At Last She Stood: How Joey Guerrero Spied, Survived, and Fought for FreedomErin Entrada KellyA teenager with Hansen’s disease (leprosy) survived the Japanese occupation of the Philippines, delivered secret messages to the Allied forces, and won the Medal of Freedom. Maps. Archival images and photos. Index, extensive back matter.Fourteen and OlderATOS 7.3AR interest Middle Grades (MG 4-8)View book detailsBank Street Best Children's Books of the Year 2026
A large annual list organized by age group and subject.
The Best Children's Books of the Year [2026 edition]See the original list
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Published byBank Street College of Education
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Fourteen and Older
19 of 104 selections on this pageContinued from page 10
At Last She Stood: How Joey Guerrero Spied, Survived, and Fought for FreedomErin Entrada KellyA teenager with Hansen’s disease (leprosy) survived the Japanese occupation of the Philippines, delivered secret messages to the Allied forces, and won the Medal of Freedom. Maps. Archival images and photos. Index, extensive back matter.Fourteen and OlderATOS 7.3AR interest Middle Grades (MG 4-8)View book details
Bad Boy: A Graphic MemoirWalter Dean Myers, adapted by Guy A. SimsBold, expressive artwork coupled with Myers’s storytelling bring us inside the author’s emotions and mind as he slowly finds his way from anger and depression to his lifelong love of words and writing.Fourteen and OlderView book details
Malcolm Lives!: The Official Biography of Malcolm X for Young ReadersIbram X. KendiThrough language that speaks directly to readers, the African American leader and activist steps off the page as he grows and changes throughout the years. Primary source documents and photos head each chapter. Extensive source notes.Fourteen and OlderView book details
Hick: The Trailblazing Journalist Who Captured Eleanor Roosevelt’s HeartSarah MillerAn account of reporter Lorena Hickok’s colorful career and her loving relationship with First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Archival photos. Sources. Index.Fourteen and OlderView book details
The Mysterious Virginia Hall: World War II’s Most Dangerous SpyClaudia FriddellAn athletic Maryland girl lost her leg after an accident, but determinedly served in the British and U.S. espionage agencies, earning multiple distinguished service awards. Free verse. Archival photos. Source notes, bibliography.Fourteen and OlderView book details
I Wish I Didn’t Have to Tell You This: A Graphic MemoirEugene Yelchin, illustrated by Eugene YelchinA Jewish artist describes life in the Soviet Union in the early 1980s while he navigates high school, the harsh conditions in Siberia, placement in a mental institution, and love with an American student. Black-and-white artwork.Fourteen and OlderView book details
King: A LifeJonathan Eig; Adapted by Yohuru Williams and Michael G. LongThe prominent civil rights leader was renowned for his ability to inspire others and promote change, but he also struggled with depression, doubt, serial infidelities, and FBI persecution. Archival photos. Footnotes. Young adult edition.Fourteen and OlderView book details
Loudmouth: Emma Goldman vs. America (A Love Story)Deborah HeiligmanIn the late 19th and early 20th century, Goldman, an anarchist and tireless crusader for social justice, championed the labor movement, the struggle for women’s rights, and other causes. Back matter.Fourteen and OlderView book details
Mature contentPushing Hope: An Illustrated Memoir of SurvivalRaymond SantanaA 14-year-old was falsely accused, along with four other Black and Latinx teens, of an infamous crime. After spending years in prison, he was eventually exonerated. Sparse text with animated illustrations that tell much of the tale.Fourteen and OlderView book details
Whale Eyes: A Memoir About Seeing and Being SeenJames Robinson, illustrated by Brian ReaA child with multiple disabling eye conditions learned a visual vocabulary, eventually creating award- winning documentaries, inviting others to truly see and connect with those with disabilities. Dynamic, imaginative illustrations. Resources.Fourteen and OlderLexile 880LFountas & Pinnell YView book details
Who Is Amy Schneider?: Questions on Growing Up, Being Curious, and Winning It Big on Jeopardy!Amy SchneiderA brave memoir that touches on this game show champion’s childhood challenges, neurodivergence, depression, and transition from male to female, all with good humor. Young readers edition of In the Form of a Question.Fourteen and OlderView book details
American Spirits: The Famous Fox Sisters and the Mysterious Fad That Haunted a NationBarb RosenstockAt a time of national upheaval, two rural teenage girls and their older sister became famous as spiritual mediums. Mid-19th century life is depicted with abundant archival photos.Fourteen and OlderView book details
A Dangerous Idea: The Scopes Trial, the Original Fight Over Science in SchoolsDebbie LevyA century ago, a sensational court case in Tennessee was used to test a law that forbade public schools from teaching about evolution. Extensive time line. Index, bibliography, citations.Fourteen and OlderView book details
Mature contentDeath in the Jungle: Murder, Betrayal, and the Lost Dream of JonestownCandace FlemingA charismatic and increasingly mentally ill preacher established the quasi-religious Peoples Temple, easily drawing in members and eventually controlling every aspect of their lives. Archival photographs. Back matter.Fourteen and OlderView book details
A Most Perilous World: The True Story of the Young Abolitionists and Their Crusade Against SlaveryKristina R. GaddyInterwoven narratives and primary sources about the offspring of famous abolitionists at the cusp of the Civil War. Footnotes and bibliography.Fourteen and OlderView book details
The Nazi Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill Roosevelt, Stalin, and ChurchillBrad Meltzer, Josh MenschIn 1943 a secret strategy meeting of the three Allied leaders took place in Tehran, Iran. But would they be safe from Nazi spies? Archival photographs. Back matter. Young readers edition.Fourteen and OlderView book details
White Lies: How the South Lost the Civil War, Then Rewrote the HistoryAnn BausumAn eye-opening, entirely compelling exploration of how time and time again, the Lost Cause narrative following the Civil War has been inserted into education, popular culture, and the collective memory—and why it is so damaging. Archival images and photographs.Fourteen and OlderView book details
Mature contentBanned Together: Our Fight for Readers’ RightsAshley Hope PérezIn varying formats, 16 authors present personal experiences with book and content suppression. Comic-style illustrations. Resources, including a list of supportive organizations and suggested activities. Additional back matter.Fourteen and OlderView book details
Who Owns the Moon?: And Other Conundrums of Exploring and Using SpaceCynthia Levinson, Jennifer SwansonHow can nations, businesses, and individuals cooperate in the peaceful exploration of space? Well-placed archival photos, digital illustrations, and sidebars. Sources, index, and sites for further research.Fourteen and OlderView book details