The best books of 2023

This list is part of the best books of 2023.

Join 1,707 readers and share your 3 favorite reads of the year.

My favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of The Probability Of Everything

Shannon Hitchcock Why did I love this book?

The premise of The Probability of Everything is that an asteroid will destroy the Earth in a matter of days, and eleven-year-old Kemi Carter decides to make a time capsule.

She hopes someday, aliens will find it so that her family will never be forgotten.

This novel appealed to me because, with the pandemic and subsequent quarantine, it indeed seemed like the end of the world as we knew it. My favorite part of this book is the ending. I guarantee you won’t see it coming!

By Sarah Everett,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Probability Of Everything as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.

What is this book about?

A heart-wrenching middle grade debut about Kemi, an aspiring scientist who loves statistics and facts, as she navigates grief and loss at a moment when life as she knows it changes forever.

Eleven-year-old Kemi Carter loves scientific facts, specifically probability. It's how she understands the world and her place in it. Kemi knows her odds of being born were 1 in 5.5 trillion, and that the odds of her having the best family ever were even lower. Yet somehow, Kemi lucked out.

But everything Kemi thought she knew changes when she sees an asteroid hover in the sky, casting a…


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My 2nd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Stay

Shannon Hitchcock Why did I love this book?

I love Stay because it is about a dog and a serious topic that affects a lot of families-homelessness.

The book is narrated by a young girl named Piper whose family has fallen on hard times. Piper lives in a homeless shelter with her mom, dad, and younger brother.

The other narrator is a little dog called Baby. Baby lives with his person, Jewel in a nearby park since the shelter doesn’t allow pets. When Jewel develops pneumonia and is hospitalized, it’s up to Piper to save Baby and help Jewel get back on her feet.

By Bobbie Pyron,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Stay as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 9, 10, 11, and 12.

What is this book about?

Fans of Pax and A Dog’s Way Home will love this heartwarming story of a girl living in a shelter and the homeless dog she’s determined to reunite with his family, now available in paperback.

Piper’s life is turned upside down when her family moves into a shelter in a whole new city. She misses her house, her friends, and her privacy—and she hates being labeled the homeless girl at her new school.

But while Hope House offers her new challenges, it also brings new friendships, like the girls in Firefly Girls Troop 423 and a sweet street dog named…


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My 3rd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Lucky Broken Girl

Shannon Hitchcock Why did I love this book?

Lucky Broken Girl is about overcoming adversity and finding hope. 

Ruthie Mizrahi and her family immigrated from Cuba to New York City. Immigration brings lots of new challenges, especially learning a new language. Ruthie is adjusting fairly well until she’s in a car accident and breaks her leg. As part of her recovery, Ruthie gets a body cast that stretches all the way from her chest to her toes. 

I read this book because my sister, Robin, was also in a car accident and ended up in the same kind of cast as Ruthie. My sister’s accident was the inspiration for my novel. I was curious to see how two different authors handled the same storyline.

By Ruth Behar,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Lucky Broken Girl as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 10, 11, 12, and 13.

What is this book about?

Winner of the 2018 Pura Belpre Award!

"A book for anyone mending from childhood wounds."-Sandra Cisneros, author of The House on Mango Street

In this unforgettable multicultural coming-of-age narrative-based on the author's childhood in the 1960s-a young Cuban-Jewish immigrant girl is adjusting to her new life in New York City when her American dream is suddenly derailed. Ruthie's plight will intrigue readers, and her powerful story of strength and resilience, full of color, light, and poignancy, will stay with them for a long time.

Ruthie Mizrahi and her family recently emigrated from Castro's Cuba to New York City. Just when…


Don‘t forget about my book 😀

Ruby Lee and Me

By Shannon Hitchcock,

Book cover of Ruby Lee and Me

What is my book about?

Everything's changing for Sarah Beth Willis. After Robin's tragic accident, everyone seems different somehow.

Days on the farm aren't the same, and the simple fun of riding a bike or playing outside can be scary. And there's talk in town about the new sixth-grade teacher at Shady Creek. Word is spreading quickly—Mrs. Smyre is like no other teacher anyone has ever seen. She's the first African-American teacher.

It's 1969, and while black folks and white folks are cordial, having a black teacher at an all-white school is a strange new happening. For Sarah Beth, there are so many unanswered questions. What is all this talk about Freedom Riders and school integration?