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Horn Book Fanfare 2012

Horn Book Fanfare 2012 names 27 books across 3 categories. 18 of them also won or were shortlisted for an award.

Fiction

  1. A Certain October by Angela Johnsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Chickadee by Louise Erdrichsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Weinsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Dodger by Terry Pratchettsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Liar & Spy by Rebecca Steadsource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Little White Duck: A Childhood in China by Na Liu and Andrés Vera Martínezsource (opens in a new tab)
  7. My Book of Life by Angel by Martine Leavittsource (opens in a new tab)
  8. No Crystal Stair: A Documentary Novel of the Life and Work of Lewis Michaux, Harlem Bookseller by Vaunda Micheaux Nelsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Penny and Her Doll by Kevin Henkessource (opens in a new tab)
  10. Splendors and Glooms by Laura Amy Schlitzsource (opens in a new tab)
  11. The Brides of Rollrock Island by Margo Lanagansource (opens in a new tab)
  12. The Fault in Our Stars by John Greensource (opens in a new tab)

Nonfiction

  1. Bomb: The Race to Build — and Steal — the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkinsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Electric Ben: The Amazing Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin by Robert Byrdsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Island: A Story of the Galápagos by Jason Chinsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Moonbird: A Year on the Wind with the Great Survivor B95 by Phillip Hoosesource (opens in a new tab)
  5. The Fairy Ring: Or, Elsie and Frances Fool the World by Mary Losuresource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Titanic: Voices from the Disaster by Deborah Hopkinsonsource (opens in a new tab)

Picture Books

  1. A Home for Bird by Philip C. Steadsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. And Then It’s Spring by Julie Foglianosource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Dreaming Up: A Celebration of Building by Christy Halesource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Extra Yarn by Mac Barnettsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Green by Laura Vaccaro Seegersource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Jimmy the Greatest! by Jairo Buitrago, translated by Elisa Amadosource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Little Dog Lost: The True Story of a Brave Dog Named Baltic by Mônica Carnesisource (opens in a new tab)
  8. This Is Not My Hat by Jon Klassensource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Z Is for Moose by Kelly Binghamsource (opens in a new tab)

About the Horn Book Fanfare

The Horn Book Magazine's annual Fanfare list of the year's best children's and young adult books, chosen by its editors and reviewers. Read from hbook.com's own Fanfare pages through Wayback Machine snapshots, because hbook.com blocks automated fetches; each sourceUrl is the snapshot used. 2006-2018 come from the annotated Fanfare articles, 2019-2025 from the Fanfare booklist pages. Year is the year in the list's name (books of that year); it is announced in December. Category is Horn Book's own section (Picture Books, Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Folklore). Every entry is a Selection. Author is the writer; for wordless or author-illustrated books it is the illustrator. Series names Horn Book prints in brackets after a title are dropped. Expected counts are the titles printed under each section on the cited page; for 2006-2018 they match the number of review citations on the page.

Organization: The Horn Book. Official site (opens in a new tab)

The most recommended books of 2012