Bulletin Blue Ribbons 2020

Deciding the Blue Ribbons was a whole new experience in 2020; we revamped the procedure to share titles digitally and, of course, worked amid the chaos of a pandemic-disrupted world. It was gratifying to find our enthusiasm undiminished, and in fact we've consciously chosen to go with a generous list this year. Whether for Zoom sharing or private escapism, books matter intensely right now, and it's stirring to see how many stellar titles appeared this year despite the obstacles.

PICTURE BOOKS

Barnes, Derrick. I Am Every Good Thing; illus. by Gordon C. James. Paulsen/Penguin. 5-7 yrs

This first-person self-affirmation celebrates the multiple wonders of young Black boys in rollicking, readaloud-friendly text and rich painterly portraiture. (October)

Gay, Marie-Louise. The Three Brothers; written and illus. by Marie-Louise Gay. House of Anansi/Groundwood. 4-7 yrs

Gay offers a gentle introduction to climate change as three young brothers trek through a wintry forest; dappled textures and delicate lines imbue solemnity but pops of color and the youngest brother's joyful gamboling suggest hopefulness. (September)

Lam, Thao. The Paper Boat: A Refugee Story; written and illus. by Thao Lam. Owlkids. 5-10 yrs

This wordless picture book creatively tells parallel stories as it follows a Vietnamese family forced to flee from their home when Communist forces swarm southward after the 1975 fall of Saigon. (July/August)

Medina, Meg. Evelyn Del Rey Is Moving Away; illus. by Sonia Sánchez. Candlewick. 5-8 yrs

Young Daniela tells of the joy of friendship and the genuine, important grief at parting when her "mejor amiga, my numero uno best friend" moves out of the neighborhood. (September)

Novesky, Amy. Girl on a Motorcycle; illus. by Julie Morstad. Viking. Gr. 3-8 Based on the experience of a French journalist in the 1970s, this story follows an intrepid young woman as she travels alone across the world on her motorcycle, experiencing a multitude of countries, people, and possibilities. (September)

Sullivan, Mary. Up on Bob; written and illus. by Mary Sullivan. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Gr. K-2

The queen of few-word narratives returns here with a hilarious story of a sausagey dog preparing his bed for naptime and the cat who seeks to make Bob a cushion himself. (January)

Tate, Nikki. Home Base: A Mother-Daughter Story; illus. by Katie Kath. Holiday House. 4-8 yrs

Parallel storylines unfold as mother and daughter tackle their respective challenges: Mom scoring a job building a patio and kiddo earning a spot on the baseball team; spare narration and energetic watercolors complement the book's warm, can-do spirit. (March)

Underwood, Deborah. Ducks!; illus. by T. L. McBeth. Godwin/Holt. 3-6 yrs When a duck becomes separated from its ducky family, a heated search ensues involving playful visual red herrings and text restricted to a comically histrionic seesaw between "Ducks?" and "No ducks!" (February)

Underwood, Deborah. Outside In; illus. by Cindy Derby. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 4-8 yrs

The ever-versatile Underwood takes on a very different tone in this evocative, childfriendly contemplation of outside and inside, aided by Cindy Derby's stunning, luminous watercolors. (April)

Weatherford, Carole Boston. Box: Henry Brown Mails Himself to Freedom; illustrated by Michele Wood. Candlewick. Gr. 4-8

A compelling combination of poetry and paintings provides a unique retelling of the story of Henry "Box" Brown, tracking the specifics of Brown's tale of escape from bondage while examining the larger horrors and scars of slavery through visual motifs. (May)

FICTION

Anderson, Sophie. The Girl Who Speaks Bear. Scholastic. Gr. 4-7

This fantastical story is a loving tribute to Russian folklore as it follows a (mostly) human girl and the animals she encounters as she seeks the truth about her family. (February)

Brown, Echo. Black Girl Unlimited: The Remarkable True Story of a Teenage Wizard. Ottaviano/Holt. Gr. 9-12

Told with brutal authenticity and tender compassion, this fantastical story dramatically shifts between the past and the present of young Echo as she negotiates her family's intergenerational trauma. (February)

Chee, Traci. We Are Not Free; illus. by Julia Kuo. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt...