Best Books of 2020!

2020 has been a pretty rough year but there's still some things to celebrate - it's been a wonderful year for new books! Below is a roundup of lists featuring some of the best children's and young adult books that were published in 2020. 

The Library remains closed to the public but we are offering curbside pick-up for all materials. You can order books online HERE or call the Library at 412-655-2424 or email us at pleasanthills@einetwork.net to get your order started! All pick-ups are currently happening inside our lobby, although if you need special assistance Library staff can bring items outside for you. 

Our current pick-up hours are:

Mondays 10 - 4    Tuesdays - Thursdays 10 - 8    Fridays & Saturdays 10 - 4

Brightly: best books of 2020 for babies and toddlers

Brightly: best picture books of 2020 for ages 3 - 5

Brightly: best books of 2020 for ages 6 - 8

Brightly: best books of 2020 for tweens (ages 9 - 11)

Brightly: best YA books of 2020

Buzzfeed: the best YA books of 2020

Guardian: the best children's books of 2020 for all ages

Horn Book: Fanfare 2020 annotations

Parents: 30 best children's books of 2020

School Library Journal: best book of 2020

Smithsonian Magazine: ten best children's books of 2020

Wall Street Journal: the best books of 2020: children's books

Teach Your Children Well

There's a lot going on in the world right now and it can be hard to find the right words to talk about it all. Even though it's hard, these conversations are extremely important and it's never too early to start! Luckily, many author's have written books that can help start these invaluable conversations about  race, racism, and activism. 

Here are a few booklists for children of all ages that are worth checking out! 

While the Library remains closed, it may be hard to get some of these titles right away. Many, although not all, are available as eBooks. Some are also available as audiobooks. To see if a title you are interested in reading is available, search by title in Libby or Hoopla. 

Charis Book & More, an independent bookstore located in Decatur, GA, published a very helpful bookslist of titles for white children and teens to learn more about undoing racism and white supremacy. That list can be found HERE!

The Conscious Kid, an education, research, and policy organization dedicated to reducing bias and promoting positive identity in youth, curated an extensive list of books for children and teens to develop anti-racist thought patterns and activist skills. Click HERE to check out this list.

Colours of Us, a website devoted to promoting multicultural children's books and toys, publishes a monthly list of new multicultural titles (Click HERE to see May 2020). They also post themed lists on various subjects and specific cultures.  Click HERE to look through the list on racism and discrimination.

The Coretta Scott King Award is given to outstanding African American authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults that demonstrate an appreciate of African American culture and universal human values. Common Sense Media, a trusted rating website, curated a list of some of the more recent winners. Click HERE to access that list.

If you would like help navigating our eResources, please email Ms. Dani at danylod@einetwork.net or the Library at pleasanthhills@einetwork.net