My “have read” 2021 book list

I love books. Here I’m listing the books I’ve read this year – trying to post each one once even if I’ve read it more than once in the year. I hope you find a title here that interests you. NOTE: if there are any you’d like to purchase please go to my page BUY THE BOOK! to see if it is listed there. You can follow direct links, making it easier for you.

In blue I’ve indicated which books are reviewed here on my blog. Also, any book I have marked *(ARC)* is an Advanced Reading Copy I was given in exchange for my free and honest review.

In green are the books I’ve read that are usually middle grade (not picture books, which are left in black, but may be story books with pictures), or YA and adult novels. Some are audio books or specifically from Audible.com, and a few are ebooks.

My reading interests vary widely. If you’re interested in any titles on this list or are encouraged to read more, do let me know! If you have suggestions of what would look good in my reading stash I’d love to hear about it so I can add it to my private to-be-read list.

HAPPY READING! 🙂

JANUARY 2021:

1. The Alice Network – by Kate Quinn
2. Upside Down Babies – by Jeanne Willis
3. The Great Alone – by Kristin Harris
4. Blue Chicken – by Deborah Freedman
5. Guess Who’s Coming to Santa’s For Dinner? – by Tomie dePaola
6. Jimmy the Greatest! – by Jairo Buitrago
7. When Winter Comes: discovering wildlife in our snowy woods – by Aimee Bissonette
8. Arthur’s Christmas Cookies – by Lillian Hoban
9. Tarra and Bella: the Elephant and Dog Who Became Best Friends – by Carol Buckley
10. Bella’s Tree – by Janet Russell
11. Christmas Tapestry – by Patricia Polacco
12. Have You Seen My Duckling? – by Nancy Tafuri
13. Wintercake – by Lynne Rae Perkins
14. A Cookie For Santa – by Stephanie Shaw
15. The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree: an Appalachian story – by Gloria Houston
16. My Little House ABC – by Laura Ingalls Wilder
17. The Snow Dancer – by Addie Boswell
18. Good Dog Carl and the Baby Elephant – by Alexandra Day
19. What Riley Wore – by Elana K. Arnold
20. Pier 21: a history – by Steven Schwinghamer
21. When a Child is Born: a Chronicles of St. Mary’s short story – by Jodi Taylor
22. Tiny T. Rex and the Very Dark Dark – by Jonathan Stutzman
23. Lift – by Minh Le
24. Lighthouse Christmas – by Toni Buzzeo
25. Hippos Are Huge! – by Jonathan London
26. The Truth About Dragons – by Thomas Kingsley Troupe
27. Home in the Woods – by Eliza Wheeler
28. Maisy At the Farm – by Lucy Cousins
29. Behind the Bookcase: Miep Gies, Anne Frank, and the Hiding Place – by Barbara Lowell
30. The Twenty-Four Days Before Christmas – by Madeleine L’Engle
31. Father Christmas Goes on Holiday – by Raymond Briggs
32. Art & Max – by David Wiesner
33. Dasher – by Matt Travares
34. Noisy Night – by Mac Barnett
35. The Cool Bean – by Jory John
36. 111 Trees: How One Village Celebrates the Birth of Every Girl – by Rina Singh
37. Under My Hood I Have a Hat – by Karla Kuskin
38. Sunshine and Snowballs – by Margaret Wise Brown
39. The Truth About Princesses – by Nancy Kelly Allen
40. If I Ran the Circus – by Dr. Seuss
41. Tree of Cranes – by Allen Say
42. Welcome Comfort – by Patricia Polacco
43. Llama Llama Holiday Drama – by Anna Dewdney
44. Jingle Bells – by Susan Jeffers
45. The Broken Ornament – by Tony DiTerlizzi
46. Christmas Trolls – by Jan Brett
47. Santa Never Brings Me a Banjo – by David Myles
48. 100 Snowmen – by Jennifer Arena
49. The Truth About Fairies – by Angelique J. Johnson
50. Puff the Magic Dragon – by Peter Yarrow
51. Now It Is Winter – by Eileen Spinelli
52. A Confused Hanukkah: an original story of Chelm – by Jon Koons
53. Back to Front and Upside Down – by Claire Alexander
54. Fin M’Coul: the Giant of Knockmany Hill – retold by Tomie dePaola
55. Waiting for Snow – by Marsha Diane Arnold
56. Around One Log: Chipmunks, Spiders, and Creepy Insiders – by Anthony D. Fredericks
57. The Hike – by Alison Farrell
58. Catherine, Called Birdy – by Karen Cushman
    

FEBRUARY 2021:

1. My Brilliant Friend – by Elena Farrante
2. The Answer Is … Reflections on my Life – by Alex Trebek
3. The Enemy: a book about peace – by Davide Cali
4. Yanni Rubbish – by Shulamith Levey Oppenheim
5. Love Is – by Diane Adams
6. Swashby and the Sea – by Beth Ferry
7. A Bike Like Sergio’s – by Maribeth Boelts
8. Sneezy the Snowman – by Maureen Wright
9. It Came in the Mail – by Ben Clanton
10. Cozy – by Jan Brett
11. Erika’s Story – by Ruth Vander Zee
12. A Big Guy Took My Ball – by Mo Willems
13. Snow Song – by A.K. Riley
14. Winter Lullaby – by Barbara Seuling
15. Pay It Forward Kids: Small Acts, Big Change – by Nancy Runstedler
16. Good Mothers Don’t – by Laura Best
17. A Soldier’s Sketchbook: The illustrated First World War diary of R.H. Rabjohn – by John Wilson
18. You Had Me At Hola – by Alexis Daria
19. Olaf’s Night Before Christmas – by Jessica Julius
20. I Really Want the Cake – by Simon Philip
21. Father Christmas – by Raymond Briggs
22. Animals Brag About Their Bottoms – by Make Saito
23. Your Name is a Song – by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow
24. The Hundred-Year Barn – by Patricia MacLachlan
25. I Can Be Anything! Don’t Tell Me I Can’t – by Diane Dillon
26. Giraffe Problems – by Jory John
27. Snowman’s Story – by Will Hillenbrand
28. Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang – by Kate Wilhelm
29. Uncommon Danger – by Eric Ambler
30. The Going to Bed Book – by Sandra Boynton
31. Snowball Soup – by Mercer Meyer
32. Who’s Got Game? – by Toni Morrison & Slade Morrison
33. Mommy’s Khimar – by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow
34. Simon at the Art Museum – by Christina Soontornvat
35. Guts – by Raina Telgemeier
36. Schnitzel: a cautionary tale for lazy louts – by Stephanie Shaw
37. White Fragility: Why it’s so Hard to Talk to White People About Racism – by Robin DiAngelo
38. Just Breathe: meditation, mindfulness, movement, and more – by Mallika Chopra
39. Krambambuli: a memoir – by Syr Ruus
40. Mirabel’s Missing Valentines – by Janet Lawler
41. Groundhog’s Dilemma – by Kristen Remenar
42. St. George and the Dragon – by Beth Andrews
43. Monsters Eat Whiny Children – by Bruce Eric Kaplan
44. Froggy’s First Kiss – by Jonathan London
45. The Christmas Gift – by Francisco Jimenez
46. Animal Grossapedia – by Melissa Stewart
47. Crazy Hair – by Neil Gaiman
48. Ryan and Jimmy and the well in Africa that brought them together – by Herb Shoveller

MARCH 2021:

1. Dozens of Doughnuts – by Carrie Finison
2. Bedtime for Sweet Creatures – by Nikki Grimes
3. At the Mountain’s Base – by Traci Sorell
4. The Lady With the Books: a Story Inspired by the Remarkable Work of Jella Lepman – by Kathy Stinson
5. Overground Railroad – by Lesa Cline-Ransome
6. Chirri & Chirra: The Snowy Day – by Kaya Doi
7. The Fly – by Elise Gravel
8. One Dark Night – by Lisa Wheeler
9. The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit – by Sloan Wilson
10. ‘Ohana Means Family – by Ilima Loomis
11. I Am Darn Tough – by Licia Morelli
12. I’ll Love You Till the Cows Come Home – by Kathryn Cristaldi
13. Princess Puffybottom … and Darryl – by Susin Nielsen
14. Birdsong – by Julie Flett
15. When Grandpa Gives You a Toolbox – by Jamie L.B. Deenihan
16. Love is Powerful – by Heather Dean Brewer
17. The Women Who Caught the Babies – by Eloise Greenfield
18. A New Green Day – by Antoinette Portis
19. Their Eyes Were Watching God – by Zora Neale Hurston
20. I Talk Like a River – by Jordan Scott
21. With Any Luck, I’ll Drive a Truck – by David Friend
22. Here Comes Valentine Cat – by Deborah Underwood
23. A Bedtime for Bear – by Bonny Becker
24. Over at the Castle – by Boni Ashburn
25. Fry Bread – by Kevin Noble Maillard
26. I’m Trying to Love Math – by Bethany Barton
27. How to Give Your Cat a Bath: in five easy steps – by Nicola Winstanley
28. My Papi Has a Motorcycle – by Isabel Quintero
29. The Tree Lady: the true story of how one tree-loving woman changed a city forever – by H. Joseph Hopkins
30. Dinosaur Lady: the daring discoveries of Mary Anning, the first paleontologist – by Linda Skeers
31. Frida – by Jonah Winter
32. Big Magic: creative living beyond fear – by Elizabeth Gilbert
33. Our House is on Fire: Scenes of a Family and a Planet in Crisis – by Malena Ernman
34. Wilma Unlimited: how Wilma Rudolph became the world’s fastest runner – by Kathleen Krull
35. Tomas and the Library Lady – by Pat Mora
36. Giant Squid – by Candace Fleming
37. Francesco Tirelli’s Ice Cream Shop – by Tamar Meir
38. Night Walk to the Sea: a story about Rachel Carson, Earth’s protector – by Deborah Wiles
39. Ruby’s Hope: a story of how the famous “Migrant Mother” photograph became the face of the Great Depression – by Monica Kulling
40. My Hair is Magic – by M.L. Marroquin
41. Your Place in the Universe – by Jason Chin
42. Parker Looks Up: an extraordinary moment – by Parker Curry & Jessica Curry
43. Magic Ramen: the story of Momofuku Ando – by Andrea Wang
44. We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga – by Traci Sorell
45. Dirt Cheap – by Mark Hoffmann
46. Honeybee: the busy life of Apis Mellifera – by Candace Fleming
47. Lights Out – by Marsha Diane Arnold
48. The Very Impatient Caterpillar – by Ross Burach
49. Smell My Foot! – by Cece Bell
50. The Happy Book – by Andy Rash
51. Lenny the Lobster Can’t Stay for Dinner – by Finn Buckley
52. The Boy and the Gorilla – by Jackie Azua Kramer
53. Lumber Jills: The Unsung Heroines of World War II – by Alexandra Davis
54. You Matter – by Christian Robinson
55. Evelyn del Ray is Moving Away – by Meg Medina
56. The Calculating Stars – by Mary Robinette Kowal
57. Chicken Little: The Real and Totally True Tale – by Sam Wedelich
58. Catch That Chicken! – by Atinuke
59. The Camping Trip – by Jennifer K. Mann
60. The Wanderer – by Peter van den Ende
61. Nana Akua Goes to School – by Tricia Elam Walker
62. Do I Have to Wear a Coat? – Rachel Isadora
63. Our House is on Fire: Greta Thunberg’s Call to Save the Planet – by Jeanette Winter
64. The Mess That We Made – by Michelle Lord
65. Earth Hour: A Lights-Out Event For Our Planet – by Nanette Heffernan
66. Freedom in Congo Square – by Carole Boston Weatherford
67. Dreamers – by Yuyi Morales
68. A Hundred Billion Trillion Stars – by Seth Fishman
69. Tiny Creatures: the World of Microbes – by Nicola Davies
70. Julian is a Mermaid – by Jessica Love
71. Before Green Gables – by Budge Wilson
72. The Stuff of Stars – by Marion Dane Bauer
73. All Because You Matter – by Tami Charles
74. The Undefeated – by Kwame Alexander
75. Crown: and ode to the fresh cut – by Derrick Barnes
76. I Am Farmer: Growing an Environmental Movement in Cameroon – by Baptiste Paul & Miranda Paul
77. You Are Light – by Aaron Becker
78. Cow Says Meow – by Kirsti Call
79. Bear Snores On – by Karma Wilson
80. The Curious Garden – by Peter Brown
81. The Lion and the Mouse – retold by Jerry Pinkney
82. Fletcher and the Falling Leaves – by Tiphanie Beeke
83. Planting a Rainbow – by Lois Ehlert
84. Love You Forever – by Robert Munsch
85. Making Their Voices Heard – by Vivian Kirkfield
86. Snow Friends – by Margery Cuyler
87. I Am Every Good Thing – by Derrick Barnes
88. The Remember Balloons – by Jessie Oliveros
89. Can I Be Your Dog? – by Troy Cummings
90. Escargot – by Dashka Slater
91. A Different Pond – by Bao Phi
92. What a Waste: trash, recycling, and protecting our planet – by Jess French
93. From Archie to Zack – by Vincent X. Kirsch
94. Potato Pants! – by Laurie Keller
95. The Bad Seed – by Jory John
96. Spring Stinks – by Ryan T. Higgins
97. Bob, Not Bob! – by Liz Garton Scanlon
98. Dragon Was Terrible – by Kelly DiPucchio
99. Little Blue and Little Yellow – by Leo Lionni
100. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom – by Bill Martin Jr.
101. I Am Strong: a little book about Rosa Parks – by Brad Meltzer
102. Bear Outside – by Jane Yolen
103. When We Were Alone – by David A. Robertson
104. On Account of the Gum – by Adam Rex
105. Me and You and the Red Canoe – by Jean E. Pendziwol
106. Ode to an Onion: Pablo Neruda & His Muse – by Alexandria Giardino
107. Finding Wild – by Megan Wagner Lloyd
108. One Dark Bird – by Liz Garton Scanlon
109. Angus All Aglow – by Heather Smith
110. The Nest That Wren Built – by Randi Sonenshine
111. Shawn Loves Sharks – by Curtis Manley
112. A House That Once Was – by Julie Fogliano
113. Yellow Time – by Lauren Stringer
114. Owl Moon – by Jane Yolen
115. A Dance Like Starlight: one ballerina’s dream – by Kristy Dempsey
116. No Fuzzball! – by Isabella Kung
117. I Love You to the Moon and Back – by Amelia Hepworth
118. You Are My I Love You – by Maryann K. Cusimano
119. I Love You More – by Michelle Courtney
120. The Going To Bed Book – by Sandra Boynton
121. We Are Water Protectors – by Carole Lindstrom
122. The Little Blue Cottage – by Kelly Jordan
123. The Magical Yet – by Angela DiTerlizzi
124. Lubna and Pebble – by Wendy Meddour
125. Rosie and the Dragon Make Waves – by Lauren H. Kerstein
126. Wood, Wire, Wings: Emma Lilian Todd Invents an Airplane – by Kirsten W. Larson
127. What’s the Magic Word? – by Kelly DiPucchio
128. Winter is the Warmest Season – by Lauren Stringer

APRIL 2021:

1. The City in the Middle of the Night – by Charlie Jane Anders
2. Reagandoodle & Little Buddy – by Sandi Swiridoff
3. The Best Thing About Valentines – Eleanor Hudson
4. Click, Clack, Moo: I Love You! – by Doreen Cronin
5. Nine Months: Before a Baby is Born – by Miranda Paul
6. The Blue House – by Phoebe Wahl
7. Henry Holton Takes the Ice – by Sandra Bradley
8. Just For Elephants – by Carol Buckley
9. The Stationery Shop – by Marjan Kamali
10. What About Moose? – by Corey Rosen Schwartz
11. Shark vs Train – by Chris Barton
12. Naughty Ninja Takes a Bath – By Todd Tarpley
13. Titan and the Wild Boars: the true cave rescue of the Thai soccer team – by Susan Hood
14. The Bear in My Family – by Maya Tatsukaura
15. Finding Spring – by Carin Berger
16. Mable: a Mermaid Fable – by Rowboat Watkins
17. Shi-shi-etko – by Nicola I. Campbell
18. Green on Green – by Dianne White
19. The Bear Ate Your Sandwich – by Julia Sareone-Roach
20. On Our Way to Oyster Bay: Mother Jones and her march for children’s rights – by Monica Kulling
21. Something’s Wrong!: a bear, a hare and some underwear – by Jory John
22. The Gruffalo – by Julia Donaldson
23. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? – by Bill Martin, Jr.
24. Hike – by Pete Oswald
25. XO, OX: A Love Story – by Adam Rex
26. Billy Miller Makes a Wish – by Kevin Henkes
27. Just Right Family: an adoption story – by Silvia Lopez
28. I Don’t Like Koala – by Sean Ferrell
29. Can Cat and Bird Be Friends? – by Coll Muir
30. Reagandoodle and Little Buddy Welcome Baby: The Blessing and Fun of a New Little One – by Sandi Swiridoff
31. Chimpanzees for Tea! – by Jo Empson
32. How to Find a Bird – by Jennifer ward
33. Outside, Inside – by LeUyen Pham
34. Tiddler: the story-telling fish – by Julia Donaldson
35. Blackout – by John Rocco
36. Water is Water – by Miranda Paul
37. Goldi Rocks and the Three Bears – by Corey Rosen Schwartz
38. Tooth Fairy in Training – by Michelle Robinson
39. There Might be Lobsters – by Carolyn Crimi
40. Angela’s Ashes: a memoir – by Frank McCourt
41. The Pigeon Needs a Bath – by Mo Willems
42. Little Beauty – by Anthony Browne
43. Clifford Helps Out – by Apple Jordan
44. First Words: Leap Frog Lift-a-Flap – by George Siede
45. That’s Not My Lamb … – by Fiona Watt
46. I Am A Dump Truck – by Josephine Page
47. Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, Turn Around – by Susan Hood
48. The Day the War Came – by Nicola Davies
49. The Bookstore Cat – by Cylin Busby
50. Smug Seagull – by Maddie Frost
51. The Day the Crayons Quit – by Drew Daywalt
52. The Best Worst Poet Ever – by Lauren Stohler
53. The Watcher: Jane Goodall’s Life With the Chimps – by Jeanette Winter
54. Henry’s Freedom Box: a true story from the Underground Railroad – by Ellen Levine
55. The Honeybee – by Kirsten Hall
56. Crenshaw – by Katherine Applegate
57. Dragonology: Tracking and Taming Dragons; Volume 1: European Dragon – by Ernest Drake
58. Dragonology: The Official S.A.S.D. Guide – The Frost Dragon – by Ernest Drake
59. Maggie and Her Friends – by Diane Grenier
60. A Winter’s Tale – by Jessica Hart
61. The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek – by Kim Michele Richardson
62. Because I’m Your Dad – by Ahmet Zappa
63. Africa Dream – by Eloise Greenfield
64. All the Colors of the Earth – by Sheila Hamanaka

MAY 2021:

1. Knowing the Name of a Bird – by Jane Yolen
2. Sea Bear: A Journey for Survival – by Lindsay Moore
3. Outside In – by Deborah Underwood
4. The Barnabus Project – by Eric Fan
5. The Old Truck – by Jarrett Pumphrey
6. Girl on a Motorcycle – by Amy Novesky
7. Box: Henry Brown Mails Himself to Freedom – by Carole Boston Weatherford
8. Babymoon – by Hayley Barrett
9. Truman – by Jean Reidy
10. You’re Invited to a Moth Ball: A Nighttime Insect Celebration – by Loree Griffin Burns
11. My Sister the Moon – by Sue Harrison
12. The Tale of Despereaux – by Kate DiCamillo
13. Someone to Watch Over Me – by Jill Churchill
14. Chicks Run Wild – by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen
15. Sunday Rain – by Rosie J. Pova
16. Penguin & Tiny Shrimp Don’t Do Bedtime – by Cate Berry
17. Girl Versus Squirrel – by Hayley Barrett
18. Beep! Beep! Go To Sleep! – by Todd Tarpley
19. Show Way – by Jacqueline Woodson
20. The Pursuit of Happyness – by Chris Gardner
21. Big Burn – by Lesley Choyce
22. Bear Says Thanks – by Karma Wilson
23. Balloons For Papa – by Elizabeth Gilbert Bedia
24. I Can Built It! (Princess Truly) – by Kelly Greenawalt
25. At Grandma’s – by Rhonda Gowler Greene
26. Charlie Parker Played Be Bop – by Chris Raschka
27. Bed Hogs – by Kelly DiPucchio
28. Almost Time – by Gary D. Schmidt
29. Cat Got a Lot – by Steve Henry
30. At Night – by Jonathan Bean
31. Come Along, Daisy! – by Jane Simmons
32. Charlie & Mouse – by Laurel Snyder
33. I Sang You Down From the Stars – by Tasha Spillett-Sumner
34. A Crow of His Own – by Megan Dowd Lambert
35. The Rough Patch – by Brian Lies
36. Bon Appetit!: the delicious life of Julia Child – by Jessie Hartland
37. We Will Rock Our Classmates – by Ryan T. Higgins
38. Do You Really Want a Guinea Pig? – by Bridget Heos
39. My Grandma’s a Ninja – by Todd Tarpley
40. Home For a While – by Lauren Kerstein
41. I Am the Storm – by Jane Yolen
42. A Cat Named Tim and other stories – by John Martz
43. Miriam at the River – by Jane Yolen
44. Big Blue Whale – by Nicola Davies
45. The Cat Man of Aleppo – by Irene Latham & Karim Shamsi-Basha
46. Carter Reads the Newspaper – by Deborah Hopkinson
47. An A From Miss Keller – by Patricia Polacco
48. The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games book #1) – by Suzanne Collins
49. Catching Fire (The Hunger Games book #2) – by Suzanne Collins
50. Mockingjay (The Hunger Games book #3) – by Suzanne Collins
51. The 25 Weirdest Animals in the World! – by I. P. Factly
52. Dear Zoo – by Rod Campbell
53. Blue Floats Away – by Travis Jonker
54. “Slowly, Slowly, Slowly,” said the Sloth – by Eric Carle
55. Tabby McTat: The Musical Cat – by Julie Donaldson
56. How the Sphinx Got to the Museum – by Jessie Hartland
57. Wild About Books – by Judy Sierra
58. The Wish Tree – by Kyo Maclear
59. Teddy Bear Says Let’s Hug – by Suzy Senior
60. I Can Only Imagine (for little ones): a friendship with Jesus Now and Forever – by Bart Millard
61. The Great Carp Escape – by Irish Beth Maddock
62. Building Books – by Megan Wagner Lloyd
63. Dino-Baseball – by Lisa Wheeler
64. Daylight Starlight Wildlife – by Wendell Minor
65. Crossing Niagara: the death-defying tightrope adventures of the Great Blondin – by Matt Tavares
66. The Cheesy Man Giant – by Jan L. Coates
67. Night Animals – by Gianna Marino
68. RANDY, the Badly Drawn Beautiful Horse – by T.L. McBeth
69. Perfect Square – by Michael Hall
70. The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared – by Jonas Jonasson

JUNE 2021:

1. Little Red Riding Hood – retold by Trina Schart Hyman
2. Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are? – by Dr. Seuss
3. A Butterfly Grows – by Stephen Swinburne
4. Egg-napped! – by Marisa Montes
5. There Was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Book – by Jomick Tejido
6. Claude: the True Story of a White Alligator – by Emma Bland Smith
7. Mother Goose Bruce – by Ryan T. Higgins
8. Leonardo, the Terrible Monster – by Mo Willems
9. Pete the Cat and the Missing Cupcakes – by Kimberly Dean
10. But Not the Hippopotamus – by Sandra Boynton
11. Swirl by Swirl: Spirals in Nature – by Joyce Sidman
12. Mole and the Baby Bird – by Marjorie Newman
13. Black Elk’s Vision: a Lakota Story – by S.D. Nelson
14. The Saggy Baggy Elephant – adapted by Tennant Redbank
15. My Two Blankets – by Irena Kobald
16. Jack and the Beanstalk – retold by Steven Kellogg
17. King Baby – by Kate Beaton
18. My Heart is Like a Zoo – by Michael Hall
19. Saturdays are For Stella – by Candy Wellins
20. Following Papa’s Song – by Gianna Marino
21. Each Little Bird That Sings – Deborah Wiles