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This week, The Thread is sharing some of our favorite books of the year. We're starting small, with our favorite books for young readers.

Fiction

Nonfiction

Young adult

Sci-fi and fantasy

Poetry

Sometimes the most magical place is your own backyard. Here, Carson Ellis drops readers into the dazzling, miniature world of damselflies, beetles and pill bugs, as they investigate a mysterious new plant just beginning to sprout. The whole book is written in an invented language — "Ma nazoot!" — that's so clever and charming, the message comes right through. Ellis's enchanting, folksy illustrations will be familiar to fans of last year's "Home" and the "Wildwood Chronicles" series. 

If you haven't already fallen in love with Jon Klassen's previous two hat-centric adventures, "I Want My Hat Back" and "This Is Not My Hat," scoop up this whole trilogy. In "We Found a Hat," the final book in the series, two turtles stumble across a lone hat in the desert. It looks good on both of them — but there is only one hat, and two of them. Klassen packs a sneaky amount of humor and warmth into this deceptively simple story. 

Sherman Alexie's funny father-son story is a "read it again" goodnight book. Thunder Boy, Jr. doesn't want to be a junior anymore — even though he loves his dad, he wants a name of his own. He pitches his dad on several newer, cooler options, like Touch the Clouds, but he doesn't bite. Together, Big Thunder and Little Thunder must settle on the perfect new name. 

Sherman Alexie on his new kids' book

"A Child of Books" by Oliver Jeffers and Sam Winston

Oliver Jeffers is on a roll: You probably know him, and his kinetic illustrations, from "The Day the Crayons Quit." In this new collaboration with Sam Winston, Jeffers has created a loving ode to the power of books and stories. "A Child of Books" follows a little girl who sails her raft across a sea of words. Those words in the waves will be familiar to older readers — the waters are made up of quotes from nursery rhymes, lullabies and children's classics like "The Wind in the Willows." On the shore, she meets a boy, who climbs aboard for more adventures in the ocean of stories. The whole book is a love letter to reading, which adults will find just as magical as children. 

Ask a bookseller: Remembering why we love to read

"The Bear and the Piano" by David Litchfield

David Litchfield wrings a big story out of a little bear with a piano. When a bear cub finds a strange big box in the woods, he's confused. He touches the keys, and it sounds 

. Eventually, though, the bear learns to master the music. When a girl and her father stumble across his woodland performances, they bring him to the city. But in the grandeur of a giant concert hall, the bear misses his home. Litchfield crafts a story of balancing big dreams with staying true to one's roots. 

"Have You Seen Elephant?" by David Barrow

David Barrow's book is a delightful round of hide-and-go-seek. A young boy is playing the game with an elephant, who tells him right at the beginning: "I must warn you though. I'm 

 good." What follows is a silly, ridiculous read as the elephant finds increasingly absurd and obvious places to hide. Young readers will shout along, calling out the elephant from his "hiding" spots. 

"A Poem for Peter" by Andrea Davis Pinkney

Arts and Culture

The Thread® - Books and Literary News

MPR News Staff

Author

Tracy Mumford

From magic watches to made-up languages to big sisters and bigger dreams, here's a look at The Thread's favorite books for young readers.

The Thread's favorite kid's books of 2016

Book covers courtesy of publishers

The Thread's favorite middle grade reads of 2016

Best books of 2016 to give -- and receive: Children's and middle-grade favorites

Go Deeper.

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