What I Read in December plus Aggregate Best of 2017 lists

Bit of a long list but I put that down to lots of holiday time. Also, with all the great lists linked below coming out, I found out about some awesome things I had missed!

Unexpectedly good stuff I found myself includes the following:

Anne of Green Gables: A Graphic Novel by Mariah Marsden

I was a bit worried when I first picked this one up but, luckily, I was pleasantly surprised. Marsden and illustrator Brenna Thumler did an awesome job translating this classic book into a graphic novel. The backgrounds are gorgeous, especially the double-page scenic spreads. The quiet moments work really well, too. Anne's first encounter with Gilbert and the Octobers quote were my favorite parts. I teared up at the end, even though I knew what was going to happen.

Even the Darkest Stars by Heather Fawcett
First in a duology, the story builds slowly but is full of adventure with a pretty good mystery at the center. Kamzin and her sister, Lusha, grew up in the shadow of the tallest mountain in the Empire. When Lusha runs off with the Royal Explorer's assistant, Kamzin joins the strangely young Royal Explorer on a dangerous expedition to find a secret relic for the Emperor. Sometimes the love triangle thing seemed a bit forced, but overall it held up well. The last quarter of the book reveals all kinds of things and leaves you with an almost literal cliffhanger.

 1. Penguin Day by Nic Bishop
 2. A Time to Act: John F. Kennedy's Big Speech by Shana Corey
 3. Malala's Magic Pencil by Malala Yousafzai
 4. Good Night, Planet by Liniers
 5. Lexie the Word Wrangler by Rebecca Van Slyke
 6. The Giant Jumperee by Julia Donaldson
 7. The Youngest Marcher: the Story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, a Young Civil Rights Activist by Cynthia Levinson
 8. Dangerous Jane by Suzanne Slade
 9. Nerdy Bird Tweets by Aaron Reynolds
10. Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer Code by Laurie Wallmark
11. The Hidden Life of a Toad by Doug Wechsler
12. Bravo!: Poems about Amazing Hispanics by Margarita Engle
13. Before She Was Harriet by Lesa Cline-Ransome
14. Beauty and the Beak: How Science, Technology and a 3-D Printed Beak Rescued a Bald Eagle by Deborah Lee Rose
15. This Little Piggy: An Owner's Manual by Cyndi Marko
16. Barkus by Patricia MacLachlan
17. Kate Warne, Pinkerton Detective by Marissa Moss
18. Stormy Seas: Stories of Young Boat Refugees by Mary Beth Leatherdale
19. Where's Halmoni? by Julie Kim
20. See You in the Cosmos by Jack Cheng
21. Emmett and the Bright Blue Cape by Alyssa Satin Capucilli
22. Jasmine Toguchi, Mochi Queen by Debbi Michiko Florence
23. See Fred Run! by Kevin Bolger
24. Heads & Tails by Carli Davidson
25. Anne of Green Gables: A Graphic Novel by Mariah Marsden
26. Charlie & Mouse & Grumpy by Laurel Snyder
27. Sleeping Beauties by Stephen and Owen King
28. Love: the Dinosaur by Frederic Brremaud
29. Two Truths and a Lie: It's Alive! by Ammi-Jones Paquette
30. The Old Tobacco Shop by William Bowen
31. Dancer's Luck by Ann Maxwell
32. Princeless vol. 1: Save Yourself! by Jeremy Whitley
33. Pocket Full of Colors: The Magical World of Mary Blair, Disney Artist Extraordinaire by Ann Guglielmo
34. Lockwood & Co. #5: The Empty Grave by Jonathan Stroud
35. Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert
36. Mighty Jack and the Goblin King by Ben Hatke
37. Gem & Dixie by Sara Zarr
38. Dear Martin by Nic Stone
39. Science Comics: Dogs: From Predator to Protector by Andy Hirsh
40. Meet Cindy Sherman: Artist, Photographer, Chameleon by Sandra Jordan
41. The Sun and her Flowers by Rupi Kaur
42. Secrets of the Sea by Kate Baker
43. Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman
44. Lumberjanes vol. 7: A Bird's-Eye View by Shannon Watters
45. Baby Monkey, Private Eye by Brian Selznick
46. Tortall: A Spy's Guide by Tamora Pierce
47. Earth!: My First 4.54 Billion Years by Stacy McAnulty
48. Even the Darkest Stars by Heather Fawcett
49. Motor Girls: How Women Took the Wheel and Drove Boldly into the Twentieth Century by Sue Macy
50. Queer, There and Everywhere: 23 People Who Changed the World by Sarah Prager

As promised here's some links to awesome awards and Best of 2017 lists.

National Book Awards
Morris Book Award Finalists
ALA Nonfiction for Young Adults Award Finalists
Washington Post Best Children's Books (includes Teen books)
New York Times Notable Children's Books (includes Teen books)
NPR's Book Concierge
Publisher's Weekly
Horn Book Fanfare
Booklist Editor's Choice Books for Youth
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books Blue Ribbon List
Kirkus Reviews Best Books
School Library Journal

Stay tuned for my picks over the next few days!