Four children’s books have been selected by the Canadian Children’s Book Centre for its twice-yearly publication of Best Books for Kids & Teens. The titles are: Everton Miles is Stranger Than Me by Philippa Dowding; In Over Her Head by Melody Fitzpatrick; Missing Piece by Robert Priest; and White Jade Tiger (second edition) by Julie Lawson.

Everton Miles is Dowding’s follow up to her Red Maple-shortlisted book The Strange Gift of Gwendolyn Golden, which follows night-flying teens Gwendolyn and Everton. In Over Her Head is the third in Fitzpatrick’s Hannah Smart series, featuring precocious preteen heroine Hannah who loves being in the spotlight. Missing Piece is the final book in Priest’s Spell Crossed series, in which his fantasy world has been praised for its “stellar construction” by School Library Journal. And finally, White Jade Tiger is the new edition of Julie Lawson’s Sheila A. Egoff Children’s Literature Prize-winning story, re-releasing for its 25th anniversary.  

Best Books for Kids & Teens is your guide to the best new Canadian books, magazines, audio and video for children and teens. Whether you’re stocking a bookshelf in a classroom, library or at home, every title in this guide has been given the Canadian Children’s Book Centre’s stamp of approval.

Expert committees of educators, booksellers, school and public librarians from across Canada have handpicked the materials listed below. Committees look for excellence in writing, illustration or performance. Most importantly, these committees focus on selecting materials that will appeal to children and young adults.