“What are the Best Childrens and Kids Books of 2018?” We aggregated 25 year-end lists and ranked the 323 unique titles by how many times they appeared in an attempt to answer that very question!
There are thousands of year-end lists released every year and like we do in our weekly Best Book articles, we wanted to see which books appear the most. The top 30 books, all of which appeared on 3 or more “best Children’s” book lists, are ranked below with images, summaries, and links for more information or to purchase. The remaining 275+ books, as well as the top book lists are at the bottom of the page.
Make sure to take a look at our other Best of 2018 book lists:
You can also take a look at our Best Childrens books from last year as well as all the other Best 2017 articles!
Happy Scrolling!
Lists It Appears On:
A gripping and hilarious middle-grade summer camp memoir from the author of Anya’s Ghost. All Vera wants to do is fit in—but that’s not easy for a Russian girl in the suburbs. Her friends live in fancy houses and their parents can afford to send them to the best summer camps. Vera’s single mother can’t afford that sort of luxury, but there’s one summer camp in her price range—Russian summer camp. Vera is sure she’s found the one place she can fit in, but camp is far from what she imagined. And nothing could prepare her for all the “cool girl” drama, endless Russian history lessons, and outhouses straight out of nightmares! Perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier, Cece Bell, and Victoria Jamieson, Vera Brosgol’s Be Prepared is a funny and relatable middle-grade graphic novel about navigating your own culture, struggling to belong, and the value of true friendship.
Lists It Appears On:
Min is a microbe. She is small. Very small. In fact so small that you’d need to look through a microscope to see her. Or you can simply open this book and take Min on an adventure to amazing places she’s never seen before—like the icy glaciers of your tooth or the twisted, tangled jungle that is your shirt. The perfect book for anyone who wants to take a closer look at the world.
Lists It Appears On:
When a new bunch of baddies bust up the town, Dog Man is called into action — and this time he isn’t alone. With a cute kitten and a remarkable robot by his side, our heroes must save the day by joining forces with an unlikely ally: Petey, the World’s Most Evil Cat. But can the villainous Petey avoid vengeance and venture into virtue?
Lists It Appears On:
Mia Tang has a lot of secrets. Number 1: She lives in a motel, not a big house. Every day, while her immigrant parents clean the rooms, ten-year-old Mia manages the front desk of the Calivista Motel and tends to its guests. Number 2: Her parents hide immigrants. And if the mean motel owner, Mr. Yao, finds out they’ve been letting them stay in the empty rooms for free, the Tangs will be doomed. Number 3: She wants to be a writer. But how can she when her mom thinks she should stick to math because English is not her first language? It will take all of Mia’s courage, kindness, and hard work to get through this year. Will she be able to hold on to her job, help the immigrants and guests, escape Mr. Yao, and go for her dreams?
Lists It Appears On:
A new picture book that will transport readers to the seaside. Watch the days and seasons pass as the wind blows, the fog rolls in, and icebergs drift by. Outside, there is water all around. Inside, the daily life of a lighthouse keeper and his family unfolds as the keeper boils water for tea, lights the lamp’s wick, and writes every detail in his logbook.
Lists It Appears On:
Inspired by real events and told only in pictures, this is an empowering picture book from a New York Times bestselling husband-and-wife team about one girl who inspires a community to stand up to bullying. This simple yet powerful picture book tells the story of an elementary school girl named Vanessa who is bullied and a fellow student who witnesses the act and is at first unsure of how to help. I Walk with Vanessa explores the feelings of helplessness and anger that arise in the wake of seeing a classmate treated badly, and shows how a single act of kindness can lead to an entire community joining in to help. With themes of acceptance, kindness, and strength in numbers, this timeless and profound feel-good story will resonate with readers young and old.
Lists It Appears On:
A stray kitten changes the way the watchman sees nighttime in this tender book based on a true story, illustrated by Strictly No Elephants artist Taeeun Yoo. The night watchman hugs his wife and kids and drives to work. All night he is alone. Every hour he makes his rounds. He sees the stars twinkling. He hears the sounds of the night: ki-DEE ki-DEE ki-DEE shhhhheeeeeEEEERRRROOOOooooommmmmm Woof! Woof! Woof! Meeeoooow. When he is joined by a stray kitten, the night suddenly seems different. Has the kitten found a new home? Kitten and the Night Watchman is inspired by the true story of author John Sullivan meeting a stray cat while working as a night watchman. The cat, Beebe, was John’s companion for seventeen years.
Lists It Appears On:
A young Muslim girl spends a busy day wrapped up in her mother’s colorful headscarf in this sweet and fanciful picture book from debut author and illustrator Jamilah Tompkins-Bigelow and Ebony Glenn. A khimar is a flowing scarf that my mommy wears. Before she walks out the door each day, she wraps one around her head. A young girl plays dress up with her mother’s headscarves, feeling her mother’s love with every one she tries on. Charming and vibrant illustrations showcase the beauty of the diverse and welcoming community in this portrait of a young Muslim American girl’s life.
Lists It Appears On:
Finn lives by the sea and the sea lives by him. Every time he looks out his window it’s a constant reminder of the stories his grandfather told him about the place where the ocean meets the sky. Where whales and jellyfish soar and birds and castles float.
Lists It Appears On:
This book is about Square. Square spends every day taking blocks from a pile below the ground to a pile above the ground. This book is also about Square’s friend Circle. Circle thinks Square is an artistic genius. But is he really?
Lists It Appears On:
Subverting convention, award-winning creators M. T. Anderson and Eugene Yelchin pair up for an anarchic, outlandish, and deeply political saga of warring elf and goblin kingdoms. Uptight elfin historian Brangwain Spurge is on a mission: survive being catapulted across the mountains into goblin territory, deliver a priceless peace offering to their mysterious dark lord, and spy on the goblin kingdom — from which no elf has returned alive in more than a hundred years. Brangwain’s host, the goblin archivist Werfel, is delighted to show Brangwain around. They should be the best of friends, but a series of extraordinary double crosses, blunders, and cultural misunderstandings throws these two bumbling scholars into the middle of an international crisis that may spell death for them — and war for their nations. Witty mixed media illustrations show Brangwain’s furtive missives back to the elf kingdom, while Werfel’s determinedly unbiased narrative tells an entirely different story. A hilarious and biting social commentary that could only come from the likes of National Book Award winner M. T. Anderson and Newbery Honoree Eugene Yelchin, this tale is rife with thrilling action and visual humor . . . and a comic disparity that suggests the ultimate victor in a war is perhaps not who won the battles, but who gets to write the history.
Lists It Appears On:
Lucy Callahan was struck by lightning. She doesn’t remember it, but it changed her life forever. The zap gave her genius-level math skills, and ever since, Lucy has been homeschooled. Now, at 12 years old, she’s technically ready for college. She just has to pass 1 more test — middle school! Lucy’s grandma insists: Go to middle school for 1 year. Make 1 friend. Join 1 activity. And read 1 book (that’s not a math textbook!). Lucy’s not sure what a girl who does calculus homework for fun can possibly learn in 7th grade. She has everything she needs at home, where nobody can make fun of her rigid routines or her superpowered brain. The equation of Lucy’s life has already been solved. Unless there’s been a miscalculation? A celebration of friendship, Stacy McAnulty’s smart and thoughtful middle-grade debut reminds us all to get out of our comfort zones and embrace what makes us different.
Lists It Appears On:
A foolish knight is certain that his side of the wall is the safe side in this meta picture book. There’s a wall in the middle of the book, and our hero–a young knight–is sure that the wall protects his side of the book from the dangers of the other side–like an angry tiger and giant rhino, and worst of all, an ogre who would gobble him up in a second! But our knight doesn’t seem to notice the crocodile and growing sea of water that are emerging on his side. When he’s almost over his head and calling for help, who will come to his rescue? An individual who isn’t as dangerous as the knight thought–from a side of the book that might just have some positive things to offer after all!
Lists It Appears On:
Deep in the woods is a house just a house that once was but now isn’t a home. Who lived in that house? Who walked down its hallways? Why did they leave it, and where did they go? Two children set off to find the answers, piecing together clues found, books left behind, forgotten photos, discarded toys, and creating their own vision of those who came before.
Lists It Appears On:
What’s in a name? For one little girl, her very long name tells the vibrant story of where she came from — and who she may one day be. If you ask her, Alma Sofia Esperanza José Pura Candela has way too many names: six! How did such a small person wind up with such a large name? Alma turns to Daddy for an answer and learns of Sofia, the grandmother who loved books and flowers; Esperanza, the great-grandmother who longed to travel; José, the grandfather who was an artist; and other namesakes, too. As she hears the story of her name, Alma starts to think it might be a perfect fit after all — and realizes that she will one day have her own story to tell. In her author-illustrator debut, Juana Martinez-Neal opens a treasure box of discovery for children who may be curious about their own origin stories or names.
Lists It Appears On:
Jacqueline Woodson’s first middle-grade novel since National Book Award winner Brown Girl Dreaming celebrates the healing that can occur when a group of students share their stories. It all starts when six kids have to meet for a weekly chat—by themselves, with no adults to listen in. There, in the room they soon dub the ARTT Room (short for “A Room to Talk”), they discover it’s safe to talk about what’s bothering them—everything from Esteban’s father’s deportation and Haley’s father’s incarceration to Amari’s fears of racial profiling and Ashton’s adjustment to his changing family fortunes. When the six are together, they can express the feelings and fears they have to hide from the rest of the world. And together, they can grow braver and more ready for the rest of their lives.
Lists It Appears On:
From the computer science nonprofit Girls Who Code comes this lively and funny story introducing kids to computer coding concepts. Pearl and her trusty rust-proof robot, Pascal, need to build a sandcastle before summer vacation is over, and they’re going to do it using code. Pearl breaks the big we-need-a-sandcastle problem into smaller steps, then uses conditionals, loops, and other basic coding concepts to tell Pascal exactly what to do. But building a sandcastle isn’t as easy as it sounds when surfboards, mischievous dogs, and coding mishaps get in the way! Just when it looks like the sandcastle might never work, Pearl uses her coding skills to save the day and create something even better: a gorgeous sandcastle kingdom!
Lists It Appears On:
From Newbery Medal-winning author Matt de la Peña and bestselling illustrator Loren Long comes a story about the strongest bond there is and the diverse and powerful ways it connects us all. “In the beginning there is light and two wide-eyed figures standing near the foot of your bed and the sound of their voices is love. … A cab driver plays love softly on his radio while you bounce in back with the bumps of the city and everything smells new, and it smells like life.” In this heartfelt celebration of love, Matt de la Peña and illustrator Loren Long depict the many ways we experience this universal bond, which carries us from the day we are born throughout the years of our childhood and beyond. With a lyrical text that’s soothing and inspiring, this tender tale is a needed comfort and a new classic that will resonate with readers of every age.
Lists It Appears On:
When the aroma of Omu’s homemade stew fills the air, her neighbors arrive, one by one, for a taste until all is gone except for her generous spirit.
Lists It Appears On:
The letter waits in a book, in a box, in an attic, in an old house in Lambert, South Carolina. It’s waiting for Candice Miller. When Candice finds the letter, she isn’t sure she should read it. It’s addressed to her grandmother, after all, who left Lambert in a cloud of shame. But the letter describes a young woman named Siobhan Washington. An injustice that happened decades ago. A mystery enfolding the letter-writer. And the fortune that awaits the person who solves the puzzle. Grandma tried and failed. But now Candice has another chance. So with the help of Brandon Jones, the quiet boy across the street, she begins to decipher the clues in the letter. The challenge will lead them deep into Lambert’s history, full of ugly deeds, forgotten heroes, and one great love; and deeper into their own families, with their own unspoken secrets. Can they find the fortune and fulfill the letter’s promise before the summer ends?
Lists It Appears On:
This lively and diverse middle-grade story from the award-winning author of How It Went Down has the warmth of a modern-day The Watsons go to Birmingham–1963. Caleb Franklin and his big brother Bobby Gene have the whole summer for adventures in the woods behind their house in Sutton, Indiana. Caleb dreams of venturing beyond their ordinary small town, but his dad likes the family to stay close to home. Then Caleb and Bobby Gene meet new neighbor Styx Malone. Styx is sixteen and oozes cool. He’s been lots of different places. Styx promises Caleb and Bobby Gene that together, they can pull off the Great Escalator Trade–exchanging one small thing for something better until they achieve their wildest dream. But as the trades get bigger, the brothers soon find themselves in over their heads. It becomes clear that Styx has secrets–secrets so big they could ruin everything–and Caleb fears their whole plan might fall apart. In this madcap, heartwarming, one-thing-leads-to-another adventure, friendships are forged, loyalties are tested . . . and miracles just might be possible.
Lists It Appears On:
Caldecott and Printz Honor-winning illustrator Jillian Tamaki brings us a poetic exploration of colour and nature from a young child’s point of view. They Say Blue follows a young girl as she contemplates colours in the known and the unknown, in the immediate world and the world beyond what she can see. The sea looks blue, yet water cupped in her hands is as clear as glass. Is a blue whale blue? She doesn’t know — she hasn’t seen one. Stunningly beautiful illustrations flow from one spread to the next, as time passes and the imagination takes hold. The world is full of colour, and mystery too, in this first picture book from a highly acclaimed artist.
Lists It Appears On:
A gorgeous picture book that tells a whimsical origin story of the phases of the moon, from award-winning, bestselling author-illustrator Grace Lin Pat, pat, pat… Little Star’s soft feet tiptoed to the Big Mooncake. Little Star loves the delicious Mooncake that she bakes with her mama. But she’s not supposed to eat any yet! What happens when she can’t resist a nibble? In this stunning picture book that shines as bright as the stars in the sky, Newbery Honor author Grace Lin creates a heartwarming original story that explains phases of the moon.
Lists It Appears On:
When a young boy visits his grandfather, their lack of a common language leads to confusion, frustration, and silence. But as they sit down to draw together, something magical happens-with a shared love of art and storytelling, the two form a bond that goes beyond words. With spare, direct text by Minh Lê and luminous illustrations by Caldecott Medalist Dan Santat, this stirring picturebook about reaching across barriers will be cherished for years to come.
Lists It Appears On:
A universal, deeply moving exploration of grief and empathy With its spare, poignant text and irresistibly sweet illustrations, The Rabbit Listened is a tender meditation on loss. When something terrible happens, Taylor doesn’t know where to turn. All the animals are sure they have the answer. The chicken wants to talk it out, but Taylor doesn’t feel like chatting. The bear thinks Taylor should get angry, but that’s not quite right either. One by one, the animals try to tell Taylor how to process this loss, and one by one they fail. Then the rabbit arrives. All the rabbit does is listen, which is just what Taylor needs. Whether read in the wake of tragedy or as a primer for comforting others, this is a deeply moving and unforgettable story sure to soothe heartache of all sizes.
Lists It Appears On:
From two-time Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo comes a story of discovering who you are — and deciding who you want to be. When Louisiana Elefante’s granny wakes her up in the middle of the night to tell her that the day of reckoning has arrived and they have to leave home immediately, Louisiana isn’t overly worried. After all, Granny has many middle-of-the-night ideas. But this time, things are different. This time, Granny intends for them never to return. Separated from her best friends, Raymie and Beverly, Louisiana struggles to oppose the winds of fate (and Granny) and find a way home. But as Louisiana’s life becomes entwined with the lives of the people of a small Georgia town — including a surly motel owner, a walrus-like minister, and a mysterious boy with a crow on his shoulder — she starts to worry that she is destined only for good-byes. (Which could be due to the curse on Louisiana’s and Granny’s heads. But that is a story for another time.) Called “one of DiCamillo’s most singular and arresting creations” by The New York Times Book Review, the heartbreakingly irresistible Louisiana Elefante was introduced to readers in Raymie Nightingale — and now, with humor and tenderness, Kate DiCamillo returns to tell her story.
Lists It Appears On:
National Book Award winner Jacqueline Woodson and two-time Pura Belpre Illustrator Award winner Rafael Lopez have teamed up to create a poignant, yet heartening book about finding courage to connect, even when you feel scared and alone. There will be times when you walk into a room and no one there is quite like you. There are many reasons to feel different. Maybe it’s how you look or talk, or where you’re from; maybe it’s what you eat, or something just as random. It’s not easy to take those first steps into a place where nobody really knows you yet, but somehow you do it. Jacqueline Woodson’s lyrical text and Rafael Lopez’s dazzling art reminds us that we all feel like outsiders sometimes-and how brave it is that we go forth anyway. And that sometimes, when we reach out and begin to share our stories, others will be happy to meet us halfway.
Lists It Appears On:
Caldecott Honor artist and five-time Pura Belpré Award winner Yuyi Morales tells her own immigration story in this picture-book tribute to the transformative power of hope . . . and reading. An instant New York Times bestseller! In 1994, Yuyi Morales left her home in Xalapa, Mexico and came to the US with her infant son. She left behind nearly everything she owned, but she didn’t come empty-handed. She brought her strength, her work, her passion, her hopes and dreams…and her stories. Caldecott Honor artist and five-time Pura Belpré winner Yuyi Morales’s gorgeous new picture book Dreamers is about making a home in a new place. Yuyi and her son Kelly’s passage was not easy, and Yuyi spoke no English whatsoever at the time. But together, they found an unexpected, unbelievable place: the public library. There, book by book, they untangled the language of this strange new land, and learned to make their home within it. Dreamers is a celebration of what migrants bring with them when they leave their homes. It’s a story about family. And it’s a story to remind us that we are all dreamers, bringing our own gifts wherever we roam. Beautiful and powerful at any time but given particular urgency as the status of our own Dreamers becomes uncertain, this is a story that is both topical and timeless. The lyrical text is complemented by sumptuously detailed illustrations, rich in symbolism. Also included are a brief autobiographical essay about Yuyi’s own experience, a list of books that inspired her (and still do), and a description of the beautiful images, textures, and mementos she used to create this book. A parallel Spanish-language edition, Soñadores, is also available.
Lists It Appears On:
It’s the first day of school for Penelope Rex, and she can’t wait to meet her classmates. But it’s hard to make human friends when they’re so darn delicious! That is, until Penelope gets a taste of her own medicine and finds she may not be at the top of the food chain after all. . . .
Lists It Appears On:
In an exuberant picture book, a glimpse of costumed mermaids leaves one boy flooded with wonder and ready to dazzle the world. While riding the subway home from the pool with his abuela one day, Julián notices three women spectacularly dressed up. Their hair billows in brilliant hues, their dresses end in fishtails, and their joy fills the train car. When Julián gets home, daydreaming of the magic he’s seen, all he can think about is dressing up just like the ladies in his own fabulous mermaid costume: a periwinkle curtain for his tail, the fronds of a potted fern for his headdress. But what will Abuela think about the mess he makes — and even more importantly, what will she think about how Julián sees himself? Mesmerizing and full of heart, Jessica Love’s author-illustrator debut is a jubilant picture of self-love and a radiant celebration of individuality.
| # | Books | Authors | Lists |
| 31 | A Parade of Elephants | Kevin Henkes | Boston Globe |
| – | – | – | Mr. Brian’s Picture Books |
| 32 | A Stitch In Time | Daphne Kalmar | BookPage |
| – | – | – | NPR |
| 33 | Akata Warrior | Nnedi Okorafor | Book Riot |
| – | – | – | Children’s Africana Book Awards |
| 34 | Amal Unbound | Aisha Saeed | Book Riot |
| – | – | – | NPR |
| 35 | Baby Monkey, Private Eye | BookPage | |
| – | – | – | Parents |
| 36 | Be Kind | Amazon | |
| – | – | – | Creative Bloq |
| 37 | Blood Water Paint | Joy McCullough | Boston Globe |
| – | – | – | Shelf Awareness |
| 38 | Blue | Laura Vaccaro Seeger | Mr. Brian’s Picture Books |
| – | – | – | NPR |
| 39 | Carmela Full of Wishes | Matt de la Peña, illus. by Christian Robinson | Boston Globe |
| – | – | – | Publishers Weekly |
| 40 | Dactyl Hill Squad | Daniel Jose Older | Book Riot |
| – | – | – | NPR |
| 41 | Darius the Great is Not Okay | Boston Globe | |
| – | – | – | Powell’s |
| 42 | Don’t Blink! | Amy Krause Rosenthal | Brightly |
| – | – | – | Fatherly |
| 43 | El Chupacabras | Adam Rubin and Crash McCreary | Fatherly |
| – | – | – | Smithsonian |
| 44 | Elmore | Holly Hobbie | Brightly |
| – | – | – | Fatherly |
| 45 | Everything You Need for a Treehouse | Carter Higgins & Emily Hughes | NPR |
| – | – | – | Readings |
| 46 | Fox & Chick: The Party and Other Stories | Sergio Ruzzier | Boston Globe |
| – | – | – | Publishers Weekly |
| 47 | Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race | Margot Lee Shetterly | Book Riot |
| – | – | – | Brightly |
| 48 | How To Be A Lion | Ed Vere | NPR |
| – | – | – | Phoenix Public Library |
| 49 | Imagine! | Raúl Colón | BookPage |
| – | – | – | Mr. Brian’s Picture Books |
| 50 | Islandborn | Junot Díaz | Brightly |
| – | – | – | Phoenix Public Library |
| 51 | Knights vs. Dinosaurs | Matt Phelan | Book Riot |
| – | – | – | Boston Globe |
| 52 | Little Dreamers: Visionary Women Around the World | Vashti Harrison | Amazon |
| – | – | – | Book Riot |
| 53 | Mary Who Wrote Frankenstein | Linda Bailey, illus. by Julia Sarda | Mr. Brian’s Picture Books |
| – | – | – | Publishers Weekly |
| 54 | Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag | Rob Sanders | Book Riot |
| – | – | – | Brightly |
| 55 | Sadie | Courtney Summers | Boston Globe |
| – | – | – | Shelf Awareness |
| 56 | Sweep: The Story of a Girl and her Monster | BookPage | |
| – | – | – | Boston Globe |
| 57 | Tess of the Road | Rachel Hartman | Book Riot |
| – | – | – | Boston Globe |
| 58 | The Atlas Obscura Explorer’s Guide for the World’s Most Adventurous Kid | Amazon | |
| – | – | – | Smithsonian |
| 59 | The Faithful Spy: Dietrich Bonhoeffer And The Plot To Kill Hitler | John Hendrix | BookPage |
| – | – | – | NPR |
| 60 | The Field | Baptiste Paul, illus. by Jacqueline Alcántara | Mr. Brian’s Picture Books |
| – | – | – | Shelf Awareness |
| 61 | The Night Diary | Veera Hiranandani | NPR |
| – | – | – | Shelf Awareness |
| 62 | The Patchwork Bike | Maxine Beneba Clarke, illus. by Van Thanh Rudd | Mr. Brian’s Picture Books |
| – | – | – | Publishers Weekly |
| 63 | The Poet X | Elizabeth Acevedo | Boston Globe |
| – | – | – | Shelf Awareness |
| 64 | The Rough Patch | Brian Lies | BookPage |
| – | – | – | NPR |
| 65 | The Truth as Told | Mason Buttle | BookPage |
| – | – | – | Phoenix Public Library |
| 66 | The Visitor | Antje Damm | BookPage |
| – | – | – | Mr. Brian’s Picture Books |
| 67 | The Word Collector | Peter H. Reynolds | Fatherly |
| – | – | – | Smithsonian |
| 68 | Up the Mountain Path | Marianne Dubuc | Boston Globe |
| – | – | – | Publishers Weekly |
| 69 | Willa of the Wood | Robert Beatty | Amazon |
| – | – | – | Phoenix Public Library |
| 70 | # Hockey (Check Please #1) | Powell’s | |
| 71 | 24 Hours in Nowhere | Dusti Bowling | Shelf Awareness |
| 72 | A Cat’s Guide to the Night Sky | Powell’s | |
| 73 | A Is for Artichoke: A Foodie Alphabet from Artichoke to Zest | Smithsonian | |
| 74 | A Winter’s Promise | Christelle Dabos | The Spinoff |
| 75 | Adrian Simcox Does NOT Have a Horse | Powell’s | |
| 76 | Ahimsa | South Asia Book Award | |
| 77 | Aim for the Skies: Jerrie Mock and Joan Merriam Smith’s Race to Complete Amelia Earhart’s Quest | Air & Space | |
| 78 | All Are Welcome | Alexandra Penfold | Book Riot |
| 79 | All The Animals Where I Live | Philip C. Stead | NPR |
| 80 | All the Ways to Be Smart | Davina Bell & Allison Colpoys | Readings |
| 81 | Ambrose Goes for Gold | Tor Freeman | Honey Mums |
| 82 | Amelia Earhart: Little Guides to Great Lives | Air & Space | |
| 83 | Amina’s Voice | South Asia Book Award | |
| 84 | Ana Maria Reyes Does Not Live In A Castle | Hilda Eunice Burgos | NPR |
| 85 | And the Ocean Was Our Sky | Patrick Ness and Rovina Cai | The Spinoff |
| 86 | Animalphabet | Evening Standard | |
| 87 | Aotearoa | Gavin Bishop | The Spinoff |
| 88 | Aru Shah and the End of Time | Roshani Chokshi | Book Riot |
| 89 | Ba-chan the Ninja Grandma | Sanae Ishida | Book Riot |
| 90 | Baby Feminists | Smithsonian | |
| 91 | Baby Goes to Market. | Children’s Africana Book Awards | |
| 92 | Bear & Wolf | Dan Salmieri | Fatherly |
| 93 | Behold the Dreamers | Children’s Africana Book Awards | |
| 94 | Between the Lines: How Ernie Barnes Went From the Football Field to the Art Gallery | Sandra Neil Wallace | Phoenix Public Library |
| 95 | Between Tick and Tock | Evening Standard | |
| 96 | Between Worlds: Folktales of Britain & Ireland | Kevin Crossley-Holland (Author) and Frances Castle (illustrator) | Five Books |
| 97 | Blanca & Roja | Boston Globe | |
| 98 | Brave Enough for Two | BookPage | |
| 99 | Brick, Who Found Herself in Architecture | Joshua David Stein | Fatherly |
| 100 | Cardboard Kingdom | Chad Sell | Book Riot |
| 101 | Chasing King’s Killer: The Hunt for Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Assassin | James L. Swanson | Shelf Awareness |
| 102 | Check Please: #Hockey | Boston Globe | |
| 103 | Children of Blood and Bone | Boston Globe | |
| 104 | Cicada | Shaun Tan | Readings |
| 105 | Circle Rolls | Barbara Kanninen | Fatherly |
| 106 | Corduroy Takes a Bow | Viola Davis | Fatherly |
| 107 | Countdown: 2979 Days to the Moon | Air & Space | |
| 108 | Counting on Katherine: How Katherine Johnson Saved Apollo 13 | Air & Space | |
| 109 | Crunch, The Shy Dinosaur | Brightly | |
| 110 | Crush | Svetlana Chmakova | Book Riot |
| 111 | Cucumber Quest: The Flower Kingdom | Gigi D.G. | Book Riot |
| 112 | Curiosity: The Story of a Mars Rover | Air & Space | |
| 113 | Dad | My Side | Book Riot |
| 114 | Detective Gordon: A Case for Buffy | Boston Globe | |
| 115 | Dog Loves Books | Louise Yates | Honey Mums |
| 116 | Dog on Log | Tania Ingram and Kat Chadwick | Honey Mums |
| 117 | Door | JiHyeon Lee | Fatherly |
| 118 | Dragon Post | Evening Standard | |
| 119 | Dragons In A Bag | Zetta Elliott, illustrated | NPR |
| 120 | Dread Nation | Justina Ireland | Book Riot |
| 121 | Drum Roll, Please | Lisa Jenn Bigelow | Book Riot |
| 122 | Ducks Away, illustrated | Judy Horacek | Mr. Brian’s Picture Books |
| 123 | Escape from Aleppo | N.H. Senzai | Book Riot |
| 124 | Flight of the Fantail | Steph Matuku | The Spinoff |
| 125 | Florette | Boston Globe | |
| 126 | Forever Or A Day | Sarah Jacoby | NPR |
| 127 | Fur, Feather, Fin―All of Us Are Kin | Smithsonian | |
| 128 | Ghost Boys | Powell’s | |
| 129 | Giraffe Problems | Brightly | |
| 130 | Give Me Some Truth | Boston Globe | |
| 131 | Go Go and the Silver Shoes | Jane Godwin & Anna Walker | Readings |
| 132 | Grandma Gatewood Hikes the Appalachian Trail By Jennifer Thermes | Fatherly | |
| 133 | Grandma’s List. | Children’s Africana Book Awards | |
| 134 | Happy Birthday to You! | Parents | |
| 135 | Harriet Gets Carried Away | Jessie Sima | Readings |
| 136 | Hello Hello, illustrated and written | Brendan Wenzel | Mr. Brian’s Picture Books |
| 137 | Hello, Hello | Brendan Wenzel | Fatherly |
| 138 | Hey Kiddo | Boston Globe | |
| 139 | Hi-Five Animals! | Parents | |
| 140 | House with Chicken Legs | Sophie Anderson | Book Riot |
| 141 | How to Build a Hug: Temple Grandin and Her Amazing Squeeze Machine | Smithsonian | |
| 142 | Hullmetal Girls | Boston Globe | |
| 143 | Hungry Bunny | Parents | |
| 144 | I Am An Artist! | Marta Altes | Honey Mums |
| 145 | I am Enough | Grace Byers | Book Riot |
| 146 | I Am the Seed That Grew the Tree | Evening Standard | |
| 147 | I Miss My Best Friend | Digital Journal | |
| 148 | In The Past, illustrated | Matthew Trueman | Mr. Brian’s Picture Books |
| 149 | Inky’s Amazing Escape: How a Very Smart Octopus Found His Way Home | Powell’s | |
| 150 | Inside the Villains | Clotilde Perrin | The Spinoff |
| 151 | Itch: Everything You Didn’t Want to Know About What Makes You Scratch | Anita Sanchez | Book Riot |
| 152 | Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter To The World | Ashley Herring Blake | NPR |
| 153 | Jasmine Toguchi: Flamingo Keeper | Debbi Michiko Florence | Book Riot |
| 154 | Jillion | The Spinoff | |
| 155 | Just Like Jackie | BookPage | |
| 156 | Kali Wants to Dance | The Duckbill Blog | |
| 157 | King Alice, illustrated and written | Matthew Cordell | Mr. Brian’s Picture Books |
| 158 | Kitchen Disco | Clare Foges and Al Murphy | Honey Mums |
| 159 | Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Presents a Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo | Amazon | |
| 160 | Lazybones | Claire Messer | Fatherly |
| 161 | Lenny’s Book of Everything | Karen Foxlee | The Spinoff |
| 162 | Letters to the Lost | Powell’s | |
| 163 | Little People, Big Lives: Frida Kahlo | Isabel Sanchez Vegara | The Spinoff |
| 164 | Love Makes a Family | Sophie Beer | Readings |
| 165 | Love to Everyone | Boston Globe | |
| 166 | Lovely Beasts | Kate Gardner | Book Riot |
| 167 | Luna and the Moon Rabbit | Air & Space | |
| 168 | Mabel and Sam at Home | BookPage | |
| 169 | Mae Among the Stars | Parents | |
| 170 | Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, Book 3 The Ship of the Dead | Amazon | |
| 171 | Maharani the Cow | South Asia Book Award | |
| 172 | Mama Africa, | Children’s Africana Book Awards | |
| 173 | Mapmaker’s Race | Eirlys Hunter | The Spinoff |
| 174 | Maui & Other Legends | Peter Gossage | The Spinoff |
| 175 | Me, Frida, and the Secret of the Peacock Ring | Angela Cervantes | Phoenix Public Library |
| 176 | Meet Yasmin! | Saadia Faruqi | Book Riot |
| 177 | Merci Suárez Changes Gears | Boston Globe | |
| 178 | Mission Defrostable | Josh Funk | Book Riot |
| 179 | Mommy, Why Is Your Hair Pink? | Digital Journal | |
| 180 | Monster Boogie | Digital Journal | |
| 181 | Mr. Bear’s ABC | Parents | |
| 182 | Mummy Fairy and Me | Creative Bloq | |
| 183 | Mustafa | Boston Globe | |
| 184 | My Pet Wants a Pet | Parents | |
| 185 | Nani’s Walk to the Park | The Duckbill Blog | |
| 186 | Neck & Neck, illustrated and written | Elise Parsley | Mr. Brian’s Picture Books |
| 187 | New Shoes | Chris Raschka | NPR |
| 188 | Niblet and Ralph By Zachariah O’Hora | Fatherly | |
| 189 | Ninja Nani | The Duckbill Blog | |
| 190 | Norse Myths | Kevin Crossley-Holland and Alan Jeffrey | The Spinoff |
| 191 | Not My Idea: A Book About Whiteness | Anastasia Higginbotham | NPR |
| 192 | Nothing Stopped Sophie, illustrated | Barbara McClintock | Mr. Brian’s Picture Books |
| 193 | Ocean | Hélène Druvert | The Spinoff |
| 194 | Odd One Out | Boston Globe | |
| 195 | Once Upon a Snowstorm | Evening Standard | |
| 196 | One Shadow on the Wall. | Children’s Africana Book Awards | |
| 197 | Outside In | South Asia Book Award | |
| 198 | Pashmina | South Asia Book Award | |
| 199 | Peanut Butter and Jelly (A Narwhal and Jelly Book #3) | Amazon | |
| 200 | Penguinaut! | Air & Space | |
| 201 | Petra | Powell’s | |
| 202 | Photographic: The Life Of Graciela Iturbide | Isabel Quintero, illustrated | NPR |
| 203 | Pocket Guide to Spy Stuff | Powell’s | |
| 204 | Poe Won’t Go | Kelly DiPucchio and Zachariah OHora | Fatherly |
| 205 | Polly Diamond | Parents | |
| 206 | Power Forward | Hena Khan | Book Riot |
| 207 | Pride | Ibi Zoboi | Book Riot |
| 208 | Quiet | Smithsonian | |
| 209 | Rebound | BookPage | |
| 210 | Refugee | Amazon | |
| 211 | Rivers | Peter Goes | The Spinoff |
| 212 | Saving Winslow | Boston Globe | |
| 213 | Science Comics published | First Second | Book Riot |
| 214 | Sea Prayer | Khaled Hosseini | NPR |
| 215 | Seafire | Powell’s | |
| 216 | Seeing Into Tomorrow, biography and illustrations | Nina Crews | Mr. Brian’s Picture Books |
| 217 | Seeing Stars: A Complete Guide to the 88 Constellations | Air & Space | |
| 218 | Serpent’s Secret | Sayantani DasGupta | Book Riot |
| 219 | Shadow of the Fox | Powell’s | |
| 220 | She Persisted Around the World: 13 Women Who Changed History | Brightly | |
| 221 | Sing a Song of Seasons: A Nature Poem for Each Day of the Year | Edited by Fiona Waters, illus. by Frann Preston-Gannon | Publishers Weekly |
| 222 | Sleep Well, Siba & Saba. | Children’s Africana Book Awards | |
| 223 | Snow Pony and the Seven Miniature Ponies | Christian Trimmer | Book Riot |
| 224 | Soldier Boy. | Children’s Africana Book Awards | |
| 225 | Solo. | Children’s Africana Book Awards | |
| 226 | Someday is Now: Clara Luper and the 1958 Oklahoma City Sit-Ins | Olegbemisola Rhudey-Perkovich | Book Riot |
| 227 | Soñadores | Mr. Brian’s Picture Books | |
| 228 | Spanish edition: Alma y Cómo Obtuvo Su Nombre, illustrated and written | Juana Martinez-Neal | Mr. Brian’s Picture Books |
| 229 | Star in the Jar | Parents | |
| 230 | Starstruck: The Cosmic Journey of Neil deGrasse Tyson | Air & Space | |
| 231 | Step Up to the Plate, Maria Singh | South Asia Book Award | |
| 232 | Storm (Seasons with Granddad) | Air & Space | |
| 233 | Stumpkin | Lucy Ruth Cummins | Publishers Weekly |
| 234 | Sun! One in a Billion (Our Universe) | Air & Space | |
| 235 | Sunflower Circle | Digital Journal | |
| 236 | Sunny and Lu | Jason Reynolds | Book Riot |
| 237 | Supernova | Kazu Kibuishi | Book Riot |
| 238 | Teddy’s Favorite Toy, illustrated | Madeline Valentine | Mr. Brian’s Picture Books |
| 239 | Ten Clean Pigs: An Upside, Turn-Around Bathtime Counting Book | Carol Roth | Honey Mums |
| 240 | The Afterwards | AF Harrold (author) and Emily Gravett (illustrator) | Five Books |
| 241 | The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza | Boston Globe | |
| 242 | The Bad Guys: Do-You-Think-He-Saurus | Aaron Blabey | Book Riot |
| 243 | The Belles | Boston Globe | |
| 244 | The Benefits Of Being An Octopus | Ann Braden | NPR |
| 245 | The Big Book of the Blue | Parents | |
| 246 | The Bomb (Te Pohū) | Sacha Cotter and Josh Morgan | The Spinoff |
| 247 | The Book of Boy | BookPage | |
| 248 | The Book of Trees | Piotr Socha | The Spinoff |
| 249 | The Boy Who Grew Dragons | Creative Bloq | |
| 250 | The Boy Who Went to Mars | Air & Space | |
| 251 | The Boy: His Stories And How They Came To Be | Oliver Jeffers | The Spinoff |
| 252 | The Burning Maze (Trials of Apollo, The Book Three) | Amazon | |
| 253 | The Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs | Amazon | |
| 254 | The Crocodile and the Dentist | Taro Gomi | Publishers Weekly |
| 255 | The Cruel Prince | Boston Globe | |
| 256 | The Digger and The Flower | Joseph Kuefler | Fatherly |
| 257 | The Dragon Slayer: Folktales From Latin America | Jaime Hernandez | NPR |
| 258 | The Dreamers | Yuyi Morales | Phoenix Public Library |
| 259 | The Elephant | Jenni Desmond | Publishers Weekly |
| 260 | The Eye That Never Sleeps: How Detective Pinkerton Saved President Lincoln | Marissa Moss, illus. by Jeremy Holmes | Publishers Weekly |
| 261 | The Girl Aviators and the Phantom Airship (Aunt Claire Presents) | Air & Space | |
| 262 | The Girl Who Drew Butterflies | BookPage | |
| 263 | The Hazel Wood | Boston Globe | |
| 264 | The House That Lou Built | Mae Respicio | NPR |
| 265 | The Journey of Little Charlie | BookPage | |
| 266 | The Last Chance Hotel | Creative Bloq | |
| 267 | The Lifters | Creative Bloq | |
| 268 | The Little Barbarian | Boston Globe | |
| 269 | The Little Red Fort, illustrated | Sonia Sánchez | Mr. Brian’s Picture Books |
| 270 | The Long Island | Drew Beckmeyer | Fatherly |
| 271 | The Night Dragon | Air & Space | |
| 272 | The Party: And Other Stories | Sergio Ruzzier | NPR |
| 273 | The Prince and the Dressmaker | Jen Wang | Shelf Awareness |
| 274 | The Princess in Black and the Science Fair Scare | Shannon Hale | Book Riot |
| 275 | The Remember Balloons | Powell’s | |
| 276 | The Science Of Breakable Things | Tae Keller | NPR |
| 277 | The Skylarks’ War | Hilary McKay | Five Books |
| 278 | The Stuff of Stars | BookPage | |
| 279 | The Summer of Jordi Perez (and the Best Burger in Los Angeles) | Boston Globe | |
| 280 | The Train to Impossible Places | PG Bell (author) and Flavia Sorrentino (illustrator) | Five Books |
| 281 | The Truth About Bears, illustrated and written | Maxwell Eaton III | Mr. Brian’s Picture Books |
| 282 | The Truth About Martians | Air & Space | |
| 283 | The Unforgettable Guinevere St. Clair | BookPage | |
| 284 | The Unwanted: Stories of the Syrian Refugees | Don Brown | Shelf Awareness |
| 285 | The Vanderbeekers and the Hidden Garden | Karina Yan Glaser | Book Riot |
| 286 | The Way Past Winter | Kiran Millwood Hargrave | Five Books |
| 287 | The Way You Make Me Feel | Boston Globe | |
| 288 | The Wicked Deep | Powell’s | |
| 289 | The Wild Robot Escapes | Peter Brown | Phoenix Public Library |
| 290 | The Wooden Camel. | Children’s Africana Book Awards | |
| 291 | They Call Me Güero: A Border Kid’s Poems | David Bowles | Shelf Awareness |
| 292 | Thiago de Moraes’s Myth Atlas | Evening Standard | |
| 293 | Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Black Boy, created | poet Tony Medina & 13 Artists | Mr. Brian’s Picture Books |
| 294 | This Is My Eye: A New York Story, pictures and text | Neela Vaswani | Mr. Brian’s Picture Books |
| 295 | This Splintered Silence | Air & Space | |
| 296 | Three Robbers | Tomi Ungerer | The Spinoff |
| 297 | Tigers & Tea With Toppy | Barbara Kerley and Rhoda Knight Kalt, illustrated | NPR |
| 298 | Timelines of Everything | Amazon | |
| 299 | Tiny Little Rocket | Air & Space | |
| 300 | Tomorrow I’ll be Brave | Creative Bloq | |
| 301 | Top Secret Undercover Notes of Buttons McGinty | Rhys Darby | The Spinoff |
| 302 | Turning Pages: My Life Story | Sonia Sotomayor | Book Riot |
| 303 | Vehicles | Xavier Deneux | The Spinoff |
| 304 | Very Bear and The Butterfly | Digital Journal | |
| 305 | Violet the Pilot | The Duckbill Blog | |
| 306 | Voyage of the Dogs | Air & Space | |
| 307 | We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga | Traci Sorell, illustrated | NPR |
| 308 | Wendy | Gus Gordon | Honey Mums |
| 309 | What Can a Citizen Do? | Dave Eggers | Book Riot |
| 310 | What Goes Up | Air & Space | |
| 311 | What to Say Next | Powell’s | |
| 312 | When Dimple Met Rishi | South Asia Book Award | |
| 313 | When Morning Comes. | Children’s Africana Book Awards | |
| 314 | When the Rain Comes | South Asia Book Award | |
| 315 | Whiffy Wilson: The Wolf Who Wouldn’t go to School, written | Caryl Hart | Honey Mums |
| 316 | Will You Believe in Me? | Digital Journal | |
| 317 | Wishtree | Amazon | |
| 318 | Wordy Birdy | Brightly | |
| 319 | Wow! Said the Owl | Tim Hopgood | Honey Mums |
| 320 | Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow | Jessica Townsend | Book Riot |
| 321 | You Bring the Distant Near | South Asia Book Award | |
| 322 | You Don’t Know Everything, Jilly P.! | Alex Gino | Book Riot |
| 323 | Zoey and Sassafras: Unicorns and Germs and The Pod and the Bog | Asia Citro | Book Riot |
| Source | Article |
| Air & Space | Best Children’s Books of 2018 |
| Amazon | Best children’s books of 2018 |
| Book Riot | 52 Awesome Children’s Books of 2018 |
| BookPage | BookPage Best Childrens Books 2018 |
| Boston Globe | The best children’s books of 2018 |
| Brightly | 20 Must-Read Picture Books of 2018 |
| Children’s Africana Book Awards | Children’s Africana Book Awards |
| Creative Bloq | Creative Bloq Best Childrens Books 2018 |
| Digital Journal | Op-Ed: Top six children’s books of 2018 |
| Evening Standard | The best children’s picture books to buy this Christmas |
| Fatherly | The Best Children’s Books of 2018 |
| Five Books | Editors’ Picks: The Best Children’s Fiction of 2018 |
| Honey Mums | Honey Mums Best Childrens Books |
| Mr. Brian’s Picture Books | Mr. Brian’s Picture Book Picks |
| NPR | Our Guide To 2018’s Great Reads |
| Parents | Parents’ 15 Best Children’s Books 2018 |
| Phoenix Public Library | Best Kids Books of 2018 |
| Powell’s | Powell’s Best Kids Books 2018 |
| Publishers Weekly | Publishers Weekly Best Childrens Books |
| Readings | Readings Best Picture Books 2018 |
| Shelf Awareness | Shelf Awareness for Readers for Tuesday, November 27, 2018 |
| Smithsonian | The Ten Best Children’s Books of 2018 |
| South Asia Book Award | 2018 Awards |
| The Duckbill Blog | the duckbill blog Favorite Childrens Books |
| The Spinoff | Christmas shopping guide: the 20 best kids books of 2018 |
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