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. 2022 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

Anderson’s Bookshop

Nonfiction Detectives

Sibert Smackdown! (picture books)

Betsy
Bird at A Fuse #8 Production

American History Books

Nonfiction Picture
Book

Nonfiction Books for
Older Readers

Science & Nature
Books

Unique Biographies

Nonfiction
Detectives

Best Biographies for
Kids

Best History Books for
Kid

Best STEM Books for
Kid

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

California Reading Association
Eureka! Nonfiction Children’s Book Awards

Cybils Award:
Elementary, Middle Grade, and 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

Texas Topaz Nonfiction Reading List 

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 Public Library
101 Great Books for Kids 2022: Nonfiction Picture Books

Evanston Public Library
101 Great Books for Kids 2022: Nonfiction for Older Readers

New York Public Library
Best Nonfiction Books for Kids 2022

New York Public Library
Best Nonfiction Books for Teens 2022

Bookstore List
Let’s hope there are more of these next year.

Politics & Prose,
Washington D.C.

(Nonfiction starts on p. 21)

Review Journals

Horn Book Fanfare 2022  
(Scroll to
bottom for nonfiction.)

Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Book
Biographies of 2022

Kirkus Reviews Best Nonfiction
Picture Books of 2022

Kirkus Reviews Best Middle Grade
Nonfiction of 2022

SLJ Best Nonfiction of 2022

National Public
Radio
(Hooray!
This is a first.)

Science Friday

Now
it’s time to look ahead to 2023. So far, it seems like we’re going to have
another great year of nonfiction. Time to start reading!