Top Picks 2022

Books are a window into other cultures, other experiences and other people's lives. A diverse bookshelf demonstrates to children that differences – including our own – are to be understood and celebrated. Diverse books show children that inclusion is an important value. Diverse books help children understand what it means to create an equitable world.

Fourteen hardcovers for ages 4-8.

Taking care of ourselves is important work! For young children, that means knowing about physical health and nutrition, valuing diverse bodies and minds, and embracing gender identities. Love you are and the body you're in. 

Understanding who we are – our goals, our struggles, and our feelings – is the foundation from which we can understand and connect with others. These books encourage children to look inside themselves, embrace what they find, and navigate the world and friendships with confidence. This is the most fundamental learning that young children can do. 

Twelve hardcovers for ages 4-8.

The comfort of home and family is the cornerstone of a child's life, but home and family can take many forms. Children may be raised by extended family members, or they may have long for family living oceans away. These books help children explore the rich connections they have with family near and far.

Ten hardcover books for ages 4-8.

Children love a good story: something with compelling characters, good tension, and a satisfying resolution. It can be a wordless book that encourages young readers to find their own voice, something with enticing rhyme, or simply a well-told tale. A good story instills a love of reading and invites children to return to it again and again.

Seven hardcover books for ages 4-8 years.