2020 School Library Journal Best Books (Awarded by School Library Journal)

Awards List

Chapter Books

Our Friend Hedgehog
(*)
Lauren Castillo

Alicia Alonso Takes the Stage
(*)
Rebel Girls

The Fuzzy Apocalypse
(*)
Jonathan Messinger

Skunk and Badger
(*)
Amy Timberlake

Graphic Novels

Snapdragon
(*)
Kat Leyh

Dragon Hoops
(*)
Gene Luen Yang

When Stars Are Scattered
(*)
Victoria Jamieson; Omar Mohamed

Superman Smashes the Klan
(*)
Gene Luen Yang

Beetle & the Hollowbones
(*)
Aliza Layne

Flamer
(*)
Mike Curato

Kodi
(*)
Jared Cullum

Stuck Together
(*)
Brian Smitty Smith

Class Act
(*)
Jerry Craft

Twins
(*)
Varian Johnson

Children
(*)
Abby Howard

Middle Grade

Clean Getaway
(*)
Nic Stone

From the Desk of Zoe Washington
(*)
Janae Marks

Chirp
(*)
Kate Messner

King and the Dragonflies
(*)
Kacen Callender

The Magnificent Monsters of Cedar Street
(*)
Lauren Oliver

When You Trap a Tiger
(*)
Tae Keller

The Only Black Girls in Town
(*)
Brandy Colbert

Show Me a Sign
(*)
Ann Clare LeZotte

A Wish in the Dark
(*)
Christina Soontornvat

Echo Mountain
(*)
Lauren Wolk

Efren Divided
(*)
Ernesto Cisneros

Twilight Hauntings
(*)
Angie Sage

What Lane?
(*)
Torrey Maldonado

Any Day with You
(*)
Mae Respicio

Ways to Make Sunshine
(*)
Renee Watson

We Dream of Space
(*)
Erin Entrada Kelly

American as Paneer Pie
(*)
Supriya Kelkar

The Brave
(*)
James Bird

Fighting Words
(*)
Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Fly on the Wall
(*)
Remy Lai

Land of the Cranes
(*)
Aida Salazar

Maya and the Rising Dark
(*)
Rena Barron

Tune It Out
(*)
Jamie Sumner

Loretta Little Looks Back
(*)
Andrea Davis Pinkney / Andrea Pinkney

Picture Books

Magnificent Homespun Brown
(*)
Samara Cole Doyon

Overground Railroad
(*)
Lesa Cline-Ransome

Salma the Syrian Chef
(*)
Danny Ramadan

We Are Water Protectors
(*)
Carole Lindstrom

One Little Bag
(*)
Henry Cole

Lift
(*)
Minh Le

13 Stories About Harris
(*)
Amy Schwartz

From Ed's to Ned's
(*)
Gideon Sterer

Nana Akua Goes to School
(*)
Patricia Elam Walker

Woodpecker Girl
(*)
Ching-Yen Liu

You Matter
(*)
Christian Robinson

Every Little Letter
(*)
Deborah Underwood

A Gift for Amma
(*)
Meera Sriram

Evelyn Del Rey Is Moving Away
(*)
Meg Medina

I Am Every Good Thing
(*)
Derrick Barnes

I Do Not Like Stories
(*)
Andrew Larsen

I Talk Like a River
(*)
Jordan Scott

Non Stop
(*)
Tomi Ungerer

The Oboe Goes Boom Boom Boom
(*)
Colleen A.F. Venable

The Paper Boat
(*)
Thao Lam

All Because You Matter
(*)
Tami Charles

Out the Door
(*)
Christie Hale

Stand Up! Speak Up!
(*)
Andrew Joyner

Sugar in Milk
(*)
Thrity Umrigar

Young Adult

Black Girl Unlimited
(*)
Echo Brown

Not So Pure and Simple
(*)
Lamar Giles

Tigers, Not Daughters
(*)
Samantha Mabry

The Black Flamingo
(*)
Dean Atta

Camp
(*)
L.C. Rosen

Clap When You Land
(*)
Elizabeth Acevedo

The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea
(*)
Maggie Tokuda-Hall

Stay Gold
(*)
Tobly McSmith

We Are Not From Here
(*)
Jenny Torres Sanchez

The Black Kids
(*)
Christina Hammonds Reed

Raybearer
(*)
Jordan Ifueko

How It All Blew Up
(*)
Arvin Ahmadi

Legendborn
(*)
Tracy Deonn

Punching the Air
(*)
Ibi Zoboi

Sanctuary
(*)
Abby Sher

We Are Not Free
(*)
Traci Chee

Breathless
(*)
Jennifer Niven

Charming as a Verb
(*)
Ben Philippe

Super Fake Love Song
(*)
David Yoon

Award Categories

Chapter Books

Graphic Novels

Middle Grade

Picture Books

Young Adult

Award Years

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019