Best kids’ books of the year

Jason Reynolds often tells fans that he didn’t read a novel cover to cover until he was 17. The admission gives him credibility with middle-schoolers who don’t want to be seen at the library. It also brings a sigh of relief to parents who struggle to get their kids to read. After all, this nonreader turned into a best-selling author. “Lu,” the final book in his middle-grade track series, was published last month.

Jason Reynolds and Washington Post children’s book reviewers share some of their favorite books of 2018.

REYNOLDS RECOMMENDS

“Amal Unbound” By Aisha Saeed (Nancy Paulsen, ages 10 to 13)

Amal, a young Pakistani girl, wants nothing more than to grow up to be a teacher, but her education and dreams are frustrated when she’s forced to go work as a servant in the house of her wealthy, but corrupt, landlord to pay off a family debt. It’s in this house that Amal finds out how strong she is, how persistent she is to learn. It’s also where she fleshes out her personal identity — one filled with hope and fortitude.

“Betty Before X” By Ilyasah Shabazz and Renée Watson (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, ages 10 to 14)

A stunning portrait of the great civil rights activist and wife of Malcolm X, Betty Shabazz. It delves into her childhood and tells the story of young Betty, a girl carrying the weight of the abandonment of her mother, coupled with the home she found in the ecstatic language of the activists and heroes of her youth. These ingredients, among others laid out in this brilliant and true tale, lead to her becoming a pillar for the black community and a beacon to the history of America.

“Dactyl Hill Squad” By Daniel José Older (Arthur A. Levine, ages 8 to 12)

Simply put, there’s the Civil War and dinosaurs and kids riding dinosaurs. Yes ... kids riding dinosaurs. It’s educational, thoughtful and most of all, FUN! All I kept thinking was, I just want to ride dactylback to ... anywhere!

“Harbor Me” By Jacqueline Woodson (Nancy Paulsen, ages 10 and older)

A concise, beautifully written novel that puts six students in a room, with only one requirement — that they talk. Of course, talking is really about listening, connecting, engaging and exchanging. The story addresses a world of ills without judgment and instead shines light on the fact that this is the world young people are growing up in.

PICTURE BOOKS

“A Big Mooncake for Little Star” By Grace Lin (Little, Brown, ages 4 to 8)

A small girl in starry pajamas mixes a cake with her mother, who puts the baked mooncake into the night sky to cool. The mooncake, a bright, warm, golden confection against the backdrop of deep night and stars, entices Little Star, who nibbles on it a bit every night. Lovely and

magical.

“Dreamers” By Yuyi Morales (Neal Porter, ages 4 to 8) Morales tells, through illustrations that seem to dance and sing, the story of crossing borders on a bridge of language with her young son. Together they discover picture books and public libraries, and the gifts they brought with them — open hearts, art, poetry and stories — blossom.

“Hello Hello” By Brendan Wenzel (Chronicle, ages 3 to 6)

This exuberant, welcoming look at the hundreds of animals who share the planet with humans is both poignant and lighthearted, thanks to Wenzel’s bright, big-eyed depictions of creatures furry, feathered and fanged. They parade through these pages in delightful profusion.

“The Stuff of Stars” By Marion Dane Bauer, illustrated by Ekua Holmes (Candlewick, ages 4 to 8)

Where do we come from? Where do babies come from? The answer is awe-inspiring, energetic and powerful. Holmes’ deep blues and reds and sunlit, primordial skies celebrate the transcendent mysteries of the universe, the blue planet Earth and the birth of a child. — Kathie Meizner

FICTION

“Endling: The Last” By Katherine Applegate (HarperCollins, ages 8 to 12)

Byx may be an endling, the last of the talking dogs. As she journeys in search of others, she and her friends uncover the plot of a vicious human king. He plans to kill off all rival intelligent species. In this first novel in a compelling fantasy series, shy Byx emerges as a surprising hero.

“Front Desk” By Kelly Yang (Arthur A. Levine, ages 8 to 12)

Mia Tang is busy! She helps her hard-working parents run an old motel and writes letters for fellow Chinese American immigrants. When the mean-spirited owner threatens their business, Mia rallies her many friends. The author draws upon her childhood in the early 1990s to create a lively historic tale.

“Nowhere Boy” By Katherine Marsh (Roaring Brook, ages 10 to 14)

An American boy named Max discovers a Syrian war orphan hiding in his family’s basement in Brussels. Ahmed’s passport has been stolen, and he’s afraid the authorities will send him back. In this riveting novel, both boys decide to go on the run, desperate to find a new, safe home for Ahmed.

“Tales From the Inner City” By Shaun Tan (Arthur A. Levine, ages 12 and older)

Animals and humans connect in odd, amazing ways in these luminously illustrated short stories and poems. Kids take a pig on a moonlit romp, a little girl sees the galloping souls of horses, and an enormous cloud of butterflies visits a city. The book reminds us of the grace and needs of others who share planet Earth. — Mary Quattlebaum