It's 2021 and there are a lot of new books for kids coming out. On our list, we collect books that have won or been shortlisted for prestigious prizes in 2021—such as the Newbery Medal in the US and the Carnegie Medal in the UK—as well as our own selection of good books for kids that have come to our attention.
Part of our best books of 2021 series.
A Wish in the Dark
by Christina Soontornvat
***2021 Newbery Honor Book***
A Wish in the Dark is an enchanting fantasy tale based on Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables in a Thailand-inspired setting. Pong is born and orphaned in prison in Chattana, where – as the child of an incarcerated woman who has died – he has to serve his mother’s sentence. Pong escapes, but marked by his prison tattoo he will never be free from his past. Nok is the perfect daughter of the prison warden who is determined to track down the fugitive. In the process she uncovers secrets that make her question the truths she has always believed. A story of light and dark, privilege and poverty, the crucial distinction between law and justice, and the value of friendship.
Ages 8-12
When You Trap a Tiger
by Tae Keller
***Winner of the 2021 Newbery Medal***
“Long, long ago, when tiger walked like man…” Thus start the folktales which Halmoni (grandmother in Korean) has been telling Lily and her older sister since they were little girls. Now that Halmoni is ageing and Lily is coming of age, a magical tiger appears straight out of Lily’s favourite tale to strike a bargain: healing for Halmoni if she releases the history she has kept bottled up. A sparkling novel about the power of stories.
Ages 8-12
Circus Maximus: Race to the Death
by Annelise Gray
Circus Maximus is a gripping novel set in ancient Rome, centred on the world of chariot racing. Readers meet Dido, a 12 year old girl who loves to look after the horses her father trains. Girls do not compete, but Dido nevertheless dreams of racing in the Circus. When she witnesses a crime she has to go on the run from the Praetorian guard. We follow her journey over the next couple of years as she finds ways to train as a charioteer whilst longing to be reunited with her beloved horse Porcellus. Meanwhile the unpredictable emperor Caligula has become obsessed with chariot racing, raising the stakes for all involved to ever more dangerous levels. The story wears the historical detail lightly but very convincingly.
8+ but really just as exciting for teens
Jakarta Tails
by Pallavi Aiyar
Jakarta Tails is the second pacy book about the globe-trotting former Beijing alley cats Soyabean and Tofu. Just as the cats are settling into an idyllic life of frangipani-scented snoozing in the Indonesian capital, a rat starts skulking about in the garden and the family’s beloved driver is attacked by a violent mob. As the cats get sucked into a fake news network, they provide a useful feline perspective on human behaviour. Meanwhile, they have to come to terms with some deep-rooted prejudices of their own.
Ages 8-12
The Flag Never Touched the Ground: America’s Brave Black Regiment in Battle
by Kekla Magoon
It is 1863 and the soldiers of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment Volunteers are marching to battle in the American Civil War. Their mission is to capture the impregnable Fort Wagner, and the stakes could not be higher. It is only a few months since it became legal for Black men to serve in the armed forces; the 54th is an all-Black regiment needing to prove that they can rise to the challenge. Not only that, but if they get captured by the Confederate army they will be enslaved. In the ranks is William Harvey Carney who – having escaped slavery – knows how precious freedom really is. This book is part of Pushkin Press’s True Adventures series of historical fiction from around the world. All the books centre on a historical person, and contain some non-fiction pages at the end that provide historical context.
Ages 8-12
Honeybee: The Busy Life of Apis Mellifera
by Candace Fleming & Eric Rohmann (illustrator)
***Winner 2021 Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal***
Honeybee: The Busy Life of Apis Mellifera is a scientific picture book about the short, busy life of the honeybee. It contains the usual facts that an information book should but also provides food for thought about how we all follow a similar cycle of life and death, and how much work really goes into a spoonful of honey. What lifts this book is the seamless interweaving of the text with the detailed, magnified oil painting illustrations.
Ages: 4-8
The Wolf and the Fly
by Antje Damm
This is a fun little book for toddlers about a greedy wolf. As items disappear from a shelf, young readers can figure out what the wolf has just eaten. They will relate to the wolf’s burping, napping and trip to the toilet. But is it a good idea to eat the fly?
Ages 0-3
Planes: from the Wright Brothers to the supersonic jet
by Jan Van der Veken
Planes is a non-fiction book tracing the history of airplane design in an attractive, somewhat retro illustration style. It also covers how flight works in terms of atmosphere and weather, and communication and navigation. The overly short chapter on the future of flight fails to mention electric flight and doesn’t reflect the exciting range of new technologies that are currently being dreamt up and tested. That aside, this is a stylish guide to the history and mechanics of aviation.
Ages 7-12
A Superhero Like You
by Ranj Singh, Liam Darcy (illustrator)
Lily wants to be a superhero when she grows up, but she is not interested in climbing up the side of a building or wearing pants outside her trousers. This is a predictable but nevertheless heartwarming picture book that encourages children to think about all the important jobs that people do around us all the time. Due to the plentiful detail in the bright illustrations there is a lot to talk about with toddler readers as well. People can argue about why certain key professions are not included, but essentially it is a celebration of all those people who do their work with kindness and care.
Ages 2-6
Becoming: Adapted for Younger Readers
by Michelle Obama
Michelle Obama’s bestselling memoir, Becoming, is now available in an edition for readers aged 10 and up. It chronicles the life of an iconic woman of our era from childhood through to her time at one of the world’s most famous addresses. Obama writes of the values instilled in her by her father (work hard, laugh often and keep your word) and her mother (think for yourself and use your voice). By choosing the title “becoming” Obama emphasises that we are never static and unchanging, whilst giving young readers a sense of the importance of staying true to certain constant values to underpin the continuous shaping of our lives.
Ages 10+
All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys’ Soccer Team
by Christina Soontornvat
***2021 Newbery Honor Book**
Ages 10+, likely to appeal to 12-14 year olds, but no age limit. Read more about this book in our selection of best books of 2021 for teens.
Fighting Words
by Kimberly Brubaker
***2021 Newbery Honor Book***
Ages 10-14. Read more about this book in our selection of best books of 2021 for teens.
