The Children’s Book Review | December 31, 2013
As another year comes to a close, it only makes sense to reflect on the highlights of 2013 before reaching for the many new moons in the coming new year. Of course, to kick off the year in review it makes sense that our readers’ favorite feature article was our “Best Books of 2013.” Our best book selections include 9 board books, 10 picture books, 9 elementary and middle grade novels, 11 young adult novels and 10 very entertaining series. However, it turns out that you guys had a favorite of your own, one that wasn’t included in our “Best Books” list: our review of The Dark by Lemony Snicket, illustrated by Jon Klassen, was our most visited individual review of 2013.
Now here is something that we were incredibly excited and honored to be a solid part of during the holiday season, we partnered with the wonderful Chronicle Books to help spread the word and inspire people to Give Books for the holidays by participating in their #GiveBooks campaign. For every #GiveBooks tweet, pin, and online pledge, Chronicle Books will donate a children’s book to First Book, a non-profit organization that provides access to new books for children in need. It feels good to give back and grow readers all at the same time. Kudos to Chronicle Books.
TCBR’s wonderful group of regular contributors put together some truly great book lists and here are the collections that our readers visited the most:
- Bedtime Stories: 12 Picture Books for Drifting off to Dreamland, curated by Nina Schuyler
- 5 Great Kids Biography Books, curated by Luisa LaFleur
- Dog Books & Cat Books: Discover Your Favorite Cat or Dog Book!, curated by Margaret Stawowy
- Kids Books for Horse Lovers, curated by Lisa Catherine Harper
- Bullying Books: Best Picture Books for Building Social Skills | Kids Ages 3-9, curated by Bianca Schulze
We also had so many talented authors contribute an abundance of inspiring and useful articles. These were the two most looked at:
- The Art of Writing Haiku for Kids, written by author and illustrator Betsy Snyder
- How to Write a Fictional Journal: The Real Stories of Fake People, written by author Catherine Gilbert Murdock
Our most popular monthly column was our “Five Family Favorites” in which an author or illustrator contributes a list of 5 books that are special to their family. From the classic and nostalgic to the quirky and rare find, this column always produces an excellent assortment of reading material. Our “Best Young Adult Books” followed “Five Family Favorites” closely. In this column we feature top picks from YA bloggers in the know. The bloggers that contribute to this column always provide a great line-up of new releases and coming soon titles.
Thank you to every single person that contributed to The Children’s Book Review in 2013; you have helped me create a resource that helps parents, teachers, librarians, and caregivers grow readers! Thank you to every single writer and illustrator that put pen to paper, fingers to a keyboard, paintbrush to canvas…. When we create readers, we create thinkers and learners and inspire creativity. Here’s to 2014 and the wonderful books it will bring!
Best Wishes,
Bianca Schulze
Founder, The Children’s Book Review
