2023 Joy for Books List

More than 50 books were recommended to us, and we chose the 20 that follow. Before jumping to the list, here are some details we proudly share!

  • Only books that received an A or B rating from our review team are included.

  • The list includes a diverse array of main characters —11 different racial and ethnic origins are represented. 

  • 45% of these books were published by small or indie publishing houses.

  • 95% of these books were developed by a BIPOC creative team.

For Preschool and Pre-k: Common Threads: Adam's Day at the Market, J4B score: A+; Yoga Tots: Calm Bunny, Joy for Books (J4B) score: A; Hurry, Kate, or You'll Be Late!, J4B score: B; Too Green!, J4B score: B

For Kinder and Grade 1: Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story, J4B score: A+; My Brain is Magic, J4B score: A+; The Perfect Sushi, J4B score: A+; A-Train Allen, J4B score: A

For Grades 2 & 3: Manjhi Moves a Mountain, J4B score: A+; Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut, J4B score: A; My Papi Has a Motorcycle, J4B score: B; Sea Rod: A New Wave, J4B score: A

For Grades 4 – 6: Cookies and Milk, J4B score: A+; The Jumbies, J4B score: A+; Inside Out and Back Again, J4B score: A; New From Here, J4B score: A

For Grades 7 & 8: Pilar Ramirez and the Escape from Zafa, J4B score: A+; The Rhythm of Time, J4B score: A+; Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky Graphic Novel, J4B score: A+; Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence, J4B score: A