Introduction

“A story! And an adventure story at that! What a

fine gift.”

So declares the princess in Candace Fleming’s Clever

Jack Takes the Cake. This spirit of adventure is reflected in

Children’s
the books you will find on this list. Discoveries are made.
Chances are taken. Life is celebrated. Enjoy all the twists
and turns as you share these stories with the children in
your life.

Books 2010: The titles on this year’s list of Children’s Books were
selected by a committee of librarians working in the
branch libraries of The New York Public Library.
100 Titles for Dina Brasseur, Committee Chair
Reading and Sharing

Children’s Books 2010 is published by the Office of Central

Collection Development of The New York Public Library.

© The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden

Foundations, 2010
Picture Books
for children ages 2–6
Art and Max by David Wiesner. Clarion. Should Art be neat and
realistic or wild and crazy? Two lizards argue the question—using
paints, brushes, and even a vacuum cleaner!
A Beach Tail by Karen Lynn Williams. Illustrated by Floyd Cooper.
Boyds Mills Press. Gregory promises his dad to stay close to the lion
drawn in the sand, but a lion’s tail can get very long when you have
a sturdy stick and a whole beach to explore. Intimate, soft-toned
illustrations complement this gentle tale.
Big Red Lollipop by Rukhsana Khan. Illustrated by Sophie Blackall.
Viking Juvenile. Little sisters can be such a pain. First, Rubina is
forced to bring her little sister Sana along to a friend’s party, but
soon it is Sana’s turn to be the big sister when she gets an invitation
of her own.
Big Rig Bugs by Kurt Cyrus. Walker Books. A tuna sandwich hits the
dirt and out comes a many-legged clean-up crew. Fans of oversized
insects will be enthralled by this ground-level view of nature in
action.
Chalk by Bill Thomson. Marshall Cavendish. Chalk drawings on the
pavement literally come to life in this wordless book. Stunningly
realistic art.
Children Make Terrible Pets by Peter Brown. Little, Brown. Little
Lucy bear brings home a stray boy one day—and finds out that tak-
ing care of wild pets is harder than she thought. A funny forest tale
with a happy ending.
City Dog, Country Frog by Mo Willems. Illustrated by Jon J. Muth.
Hyperion. Two unlikely friends frolic through three seasons in this
gentle introduction to life’s cycles and difficult changes.
Clever Jack Takes the Cake by Candace Fleming. Illustrated by
G. Brian Karas. Schwartz & Wade. When an invitation to the
princess’s birthday party accidentally arrives on a puff of wind,
poor young Jack gives away all he owns to make the perfect cake.
Cooking With Henry and Elliebelly by Carolyn Parkhurst. lllustrated
by Dan Yaccarino. Feiwel & Friends. A young would-be chef’s efforts
to make raspberry-marshmallow-peanut butter waffles with bar-
bequed banana bacon are derailed by his little sister’s “help.” The
pictures are also bright and funny.
Eight Days: A Story of Haiti by Edwidge Danticat. Illustrated by Alix
Delinois. Orchard Books. Memories of happier times help a young
earthquake victim survive days of being trapped in the rubble.
Vibrant illustrations of daily life underscore the power of this
inspiring original tale.
Flora's Very Windy Day by Jeanne Birdsall. Illustrated by Matt
Phelan. Clarion. Though her little brother Crispin may get on her
nerves, Flora flies to the rescue when the wind blows him high
into the sky.
Goal! by Mina Javaherbin. Illustrated by A.G. Ford. Candlewick. In
a South African township, a group of friends outwit bullies to save
their prized new soccer ball. Vigorous action and a vivid sense of
place come through strongly in Ford’s full-page street scenes.
Here Comes the Garbage Barge! by Jonah Winter. Illustrated by Red
Nose Studio. Schwartz & Wade. Where will the travels of a barge full
of Long Island garbage end? Find out in a stinky tale based on fact,
illustrated with realistically cluttered hand-built sets and remark-
able paper mache figurines.
Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein. Candlewick. An eager
chick’s interjections make it impossible for Papa to finish even one
bedtime story. Will they ever reach “The End!”?
Lucky Beans by Becky Birtha. Illustrated by Nicole Tadgell. Albert
Whitman and Company. Math skills provide a clever way for
Marshall to win his Ma a much needed sewing machine in this
Depression-era tale.
Mimi’s Dada Catifesto by Shelley Jackson. Clarion. Mimi the cat
campaigns to be adopted by her kindred spirit and idol, the
absurdist artist Mr. Dada. “Art can be anything! GA GA UMBA,
UMBA POO!”

Mirror by Jeannie Baker. Candlewick. Parallel fold-outs depict the
differences and similarities of two families, one in Australia and
one in Morocco. Illustrated with intricate, nearly wordless multi-
media collages.
Oh No! (Or How My Science Project Destroyed the World) by Mac
Barnett. Illustrated by Dan Santat. Hyperion. When a girl's giant
robot goes on a rampage, she creates a giant frog to defeat it—then
discovers she has a whole new problem. Blueprints included.
Pecan Pie Baby by Jacqueline Woodson. Illustrated by Sophie
Blackall. Putnam. Only child Gia isn’t at all happy that a “ding-dang
baby” is on the way. With help from her mom and extended family
she learns to accept change in this sweet, warm-hearted story.
A Pig Parade Is a Terrible Idea by Michael Ian Black. Illustrated by
Kevin Hawkes. Simon & Schuster. Sure a pig parade sounds great,
but before you plan one, think it through! Eye-filling illustrations
warn you of the shenanigans that can occur.
The Quiet Book by Deborah Underwood. Illustrated by Renata
Liwska. Houghton Mifflin. There are many kinds of quiet: jelly-
side-down quiet and hide-and-seek quiet and making-a-wish quiet.
Soothing rhythms and tender illustrations.
A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip Christian Stead. Illustrated by
Erin Stead. Roaring Brook Press. Zoo animals fret when their beloved
keeper catches a cold and doesn’t show up for work one day. Will
they be able to care for him as he has always cared for them?
Sneaky Sheep by Chris Monroe. Carolrhoda Books. Rocky and
Blossom’s sense of adventure gets them into trouble again and
again. Only their alert sheep dog Murphy can help them avert
disaster. Hilarious cartoon illustrations.
Subway by Christoph Niemann. Greenwillow Books. “It’s cold and
wet. What can be done? A trip on the subway, just for fun!” Bold,
graphic illustrations capture the hustle and bustle of the largest
subway system in the world.
Wanted: The Perfect Pet by Fiona Roberton. Putnam Juvenile. A boy
really REALLY wants a dog. A duck really REALLY wants a friend.
So if the boy takes out an ad in the paper, and the duck answers—
wearing a doggy disguise!—could it be a perfect match?
Folk and Fairytales
Dust Devil by Anne Isaacs. Illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky.
Schwartz & Wade. The tall tale heroine known as Swamp Angel
moves West and encounters Backward Bart and his mosquito-
riding desperados.
Goldilocks and the Three Bears by Emma Chichester Clark.
Candlewick. Bright, pleasing illustrations and punchy dialogue
animate this fresh retelling of the classic tale.
Joha Makes a Wish: A Middle Eastern Tale adapted by Eric A.
Kimmel. Illustrated by Omar Rayyan. Marshall Cavendish. When
a poor wanderer finds a magic wishing stick, he discovers that
wishing is more complicated than he ever imagined. Masterfully
detailed watercolor illustrations and larger-than-life characters
bring the Middle Eastern setting to life.
Once Upon a Time: Traditional Latin America Tales by Rueben
Martinez. Illustrated by Raul Colon. Rayo. This lively bilingual
collection will transport readers to a land where coyotes fly to the
moon, cockroaches play dress-up, and magic flowers restore dead
princes to life. Richly illustrated.
Pea Boy and Other Stories from Iran by Elizabeth Laird. Illustrated
by Shirin Adl. Frances Lincoln. Seven colorfully illustrated tales of
Persian magic and mischief, courage and comedy.
Pocketful of Posies: A Treasury of Nursery Rhymes by Salley Mavor.
Houghton Mifflin. The cozy, intricately embroidered and crocheted
scenes in this gathering of favorite poems will be spellbinding
to toddlers and parents alike. “Baa Baa Black Sheep,” “Simple
Simon,” and all their nursery-rhyme companions have never
looked so good.
Poetry and Song
The Carnival of the Animals. New verses by Jack Prelutsky. llustrated
by Mary GrandPre. Knopf Books. Inspired by a favorite musical
piece, bouncy rhymes and striking paintings introduce the wise
tortoise, massive elephants, braying mules, and a parade of other
animals. With CD.
GUYKU: A Year of Haiku for Boys by Bob Raczka. Illustrated by
Peter H. Reynolds. Houghton Mifflin. From a tug of war on a windy
spring day to a melting snowman, these simple nature poems take
a group of children through the seasons. The art is as spare and
simple as the poetry.
In the Wild by David Elliott. Illustrated by Holly Meade. Candlewick.
Big, bold animal portraits are paired with poems that capture the
grandeur of the untamed world for young children.
Mirror Mirror: A Book of Reversible Verse by Marilyn Singer.
Illustrated by Josee Masse. Dutton. Richly colored paintings accom-
pany pairs of fairytale poems that can be read top to bottom or bot-
tom to top in this uncommonly creative and original work.
Nest, Nook and Cranny: Poems by Susan Blackaby. Illustrated by
Jamie Hogan. Charlesbridge Publishing. Short, evocative poems
about animal homes and habitats expanded by technical notes
on both the creatures and the poems. Illustrated with expressive
pastel and charcoal drawings.
Sharing the Seasons: A Book of Poems selected by Lee Bennett
Hopkins. Illustrated by David Diaz. Margaret K. McElderry. A
wonderful collection of seasonal poems old and new, brightened
by joyous illustrations.
Ubiquitous: Celebrating Nature’s Survivors by Joyce Sidman.
Illustrated by Beckie Prange. Houghton Mifflin. Did you know that
bacteria have been around for four billion years? Or that ants out-
number every other animal in the world? From diatoms to dande-
lions, Sidman pays tribute to our planet’s survivors in poetry and
prose. Sidman’s Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night is
terrific too.
Stories
for younger readers
Anna Hibiscus by Atinuke. Illustrated by Lauren Tobia. Kane/Miller.
Ordinary adventures—taking care of little twin brothers Double
and Trouble, refusing to have her hair braided again, longing to see
that mysterious thing called “snow”—turn extra-ordinary for Anna,
a child who lives in “Africa, wonderful Africa.” The journey contin-
ues in Hooray for Anna Hibiscus.
Animal Rescue Team: Gator on the Loose! by Sue Stauffacher.
Illustrated by Priscilla Lamont. Knopf Books. When an alligator
appears at the local pool, it’s time for 10-year-old Keisha and her
extended family of rescue experts to spring into action!
Bink and Gollie by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee. Illustrated
by Tony Fucile. Candlewick. Bright socks, pancakes, and strong
differences of opinion link three picture tales of two friends with
wild imaginations.
Cloud Tea Monkeys by Mal Peet and Elspeth Graham. Illustrated by
Juan Wijngaard. Candlewick. On a tea plantation in the Himalayas,
Tashi receives extraordinary help as she struggles to take her sick
mother’s place in the fields.
Dragonbreath: Attack of the Ninja Frogs by Ursula Vernon. Dial.
Young Danny Dragonbreath and his nerdy buddy Wendell take a
bus to ancient Japan for an assault on a hidden fortress of ninja
amphibians.
Ling & Ting: Not Exactly the Same! by Grace Lin. Little, Brown.
Whether getting haircuts, making dumplings, or performing
magic tricks, each twin shows her unique personality.
The PS Brothers by Maribeth Boelts. Harcourt. Shawn and Russell
need $200 to buy a Rottweiler puppy. Can these enterprising best
friends make their dreams come true with a pooper scooper?
Stories
The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book 1: The Mysterious
Howling by Maryrose Wood. Illustrated by Jon Klassen. Balzer
+ Bray. Penelope Lumley, a young graduate of the Swanburne
for older readers Academy for Poor Bright Females, is hired as the governess for
three children who have been raised by wolves. Will she be able to
The Adventures of Nanny Piggins by R.A. Spratt. Illustrated by Dan
“civilize” them?
Santat. Little, Brown. Kids (and one special pig) get away with every
bad habit on the planet after Nanny Piggins flies in to answer Mr. Keeper by Kathi Appelt. Atheneum. Sure that her vanished mother
Green’s “Help Wanted” ad. A wonderful family read-aloud. was really a mermaid, ten-year-old Keeper takes a small boat and
sails out into the Gulf beneath a rare “blue Moon” to search for her.
Boom! (or 70,000 light years) by Mark Haddon. David Fickling
An air of mystery wafts through this atmospheric tale, set in Texas
Books. Two British lads discover that their teachers are space aliens
and featuring an unconventional family.
bent on kidnapping science fiction fans. When the aliens realize
the kids are on to them, the outrageous adventures begin. A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park. Clarion. Alternating sto-
ries of two young people in war and drought-stricken Sudan create
The Crowfield Curse by Pat Walsh. The Chicken House. A young
a window into the lives of Nya, a village girl, and Salva, a refugee
orphan rescues a hobgoblin from a trap, and then discovers a dark
“Lost Boy.” Inspired by a true story.
secret buried behind a nearby abbey. Masterful storytelling, Old
Magic, and good creepy bits. Milo: Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze by Alan Silberberg. Aladdin.
The new kid in school yet again, geeky Milo struggles to navigate a
Crunch by Leslie Connor. Katherine Tegen Books. HarperCollins.
year of painful crushes, scary next door neighbors, booger-flavored
Five siblings find themselves in charge of the family’s suddenly
slushies, and memories of his mom. Funny, poignant, and well-
busy bike shop­—and saddled with a mystery—when a national gas
stocked with cartoon line drawings.
shortage strands their parents far from home.
Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine. Philomel. What can a fifth grader
The Dreamer by Pam Munoz Ryan. Illustrated by Peter Sis.
with Asperger’s Syndrome do when the brother on whom she had
Scholastic. See a world filled with wonders through the eyes of a shy
always relied to explain the confusing world around her dies sud-
boy who overcomes great odds to follow his dreams. Inspired by
denly?
the life of world-renowned Chilean writer Pablo Neruda, this beau-
tiful tale looks deeply into a young poet’s mind, and is decorated A Nest for Celeste by Henry Cole. Katherine Tegen Books.
with masterful pictures by a gifted illustrator. HarperCollins. Risking her own life and saving others, a talented
mouse provides both friendship and technical advice to a famous
The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester by Barbara O’Connor. Farrar,
nature artist’s assistant. A generously illustrated “Story About Art,
Straus and Giroux. When a small but real submarine falls off a
Inspiration, and the Meaning of Home.”
train, it’s up to Owen and his friends to figure out how to get it into
the local pond while avoiding snoopy neighbor Viola. The Night Fairy by Laura Amy Schlitz. Illustrated by Angela Barrett.
Candlewick. What would happen to a fairy if she lost her wings and
Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus. Amulet Books. A shipwrecked
could no longer fly? Stranded in a “giant’s” garden, tiny Flory is
young Japanese fisherman is rescued by “barbarian” whalers from
forced to make friends with animals, fashion dresses from flower
New England and spends the next ten years hunting whales, dig-
petals, and finally face her fears. Beautiful color illustrations com-
ging for gold, and learning the ways of his new land. Based on the
plement this outstanding read-aloud.
true adventures of Manjiro, the first Japanese man to set foot in
America.
Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes. Little, Brown. Twelve-year-old
aspiring engineer Lanesha, abandoned by her own family, lives in
New Orleans' Ninth Ward with elderly Mama Ya-Ya, a former mid-
wife and medicine woman who also has psychic powers. Trapped
in the attic by Hurricane Katrina’s floods, they help each other ride
out the storms both outside the window and inside themselves.
One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia. Amistad. Three
Chicago sisters are shipped off to California to stay with their
estranged and distant mother at the height of the Black Panther
movement. A historical novel filled with memorable characters
and resonating relationships.
Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper. Atheneum. Melody has cere-
bral palsy and cannot speak for herself, but is totally determined to
convince everyone that she's as smart as (or, often, smarter than)
her peers. Engaging and uplifting.
Palace Beautiful by Sarah DeFord Williams. Putnam Juvenile. Joined
by a bold and mysterious new friend who calls herself “Belladonna
Desolation,” sisters Sadie and Zuzu find an old diary in a hidden
attic room that connects them to a tragic past.
The Popularity Papers: Research for the Social Improvement and
General Betterment of Lydia Goldblatt and Julie Graham-Chang by
Amy Ignatow. Amulet Books. In a quest for upward social mobility,
two fifth graders try changing their looks, taking up new hobbies,
and making new friends. They record their amusing successes and
failures on notebook pages festooned with drawings and bits in
full-color scrapbook style.
The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger. Amulet
Books. When the class dork starts walking about wearing an origa-
mi finger puppet, the kids in school aren’t all that surprised. Until,
that is, the tiny Yoda starts dispensing eerily wise advice. Includes
paperfolding instructions.
A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz. Dutton Juvenile. Several
little known fairy tales (mostly gross ones!) tie into this expanded
and gruesome version of “Hansel and Gretel.” Not for the squea-
mish.
Thomas and the Dragon Queen by Shutta Crum. Illustrated by Lee
Wildish. Knopf Books. When Princess Eleanor is kidnapped by the
dragon queen, the shortest of all the squires sets out to save her.
Even though he loses his steed, weapon, and armor during his
quest, Thomas discovers that he still possesses all he needs to save
the day.
The Water Seeker by Kimberly Willis Holt. Henry Holt and Co. The
life of Amos Kincaid—from his unlucky birth and his hardscrabble
childhood in pioneer Missouri to his adventures heading West on
the Oregon Trail. A rich and profound coming-of-age tale.
Where the Streets Had a Name by Randa Abdel-Fattah. Scholastic.
Hayaat and her family are Palestinian Muslims whose land has
been confiscated by the Israelis. Her account of a quest to bring
back soil from Jerusalem to comfort her dying grandmother is both
heart-wrenching and infused with irreverence and wry insight.
Windblowne by Stephen Messer. Random House. Setting out to
rescue his kidnapped great uncle, young Oliver is pulled by a pecu-
liar kite into parallel worlds and finds that the great oaks in all of
them are threatened by an evil force.
Zora and Me by Victoria Bond and T.R. Simon. Candlewick. Gifted
with a vivid imagination and a love of storytelling, Zora finds
herself in the middle of a murder mystery in her small Florida
town. This fictionalized episode from the childhood of Zora Neale
Hurston is set against a complex background of tense race rela-
tions during the early twentieth century.
Graphic Books
Binky to the Rescue by Ashley Spires. Kids Can Press. Binky, the
house cat, thinks he’s an astronaut in a spaceship. When he dis-
covers that Fred, his stuffed mousie (or, to his mind, co-pilot), is
in danger outside he undertakes a daring rescue mission.
Ghostopolis by Doug TenNapel. GRAPHIX. A cinematic mix of
family guilt, bickering adults, marauding motorcycle gangs of
bugs, dinosaur chases, and genuinely laugh-out-loud moments,
not to mention jokes about wedgies, boogers, and mummified
elephant poop, make for a glorious escapade.
Guinea Pig, Pet Shop Private Eye 1: Hamster and Cheese by Colleen
AF Venable. Illustrated by Stephanie Yue. Graphic Universe. An
exuberant hamster seeks the help of a reluctant guinea pig detec-
tive when the dim-witted pet shop owner’s sandwiches repeatedly
go missing. Younger fans will love this graphic caper.
Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword by Barry Deutsch. Amulet.
Eleven-year-old Mirka Hirschberg wants nothing more than to
become a dragon slayer. Run- ins with a pig, a witch, and a troll
bring her that much closer to her dream.
Smile by Raina Telgemeier. GRAPHIX. Raina is struggling with
crushes, frenemies, and other middle school drama when an
accident that knocks out her two front teeth adds even more
complications to her life. A funny and touching graphic memoir.
Thunder from the Sea: Adventure On Board the HMS Defender
by Jeff Weigel. Putnam Juvenile. This rousing naval adventure,
seen through the eyes of an orphaned ship’s boy during the
Napoleonic Wars, offers a rich mix of fact, fiction, and pulse-
pounding action.
Zeus: King of the Gods by George O’Connor. First Second. A full-
blooded account of the chief Olympian god’s birth, youth, and
mighty battles with the Titans. For more magical, mythical adven-
tures see Athena: Grey-Eyed Goddess.
Nonfiction
Ballet for Martha by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan. Illustrated
by Brian Floca. Flash Point. From first note to final bow, the story of
how three artistic geniuses collaborated on a modern dance clas-
sic. Perfect for younger audiences, both the simple text and Floca’s
finely-tuned art brilliantly convey the emotion of the creative
process.
Born to Be Giants: How Baby Dinosaurs Grew to Rule the World by
Lita Judge. Flash Point. Highlighting recent fossil finds of eggs,
embryos, and nesting colonies, Judge introduces eight baby dino-
saurs and their Cretaceous world. A treat for younger dinophiles.
The Chiru of High Tibet by Jacqueline Briggs Martin. Illustrated by
Linda Wingerter. Houghton Mifflin. A story of the rare and elusive
chiru, small antelope-like animals in Tibet, and four adventurers
who trek through the Himalayas to find and protect their birthing
grounds. Illustrated with photos and atmospheric paintings.
Clemente! by Willie Perdomo. Illustrated by Bryan Collier. Henry
Holt and Co. A boy learns about his namesake, Puerto Rican base-
ball star Roberto Clemente, in this dramatic, lyrical picture book
biography.
Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave by Laban Carrick Hill. Illustrated
by Bryan Collier. Little, Brown. Spare text and strong illustrations
introduce a little-known 19th-century North Carolina potter, and
also memorably convey a sense of the beauty and joy of hand-made
craft.
Disasters: Natural and Man-Made Catastrophes Through the
Centuries by Brenda Z. Guiberson. Henry Holt and Co. From small-
pox to Spanish flu, the Great Chicago Fire to Hurricane Katrina, a
fascinating catalog of major calamities throughout history.
The Extraordinary Mark Twain (According to Susy) by Barbara
Kerley. Illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham. Scholastic. A unique
introduction to the great writer through his own 13-year-old daugh-
ter’s eyes, based on her actual journal entries.
Fearless: The Story of Racing Legend Louise Smith by Barb
Rosenstock. Illustrated by Scott Dawson. Dutton Juvenile. The
exciting life of a professional race car driver who broke gender
barriers on her way to winning 38 races. Like Smith, Dawson’s
art is all about speed, speed, speed!
How the Sphinx Got to the Museum by Jessie Hartland. Blue Apple
Books. Follow along step by step as an ancient sculpture is cre-
ated, abandoned, rediscovered after many centuries, and at last
transported from the sands of Egypt into New York’s Metropolitan
Museum of Art. Great for younger readers.
How to Clean a Hippopotamus: A Look at Unusual Animal
Partnerships by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page. Houghton Mifflin.
Why would a little plover bird stroll into a crocodile’s mouth? Find
out how unlikely pairs help each other survive. Both here and in
Bones (Scholastic), Jenkins’ bright cut paper illustrations are visual
treats to be pored over again and again.
Jimi: Sounds Like a Rainbow by Gary Golio. Illustrated by Javaka
Steptoe. Clarion. Dazzling, psychedelic mixed-media art reflects
the creative spark in a child (future rock star Jimi Hendrix) discov-
ering his passion for music.
Just One Bite: 11 Animals and Their Bites at Life Size! by Lola
Schaefer. Illustrated by Geoff Waring. Chronicle Books. From the
speck of dirt that is an earthworm’s dinner to the huge gulp a whale
takes chowing down on a giant squid, these life-sized mouthfuls
will give children an up-close and personal eyeful of animal meals.
Chomp!
Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World's Strangest Parrot by Sy
Montgomery. Photographs by Nic Bishop. Houghton Mifflin. A rare
glimpse of the world’s largest parrots—flightless birds found only
in one small area of New Zealand—and the dedicated scientists
who have studied and protected them.
Kubla Khan: The Emperor of Everything by Kathleen Krull.
Illustrated by Robert Byrd. Viking Juvenile. Complemented by
intricately detailed art, this grand portrait of the Mongolian emper-
or introduces a mighty ruler who supported learning and the arts
while founding a dynasty in China.
Pop!: The Invention of Bubble Gum by Meghan McCarthy. Simon &
Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books. Bubbling with humor, this light-
hearted tale of an unlikely inventor’s trials and errors on the way to
creating a brand new kind of gum will give children plenty to chew
over!
Project Seahorse by Pamela S. Turner. Photographs by Scott
Tuason. Houghton Mifflin. Beautiful undersea photos illustrate this
eye-opening look at how researchers have worked with local resi-
dents in the Philippines to preserve seahorses and other wildlife in
a precious, threatened reef community.
She Sang Promise: The Story of Betty Mae Jumper, Seminole Tribal
Leader by Jan Godown Annino. Illustrated by Lisa Desimini.
National Geographic Children’s Books. The inspiring story of the
nurse, newspaper owner and part time alligator wrestler who
became the first woman elected leader of the Florida Seminole
Tribe.
Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down by Andrea
Pinkney. Illustrated by Brian Pinkney. Little, Brown. Ordering “a
double dose of peace, with nonviolence on the side,” a small group
of protesters sat down at a “Whites Only” lunch counter 50 years
ago and created a landmark in the struggle for Civil Rights in this
country. They are remembered here, in lyrical words and pictures.
Sparky: The Life and Art of Charles Schulz by Beverly Gherman.
Chronicle Books. A colorful introduction to the world’s most famous
cartoonist, with lots of pictures of Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and his
other creations.
Spilling Ink: A Young Writer’s Handbook by Anne Mazer and Ellen
Potter. Illustrated by Matt Phelan. Flash Point. Two well-known
authors offer beginners savvy advice and hard-earned wisdom—
from getting started to getting past writer’s block—in this warm
and funny manual.
The War to End All Wars: World War I by Russell Freedman. Clarion.
Using photos, letters, diaries, and many other sources, this power-
ful account brings to life a terrible war that left over 20 million dead
and almost a century later is still affecting the course of history.
What in the Wild? Mysteries of Nature Concealed...and Revealed by
David M. Schwartz and Yael Schy. Photographs by Dwight Kuhn.
Tricycle Press. Do you love poetry? Wild animals? Science? Riddles?
Find all of these and more in this amazing, eye-opening, eyebrow-
raising introduction to some of Nature’s most mysterious things.
The titles for Children’s Books 2010 were selected by the Children’s
Books Committee, whose members are:
Deborah Allman, Bronx Library Center
Sarah Belanich, Hamilton Fish Park Library
Jenny Berggren, Yorkville Library
Elizabeth Bird, Children’s Center at 42nd Street
Susan Burkhardt, Wakefield Library
Jessica Creech, St. George Library Center
Kathleen Crook, Francis Martin Library
Rebecca Donsky, Bloomingdale Library
Rebecca Gueorguiev, Great Kills Library
Esther Jackson, Edenwald Library
Tiffany James, Mosholu Library
Louise Lareau, Children’s Center at 42nd Street
Danita Nichols, Inwood Library
Theresa Panza, Parkchester Library
John Peters, retired
Susan Pine, retired
Kristy Raffensberger, Webster Library
Jill Rothstein, Bloomingdale Library
Peggy Salwen, 67th Street Library
Rebecca Schosha, Jefferson Market Library
Lorraine Tauches, Muhlenberg Library
Sue Yee, Chatham Square Library
Dina Brasseur, Chair, St. Agnes Library
Jeanne Lamb, Coordinator, Youth Collections