (FunJungle, #7) by Stuart Gibbs
Unplugged by Gordon Korman
The Canyon’s Edge by Dusti Bowling
The Girl Who Ruined Christmas by Cindy Callaghan
A Dog-Friendly Town by Josephine Cameron
Top 10 Middle Grade Historical Fiction Books
(Limited to 1 per series; excludes graphic novels)
Peril at Owl Park (Aggie Morton, Mystery Queen, #2) by Marthe Jocelyn
Lizard’s Tale by Weng Wai Chan
Broken Strings by Eric Walters & Kathy Kacer
Red, White, and Whole by Rajani LaRocca
I Can Make This Promise by Christine Day
The House on Silat Road (House on Palmer Road, #2) by Si-Hoe S.S. & Sim Ee Waun, ill. by Lim An-Ling
Premeditated Myrtle (Myrtle Hardcastle Mysteries, #1) by Elizabeth C. Bunce
Which Way Is Home? by Maria Kiely
The Nerviest Girl in the World by Melissa Wiley
Brother’s Keeper by Julie Lee
Lower Grade Fiction
(Limited to 1 per author; graphic novels excluded)
Stella Endicott and the Anything-Is-Possible Poem (Tales from Deckawoo Drive, #5) by Kate DiCamillo, ill. by Chris VanDusen
The Wall of Doom (Creature Campers, #3) by Joe McGee, ill. by Bea Tormo
A Bad King Is a Sad Thing (Rabbit & Bear, #5) by Julian Gough, ill. by Jim Field
Mood Science (Franny K. Stein, Mad Scientist, #10) by Jim Benton
Mindy Kim and the Birthday Puppy (Mindy Kim, #3) by Lyla Lee, ill. by Dung Ho
How to Promenade with a Python (and Not Get Eaten) (Polite Predators, #1) by Rachel Poliquin, ill. by Kathryn Durst
King & Kayla and the Case of the Gold Ring (King & Kayla, #7) by Dori Hillestad Butler, ill. by Nancy Meyers
The Princess in Black and the Giant Problem (The Princess in Black, #8) by Shannon & Dean Hale, ill. by LeUyen Pham
Mystery on the Ostrich Express (Fabio, the World’s Greatest Flamingo Detective, #2) by Laura James, ill. by Emily Fox
Dragons and Marshmallows (Zoey and Sassafras, #1) by Asia Citro, ill. by Marion Lindsay
Top 10 Animal, Fantasy, and Science Fiction Picture Books
(Limited to 1 per author)
Norman Didn’t Do It (Yes, He Did) by Ryan T. Higgins
ABC Cats by Lesléa Newman, ill. by Isabella Kung
The Moose of Ewenki by Gerelchimeg Blackcrane ; illustrated by Jiu Er ; translated by Helen Mixter
A Bear Is a Bear by Jonathan Stutzman, ill. by Dan Santat
The Space Train by Maudie Powell-Tuck, ill. by Karl James Mountford
Amy Wu and the Patchwork Dragon (Amy Wu, #2) by Kat Zhang, ill. by Charlene Chua
Facts vs. Opinions vs. Robots by Michael Rex
The Sneaking, Hiding, Vibrating Creature (Strange Planet) by Nathan W. Pyle
It Fell from the Sky by the Fan Brothers
Red by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
Top 10 Contemporary and Historical Fiction Picture Books
(Limited to 1 per author)
Eyes That Kiss in the Corners by Joanna Ho, ill. by Dung Ho
The Matchbox Diary by Paul Fleischman, ill. by Bagram Ibatoulline
Hurricane by John Rocco
On Account of the Gum by Adam Rex
Where Three Oceans Meet by Rajani LaRocca, ill. by Archana Sreenivasan
Watercress by Andrea Wang, ill. by Jason Chin
Gittel’s Journey: an Ellis Island Story by Lesléa Newman, ill. by Amy June Bates
Ohana Means Family by Ilina Loomis, ill. by Kenard Pak
Tomatoes for Neela by Padma Lakshmi, ill. by Juana Martinez-Neal
Speak Up, Molly Lou Melon (Molly Lou Melon, #3) by Patty Lovell, ill. by David Catrow
Top 10 Fiction Leveled Readers/Beginning Readers
(Limited to 1 per author, graphic novels excluded)
Charlie & Mouse Lost and Found (Charlie & Mouse, #5) by Laurel Snyder, ill. by Emily Hughes
Play Ball (Pete the Cat: I Can Read) by James Dean
Flubby will Not Take a Bath (Flubby, #4) by J.E. Morris
Dot & Jabber and the Big Bug Mystery (Dot & Jabber) by Ellen Stoll Walsh
Pool Party! (Farmer Brown’s Barnyard Tales) by Doreen Cronin, ill. by Betsy Lewin
Zip, Zoom (Ty’s Travels) by Kelly Starling Lyons, ill. by Nina Mata
Uni the Unicorn Bakes a Cake an Amy Krouse Rosenthal book in the style of Brigette Barrager, by Candice Ransom, ill. by Sue DiCicco
Happy Go Ducky based on the books by Jackie Urbanovic, by Lori Haskins Houran, ill. by Joe Mathieu
Fun, Fun, Fun! (Croc and Ally) by Derek Anderson
Bug Dipping, Bug Sipping by Marilyn Singer, ill. by Lucy Semple
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