Jennifer LaGarde’s Favorite Books of the Year for 2023!
Please enjoy a special discount of 20% off the titles of your choice using the code JENNIFERLAGARDE.
Here are Jennifer’s top picks!
Picture Books 2023
I'm From
by Gary R Gray Jr
Do You Remember?
by Sydney Smith
My Grandfather's Song
by Phùng Nguyên Quang
Just One Flake
by Travis Jonker
There Was a Party for Langston
by Jason Reynolds
In the Dark
by Kate Hoefler
Mouseboat
by Larissa Theule
Like Lava in My Veins
by Derrick Barnes
Skull: A Tyrolean Folktale
by Jon Klassen
Remember
by Joy Harjo
Big
by Vashti Harrison
Nell Plants a Tree
by Anne Wynter
Evergreen
by Matthew Cordell
Friends Beyond Measure
by Lalena Fisher
My Powerful Hair
by Carole Lindstrom
American Story
by Kwame Alexander
My Baba's Garden
by Jordan Scott
Greenlight
by Breanna Carzoo
All the Beating Hearts
by Julie Fogliano
Awake, Asleep
by Kyle Lukoff
When You Can Swim
by Jack Wong
In the Night Garden
by Carin Berger
Stickler Loves the World
by Lane Smith
Dim Sum, Here We Come!
by Maple Lam
This Is a Story
by John Schu
My Dog Just Speaks Spanish
by Andrea Cáceres
Beneath
by Cori Doerrfeld
Never Forget Eleanor
by Jason June
Very Good Hats
by Emma Straub
ABC and You and Me
by Corinna Luyken
I'm From by Gary R Gray Jr
Do You Remember? by Sydney Smith
My Grandfather's Song by Phùng Nguyên Quang
Just One Flake by Travis Jonker
There Was a Party for Langston by Jason Reynolds
In the Dark by Kate Hoefler
Mouseboat by Larissa Theule
Like Lava in My Veins by Derrick Barnes
Skull: A Tyrolean Folktale by Jon Klassen
Remember by Joy Harjo
Big by Vashti Harrison
Nell Plants a Tree by Anne Wynter
Evergreen by Matthew Cordell
Friends Beyond Measure by Lalena Fisher
My Powerful Hair by Carole Lindstrom
American Story by Kwame Alexander
My Baba's Garden by Jordan Scott
Greenlight by Breanna Carzoo
All the Beating Hearts by Julie Fogliano
Awake, Asleep by Kyle Lukoff
When You Can Swim by Jack Wong
In the Night Garden by Carin Berger
Stickler Loves the World by Lane Smith
Dim Sum, Here We Come! by Maple Lam
This Is a Story by John Schu
My Dog Just Speaks Spanish by Andrea Cáceres
Beneath by Cori Doerrfeld
Never Forget Eleanor by Jason June
Very Good Hats by Emma Straub
ABC and You and Me by Corinna Luyken
Middle Grade Fiction 2023
Jawbreaker
by Christina Wyman
Alebrijes
by Donna Barba Higuera
World Made of Glass
by Ami Polonsky
Simon Sort of Says
by Erin Bow
Probability of Everything
by Sarah Everett
Mascot
by Charles Waters
You Are Here: Connecting Flights
by Ellen Oh
Not an Easy Win
by Chrystal D Giles
Aniana del Mar Jumps In
by Jasminne Mendez
Eb & Flow
by Kelly J Baptist
Ellie Engle Saves Herself (Ellie Engle #1)
by Leah Johnson
Link + Hud: Heroes by a Hair
by Jarrett Pumphrey
Hidden Truths
by Elly Swartz
Work in Progress
by Jarrett Lerner
Opinions and Opossums
by Ann Braden
When Clouds Touch Us
by Thanhhà Lai
Hands
by Torrey Maldonado
Jawbreaker by Christina Wyman
Alebrijes by Donna Barba Higuera
World Made of Glass by Ami Polonsky
Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow
Probability of Everything by Sarah Everett
Mascot by Charles Waters
You Are Here: Connecting Flights by Ellen Oh
Not an Easy Win by Chrystal D Giles
Aniana del Mar Jumps In by Jasminne Mendez
Eb & Flow by Kelly J Baptist
Ellie Engle Saves Herself (Ellie Engle #1) by Leah Johnson
Link + Hud: Heroes by a Hair by Jarrett Pumphrey
Hidden Truths by Elly Swartz
Work in Progress by Jarrett Lerner
Opinions and Opossums by Ann Braden
When Clouds Touch Us by Thanhhà Lai
Hands by Torrey Maldonado
Nonfiction — Elementary, Middle Grade and Up 2023
Over and Under the Waves (Over and Under)
by Kate Messner
Make Way: The Story of Robert McCloskey, Nancy Schön, and Some Very Famous Ducklings
by Angela Burke Kunkel
Book of Turtles
by Sy Montgomery
We, the Curious Ones
by Marion Dane Bauer
Stranded!: A Mostly True Story from Iceland
by ÆVar þÓr Benediktsson
Jumper: A Day in the Life of a Backyard Jumping Spider
by Jessica Lanan
Mexikid
by Pedro Martín
Indigenous Ingenuity: A Celebration of Traditional North American Knowledge
by Deidre Havrelock
How Do You Spell Unfair?: Macnolia Cox and the National Spelling Bee
by Carole Boston Weatherford
Indestructible Tom Crean: Heroic Explorer of the Antarctic
by Jennifer Thermes
Love Is Loud: How Diane Nash Led the Civil Rights Movement
by Sandra Neil Wallace
We Are Starlings: Inside the Mesmerizing Magic of a Murmuration
by Robert Furrow
Secret Life of the Yeti
by Benjamin Harper
Whale Fall: Exploring an Ocean-Floor Ecosystem
by Melissa Stewart
Woven of the World
by Katey Howes
Total Garbage: A Messy Dive Into Trash, Waste, and Our World
by Rebecca Donnelly
Over and Under the Waves (Over and Under) by Kate Messner
Make Way: The Story of Robert McCloskey, Nancy Schön, and Some Very Famous Ducklings by Angela Burke Kunkel
Book of Turtles by Sy Montgomery
We, the Curious Ones by Marion Dane Bauer
Stranded!: A Mostly True Story from Iceland by ÆVar þÓr Benediktsson
Jumper: A Day in the Life of a Backyard Jumping Spider by Jessica Lanan
Mexikid by Pedro Martín
Indigenous Ingenuity: A Celebration of Traditional North American Knowledge by Deidre Havrelock
How Do You Spell Unfair?: Macnolia Cox and the National Spelling Bee by Carole Boston Weatherford
Indestructible Tom Crean: Heroic Explorer of the Antarctic by Jennifer Thermes
Love Is Loud: How Diane Nash Led the Civil Rights Movement by Sandra Neil Wallace
We Are Starlings: Inside the Mesmerizing Magic of a Murmuration by Robert Furrow
Secret Life of the Yeti by Benjamin Harper
Whale Fall: Exploring an Ocean-Floor Ecosystem by Melissa Stewart
Woven of the World by Katey Howes
Total Garbage: A Messy Dive Into Trash, Waste, and Our World by Rebecca Donnelly
Graphic Novels 2023
Bea Wolf
by Zach Weinersmith
Enlighten Me (a Graphic Novel)
by Minh Lê
Moth Keeper: (A Graphic Novel)
by K O'Neill
Shakti
by Sj Sindu
Two Tribes
by Emily Bowen Cohen
Duel
by Jessixa Bagley
School Trip (RAD #3)
by Jerry Craft
First Time for Everything
by Dan Santat
Parachute Kids: A Graphic Novel
by Betty C Tang
Four Eyes: A Graphic Novel (Four Eyes #1)
by Rex Ogle
Things in the Basement
by Ben Hatke
Paul Bunyan: The Invention of an American Legend
by Noah Van Sciver
Bea Wolf by Zach Weinersmith
Enlighten Me (a Graphic Novel) by Minh Lê
Moth Keeper: (A Graphic Novel) by K O'Neill
Shakti by Sj Sindu
Two Tribes by Emily Bowen Cohen
Duel by Jessixa Bagley
School Trip (RAD #3) by Jerry Craft
First Time for Everything by Dan Santat
Parachute Kids: A Graphic Novel by Betty C Tang
Four Eyes: A Graphic Novel (Four Eyes #1) by Rex Ogle
Things in the Basement by Ben Hatke
Paul Bunyan: The Invention of an American Legend by Noah Van Sciver
Jennifer LaGarde is a lifelong teacher and learner with over 20 years in public education. Her educational passions include leveraging technology to help students develop authentic reading lives, meeting the unique needs of students living in poverty and helping learners (of all ages) discern fact from fiction in the information they consume. A huge fan of YA Literature, Jennifer currently lives, works, reads and drinks lots of coffee in Olympia, Washington. Follow her adventures at www.librarygirl.net or on Twitter @jenniferlagarde.