Are we simply the best?
What an incredible launch year 2020 has been for LQ. Last month, many of our books were named among the Best of 2020, and it feels so good! Is this what Schitt's Creek's David Rose felt as he was serenaded by his "butter-voiced beau?" We hope so!
Daniel Nayeri’s autobiographical novel Everything Sad Is Untrue (a true story), received a tornado of starred reviews (SEVEN in fact). Not only was it a National Indie Bestseller, The New York Times dubbed it “a modern masterpiece.” Did we mention he was also named one of the best books of 2020 by Publishers Weekly, BookPage, and Amazon?
Darcie Little Badger blew open the fantasy genre with her debut novel Elatsoe—which appeared on the National Indie Bestseller list for five weeks (and counting)! In addition to its FIVE starred reviews, Elatsoe was named one of The 100 Best Fantasy Novels of All Time by TIME.
Eric Gansworth’s memoir in verse, Apple (Skin to the Core), not only received THREE starred reviews, but also was named to the National Book Award Longlist for Young People’s Literature and one of TIME’s Best Books of 2020!
Donna Barba Higuera and Mike Jung made us LOL—each receiving TWO starred reviews. In a New York Times Book Review, Newbery Winner Erin Entrada Kelly, gushed that Lupe “offers something we all desperately need: light and laughter.”
This Old Dog written by Martha Brockenbrough and illustrated by Gabriel Alborozo received stars from Booklist and Shelf Awareness. Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal raved:
“this kind and lighthearted picture book will help readers appreciate the old dogs in their lives—even those not strictly of the canine variety.”
Little Fox by Edward van de Vendel illustrated by Marije Tolman—was named one of Kirkus’s Best Picture Books of 2020—while Bigger Than a Dream by Jef Aerts, illustrated by Marit Törnqvist earned a star from Booklist.
Peter Van Den Ende’s The Wanderer not only earned stars from Booklist and Kirkus it was named the winner of Dilys Evans Award by the Society of Illustrators and received a glowing review from Brian Selznick in The New York Times that was almost as stunning as the book itself.
We are honored to bring you some of the BEST BOOKS OF 2020!
Here’s to an incredible year ahead.
—Team LQ
EVERYTHING SAD IS UNTRUE (A TRUE STORY)
A National Indie Bestseller
PNBA Bestseller
An NPR Best Book of 2020
A New York Times Best Children's Book of 2020
An Amazon Best Book of the Year
An Amazon Best Book of the Month
A Booklist Editors’ Choice 2020
A BookPage Best Book of 2020
A NECBA Windows & Mirrors Selection
A NYPL Best Book for Kids 2020
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2020
A Wall Street Journal Best Book of 2020
CSMCL Best Multicultural Children's Books of 2020
Today.com’s Best Of 2020
PRAISE
“A modern masterpiece.”—The New York Times Book Review
“Supple, sparkling and original.”—The Wall Street Journal
“Groundbreaking…”—TODAY.com
“This book could change the world.”—BookPage
“Like nothing else you've read or ever will read.”—Linda Sue Park
“It hooks you right from the opening line.”—NPR
STARRED REVIEWS
★ “A modern epic.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
★ “A rare treasure of a book.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
★ “A story that soars.”—The Bulletin, starred review
★ “At once beautiful and painful.”—School Library Journal, starred review
★ “Raises the literary bar in children’s lit.” —Booklist, starred review
★ “Poignant and powerful.” —Foreword Reviews, starred review
★ “One of the most extraordinary books of the year.” —BookPage, starred review
ELATSOE
A National Indie Bestseller (5 weeks!)
PNBA Bestseller
TIME’s Best 100 Fantasy Books of All Time
An NPR Best Book of 2020
Booklist’s Top 10 First Novels for Youth
A BookPage Best Book of 2020
CPL’s "Best of the Best" List
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2020
A Buzzfeed's Best YA SFF Book of 2020
A Shelf Awareness Best Book of 2020
An AICL Best YA Book of 2020
A NECBA Windows & Mirrors Selection
A NEIBA Book Award Finalist
A Tor Best Book of 2020
A Kirkus Best YA Book of 2020
PRAISE
“Groundbreaking.” —TIME
“Deeply enjoyable from start to finish.”—NPR
“Utterly magical.” —SyFyWire
“Atmospheric and lyrical...a gorgeous work of art.”—BuzzFeed
“One of the best YA debuts of 2020. Read it."—Marieke Nijkamp
STARRED REVIEWS
★ “A fresh voice and perspective.”—Booklist, starred review
★ “A unique and powerful Native American voice.”–BookPage, starred review
★ “A brilliant, engaging debut.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
★ “A fast-paced murder mystery.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review
★ “A Lipan Apache Sookie Stackhouse for the teen set.” —Shelf-Awareness, starred review
APPLE (SKIN TO THE CORE)
National Book Award Longlist
TIME’s 10 Best YA and Children's Books of 2020
An NPR Best Book of 2020
Shelf Awareness's Best Books of 2020
Publishers Weekly’s Big Indie Books of Fall
Most Anticipated Book for Fall, Literary Hub
Most Anticipated Book for Fall, The Week
Amazon’s Best Book of the Month
An AICL Best YA Book of 2020
CSMCL Best Multicultural Children's Books of 2020
PRAISE
“Stirring…. Raw and moving.”—TIME
“Beautiful imagery and with words that soar and scald.”—The Buffalo News
“The kind of book bound to save lives.”—Literary Hub
“Eric’s verse is deeply affecting, punching a reader multiple times so that every poem leaves you gasping for air.”—The Young Folks
STARRED REVIEWS
★ “Timely and important.” —Booklist, starred review
★ “Searing yet dryly funny.” —The Bulletin, starred review
★ “Exceptional.” —Shelf-Awareness, starred review
★ "Captivating." —School Library Journal, starred review
🎧 The audio book for APPLE—narrated by Eric—was named an Earphones Award Winner! Listen here .
THE WANDERER
Society of Illustrators, Dilys Evans Founder’s Award Winner
A New York Times Best Children's Book of 2020
A Wall Street Journal Best Book of 2020
PRAISE
“Electrifying. Extraordinary. Enigmatic and gorgeous.”—The Wall Street Journal
“A gorgeous, wordless odyssey from one side of the world to another.” —The Wall Street Journal
“An epic dream captured in superbly meticulous detail.” —Shaun Tan
“Danger, magic, surprise and awe abound in this masterly, wordless debut”–The New York Times
“I love Van den Ende’s passion.” —Brian Selznick, New York Times Book Review
STARRED REVIEWS
★ “Marvelously engrossing—a triumph.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
★ “Remarkable. Absolutely sui generis.”—Booklist, starred review
LITTLE FOX
A Kirkus Best Picture Book of 2020
STARRED REVIEW
★ “A beautiful, fully realized dreamscape.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
THIS OLD DOG
An AARP Best Children's Book of 2020
One of the Best Picture Books of the Year from Evanston Public Library
PRAISE
“Joyful…kind and lighthearted.” —Wall Street Journal
“Evocative and touching and may have made me misty-eyed.”—Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
STARRED REVIEWS
★ “A celebration of toddler-dog love.”—Booklist (starred review)
★ “An adorable, heart-tugging dog-and-his-girl picture book.”—Shelf-Awareness (starred review)
BIGGER THAN A DREAM
PRAISE
“Touching and heartwarming.” —Toronto.com
STARRED REVIEWS
★ “A wondrous guide to young souls and their awakening sense of life, death, and emotion.”—Booklist, starred review.
LUPE WONG WON’T DANCE
PNBA Award Winner
A Best Children's Book of Year from Globe & Mail
A Booklist Editor’s Choice Best Books for Youth 2020
PRAISE
“Higuera has knocked it out of the park.”—Erin Entrada Kelly, The New York Times Book Review
STARRED REVIEWS
★ “A home run.” —Publisher Weekly, starred review
★ “A laugh-out-loud story about family, friendship, and the beauty in being true to yourself.”—Booklist, starred review
THE BOYS IN THE BACK ROW
STARRED REVIEWS
★ “[An] utter rejection of toxic masculinity.”—Booklist, starred review
★ “A touching, honest depiction of male friendship.” —School Library Journal, starred review
THE BIG QUESTIONS BOOK OF SEX AND CONSENT
STARRED REVIEW
★ “A well-considered, authoritative, and exhaustive look at a very complex subject.” —Booklist, starred review