I encourage you to check out the whole presentation, as Manfredi’s enthusiasm is infectious and had me placing all sorts of holds and orders. Covering it all would be a very long blog post, so here are some highlights.  See her entire presentation and her slide deck at the end of this blog post.

Here is a bibliocommons list of board books and picture books that Manfredi recommended in her presentation.

​Manfredi shared tons of great comics suggestions, including highlighting the recent trend in early reader comics. For those looking for the next Gerald & Piggie, try the Fox & Rabbit series by Beth Ferry, illus. Gergely Dudás (Amulet Books) or the Bunbun and Bonbon series by Jess Keating (Graphix). Raina Telgemeier fans should dive right on into Twins by Varian Johnson, illus. Shannon Wright (Graphix), Stepping Stones by Lucy Knisley (RH Graphic), and the Shirley and Jamila series by Gillian Goerz (Dial). 

​Another publishing trend Manfredi shared was the boom in 80-112 page, highly-illustrated chapter books. She specifically called out three publishing imprints: Aladdin QUIX (Simon & Schuster), Acorn (Scholastic), and Harper Chapters (HarperCollins). Smaller publishers like Capstone are getting in the game as well, with series like Astrid and Apollo by V.T. Bidania, illus. Dara Lashia Lee (Picture Window) and Sadiq by Siman Nuurali, illus. Anjan Sarkar (Picture Window).

​Take Manfredi’s word for it: vampires are back in YA publishing and anthologies are coming in hot. For both, Manfredi recommends Vampires Never Get Old: Tales with Fresh Bite edited by Zoraida Córdova & Natalie C Parker (Imprint). But the two books from 2020 Manfredi says she was thinking about all year were Not So Pure and Simple by Lamar Giles (HarperTeen) and Parachutes by Kelly Yang (Katherine Tegen Books), both realistic fiction. Manfredi’s highest praise, though, went to The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen (RH Graphic), a graphic novel she calls “one of the best YA books ever.” (I 100% agree with her on that assessment!)

Click here to see Manfredi's slide deck.  You will need to log into Google in order to view it.

To wrap it all up, Manfredi shared some tips & tricks for keeping up with publishing:

• Read Children’s Book Council Hot Off the Presses (free)
• Read PW Children’s Bookshelf Newsletter & on sale calendar (free)
• Let publishers market to you (if you want, how you want) by reaching out to them

If you liked Manfredi’s presentation and want more, her series of similar talks for the State Library of Iowa can be found here: Check It Out! (2021) and Check It Out! (2019). You can also find her on Twitter @misskubelik, her blog Fat Girl Reading, or connect with her via email.

ALA_ALSC:  Each year the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) identifies the best of the best in children's books, recordings, and digital media. 

​American Indians in Children's Literature: Established in 2006 by Dr. Debbie Reese of Nambé Pueblo, American Indians in Children's Literature (AICL) provides critical analysis of Indigenous peoples in children's and young adult books. Dr. Jean Mendoza joined AICL as a co-editor in 2016.  Here is a link to the blog with 2020 best books by native authors/illustrators.
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Bank Street College of Education:  The Children’s Book Committee was founded more than 100 years ago to help parents, teachers, and librarians choose the books that children will find captivating and transforming. Every year it produces comprehensive annotated book lists for children aged infant through 16.  Their list of 2020 best books is organized by age.  One of the few lists that recommends books for children 5 and under in its own category.

Booklist:  The December 15 Starred Review issue is free and open to all. It can serve as an invaluable overview and checklist of books not to be missed for 2020.  Youth starred reviews start on page 56.  Here it is as a PDF.

Center for the Study of Multicultural Children's Literature:  A curated list of best multicultural books of 2020 from Dr. Claudette Shackelford McLinn, Lessa Kanani'opua Pelayo-Lozada, Lettycia Terrones, Dr. Sujin Huggins, and Dr. Naomi Caldwell.  Here is is as a PDF.

Chicago Public Library:  A team of librarians select the best books each year. The lists are in bibliocommons.  Two added bonuses, the board book list and Spanish language book list round out the selections.

The Cybil Awards: The Cybil Awards combine literary merit with popular appeal.

​Deschutes Public Library:  Deschutes Public Library suggests their favorite 2020 reads, perfect for gifting to children.   They also have gift guides for teens and adults.

Goodreads:  The Goodreads Choice Awards represent the votes of readers.  There are two children's categories: Middle Grade and Children's and Picture Books.

Happy Valley Library:  The staff at the Happy Valley Library in Happy Valley, Oregon compiled their favorite books of 2020.

The Horn Book:  The editors and reviewers of the Horn Book select their picks for the best books of 2020.  There are thirty books that "offer comfort, hope, inspiration, laughter, escapism, realism, community, sustenance, challenge, warmth, and more. "

Jane Addams Children's Book Award: From the website, "the Jane Addams Children’s Book Award annually recognizes children’s books of literary and aesthetic excellence that effectively engage children in thinking about peace, social justice, global community, and equity for all people. A national committee of members with passion for and expertise in children’s literature and social justice is responsible for making the choices each year."

Kirkus: Best picture books of 2020.  Best middle grade books of 2020.

Multnomah County Library: MCL has a fantastic list of books for 2020.  You will need to select kids to narrow your search to children's materials.  The list has the same feel as the NPR list.  It shows the book covers and when you hover over the cover, it gives a brief description of the work.

Nerdy Book Club: This blog shares their love of children's and young adult books.  Their tenth annual best of the year recommendations include literature for early readers, nonfiction picture books, fiction picture books, and graphic novels.

The New York Public Library: Their expert librarians selected the year's best books for kids, teens, and adults.

New York Times: The 25 best children's books of 2020 from the editors of the NY Times.

NPR: Each fall, they reach out to their staffers and trusted critics and ask them to nominate their favorite books of the year. They respond with hundreds of titles. Then, the editors and producers at NPR Books sit down with a huge spreadsheet of responses; they select favorites, resolve duplications, note omissions and consider the overall mix and balance of books recommended.  This link is to their kids' book recommendations for 2020.

Publisher's Weekly: Curated from from Publishers Weekly’s reviews of children’s and young adult books published in 2020, their selections for the top 50 books of the year include picture books and graphic novels, fiction and nonfiction, debuts and bestsellers for readers of all ages.  Their list is arranged by picture books, middle readers and young adults.

Salem Public Library:  Library staff at the Salem Public Library in Salem, Oregon put together a graphic of the best books of 2020 for pre-k to 6th grade.

School Library Journal:  Lots of hours going over those starred reviews.  They also have a PDF version.

Washington Post: Authors and reviewers share their favorite middle grade, nonfiction and picture books. 

100 Scope Notes: Travis Jonker, a school librarian, posts his favorite books of the year on the School Library Journal blog about children's literature.