Staff Faves 2022: Kids Chapter Books, Comics, and NF
Every year we ask our staff across the library system for their favorite books published in a given year. Enjoy this list of some of our favorite chapter books, graphic novels and nonfiction books for kids - some with staff annotations, and others with annotations from Kirkus and Booklist, unless otherwise noted. (Created November 2022)
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The Door of No Return
CHAPTER BOOK / "Beautiful and harrowing, this novel-in-verse follows Kofi as he goes to school, challenges a bully, and has a crush on a girl - until the fateful night he is cruelly snatched from all he has known, and faces the door of no return." (A Peak Pick!) - Lauren
Format: Book
Availability: Available
View The Door of No Return -
The Ogress and the Orphans
CHAPTER BOOK / "A really lovely children's chapter book about a town's insidious and subtle attack by a dragon, and how community trust can be broken down, and then rebuilt." - Dawn / "A genuinely enchanting, entertaining middle-grade book with a clear, relevant moral." - Orion
Format: Book
Availability: All copies in use
View The Ogress and the Orphans -
The Whale Who Swam Through Time
PICTURE BOOK NONFICTION / "A fine introduction for whale aficionados and a clarion call for climate change awareness." [Kirkus Reviews]
Format: Book
Availability: Available
View The Whale Who Swam Through Time -
Blue
PICTURE BOOK NONFICTION / "This was a tip from NPR - I learned a lot about color and other things." - Ken
Format: Book
Availability: Available
View Blue -
Frank and the Bad Surprise
*LOCAL AUTHOR* SHORT CHAPTER BOOK / "Frank, a tuxedo cat, lives the good life until ...his humans bring home a box—usually a fun thing to climb inside— and he is horrified to find a corgi puppy." [Kirkus Reviews]
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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King & Kayla and the Case of the Lost Library Book
*LOCAL AUTHOR* SHORT CHAPTER BOOK / "When one of Kayla's library books goes missing, King and Kayla's friend Jillian must help her solve the crime." [Publisher]
Format: Book
Availability: Available
View King & Kayla and the Case of the Lost Library Book -
The Last Beekeeper
CHAPTER BOOK / "In a dystopian future ravaged by climate change, a 12-year-old tech genius must save her community from an evil government...An insightful, action-packed, and thought-provoking adventure." [Kirkus Reviews]
Format: Book
Availability: Available
View The Last Beekeeper -
Little Monarchs
GRAPHIC NOVEL / "Post-apocalyptic sci-fi for kids, but fresh and hopeful." - Dawn
Format: Graphic Novel
Availability: Available
View Little Monarchs -
Narwhalicorn and Jelly
*LOCAL AUTHOR* GRAPHIC NOVEL / "Narwhal always claims to be the unicorn of the sea, but do they even know what a unicorn is? Jelly wants to know, and their waffle-fueled pondering sets the stage for the deep-sea duo’s latest adventure." [Kirkus Reviews]
Format: Graphic Novel
Availability: All copies in use
View Narwhalicorn and Jelly -
The Marvellers
CHAPTER BOOK / "A Black girl embarks on an unprecedented journey to tap deeper into her magic, [in this] enthralling fantasy adventure full of bravery, love, and humor." [Kirkus Reviews]
Format: Book
Availability: Available
View The Marvellers