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The Horn Book

Horn Book Fanfare 2023

Horn Book Fanfare 2023 names 54 books across 5 categories. 17 of them also won or were shortlisted for an award.

Fiction

  1. An Impossible Thing to Say by Arya Shahisource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Big Tree by Brian Selznicksource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Courage to Dream: Tales of Hope in the Holocaust by Neal Shustermansource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Elena Rides by Juana Medinasource (opens in a new tab)
  5. For Lamb by Lesa Cline-Ransomesource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Henry, like Always by Jenn Baileysource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Let’s Go! by Michael Emberleysource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Link + Hud: Heroes by a Hair by Jarrett Pumphrey and Jerome Pumphreysource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Only Only Marisol Rainey by Erin Entrada Kellysource (opens in a new tab)
  10. Parachute Kids by Betty C. Tangsource (opens in a new tab)
  11. Stateless by Elizabeth Weinsource (opens in a new tab)
  12. The Blood Years by Elana K. Arnoldsource (opens in a new tab)
  13. The Notorious Scarlett and Browne by Jonathan Stroudsource (opens in a new tab)
  14. Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulleysource (opens in a new tab)
  15. Wishing Season by Anica Mrose Rissisource (opens in a new tab)
  16. World Made of Glass by Ami Polonskysource (opens in a new tab)

Folklore

  1. Ancient Night by David Álvarez with David Bowlessource (opens in a new tab)
  2. The Skull: A Tyrolean Folktale by Jon Klassensource (opens in a new tab)

Nonfiction

  1. 83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary by Don Brownsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. An American Story by Kwame Alexandersource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Chinese Menu: The History, Myths, and Legends Behind Your Favorite Foods by Grace Linsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Coretta’s Journey: The Life and Times of Coretta Scott King by Alice Faye Duncansource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Game of Freedom: Mestre Bimba and the Art of Capoeira by Duncan Tonatiuhsource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Great Carrier Reef by Jessica Stremersource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Impossible Escape: A True Story of Survival and Heroism in Nazi Germany by Steve Sheinkinsource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Mexikid: A Graphic Memoir by Pedro Martínsource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Run and Hide: How Jewish Youth Escaped the Holocaust by Don Brownsource (opens in a new tab)
  10. Sunshine by Jarrett J. Krosoczkasource (opens in a new tab)
  11. The Last Plastic Straw: A Plastic Problem and Finding Ways to Fix It by Dee Romitosource (opens in a new tab)
  12. There Was a Party for Langston by Jason Reynoldssource (opens in a new tab)
  13. They Hold the Line: Wildfires, Wildlands, and the Firefighters Who Brave Them by Dan Paleysource (opens in a new tab)
  14. Tomfoolery!: Randolph Caldecott and the Rambunctious Coming-of-Age of Children’s Books by Michelle Markelsource (opens in a new tab)
  15. Yoshi, Sea Turtle Genius: A True Story About an Amazing Swimmer by Lynne Coxsource (opens in a new tab)

Picture Books

  1. A Walk in the Woods by Nikki Grimessource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Afikomen by Tziporah Cohensource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Bear with Me by Kerascoëtsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Big by Vashti Harrisonsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Cape by Kevin Johnsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Do You Remember? by Sydney Smithsource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Friends Beyond Measure by Lalena Fishersource (opens in a new tab)
  8. I’m From by Gary R. Graysource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Maybe a Whale by Kirsten Pendreighsource (opens in a new tab)
  10. Mine! by Candace Flemingsource (opens in a new tab)
  11. My Baba’s Garden by Jordan Scottsource (opens in a new tab)
  12. My Powerful Hair by Carole Lindstromsource (opens in a new tab)
  13. Nesting Dolls by Vanessa Brantley-Newtonsource (opens in a new tab)
  14. Night in the City by Julie Downingsource (opens in a new tab)
  15. Once upon a Book by Grace Lin and Kate Messnersource (opens in a new tab)
  16. Spanish Is the Language of My Family by Michael Genhartsource (opens in a new tab)
  17. The Hospital Book by Lisa Brownsource (opens in a new tab)
  18. We Are Here by Tami Charlessource (opens in a new tab)
  19. When You Can Swim by Jack Wongsource (opens in a new tab)
  20. When the Stars Came Home by Brittany Lubysource (opens in a new tab)

Poetry

  1. Remember by Joy Harjosource (opens in a new tab)

About the Horn Book Fanfare

The Horn Book Magazine's annual Fanfare list of the year's best children's and young adult books, chosen by its editors and reviewers. Read from hbook.com's own Fanfare pages through Wayback Machine snapshots, because hbook.com blocks automated fetches; each sourceUrl is the snapshot used. 2006-2018 come from the annotated Fanfare articles, 2019-2025 from the Fanfare booklist pages. Year is the year in the list's name (books of that year); it is announced in December. Category is Horn Book's own section (Picture Books, Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Folklore). Every entry is a Selection. Author is the writer; for wordless or author-illustrated books it is the illustrator. Series names Horn Book prints in brackets after a title are dropped. Expected counts are the titles printed under each section on the cited page; for 2006-2018 they match the number of review citations on the page.

Organization: The Horn Book. Official site (opens in a new tab)

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