Next Monday is a big day in children’s literature. The winners of the American
Library Association’s Youth Media Awards will be announced. So today seems like
a good time to look back at some of the highly-regarded titles published last
year.

There’s no
doubt about it. 2021 was a phenomenal year for nonfiction, and it seems like
more people were paying attention than ever before.

Here’s a
roundup of the lists I’m aware of. Please let me know if there are others I
should add.

Mock Sibert Lists
Sibert
Smackdown! (picture books)

Anderson’s Bookshop

Betsy
Bird at A Fuse #8 Production

Nonfiction
Picture Books

Nonfiction
Books for Older Readers

Science
& Nature Books

Unique
Biographies

Autobiographies

Group
Lists
AAAS/Subaru Prize for Excellence
in Science Books Finalists

California
Reading Association Eureka! Nonfiction Children’s Book Awards

Texas Topaz Nonfiction Reading List

Cybils
Award: Elementary and Middle Grade Nonfiction Finalists

Cybils
Award: High School Nonfiction Finalists

Nerdy
Book Club: Nonfiction Picture Books

Nerdy
Book Club: Long-form Nonfiction

NCTE
Orbis Pictus Award

NSTA-CBC Best STEM Book

NSTA-CBC Outstanding Science Trade Books for
Students

YALSA Excellence in
Nonfiction for Young Adults Award

Library Lists

Chicago
Public Library Best Informational Books for Younger Readers

Chicago
Public Library Best Informational Books for Older Readers

Evanston
(IL) Public Library’s 101 Great Nonfiction Picture Books for Kids

Evanston
(IL) Public Library’s 101 Great Nonfiction for Older Readers

New
York Public Library Best Books for Kids: Nonfiction

Bookstore List
Politics
& Prose, Washington D.C.
(Nonfiction starts on p. 30)

Review
Journals
Booklist Editor’s Choice Books for Youth
(I couldn’t find this list for 2021. Please help me out.)

Booklist
Top Ten Sci-Tech Books for Youth

Horn Book Fanfare 2021  
(Scroll to
bottom for nonfiction.)

Kirkus
Reviews Best Picture Book Biographies of 2021

Kirkus
Reviews Best Informational Picture Books of 2021

Kirkus
Reviews Best Middle Grade History of 2021

Kirkus
Reviews Best Middle Grade Nonfiction of 2021

SLJ Best Nonfiction of 2021

Popular
Media
(Hooray!
This is a first.)

Reader’s Digest 20 Best Nonfiction Books for Kids of 2021

Now
it’s time to look ahead to 2022. So far, it seems like we’re going to have
another great year of nonfiction. Time to start reading!