Best of 2020 Book Lists

A few resources for filling out your collection with the best selections. 

Save the date for the Youth Media Awards scheduled for Monday, Jan. 25, 2021, at 8 a.m. CT  during the ALA Midwinter Meeting and Exhibits virtual conference. Follow results by visiting ALA’s streaming platform at http://ala.unikron.com, or ALA’s social media channels, including Facebook, YouTube, or Twitter, by following hashtag #alayma. 

Children’s

American Indians in Children’s Literature’s list of Best Books of 2020

Kirkus Best of 2020 Books: Middle Grade

Kirkus Best of 2020 Books: Picture Book Lists

School Library Journal: Best Books 2020

Publisher’s Weekly Best Books of 2020

Best Audiobooks of 2020 for Kids and Teens, Booklist/School Library Journal

SLJ Top Ten Manga (all age levels included)

SLJ Top Ten Audiobooks, K-12

Final List: The 15 Books on the Mock Newbery Ballot | Heavy Medal 

Booklist’s 2020 Top of the List and Editors’ Choice announced (all age levels included)

Horn Book Family Reading Fanfare for 2020

New York Times: 25 Best Children’s Books of 2020

Teen

American Indians in Children’s Literature’s list of Best Books of 2020 – Cross-Over Books

Kirkus Best of 2020 Books: Middlegrade

Kirkus Best of 2020 Books: Young Adult

Publisher’s Weekly Best Books of 2020

School Library Journal: Best Books 2020

YALSA 2021 Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Award

YALSA 2020 Morris Award Finalists

Horn Book 2020 Fan Fare Titles

Best Audiobooks of 2020 for Kids and Teens, Booklist/School Library Journal

SLJ Top Ten Manga (all age levels included)

SLJ Top Ten Audiobooks, K-12

Booklist’s 2020 Top of the List and Editors’ Choice announced (all age levels included)

Adult

Kirkus Best of 2020 Non Fiction Books

Kirkus Best of 2020 Memoirs

Kirkus Best of 2020 Biographies

Kirkus Best of 2020: Arts & Culture

Kirkus Best of 2020: Science & Nature

Kirkus Best of 2020: Big-Picture History Books

Kirkus Best of Socio Economics Books of 2020

Kirkus Best Books of 2020: Tracking Autocracy & White Supremacy

Kirkus Best of 2020: Black Life in America

Kirkus Best of 2020: Mysteries and Thrillers

Kirkus Best of 2020: Historical Fiction

Kirkus Best of 2020: Romance

Kirkus Best of 2020: SF & Fantasy

Kirkus Best of 2020: Short Fiction

Kirkus Best of 2020: Fiction for Quarantine Reading

Kirkus Best of 2020: Debut Fiction

Kirkus Best of 2020: Get Your Book Club Talking

New York Times: Best of Historical Fiction

New York Times: Best of Poetry

New York Times: Best of Thrillers

New York Times: Best of Graphic Novels

New York Times: Best 10 Books of 2020

SLJ Top Ten Manga (all age levels included)

Bill Gates’ 2020 Book Recommendations, Book Riot (includes prior releases)

Library Journal Best Crime Fiction of 2020

Library Journal Best Horror of 2020

Library Journal Best Literary Fiction of 2020t

Library Journal Best Pop Fiction of 2020

Library Journal Best Romance of 2020

Library Journal Best SF & Fantasy of 2020

Library Journal Best Short Series of 2020

Library Journal Best World Literature of 2020

Library Journal Best Arts Books of 2020

Library Journal Best Biographies and Memoirs

Library Journal Best Cooking and Food Books

Library Journal Best Poetry of 2020

Library Journal Best Science and Technology of 2020

Library Journal Best Social Sciences Books of 2020

Library Journal Best Graphic Novels of 2020

Booklist’s 2020 Top of the List and Editors’ Choice announced (all age levels included)

National Book Awards: November 2020 Results

  • Young People’s Literature Award Winner: King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender
  • Translated Literature: Tokyo Ueno Station by Yu Miri
  • Poetry: DMC Colony bey Don Mee Choi
  • Nonfiction: The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X by Les Payne and Tamara Payne
  • Fiction: Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu

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