January 2022
A downloadable PDF version of this list is also available.
Honest June, by Tina Wells (Grades 3-7) (Fantasy)
Eleven-year-old June Jackson has always been good at making the people around her happy, even if that means avoiding telling them what you really think. But as she starts middle school, her fairy godmother puts a spell on her that forces her to speak only the truth–even to her friends and family.
Birdie’s Billions, by Edith Cohn (Grades 3-7) (Mystery)
When Birdie discovers cash in an abandoned house, she thinks it could be the answer to her and her mother’s problems, but she wonders about the people who left that money behind and tries to figure what is best for her family and what is the right thing to do.
Tiger Honor, by Yoon Ha Lee (Grades 3-7) (Fantasy)
To restore honor to the Juhwang clan after Uncle Hwan is declared a traitor, Sebrin sets out to clear Hwan’s name, but nothing goes as planned as he is sabotaged and betrayed, by someone he thought he could trust.
Girl Giant and the Jade War, by Van Hoang (Grades 4-7) (Fantasy)
In this sequel to Girl Giant and the Monkey King, Thom Ngoh and her dragon friend Kha search for allies to stop the Monkey King from waging war on the Heavens, but the price for help may be more than she is willing to pay.
Tidesong, by Wendy Xu (Grades 4-8) (Graphic Novel/Fantasy)
When she attempts to do magic on her own, young witch Sophie accidentally entangles herself with a water dragon named Lir, whom she tricks into helping her get into the best magic school in the realm.
Cytonic, by Brandon Sanderson (Grades 7-9) (Science Fiction)
In the third book in the Skyward series, Spensa, a Cytonic, must discover what she really is, by entering the Nowhere, a place from which few ever return, to save the galaxy from an ancient alien force that can wipe out entire planetary systems in an instant.
Freedom Swimmer, by Wai Chim (Grades 7-10) (Historical Fiction)
Two boys swim from mainland China to Hong Kong in search of freedom from poverty and oppression in this novel inspired, by a true story.
A Snake Falls to Earth, by Darcie Little Badger (Grades 7-10) (Fantasy)
Nina, a Lipan Apache girl in Texas, and Oli, a cottonmouth kid from the land of spirits and monsters, have no idea the other exists, but their worlds are driven together, by a catastrophic event on Earth, and a strange sickness that befalls Oli’s best friend.
Four Streets and a Square: a history of Manhattan and the New York idea, by Marc Aronson (Grades 7-12) (Nonfiction)
Enhanced, by photos, drawings, multimedia links and more, an award-winning author delves into the 400-yearhistory of Manhattan, focusing on the evolution of four streets and a square where he explores how new ideas and forms of art evolved from social blending.
When You Get the Chance, by Emma Lord (Grades 7-12) (Realistic Fiction)
In need of an ally to help her pursue her dreams of becoming a Broadway star, Millie Price searches for her birth-mother and finds that her past somehow keeps bringing her back to what she’s had all along.
Ivory Key, by Akshaya Raman (Grades 7-12) (Fantasy)
Four estranged royal siblings, each harboring secrets and conflicting agendas, must learn to work together as they search for the Ivory Key – a thing of legend that will lead to a new source of magic.
Our Violent Ends, by Chloe Gong (Grades 8-12) (Historical Fantasy)
In 1927, with Shanghai on the brink of a revolution, Juliette, the Scarlet Gang’s heir, and the boy she loves must cast aside their differences to combat monsters and politics while protecting their hearts from each other in this sequel to These Violent Delights.
Here’s to Us, by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera (Grades 8-12) (Romance)
When Ben and Arthur, two very different boys–and ex-boyfriends who are stuck in the past–keep running into each other in the present, they wonder if fate is giving them a second chance at love in this sequel to What If It’s Us?
In Every Generation, by Kendare Blake (Grades 8-12) (Supernatural Fiction)
Based on the hit TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, follow the next generation of Scoobies and Slayers who must defeat a powerful new evil.
Graceling: The Graphic Novel, by Kristin Cashore and Gareth Hinds (Grades 9-12) (Graphic Novel/Fantasy)
A Graceling with the ability to kill a man with her bare hands, Katsa, the niece of the king, acts as his enforceruntil she meets a foreign prince and learns about a terrible secret that could destroy them all.
You’ll Be the Death of Me, by Karen McManus (Grades 9-12) (Mystery/Suspense)
Deciding to ditch school together, former friends Ivy, Cal and Mateo, in one chance move, find their day turning from dull to deadly when another student is murdered right in front of them.
If This Gets Out, by Sophie Gonzales (Grades 9-12) (Romance)
Best friends and members of a popular boy band find their once-easy rapport straining under the pressures of fame and their management’s decision for gay singers Ruben and Zach to stay in the closet.
How Not to Fall in Love, by Jacqueline Firkins (Grades 9-12) (Romance)
When her best friend gets his heart broken yet again, Harper, who thinks romance is nothing more than a marketing tool, offers to teach him how not to fall in love and unexpectedly loses her own heart in the process.
African Town, by Irene Latham and Charles Waters (Grades 9-12) (Historical Fiction/Verse Novel)
Chronicles the story of the last Africans brought illegally to the United States on the Clotilda in 1860.
Earn community service for reading and reviewing the books on this list by joining our Tweens and Teens Best Books 2022 Committee!