Exploring Kidlit LOVE IT LISTS!
A post to celebrate The Best Children’s Books of the Year, 2026 Edition!
Before I get to this edition of my Exploring Kidlit Love It List, please allow me to call your attention to a adorable picture book coming this fall from Sourcebooks Jabberwocky you simply must have. In true Julia Pierre Hammond style, HAPPY NOON YEAR is full of joy. (I love it. I predict you will too.) Read my Goodreads review here and preorder it here.
Without further ado… my ten picks
Looking for books to add to your classroom and home library? to gift? to suggest to your school and public library? Look no more! I chose ten for my latest Exploring Kidlit LOVE IT List from the 2026 edition of the Best Children’s books of the Year— an annotated guide to more than 650 children’s books published in 2025. Wowzzzers! The Children’s Book Committee of Bank Street College of Education read 6000+ books for their selections.)
I am thrilled and honored to share that STUCK! The Story of La Brea Tar Pits (Bushel & Peck Books, 2025) was selected for the 2026 edition of the Best Children’s Books of the Year! From Bank Street College of Education.
I LOVE IT! A1, ace, first-rate, super, tiptop, excellent, don’t-pass-these-books-up!
A Gift of Dust: How Saharan Plumes Feed the Planet by Martha Brockenbrough, illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal(Alfred A. Knopf/Random House Children’s Books/PRH) Myriad organic and inorganic materials, both ancient and new, float nearly invisibly through our atmosphere on an epic journey.
Why I love it… This gorgeous book is thought-provoking!
Hiding in Plain Sight: Kate Warne and the Race to Save Abraham Lincoln by Beth Anderson, illustrated by Sally Wern Comport (Calkins Creek/Astra BFYR/Astra Publishing House) America’s first female detective uncovered a plot to assassinate the president-elect during his inaugural train tour.
Why I love it… Intriguing main text and interesting back matter!
In the World of Whales by Michelle Cusolito, illustrated by Jessica Lanan (Neal Porter Books/Holiday House) A free diver happens upon a sperm whale birth. The miraculous experience impacts him deeply.
Why I love it… This book shows the amazing connections we can make.
Kaho‘olawe: The True Story of an Island and Her People by Kamalani Hurley, illustrated by Harinani Orme (Millbrook Press/Lerner) The smallest of the main Hawaiian islands was occupied by the U.S. military in 1941 and used as latest bomb site until 1990.
Why I love it… A beautiful way to soak in history and Hawaiian culture.
One Girl’s Voice: How Lucy Stone Helped Change the Law of the Land by Vivian Kirkfield, illustrated by Rebecca Gibbon (Calkins Creek/Astra BFYR/Astra Publishing House) Stone, a 19th-century activist, was an abolitionist and an early champion of women’s rights.
Why I love it… Sometimes all it takes is one.
Our Lake written and illustrated by Angie Kang (Kokila/Penguin Random House) A small boy hikes with his brother to their special spot at the lake, but without their late father with them, can he jump into it now?
Why I love it… Togetherness is long-lasting.
Pedal Pusher: How One Woman’s Bicycle Adventure Helped Change the World by Mary Boone, illustrated by Lisa Anchin (Henry Holt BYR/Macmillan) In 1894 a dynamic young Latvian Jewish mother of three became the first woman to ride her bike around the world.
Why I love it… Unsung heroes inspire!
Stuck! The Story of La Brea Tar Pits by Joyce Uglow, illustrated by Valerya Milovanova (Bushel & Peck Books) Excavation of the Los Angeles tar pit revealed clues about its formation and the fossilized prehistoric creatures entrapped there.
Why I love it… Fossils! Ice Age! Science! And the art, oh the beautiful art!
To See an Owl written and illustrated by Matthew Cordell(Random House Studio/Random House Children’sBooks/PRH) A young bird watcher has been trying to spot an owl for months.
Why I love it… Persistence!
Whales in the City by Nancy F. Castaldo, illustrated by Chuck Groenink (Farrar, Straus & Giroux (BYR)/Macmillan) After many years of being driven away by overfishing, pollution, and other consequences of human activity, whales were brought back to New York Harbor through staunch efforts of activists.
Why I love it… We CAN make a difference.
"A word is a small magic, a spell that can unlock the world." - Jane Yolen
Would you like to participate on uGROnews via an interview with me?
Please send me an email! There are openings for new kidlit picture book releases; I would love to support you and your book.
#researching #writing #reading I’m into Earth’s natural wonders. What are you reading, writing, … finding?
Thanks so much for sharing book love for HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT!! I know it's hard to choose among all the wonderful books of 2025! I'll be on the lookout for the ones here I haven't seen. :)
Love so many books in this group! Congrats!