Best Books 2017

We read. We debated. We maybe even cried. Culling 71 of the best books for children and teens in any given year is no easy feat, and this year we had a surfeit of stellar offerings to choose from. Out of the approximately 428 starred books of 2017, the SLJ reviews editors had the difficult task of singling out the works that would stand the test of time. We considered as many genres and formats as we could and tried to find something for the entire K–12 age range. More than our own personal favorites, these are the works that rose to the top as titles that should have a spot on all library shelves. We hope readers will not only use our top picks as a checklist but also share it with students, teachers, and caregivers—these books make great gifts!