Best of Children's Books 2014

Towards the end of each year, the folks at NPR put together a best-of list for readers looking for newly published gems. This year’s list has some fabulous recommendations for us, conveniently categorized into sixteen groupings including children, adults, music-lovers, science-lovers, tales from around the world, and more. Here are four recommendations from the NPR Book Concierge list for 2014 that you and your children are sure to enjoy. 

Draw! by Raúl Colón is a beautifully illustrated, wordless book about a young boy who goes on an imaginary safari. Paper, pencils, and supplies in hand, Leonard goes on an amazing adventure and takes us along with him. No words are needed to thoroughly enjoy this gorgeous book. Your children will want to have their own adventures after making their way through it.

The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat is another fabulously illustrated adventure book. On an island far away, there are imaginary friends just waiting to be chosen by a real child. When Beekle is overlooked time and again, he bravely sets off for the real world to find a child to adopt him. It’s a great story of friendship sought and found.

Shoe Dog by Megan McDonald is a charming story of a newly adopted dog, so full of love, playfulness, and gratitude for the lady that brought him home from the animal shelter. But there’s a problem. As you might guess, Shoe Dog loves to chew….shoes! This is a great tale of animal adoption, perseverance, creative problem solving, and of course, an adorable dog that your family will love!

The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier is a spellbinding book. Irish orphans journey to England and find employment in a country manor full of secrets and magic. Older sister Molly spins tales for her disabled brother Kip, and readers will be riveted. This is a great book for children in grades 4-9.






Want to check out more of NPR's recommended children’s books and perhaps some great reads for yourself?  Follow this link to the full list.