2023 School Library Journal Best Books (Awarded by School Library Journal)

Awards List

Graphic Novels

Garvey's Choice
(*)
Nikki Grimes

A First Time for Everything
(*)
Dan Santat

Batcat
(*)
Meggie Ramm

Parachute Kids
(*)
Betty C. Tang

Pardalita
(*)
Joana Estrela

School Trip
(*)
Jerry Craft

Sunshine
(*)
Jarrett J. Krosoczka

83 Days in Mariupol
(*)
Don Brown

Constellations
(*)
Kate Glasheen

Shakti
(*)
S.J. Sindu

Squire & Knight
(*)
Scott Chantler

Family Style: Memories of an American from Vietnam
(*)
Thien Pham

The Talk
(*)
Darrin Bell

Eerie Tales from the School of Screams
(*)
Graham Annable

Monstrous: A Transracial Adoption Story
(*)
Sarah Myer

Ghost Book
(*)
Remy Lai

Mexikid
(*)
Pedro Martin

Two Tribes
(*)
Emily Bowen Cohen

Cooking with Monsters (Book One): The Beginner's Guide to Culinary Combat
(*)
Jordan Alsaqa

Things in the Basement
(*)
Ben Hatke

Mabuhay!
(*)
Zachary Sterling

Nell of Gumbling: My Extremely Normal Fairy-Tale Life
(*)
Emma Steinkellner

Saving H'non
(*)
Trang Nguyen

Middle Grade

The Lost Year
(*)
Katherine Marsh

Run for Your Life
(*)
Jane Mitchell

What Happened to Rachel Riley?
(*)
Claire Swinarski

World Made of Glass
(*)
Ami Polonsky

Simon Sort of Says
(*)
Erin Bow

Aniana Del Mar Jumps In
(*)
Jasminne Mendez

Dear Mothman
(*)
Robin Gow

Finally Seen
(*)
Kelly Yang

The Girl from Earth's End
(*)
Tara Dairman

Hamra and the Jungle of Memories
(*)
Hanna Alkaf

Leeva at Last
(*)
Sara Pennypacker

The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams
(*)
Daniel Nayeri

What Stays Buried
(*)
Suzanne Young

Good Different
(*)
Meg Eden Kuyatt

The Manifestor Prophecy
(*)
Angie Thomas

A Spoonful of Time
(*)
Flora Ahn

Ellie Engle Saves Herself
(*)
Leah Johnson

Opinions and Opossums
(*)
Ann Braden

Lei and the Fire Goddess
(*)
Malia Maunakea

Will on the Inside
(*)
Andrew Eliopulos

The World Behind The Door
(*)
Pari Thomson

The Probability of Everything
(*)
Sarah Everett

The Very Unfortunate Wish of Melony Yoshimura
(*)
Waka T. Brown

No Place Like Home
(*)
James Bird

We Still Belong
(*)
Christine Day

It Found Us
(*)
Lindsay Currie

Picture Books

We Are Here
(*)
Tami Charles

Platanos Go with Everything
(*)
Lissette Norman

That Flag
(*)
Tameka Fryer Brown

A Human for Kingsley
(*)
Gabriel Evans

Moon's Ramadan
(*)
Natasha Khan Kazi

My Baba's Garden
(*)
Jordan Scott

My Powerful Hair
(*)
Carole Lindstrom

To the Other Side
(*)
Erika Meza

The Tree and the River
(*)
Aaron Becker

Big
(*)
Vashti Harrison

Mina Belongs Here
(*)
Sandra Niebuhr-Siebert

Mr. S
(*)
Monica Arnaldo

Lolo's Sari-sari Store
(*)
Sophia N. Lee

My Bollywood Dream
(*)
Avani Dwivedi

The Truth About Dragons
(*)
Julie Leung

Hanukkah Upside Down
(*)
Elissa Brent Weissman

I'm From
(*)
Gary R., Jr. Gray

Remembering
(*)
Xelena Gonzalez

Vamos! Let's Go Read
(*)
Raul the Third

The Light Within You
(*)
Namita Moolani Mehra

My Grandfather's Song
(*)
Phung Nguyen Quang

Something, Someday
(*)
Amanda Gorman

Tokyo Night Parade
(*)
J.P. Takahashi

Zora, the Story Keeper
(*)
Ebony Joy Wilkins

Young Adult

We Are All So Good at Smiling
(*)
Amber McBride

Imposter Syndrome and Other Confessions of Alejandra Kim
(*)
Patricia Park

Dear Medusa
(*)
Olivia A. Cole

Enter the Body
(*)
Joy McCullough

The Next New Syrian Girl
(*)
Ream Shukairy

Into the Light
(*)
Mark Oshiro

Saints of the Household
(*)
Ari Tison

Spin
(*)
Rebecca Caprara

Imogen, Obviously
(*)
Becky Albertalli

Painted Devils
(*)
Margaret Owen

Warrior Girl Unearthed
(*)
Angeline Boulley

Where You See Yourself
(*)
Claire Forrest

Threads That Bind
(*)
Kika Hatzopoulou

A Guide to the Dark
(*)
Meriam Metoui

Their Vicious Games
(*)
Joelle Wellington

Just Do This One Thing for Me
(*)
Laura Zimmermann

Tilly in Technicolor
(*)
Mazey Eddings

Ryan and Avery
(*)
David Levithan

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth
(*)
Andrew Joseph White

Beholder
(*)
Ryan La Sala

The Blood Years
(*)
Elana K. Arnold

Plan A
(*)
Deb Caletti

The Scarlet Alchemist
(*)
Kylie Lee Baker

What the River Knows
(*)
Isabel Ibanez

Godly Heathens
(*)
H.E. Edgmon

Award Categories

Chapter Books

Graphic Novels

Middle Grade

Picture Books

Young Adult

Award Years

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019