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Smithsonian Magazine Best Books of the Year 2024

Smithsonian Magazine Best Books of the Year 2024 names 60 books across 6 categories. 11 of them also won or were shortlisted for an award.

Children's

  1. All About U.S. by Matt Lamothe and Jenny Volvovskisource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Animal Albums from A to Z by Cece Bellsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Emergency Quarters by Carlos Matiassource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Erno Rubik and His Magic Cube by Kerry Aradhyasource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Gaga Mistake Day by Emma Straub and Susan Straubsource (opens in a new tab)
  6. I Lived Inside a Whale by Xin Lisource (opens in a new tab)
  7. My Daddy Is a Cowboy by Stephanie Sealessource (opens in a new tab)
  8. The Book That Can Read Your Mind by Marianna Copposource (opens in a new tab)
  9. The Iguanodon's Horn by Sean Rubinsource (opens in a new tab)
  10. Treehouse Town by Gideon Sterersource (opens in a new tab)

Food

  1. A Call to Farms: Reconnecting to Nature, Food, and Community in a Modern World by Jennifer Graysonsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Bethlehem by Fadi Kattansource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Dac Biet by Nini Nguyen and Sarah Zornsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Frostbite by Nicola Twilleysource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Julia Child's Kitchen by Paula J. Johnsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  6. McAtlas by Gary Hesource (opens in a new tab)
  7. My Life in Recipes by Joan Nathansource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Our South by Ashleigh Shantisource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Slow Noodles by Chantha Nguonsource (opens in a new tab)
  10. The League of Kitchens Cookbook by Lisa Kyung Grosssource (opens in a new tab)

History

  1. Eden Undone by Abbott Kahlersource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Night Flyer by Tiya Milessource (opens in a new tab)
  3. No Road Leading Back by Chris Heathsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Silk by Aarathi Prasadsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. The Barn by Wright Thompsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  6. The Lost Queen by Sophie Shorlandsource (opens in a new tab)
  7. The Missing Thread by Daisy Dunnsource (opens in a new tab)
  8. The Playbook by James Shapirosource (opens in a new tab)
  9. The Wide Wide Sea by Hampton Sidessource (opens in a new tab)
  10. We Refuse by Kellie Carter Jacksonsource (opens in a new tab)

Photography

  1. Before Easter After by Patti Smith and Lynn Goldsmithsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. I’m So Happy You Are Here: Japanese Women Photographers from the 1950s to Now by Pauline Vermaresource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Juneteenth Rodeo by Sarah Birdsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Life Dances On: Robert Frank in Dialogue by Robert Franksource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Light in the Underworld by Martin Broensource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Manifest: Thirteen Colonies by Wendel Whitesource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Sea Beach by Ismail Ferdoussource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Snail World 2: Welcome to Slimetown by Aleia Murawski and Sam Copelandsource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Sons of the Living by Bryan Schutmaatsource (opens in a new tab)
  10. The Colorado River: Chasing Water by Pete McBridesource (opens in a new tab)

Science

  1. Becoming Earth by Ferris Jabrsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Challenger by Adam Higginbothamsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. How to Kill an Asteroid: The Real Science of Planetary Defense by Robin George Andrewssource (opens in a new tab)
  4. I Heard There Was A Secret Chord by Daniel J. Levitinsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Our Moon by Rebecca Boylesource (opens in a new tab)
  6. The Language Puzzle by Steven Mithensource (opens in a new tab)
  7. The Light Eaters by Zoë Schlangersource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Twelve Trees by Daniel Lewissource (opens in a new tab)
  9. What If We Get It Right? by Ayana Elizabeth Johnsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  10. Why We Remember by Charan Ranganathsource (opens in a new tab)

Travel

  1. A Walk in the Park by Kevin Fedarkosource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Atlas Obscura: Wild Life by Cara Giaimo and Joshua Foersource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Custodians of Wonder by Eliot Steinsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Finding Your Feet by Rhiane Fatinikunsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Local by Alastair Humphreyssource (opens in a new tab)
  6. My Vietnam, Your Vietnam by Christina Vo and Nghia M. Vosource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Slow Trains to Istanbul by Tom Chesshyresource (opens in a new tab)
  8. The New Tourist by Paige McClanahansource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Why We Travel by Ash Bhardwajsource (opens in a new tab)
  10. Wild Chocolate by Rowan Jacobsensource (opens in a new tab)

About the Smithsonian Magazine Best Books of the Year

Smithsonian magazine's year-end "Ten Best" subject lists, one category per list: History, Science, Travel, Food and Children's for 2017-2025, and Photography for 2017 and 2020-2025. Each list has ten books; none is ranked. The 2018 and 2019 best-books hubs link no photography list, so those years have none. robots.txt allows all agents, but Cloudflare blocks scripted fetches of smithsonianmag.com, so pages were read from copies. 2017-2019 lists and all Photography lists come from Wayback Machine copies of the Smithsonian articles. 2020-2025 History, Science, Travel, Food and Children's lists come from booklisti.com, which copies each article's full list and links back to it. 2024 History was checked against the Smithsonian article itself: booklisti adds an 11th book, Jon Grinspan's Wide Awake, which the article only mentions in its intro, so it is left out. 2017-2019 articles name books only through Amazon widgets. Their titles drop Amazon's subtitles and series tags, and their authors are Open Library's first-listed author for the linked ISBN (co-authors and illustrators dropped). Exceptions: two 2019 Science authors come from the article text (both linked to Kindle editions), and three Photography books whose heading names no author use a retailer listing (Sneaker Freaker: Simon Wood) or Open Library (I'm So Happy You Are Here: Pauline Vermare; Life Dances On: Robert Frank). booklisti titles and authors are kept, with corporate credits (Atlas Obscura, Britannica) and degree suffixes dropped and three all-caps entries fixed against Open Library. Not included: 2014-2016, where the Wayback Machine has only scattered lists; the Smithsonian scholars' favorite-books roundups, which are staff picks; and one-off gift guides.

Organization: Smithsonian magazine. Official site (opens in a new tab)

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