2022 School Library Journal Best Books (Awarded by School Library Journal)

Awards List

Chapter Books

Little Owl Rescue
(*)
Rachel Delahaye

Fly High, Lolo
(*)
Niki Daly

Maggie Sparks and the Monster Baby
(*)
Steve Smallman

King of the Ice
(*)
Kelly Starling Lyons

The Ghost Tree
(*)
Natasha Deen

Marya Khan and the Incredible Henna Party
(*)
Saadia Faruqi

Graphic Novels

Isla to Island
(*)
Alexis Castellanos

Squire
(*)
Nadia Shammas

Wingbearer
(*)
Marjorie M. Liu

Little Monarchs
(*)
Jonathan Case

Sir Ladybug
(*)
Corey R. Tabor

The First Cat in Space Ate Pizza
(*)
Mac Barnett

Galaxy: The Prettiest Star
(*)
Jadzia Axelrod

Red Scare
(*)
Liam Francis Walsh

The Well
(*)
Jake Wyatt

Smaller Sister
(*)
Maggie Edkins Willis

Twin Cities
(*)
Jose Pimienta

Invisible
(*)
Christina Diaz Gonzalez

Alte Zachen / Old Things
(*)
Ziggy Hanaor

Leviathan
(*)
Jason Shiga

The Flamingo
(*)
Guojing

Frizzy
(*)
Claribel A. Ortega

Muhammad Najem, War Reporter
(*)
Muhammad Najem

Twelfth Grade Night
(*)
Molly Booth

The Wolf Suit
(*)
Sid Sharp

New Masters
(*)
Shobo Coker

Middle Grade

Northwind
(*)
Gary Paulsen

Maizy Chen's Last Chance
(*)
Lisa Yee

This Last Adventure
(*)
Ryan Dalton

Air
(*)
Monica Roe

Drew Leclair Gets a Clue
(*)
Katryn Bury

Ellen Outside the Lines
(*)
A.J. Sass

Step
(*)
Deborah Ellis

Those Kids from Fawn Creek
(*)
Erin Entrada Kelly

The Second Chance of Benjamin Waterfalls
(*)
James Bird

Wave
(*)
Diana Farid

Answers in the Pages
(*)
David Levithan

Caprice
(*)
Coe Booth

In the Key of Us
(*)
Mariama J. Lockington

The Marvellers
(*)
Dhonielle Clayton

The Science of Being Angry
(*)
Nicole Melleby

Shine On, Luz Veliz!
(*)
Rebecca Balcarcel

Shinji Takahashi and the Mark of the Coatl
(*)
Julie Kagawa

Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun
(*)
Tola Okogwu

Small Town Pride
(*)
Phil Stamper

Chester Keene Cracks the Code
(*)
Kekla Magoon

Team Chu and the Battle of Blackwood Arena
(*)
Julie C. Dao

This Appearing House
(*)
Ally Malinenko

Moonflower
(*)
Kacen Callender

Haven Jacobs Saves the Planet
(*)
Barbara Dee

The Last Hope in Hopetown
(*)
Maria Tureaud

Picture Books

Air Miles
(*)
John Burningham

Tia Fortuna's New Home
(*)
Ruth Behar

Field Trip to Volcano Island
(*)
John Hare

Love in the Library
(*)
Maggie Tokuda-Hall

Nigel and the Moon
(*)
Antwan Eady

Out of a Jar
(*)
Deborah Marcero

Powwow Day
(*)
Traci Sorell

Carrimebac, the Town That Walked
(*)
David Barclay Moore

Nour's Secret Library
(*)
Wafa Tarnowska

Somewhere in the Bayou
(*)
Jarrett Pumphrey; Jerome Pumphrey

The Depth of the Lake and the Height of the Sky
(*)
Jihyun Kim

Hundred Years of Happiness
(*)
Thanhha Lai

My Party, Mi Fiesta
(*)
Raul the Third

Endlessly Ever After
(*)
Laurel Snyder

The Wishing Balloons
(*)
Jonathan D. Voss

The World Belonged to Us
(*)
Jacqueline Woodson

Every Dog in the Neighborhood
(*)
Philip C. Stead

Kapaemahu
(*)
Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu

Berry Song
(*)
Michaela Goade

Moonlight
(*)
Stephen Savage

Dadaji's Paintbrush
(*)
Rashmi Sirdeshpande

Farmhouse
(*)
Sophie Blackall

How to Eat a Book
(*)
Mrs. & Mr. MacLeod

Kimchi, Kimchi Every Day
(*)
Erica Kim

Mariana and Her Familia
(*)
Monica Mancillas

The Talk
(*)
Alicia D. Williams

My Paati's Saris
(*)
Jyoti Rajan Gopal

Young Adult

African Town
(*)
Charles Waters

Ain't Burned All the Bright
(*)
Jason Reynolds

Anatomy: A Love Story
(*)
Dana Schwartz

Medusa
(*)
Jessie Burton

The Red Palace
(*)
June Hur

I Must Betray You
(*)
Ruta Sepetys

Only a Monster
(*)
Vanessa Len

All My Rage
(*)
Sabaa Tahir

The Silent Unseen
(*)
Amanda McCrina

This Rebel Heart
(*)
Katherine Locke

The Ghosts of Rose Hill
(*)
R.M. Romero

Hollow Fires
(*)
Samira Ahmed

The Summer of Bitter and Sweet
(*)
Jen Ferguson

When You Call My Name
(*)
Tucker Shaw

Improbable Magic for Cynical Witches
(*)
Kate Scelsa

Our Crooked Hearts
(*)
Melissa Albert

The Honeys
(*)
Ryan La Sala

How You Grow Wings
(*)
Rimma Onoseta

Long Story Short
(*)
Serena Kaylor

What's Coming to Me
(*)
Francesca Padilla

The Sunbearer Trials
(*)
Aiden Thomas

Three Kisses, One Midnight
(*)
Roshani Chokshi

The Weight of Blood
(*)
Tiffany D. Jackson

Children of Ragnarok
(*)
Cinda Williams Chima

We Deserve Monuments
(*)
Jas Hammonds

Required Reading for the Disenfranchised Freshman
(*)
Kristen R. Lee

YOUNG ADULTS

I'm the Girl
(*)
Courtney Summers

Award Categories

Chapter Books

Graphic Novels

Middle Grade

Picture Books

Young Adult

Award Years

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019