The Best Children's Books of 2023

And one BIG lie.

A few years ago, I wrote on my Instagram that it was rare for me not to like a book—that I can always find something I like about a story. Immediately after posting it, I knew it wasn’t true. It was like I’d slapped myself in the face. Lies! I don’t like every book I read. But it wasn’t until I made such a proclamation that I realized it was bogus. Looking back, I think years of writing articles aimed at appealing to as many people as possible, had made me numb. I was blind to my own criticism. I tried to find the best in everything. Not a bad trait to have, but it wasn’t genuine. What good are my recommendations if I like everything? It was nonsense, and I was ashamed I even believed it for a second. Plus, if a book appeals to everyone, very rarely is it a great book.

Ever since this realization, I’ve turned hard in the opposite direction. I hold my praise close, only giving it to things that I believe are truly great. It’s a big reason I don’t do many reviews of new books on Moonbow. Not that there aren’t a lot of incredible children’s books being published now—there are—it’s that, usually, everyone is talking about them. I’m only going to take up more space if I have something different to say. And new books are expensive. My family doesn’t read a ton of brand-new books. Most of ours are used or from the library, which is why last year’s ‘Best Books’ article featured books from all different years. This year, though, I decided to stick to books published in 2023. But I made sure you could easily get them from the library. (If your local library doesn’t carry a book that you’re interested in, make a request. They love that!)

After reading the author Emma Straub’s book picks for the year, I realized I didn’t have to overthink this—a lot can be said in a simple sentence. Some of my recommendations are descriptive; some tell you almost nothing. It’s up to you to explore them in more detail. I hope you do. These books deserve it.