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Booklist (American Library Association)

Booklist Editors' Choice 2009

Booklist (American Library Association)'s Booklist Editors' Choice 2009 names 130 books across 12 categories. 43 of them also won or were shortlisted for an award.

Adult Books for Young Adults: Fiction

  1. A Mess of Everything by Miss Lasko-Grosssource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Asta in the Wings by Jan Elizabeth Watsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffeneggersource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Huge by James W. Fuerstsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Into the Beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urreasource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Mathilda Savitch by Victor Lodatosource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Miles from Nowhere by Nami Munsource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Sag Harbor by Colson Whiteheadsource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Sometimes We’re Always Real Same-Same by Mattox Roeschsource (opens in a new tab)
  10. The Magicians by Lev Grossmansource (opens in a new tab)
  11. The Story Sisters by Alice Hoffmansource (opens in a new tab)
  12. Total Oblivion, More or Less by Alan DeNirosource (opens in a new tab)
  13. Tunneling to the Center of the Earth by Kevin Wilsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  14. Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchettsource (opens in a new tab)

Adult Books for Young Adults: Nonfiction

  1. Clara’s War: One Girl’s Story of Survival by Clara Kramer and Stephen Glantzsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Louisa May Alcott: The Woman behind Little Women by Harriet Reisensource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Stitches by David Smallsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Thoreau You Don’t Know: What the Prophet of Environmentalism Really Meant by Robert Sullivansource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Things I’ve Been Silent About: Memories by Azar Nafisisource (opens in a new tab)

Adult Books: Arts & Literature

  1. Tom and Jack: The Intertwined Lives of Thomas Hart Benton and Jackson Pollock by Henry Adamssource (opens in a new tab)

Adult Books: Biography

  1. Cheever by Blake Baileysource (opens in a new tab)
  2. City Boy: My Life in New York during the 1960s and ’70s by Edmund Whitesource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Flannery: A Life of Flannery O’Connor by Brad Goochsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Gabriel García Márquez by Gerald Martinsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. John Milton: A Hero of Our Time by David Hawkessource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Joseph P. Kennedy Presents: His Hollywood Years by Cari Beauchampsource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Man of Constant Sorrow: My Life and Times by Ralph Stanley and Eddie Deansource (opens in a new tab)
  8. The Sound of Wings: The Life of Amelia Earhart by Mary S. Lovellsource (opens in a new tab)
  9. The Strangest Man: The Hidden Life of Paul Dirac, Mystic of the Atom by Graham Farmelosource (opens in a new tab)
  10. The Wilderness Warrior: Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for America by Douglas Brinkleysource (opens in a new tab)
  11. Why This World: A Biography of Clarice Lispector by Benjamin Mosersource (opens in a new tab)

Adult Books: Fiction

  1. A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Mooresource (opens in a new tab)
  2. All Other Nights by Dara Hornsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. American Salvage by Bonnie Jo Campbellsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Far North by Marcel Therouxsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Generosity by Richard Powerssource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Homer & Langely by E. L. Doctorowsource (opens in a new tab)
  7. How It Ended: New and Collected Stories by Jay McInerneysource (opens in a new tab)
  8. In the Kitchen by Monica Alisource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornbysource (opens in a new tab)
  10. Last Night in Twisted River by John Irvingsource (opens in a new tab)
  11. Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCannsource (opens in a new tab)
  12. Mathilda Savitch by Victor Lodatosource (opens in a new tab)
  13. Miles from Nowhere by Nami Munsource (opens in a new tab)
  14. My Father’s Tears and Other Stories by John Updikesource (opens in a new tab)
  15. Once on a Moonless Night by Dai Sijie, translated by Adriana Huntersource (opens in a new tab)
  16. Pygmy by Chuck Palahniuksource (opens in a new tab)
  17. The Coral Thief by Rebecca Stottsource (opens in a new tab)
  18. The Four Corners of the Sky by Michael Malonesource (opens in a new tab)
  19. The Humbling by Philip Rothsource (opens in a new tab)
  20. The Museum of Innocence by Orhan Pamuk, translated by Maureen Freelysource (opens in a new tab)
  21. The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist, translated by Marlaine Delargysource (opens in a new tab)
  22. The Weight of Heaven by Thrity Umrigarsource (opens in a new tab)
  23. The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwoodsource (opens in a new tab)
  24. Too Much Happiness by Alice Munrosource (opens in a new tab)
  25. Wonderful World by Javier Calvo, translated by Mara Faye Lethemsource (opens in a new tab)

Adult Books: History

  1. America’s Prophet: Moses and the American Story by Bruce Feilersource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Middling Folk: Three Seas, Three Centuries, One Scots-Irish Family by Linda H. Matthewssource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The American Civil War: A Military History by John Keegansource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Man Who Sold the World: Ronald Reagan and the Betrayal of Main Street America by William Kleinknechtsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. The Remains of Company D: A Story of the Great War by James Carl Nelsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  6. The Spiders of Allah: Travels of an Unbeliever on the Frontline of Holy War by James Hidersource (opens in a new tab)
  7. The Third Reich at War by Richard J. Evanssource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Vicksburg, 1863 by Winston Groomsource (opens in a new tab)

Adult Books: Poetry

  1. Poems from the Women’s Movement by Honor Mooresource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Sonata Mulattica: A Life in Five Movements and a Short Play by Rita Dovesource (opens in a new tab)

Adult Books: Science

  1. Dawn Light: Dancing with Cranes and Other Ways to Start the Day by Diane Ackermansource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foersource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Storms of My Grandchildren: The Truth about the Coming Climate Catastrophe and Our Last Chance to Save Humanity by James Hansensource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Making of Mr. Gray’s Anatomy: Bodies, Books, Fortunes, Fame by Ruth Richardsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. You Are Here: A Portable History of the Universe by Christopher Pottersource (opens in a new tab)

Adult Books: Social Sciences

  1. Chasing Medical Miracles: The Promise and Perils of Clinical Trials by Alex O’Mearasource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Flow: The Cultural Story of Menstruation by Elissa Stein and Susan Kimsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Googled: The End of the World as We Know It by Ken Aulettasource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Searching for Whitopia: An Improbable Journey to the Heart of White America by Rich Benjaminsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. When a Heart Turns Rock Solid: The Lives of Three Puerto Rican Brothers on and off the Streets by Timothy Blacksource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Why cant U teach me 2 read? Three Students and a Mayor Put Our Schools to the Test by Beth Fertigsource (opens in a new tab)

Books for Youth: Middle Readers

  1. A Season of Gifts by Richard Pecksource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Adventures in Cartooning: How to Turn Your Doodles into Comics by James Sturmsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Anything but Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskinsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Eidi by Bodil Bredsdorff, translated by Kathryn Mahaffysource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Eleanor, Quiet No More by Doreen Rappaportsource (opens in a new tab)
  6. I Want to Be Free by Joseph Slatesource (opens in a new tab)
  7. John Brown: His Fight for Freedom by John Hendrixsource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Mission Control, This Is Apollo: The Story of the First Voyages to the Moon by Andrew Chaikin and Victoria Kohlsource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Nic Bishop Butterflies and Moths by Nic Bishopsource (opens in a new tab)
  10. Pharaoh’s Boat by David Weitzmansource (opens in a new tab)
  11. Sweethearts of Rhythm: The Story of the Greatest All-Girl Swing Band in the World by Marilyn Nelsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  12. The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kellysource (opens in a new tab)
  13. The Magician’s Elephant by Kate DiCamillosource (opens in a new tab)
  14. The Storm in the Barn by Matt Phelansource (opens in a new tab)
  15. Truce: The Day the Soldiers Stopped Fighting by Jim Murphysource (opens in a new tab)
  16. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Steadsource (opens in a new tab)
  17. Years of Dust: The Story of the Dust Bowl by Albert Marrinsource (opens in a new tab)
  18. You Never Heard of Sandy Koufax?! by Jonah Wintersource (opens in a new tab)

Books for Youth: Older Readers

  1. All the Broken Pieces by Ann Burgsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Burn My Heart by Beverley Naidoosource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collinssource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Charles and Emma: The Darwins’ Leap of Faith by Deborah Heiligmansource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Claudette Colvin: Twice toward Justice by Phillip Hoosesource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Crossing Stones by Helen Frostsource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Fire by Kristin Cashoresource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Going Bovine by Libba Braysource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Heroes of the Valley by Jonathan Stroudsource (opens in a new tab)
  10. Jumped by Rita Williams-Garciasource (opens in a new tab)
  11. Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Storksource (opens in a new tab)
  12. Marching for Freedom: Walk Together, Children, and Don’t You Grow Weary by Elizabeth Partridgesource (opens in a new tab)
  13. Punkzilla by Adam Rappsource (opens in a new tab)
  14. Rosie and Skate by Beth Ann Baumansource (opens in a new tab)
  15. Silver Phoenix: Beyond the Kingdom of Xia by Cindy Ponsource (opens in a new tab)
  16. Tales from Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tansource (opens in a new tab)
  17. The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Nesssource (opens in a new tab)
  18. The Eternal Smile by Gene Luen Yangsource (opens in a new tab)
  19. The Frog Scientist by Pamela S. Turnersource (opens in a new tab)
  20. The Monstrumologist by Rick Yanceysource (opens in a new tab)
  21. Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Andersonsource (opens in a new tab)

Books for Youth: Young

  1. All in a Day by Cynthia Rylantsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Birds by Kevin Henkessource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Duck! Rabbit! by Amy Krouse Rosenthalsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Higher! Higher! by Leslie Patricellisource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Itty Bitty by Cece Bellsource (opens in a new tab)
  6. It’s a Secret! by John Burninghamsource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Living Sunlight: How Plants Bring the Earth to Life by Molly Bang and Penny Chisholmsource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11 by Brian Flocasource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors by Joyce Sidmansource (opens in a new tab)
  10. Redwoods by Jason Chinsource (opens in a new tab)
  11. The Lion & the Mouse by Jerry Pinkneysource (opens in a new tab)
  12. The Negro Speaks of Rivers by Langston Hughessource (opens in a new tab)
  13. The Snow Day by Komako Sakaisource (opens in a new tab)
  14. Yummy: Eight Favorite Fairy Tales by Lucy Cousinssource (opens in a new tab)

About the Booklist Editors' Choice

Booklist's annual Editors' Choice lists, read from Booklist's own feature articles on booklistonline.com (fetched through the site's public JSON API at pub.booklistonline.com, which the client-side page loads). Covers the book lists only: Adult Books, Adult Books for Young Adults, Books for Youth, and Graphic Novels (a separate list from 2023). Audio, Media, Video, and Reference Sources lists are left out; reference titles that Booklist placed inside the Adult Books list are kept. Year is the year in the list's title (the publication year of the books); the list appears in the December 1 or January 1 issue that follows. Category is the list name plus Booklist's own section heading for that year (for example Adult Books: Social Sciences, Books for Youth: Nonfiction, Older Readers), so section names change when Booklist renamed them. Every entry is a Selection; Booklist does not rank them. For edited anthologies the editor is recorded as author. Expected counts are the citations printed under each section of the cited feature.

Organization: Booklist (American Library Association). Official site (opens in a new tab)

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