Children’s Book Committee
The Children’s Book Committee (CBC) was founded more than 100 years ago to help parents, teachers, and librarians choose the books that children will find captivating and transforming. Every year it produces comprehensive annotated book lists for children aged infant through 18.
Our Mission
The CBC reviews over 6000 titles each year for accuracy and literary quality and considers their emotional impact on children. It chooses the best 600 books, both fiction and nonfiction, which it lists with annotations according to age and category.
The Children’s Book Committee strives to guide librarians, educators, parents, grandparents, and other interested adults to the best books for children published each year. The list includes more than 600 titles chosen by reviewers for literary quality and excellence of presentation as well as the potential emotional impact of the books on young readers. Other criteria include credibility of characterization and plot, authenticity of time and place, age suitability, positive treatment of ethnic and religious differences, and the absence of stereotypes.
To contact us, please email bookcom@bankstreet.edu.
Children's Book Committee July Pick
Two brothers embark on a quest with retired grandparents to save their parents from a mysterious woman. Can they save their family from impending ruin? Naturalistic artwork.
Our Young Reviewer Says:
I liked it because there were multiple plot twists. The illustrations helped me visualize important parts of the story. For example the mom transforms into a dragon and the drawings helped me form a picture in my mind. The main characters were originally not prepared for battle but then they figured out a plan by coming together. They ended up defeating the villain. It made me understand that being prepared is very important in life.
–Santino, age 10, Eastchester, NY