Young readers · 2020

Best Young Readers Books of 2020

King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender was the most-recognized young readers book of 2020, named by 9 of the 153 sources we track. The table ranks all 66 by how many sources named them.

Sources is the number of distinct awards and year-end lists that name the book's ISBN, in any year. 2020 is the award or list year in our catalog.

#BookAuthorSourcesNamed by
1King and the DragonfliesKacen Callender9
2Almost American Girl: An Illustrated MemoirRobin Ha5
3Before The Ever AfterJacqueline Woodson4
4The Most Beautiful ThingKao Kalia Yang, illustrated by Khoa Le3
5Banned Book ClubKim Hyun Sook and Ryan Estrada, illustrated by Ko Hyung-Ju1
6A Castle In The CloudsKerstin Gier, translated by Romy Fursland0
    7A Game Of Fox & SquirrelsJenn Reese0
      8A Song Below Water: A NovelBethany C. Morrow0
        9All Because You MatterTami Charles, illustrated by Bryan Collier0
          10Anna K: A Love StoryJenny Lee0
            11Apple: (Skin To The Core)Eric Gansworth0
              12Black Heroes Of The Wild WestJames Otis Smith0
                13Cemetery BoysAiden Thomas0
                  14Clap When You LandElizabeth Acevedo0
                    15Dear JustyceNic Stone0
                      16Each Of Us A DesertMark Oshiro0
                        17Echo MountainLauren Wolk0
                          18Efrén DividedErnesto Cisneros0
                            19ElatsoeDarcie Little Badger, illustrated by Rovina Cai0
                              20Even As We Breathe: A NovelAnnette Saunooke Clapsaddle0
                                21Every Reason We Shouldn'tSara Fujimura0
                                  22Everybody Counts: A Counting Story From 0 To 7.5 BillionKristin Roskifte, translated by Siân Mackie0
                                    23Everything Sad Is Untrue: (A True Story)Daniel Nayeri0
                                      24Fauja Singh Keeps Going: The True Story Of The Oldest Person To Ever Run A MarathonSimran Jeet Singh, illustrated by Baljinder Kaur0
                                        25FlamerMike Curato0
                                          26Foul Is Fair: A NovelHannah Capin0
                                            27Ghost SquadClaribel A. Ortega0
                                              28Go With The FlowLily Williams and Karen Schneemann0
                                                29Honeybee: The Busy Life Of Apis MelliferaCandace Fleming, illustrated by Eric Rohmann0
                                                  30I Am Every Good ThingDerrick Barnes, illlustrated by Gordon C. James0
                                                    31I Talk Like A RiverJordan Scott, illustrated by Sydney Smith0
                                                      32IkengaNnedi Okorafor0
                                                        33Lifting As We Climb: Black Women's Battle For The Ballot BoxEvette Dionne0
                                                          34Mad, Bad & Dangerous To KnowSamira Ahmed0
                                                            35Mary And The Trail Of Tears: A Cherokee Removal Survival StoryAndrea L. Rogers, illustrated by Matt Forsyth0
                                                              36Midnight At The Barclay HotelFleur Bradley, illustrated by Xavier Bonet0
                                                                37My Best FriendJulie Fogliano, illustrated by Jillian Tamaki0
                                                                  38New KidJerry Craft0
                                                                    39Outside InDeborah Underwood, illustrated by Cindy Derby0
                                                                      40Planet Omar: Accidental Trouble MagnetZanib Mian, illustrated by Nasaya Mafaridik0
                                                                        41Prairie LotusLinda Sue Park0
                                                                          42RaybearerJordan Ifueko0
                                                                            43Rural Voices: 15 Authors Challenge Assumptions About Small-Town AmericaNora Shalaway Carpenter0
                                                                              44Show Me A SignAnn Clare LeZotte0
                                                                                45Sisters Of The War: Two Remarkable True Stories Of Survival And Hope In SyriaRania Abouzeid0
                                                                                  46Snail CrossingCorey R. Tabor0
                                                                                    47Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, And YouJason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi0
                                                                                      48Super Fake Love SongDavid Yoon0
                                                                                        49Ten Ways To Hear SnowCathy Camper, illustrated by Kenard Pak0
                                                                                          50The Barren Grounds: The Misewa SagaDavid A. Robertson0
                                                                                            51The Blue HousePhoebe Wahl0
                                                                                              52The Daughters Of YsM.T. Anderson, illustrated by Jo Rioux0
                                                                                                53The Lights And Types Of Ships At NightDave Eggers, illustrated by Annie Dills0
                                                                                                  54The List Of Things That Will Not ChangeRebecca Stead0
                                                                                                    55The Mermaid, The Witch, And The SeaMaggie Tokuda-Hall0
                                                                                                      56The Old TruckJerome Pumphrey and Jarrett Pumphrey0
                                                                                                        57The Paper KingdomHelena Ku Rhee, illustrated by Pascal Campion0
                                                                                                          58The Plain JanesCecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg0
                                                                                                            59The Talk: Conversations About Race, Love & TruthWade Hudson and Cheryl Willis Hudson (editors)0
                                                                                                              60They Went LeftMonica Hesse0
                                                                                                                61This Is My AmericaKim Johnson0
                                                                                                                  62TwinsVarian Johnson, illustrated by Shannon Wright0
                                                                                                                    63We Are Water ProtectorsCarole Lindstrom, illustrated by Michaela Goade0
                                                                                                                      64When Stars Are ScatteredVictoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed, illustrated by Iman Geddy0
                                                                                                                        65WinkRob Harrell0
                                                                                                                          66You MatterChristian Robinson0