Tag Archives: Best of 2022

Hoboken Public Library’s 2022 Best Books for Kids and Teens

28 Dec

Easy Readers
Sir Ladybug
by Corey R. Tabor
Sir Ladybug is a gentle knight who, along with his friends, is called on  a quest to rescue a caterpillar from being eaten by a hungry chickadee. This funny story offers a good start for young readers.

Princess in Black and  Mermaid Princess
by Shannon Hale
The Princess in Black and her friends are enjoying a day of sun and sea on the royal boat when a real, live mermaid Princess  emerges from the waves. She needs their help protecting her sea goats from being eaten by a greedy kraken. 

Max and the Midknights: Tower of Time no. 3
by Lincoln Peirce
Max’s twin sister Mary is public enemy number one and has gone missing. It’s up to Max and the Midknights to find her and avoid crossing paths with trolls, pirates, and ruthless Kings.  

Mr. Lemoncello’s Very First Game
by Chris Grabenstein
A 13 year-old boy named Luigi Lemoncello dreams of being a showman. He gets his chance when a carnival comes to town and a famous barker offers him a summer job involving a puzzle and treasure hunt.  

Pilar Ramirez and the Escape from Zafa
by Julian Randall
While researching her documentary about her missing cousin, 12 yearold Pilar is transported to the magical island of Zafa. Here Dominican myths and legends come to life and her cousin is being held captive in a prison.

Different Kinds of Fruit
Kyle Lukoff
Annabelle enters the 6th grade and makes friends with Bailey, the new nonbinary kid in town. Then she discovers that her father has something in common with Bailey and she begins to see herself and her family in a whole new light.

Board books
Hello, Beautiful You!
by Andrea Davis Pinkey
This sweet book celebrates just how beautiful your little one is! Perfect to read while snuggling up together, this book is filled with rhythmic text and delightful illustrations that celebrate your little one.

Tummy Time
Your little one will love this interactive, double-sided book that engages their senses. Filled with vivid images, a mirror, as well as instructions parents can do with their little ones.  It’s exactly as the name suggests, taken up to new heights.

Picture books
Beauty Woke
by NoNieqa Ramos
Beauty – who is of Taino Indian, African and Boricua heritage is raised by her loving family to have pride in who she is and where she comes from. But hatred toward people who look like her bruises her heart.

Out of a Jar
by Deborah Marcero
Llewellyn, a little bunny overwhelmed by his emotions, hides away his feelings in glass jars. Then he discovers it’s not good to bottle up your feelings and life is more colorful when he sets his emotions free.

The Year We Learned to Fly
by Jacqueline Woodson 
A brother and sister are stuck inside on a rainy day.  Bored, they are told by their wise grandmother to use their minds. Using their imaginations, they are able to fly high above the city

Eyes that Speak to the Stars
by Joanna Ho
A young Asian boy notices that his eyes look different from his peers’. His father tells him that his eyes rise to the skies and speak to the stars, shine like sunlit rays, & glimpse trails of light from those who came before.

Teen
Nothing More to Tell
by Karen M. McManus
Four years ago, Brynn left St. Ambrose School following the shocking murder of her favorite teacher. The story made headlines after the teacher’s body was found by three students in the woods behind the school. 

Kingdom of the Feared
by Kerri Maniscalo
Emilia is determined to clear her sister’s name when she is implicated in the murder of a high-ranking member of a rival demon court. Her investigation forces her to face the demons of her own past and challenge the Prince of Wrath. 

Never Coming Home
by Kate Williams Ten teen influencers arrive on Unknown Island expecting to find a tropical paradise, but instead they discover a deserted resort, poisonous snakes, and secrets worth killing for. Will anyone survive?  

Once Upon a K-Prom
by Kat Cho
Instead of going to prom, 17 year-old Elena wants to spend her time saving the local community center. Then, her childhood best friend, now a Kpop superstar, returns to make good on their old pact to attend prom together. 

This Woven Kingdom
by Tahereh Mafi
A romance between two main characters with roots in Persian mythology. The story follows Alizeh, heir to the Jinn crown, forced to seek refuge as a servant girl to evade those who would have her killed.

The Agathas
by Kathleen Glasgow
Set against the backdrop of a wealthy oceanside town, this story follows two teenage girls – rich and popular Alice and her less popular, less rich tutor, Iris – as they work together to solve the murder of Alice’s exbest friend. 

The Final Gambit
by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Avery’s fortune, life, and loves are on the line in the game that everyone will be talking about. To inherit billions, all Avery has to do is survive a few more weeks living in Hawthorne House, but the paparazzi are dogging her.

I Kissed Shara Wheeler
by Casey McQuiston
Chloe moves to Alabama and discovers she is the only student at her Catholic high school who is openly queer. She makes it her goal to become valedictorian, but must compete with the most popular girl at school.

Gallant
by V.E. Schwab
This atmospheric tale follows the story of Olivia, a young girl living at Merilance School for Girls. Her mother disappeared and she has spent her days bring taunted by girls at school. Then, she is sent to live at Gallant, the family estate. 

You can view HPL’s top picks for adults here.

Children Picks From:
Melissa Medina, Youth Services Senior Library Assistant
Teen Picks From:
Jenn Sforza, Young Adult Librarian


HPL’s Best Adult Fiction and Non-Fiction Books of 2022

7 Dec

Adult Fiction
Demon Copperhead
by Barbara Kingsolver
The teenage son of an Appalachian single mother, who dies when he is 11, uses his good looks, wit, and instincts to survive foster care, child labor, addiction, disastrous loves and crushing losses.

Dreamland
by Nicholas Sparks
A poignant love story about two young people who risk everything for a dream and try to leave the past behind. They will navigate the exhilarating heights and heartbreak of first love.

Lessons
by Ian McEwan
The story of one man’s life across generations and historical upheavals from his childhood in a boarding school to his marriage. As he searches for his vanished wife, he is forced to confront his restless existence.

The Last Chairlift
by John Irving
A young man moves from N.H. to Aspen, Colo., where he was conceived, to learn the truth about his mother, a former slalom skier and ski instructor. He meets some ghosts there involving his past.

Lucy by the Sea
by Elizabeth Strout
As the pandemic forces the world into lockdown, Lucy is uprooted from her life in NYC and whisked away to a small town in Maine by her exhusband. For several months, they relive their complex past together.

Mad Honey
Jodi Picoult
A married woman uproots from her ideal life in Boston to return to her hometown in N.H. to start over. Her teenage son then becomes a suspect in a murder when his new girlfriend is suspiciously killed.

Our Missing Hearts
by Celeste Ng
A 12 year-old Asian boy receives a mysterious letter and sets out on a quest to find his mother, a ChineseAmerican poet who left when he was nine. His journey leads him to NYC where a new act of defiance may bring about change.

Marriage Portrait
by Maggie O’Farrell
A compelling story about the young duchess Lucrezia de Medici who is thrust into the limelight upon the death of her older sister. She must adjust to an unfamiliar court where she’s not universally welcomed.

The Night Ship
by Jess Kidd
In 1629, a young orphaned girl is bound for the Dutch East Indies on the Batavia, one of the greatest ships of the Dutch Golden Age. She spends the long journey searching for a mythical monster above and below deck.

The Passenger
by Cormac McCarthy
After a plane crash in 1980, a salvage diver discovers that the pilot’s flight bag, the plane’s black box, and the 10th passenger are missing. He is drawn into a conspiracy beyond his understanding.

The Rabbit Hutch
by Tess Gunty
An odd assortment of residents are struggling to survive in a low-cost and crumbling housing complex in the postindustrial Midwest. A bizarre act of violence finally changes all of their trapped and lonely lives forever.

The Winners
by Fredrik Backman
Two young Swedish people return to their small forest town and reunite with childhood friends. A new ice rink has been built, which has given folks optimism. However, an act of violence may change the mood.

Adult Nonfiction
Starry Messenger
by Neil deGrasse Tyson
Tyson brings his cosmic perspective to civilization on Earth by shining new light on the crucial fault lines of our times: war, politics, religion, truth, beauty, gender, and race. His views stimulate a deeper sense of unity for us all.

And There Was Light
by Jon Meacham
This illuminating new portrait of Lincoln and the American struggle shows a very human, yet imperfect man. His moral antislavery commitment was essential to the story of justice in America.

The Queen: Her Life
by Andrew Morton
An in-depth look at Britain’s longest reigning monarch and how she influenced both Britain and the world for much of the last century, This reluctant, but resolute Queen was one of the greatest sovereigns of the modern era.

The Light We Carry
by Michelle Obama
A series of fresh stories and insightful reflections on change, challenge, and power. She shares the habits and principles she has developed to successfully adapt to change and overcome various obstacles.

Year of the Tiger
by Alice Wong
Essays, conversations, graphics, and photos are used as a scrapbook of Wong’s life as an Asian American disabled activist. She traces her origins, tells her story, and creates a space for disabled people to be in conversation with each other.

Finding Me
by Viola Davis
An emotional story from a crumbling apartment in R.I. to the stage in NYC and beyond. Awardwinning actress and icon, Davis examines her life journey with honesty & humility.

Invisible Kingdom
by Meghan O’Rourke
A landmark exploration of the rise of chronic illness and autoimmune diseases. These diseases are poorly understood, marginalized, and undiagnosed. A revealing investigation into “invisible” illnesses.

Books are available in print from BCCLS libraries and as ebooks from eBCCLS and/or eLibraryNJ.

Written by:
Ethan Galvin
Information and Digital Services Librarian