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Best Books of 2012

Enjoy the Best Books of 2012, as chosen by the Materials Selection Team at the King County Library System.

Children’s Picture Books | Children's Easy Readers | Children's Fiction | Children's Non-fiction
Teen Fiction | Teen Non-fiction and Graphic Novels | Adult Fiction | Adult Non-fiction

Printable version: Season's Readings Books to Give, Receive and Enjoy! ( courtesy of the King County Library System Foundation).


Children’s Picture Books (ages 4-8 yrs)

Extra YarnExtra Yarn
by Mac Barnett illustrated by Jon Klassen
With a supply of yarn that never runs out, Annabelle knits for everyone and everything in town until an evil archduke decides he wants the yarn for himself.

Z is for MooseZ is for Moose
by Kelly Bingham pictures by Paul O. Zelinsky
Zebra wants to put on a show as simple as A-B-C, but Zebra's friend Moose has other (unexpected and hilarious) ideas.

Boy + BotBoy + Bot
by Ame Dyckman illustrated by Dan Yaccarino
A boy and a robot strike up a friendship despite their differences.

Oh, no!Oh, no!
by Candace Fleming illustrations by Eric Rohmann
A series of animals falls into a deep hole, only to be saved at last by a very large rescuer.

GreenGreen
by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
Illustrations and simple, rhyming text explore the many shades of the color green.

A Home for BirdA Home for Bird
by Philip C. Stead
Vernon the toad takes the silent Bird on a journey in hopes of finding Bird's home.

Goldilocks and the three dinosaursGoldilocks and the three dinosaurs
by Mo Willems
When three hungry dinosaurs lay a trap hoping to catch something to eat, Goldilocks who never listens to warnings, walks into their house and springs the trap.

1-2-3 Peas1-2-3 peas
by Keith Baker
Tiny green mathematicians progress from one to 100 on colorful, boldly illustrated scenes to encourage youngsters to build on elementary counting skills.

This is not my hatThis is not my hat
by Jon Klassen
A tiny fish wears a perfectly fitting round blue hat while trying to avoid an enormous sleeping fish.



fish on a walkFish on a walk
by Eva Muggenthaler
Invent your own story from this nearly wordless book featuring all manner of animals doing extraordinary things!



Children’s Easy Readers

Benny and Penny in Lights out!Benny and Penny in Lights out!
by Geoffrey Hayes
At bedtime Benny and Penny, two mouse siblings, take turns telling stories and calming night fears

Maya makes a mess
by Rutu Modan
Maya's unique table manners turn the palace upside down when she accepts an invitation to dine with the queen.

Listen to my trumpet!Listen to my trumpet!
by Mo Willems
When Piggie plays her new trumpet for Gerald, the elephant decides he must be honest in his response.

Fish had a wish
by Michael Garland
Fish wishes to be all sorts of animals because each one is special, then realizes there is something good about being a fish, too.


Children's Fiction

The Land of Stories: The Wishing SpellThe Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell
by Chris Colfer
Through the powers of a book of stories, twins Alex and Conner leave their world behind and find themselves in a land full of wonder and magic where they come face-to-face with the fairy tale characters they grew up reading about.

Same Sun HereSame Sun Here
by Silas House
A twelve-year-old Indian immigrant in New York City and a Kentucky coal miner's son become pen pals, and eventually best friends, through a series of revealing letters exploring such topics as environmental activism, immigration, and racism.

One Dog and His BoyOne Dog and His Boy
by Eva Ibbotson
When lonely, ten-year-old Hal learns that his wealthy but neglectful parents only rented Fleck, the dog he always wanted, he and new friend Pippa take Fleck and four other dogs from the rental agency on a trek from London to Scotland, where Hal's grandparents live.

RemarkableRemarkable
by Lizzie K. Foley
Ten-year-old Jane Doe, the only student average enough to be excluded from the town of Remarkable's School for the Remarkably Gifted, is joined by the trouble-making Grimlet twins, who lead her on a series of adventures involving an out-of-control science fair project and a pirate captain on the run from a mutinous crew.

The PeculiarThe Peculiar
by Stefan Bachmann
An outcast changeling saves a city and in the process finds friendship in a world that has always scorned him.

ShadowShadow
by Michael Morpurgo
Surviving in a cave in war-torn Afghanistan, Aman and his mother are separated from Aman's beloved dog, Shadow, when they flee for the safety of England, a situation that compels Aman to accept help from new friends to reunite with his dog.

Sophia's War: A Tale of the Revolution
by Avi
In 1776, after witnessing the execution of Nathan Hale in New York City, newly occupied by the British army, young Sophia Calderwood resolves to do all she can to help the American cause, including becoming a spy.

Splendors and GloomsSplendors and Glooms
by Laura Amy Schlitz
When Clara vanishes after the puppeteer Grisini and two orphaned assistants were at her twelfth birthday party, suspicion of kidnapping chases the trio away from London and soon the two orphans are caught in a trap set by Grisini's ancient rival, a witchwith a deadly inheritance to shed before it is too late.

Little Dog LostLittle dog, lost
by Marion Dane Bauer
A boy, a dog, and an old man are lonely before the boy plans a rally, the dog looks for a boy, and all the townspeople run to the old man's aid when lightning strikes his home and something miraculous happens.

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Children's Non-Fiction

Life in the Ocean Life in the Ocean: The Story of Oceanographer Sylvia Earle
by Claire A. Nivola
A picture book biography of renowned scientist Sylvia Earle documents her beginning as a child with a passion for nature to a celebrated oceanographer.

Water Sings Blue Water Sings Blue: Ocean Poems
by Kate Coombs
A collection of ocean poems that evokes the beauty, power, depth, and mystery of the sea.

A Nation's Hope: The Story of Boxing Legend Joe LouisBrothers at Bat: The True Story of an Amazing All-Brother Baseball Team
by Audrey Vernick
The Acerra family forms their own semi-pro baseball team in the 1930s and become the longest-running all-brother team in history.

blackholeA Black Hole is Not a Hole
by Carolyn Cinami Decristofano
Introduces black holes, describing their physical features, how they were discovered, what causes them, and where they exist in space.


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Teen Fiction

Keeping the CastleKeeping the Castle
by Patrice Kindl
Althea needs to marry a rich man.  Her widowed mother and little brother are counting on her to save the family castle and support them.  Wealthy Lord Boring seems the perfect suitor, but his friend Mr. Fredericks keeps distracting her from her prize.

Seraphina Seraphina
by Rachel Hartman
Talented court musician Seraphina hides a secret; she is half-dragon, a creature that is not supposed to exist. When a traitor threatens the uneasy truce between humans and dragons, she must risk discovery and her very life to keep the peace.

Tiger LilyTiger Lily
by Jodi Lynn Anderson
Tiger Lily, the unconventional daughter of Neverland's shaman, defies custom to rescue shipwrecked Englanders, an act of kindness that may doom her people and her first love, Peter Pan.

This Dark EndeavorDiviners
by Libba Bray
Shipped off to live with her uncle in Manhattan, would-be flapper Evie dreams of endless nights of dancing and drinking, but a series of occult murders puts her (and her new-found friends) in the path of a demonic killer.

The Story of UsThe Story of Us
by Deb Caletti
Cricket struggles to decide her future as she spends a week at a coastal inn, where her flighty mother will (hopefully) get married.  Attend the college near home or the one far away? Reunite with her high school boyfriend or let their “break” become permanent?

The Fault in Our StarsThe Fault in Our Stars
by John Green
Hazel’s fatal diagnosis makes her reluctant to fall in love with fellow cancer patient Gus, but as they journey from to Amsterdam in search of an ending to her favorite unresolved novel, she begins to realize some new truths about life, love and death.


SonSon
by Lois Lowry
Fourteen-year-old Claire is a Birthmother, a girl who bears children for her community. She's not supposed to bond with her babies, but the birth of her son goes awry and Claire is left longing for him. When he disappears, Claire braves the world outside to find him.

Never Fall DownNever Fall Down
by Patricia McCormick
Young Arn fights to survive as the Khmer Rouge take over Cambodia and he is interned in a work camp and then conscripted as a child soldier.

SonA Confusion of Princes
by Garth Nix
Khemri, the genetically engineered prince of an intergalactic empire, is one of many princes, all competing to become the next emperor, but he faces his toughest challenge when he must survive as a normal human.

DramaDrama
by Raina Telegemier (Graphic Novel)
Callie loves the theater and is excited when her school decides to stage Moon over Mississippi, but amidst all the drama, her own life has its ups and downs as she struggles with crushes and friendships.

Code Name VerityCode Name Verity
by Elizabeth Wein
Verity, a British spy captured by the Gestapo, writes her story as she tries to stall for time and ward off torture, combining details about the war effort and details about her life, especially her friendship with Maddie, a young woman pilot.

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Teen Non-fiction and Graphic Novels

MoonbirdMoonbird: A Year on the Wind with the Great Survivor B95
by Philip Hoose
Documents the incredible migratory journey between Argentina and the Arctic of the endangered rufa red knot.  Hoose profiles one bird in particular, who’s made the journey every year for 18 years, the equivalent of a trip to the moon and half way back.

How They Croaked: the awful ends of the awfully famousAbraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass: The Story Behind an American Friendship
by Russell Freedman
Freedman chronicles the brief friendship of Abraham Lincoln with African American leader Frederick Douglass before and during the Civil War, narrated against the backdrop of the race relations and politics of the time.

Master of DeceiptMaster of Deceipt
by Marc Aronson
A fascinating portrait of J. Edgar Hoover that unmasks the man behind the FBI, his family history and relationships, and his need for secrecy, deceit, and control.

Laddertop Volume 1A Passion for Victory
by Benson Bobrick
The captivating story of the Olympic Games, starting with their inception in Ancient Greece and leading up to our modern day Olympics.



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Adult Fiction

Throne of the Crescent MoonThrone of the Crescent Moon
by Saladin Ahmed
From Saladin Ahmed, finalist for the Nebula and Campbell Awards, comes a fantasy adventure with all the magic of The Arabian Nights.


The MiddlesteinsThe Middlesteins
by Jami Attenberg
With pitch-perfect prose, huge compassion, and sly humor, Jami Attenberg has given us an epic story of marriage, family, and obsession.

Running the RiftRunning the Rift
by Naomi Benaron
Rwandan runner Jean Patrick Nkuba dreams of winning an Olympic gold medal and uniting his ethnically divided country, only to be driven from everyone he loves when the violence starts.

Along Came a DukeAlong came a duke
by Elizabeth Boyle
In order to claim a vast fortune, Tabitha Timmons must marry the respectable Mr. Barkworth, but finds herself torn between the money and her feelings for the Duke of Preston, who vows to save her from a passionless union.

A Land More Kind Than HomeA land more kind than home
by Wiley Cash
Jess Hall is plunged into an adulthood for which he is not prepared when his autistic older brother, Stump, sneaks a look at something he is not supposed to see, which has catastrophic repercussions.

The OrchardistThe Orchardist
by Amanda Coplin
Set in early-20th-century Washington State, Coplin's majestic debut follows a makeshift family through two tragic decades.

Bartender's Tale
by Ivan Doig
From a great American storyteller, a one-of-a-kind father and his precocious son, rocked by a time of change.

Gone GirlGone Girl: a novel
by Gillian Flynn
When a woman goes missing on her fifth wedding anniversary, her diary reveals hidden turmoil in her marriage, while her husband, desperate to clear himself of suspicion, realizes that something more disturbing than murder may have occurred.

Mission to ParisMission to Paris
by Alan Furst
Arriving in Paris on the eve of the Munich Appeasement in 1938, Hollywood star Frederic Stahl is unwittingly entangled in the region's shifting political currents when he discovers that his latest film is linked to the destinies of fascists, German Nazis and Hollywood publicists.

The DogstarsThe Dogstars
by Peter Heller
Surviving a pandemic disease that has killed everyone he knows, a pilot establishes a shelter in an abandoned airport hangar before hearing a random radio transmission that compels him to risk his life to seek out other survivors.

Flight Behavior: a novelFlight Behavior
by Barbara Kingsolver
Drawing on both her Appalachian roots and her background in biology, Kingsolver delivers a passionate novel on the effects of global warming.

The ProphetThe Prophet
by Michael Koryta
Two brothers, estranged since their sister's abduction and murder when they were teens, are forced into a reunion through a new killing in their small Midwestern town.

Truth Like the SunTruth Like the Sun
by Jim Lynch
Roger Morgan, the promoter responsible for bring the World's Fair to Seattle in 1962, runs for mayor in 2001, right after the tech bubble bursts, while budding reporter Helen Gulanos probes his secretive past.

TrapezeTrapeze
by Simon Mawer
During World War II Briton Marian Sutro is recruited for service in the Special Operations Executive, only to find that another secret organization wants her to infiltrate Paris to persuade a research physicist to join the Allied war effort.

The Buddha in the AtticLive by Night
by Dennis Lehane
Bestseller Lehane chronicles the Prohibition-era rise of Joe Coughlin, an Irish-American gangster, in this masterful crime epic.

Sweet ToothSweet Tooth
by Ian McEwan
In 1972, beautiful Serena Frome is finishing her maths degree at Cambridge when she is tapped by M15 for Operation Sweet Tooth, which aims to fund artists and writers with the correct political views.

SuttonSutton
by J. R. Moehringer
A fictionalized account of Willie Sutton, one of the most notorious criminals in American history.

Happiness is a Chemical in the BrainHappiness is a Chemical in the Brain: Stories
by Lucia Perillo
Short stories set in the Pacific Northwest focusing primarily on women on the edge of society.  The author lives in Olympia.

The Long EarthThe Long Earth
by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter
Finally finding the mecca of isolation in a distant region known as the High Meggas, Larry Lynsey, finds his quiet existence shattered by the arrival of two accidental tourists and will do everything in his power to make them leave.

Where'd you go BernadetteWhere'd you go, Bernadette : a novel / Maria Semple
by Maria Semple
Bernadette Fox is notorious. To her Microsoft-guru husband, she's a fearlessly opinionated partner; to fellow private-school mothers in Seattle, she's a disgrace; to design mavens, she's a revolutionary architect, and to 15-year-old Bee, she is a best friend and, simply, Mom.

The Art Forger
by Barbara Shapiro
Broke and painting copies of famous artists' work for a reproduction site, artist Claire Roth is enticed by gallery owner Aidan Markel's request to forge a painting by Degas that was stolen from the Isabella Gardner Museum in 1990.

Mr. Penumbra's 24-hour bookstoreMr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore
by Robin Sloan
After a layoff during the Great Recession sidelines his tech career, Clay Jannon takes a job at the titular bookstore in San Francisco, and soon realizes that the establishment is a facade for a strange secret.

The light between oceans: a novelThe Light Between Oceans: a Novel
by M.L. Stedman
A novel set on a remote Australian island, where a childless couple live quietly running a lighthouse, until a boat carrying a baby washes ashore. . .

Beautiful Ruins: a novelBeautiful Ruins
by Jess Walter
Follows a young Italian innkeeper and his almost-love affair with a beautiful American starlet, which draws him into a glittering world filled with unforgettable characters.




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Adult Non-Fiction

The Floor of Heaven: A True Tale of the American West and the Yukon Gold RushQuiet: the power of introverts in a world that can't stop talking
by Susan Cain
Talents of introverts are misunderstood and undervalued in an extrovert-valuing culture.The author offers advice for introverts to adapt to various situations.

When America first Met ChinaWhen America first Met China
by Eric Jay Dolin
The story of America's first voyages to the Middle Kingdom offers insights into the uneasy and perilous relationship between America and China back to its earliest days.

The pioneer woman cooksThe Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food from My Frontier
by Ree Drummond
A full-color mouthwatering recipe collection covers every course the meal and presents ideas for events including kids' parties and potlucks.

Short Nights of the Shadow CatcherShort Nights of the Shadow Catcher: The Epic Life and Immortal Photographs of Edward Curtis
by Timothy Egan
Pulitzer Prize winning local author Egan explores the life of Edward Curtis, who tried to photograph all the Native American tribes that still existed in 1900.

The lost bank: the story of Washington Mutual--the biggest bank failure in American historyThe Lost Bank: The Story of Washington Mutual
by Kirsten Grind
An award-winning journalist examines the rise and spectacular fall of Washington Mutual.

The Violinist's Thumb: And Other Lost Tales of Love, War, and Genius, As Written by Our Genetic CodeThe Violinist's Thumb: And Other Lost Tales of Love, War, and Genius, As Written by Our Genetic Code
by Sam Kean
A compelling history and explanation of DNA told through amazing anecdotes and stories including JFK's bronze skin and Paganini's ultra-flexible thumbs and fingers.

Let's Pretend this never happened: (a mostly true memoir)Let's Pretend this never happened: (a mostly true memoir)
by Jenny Lawson
The internet star, The Blogess, expands to paper and ink in this humorous and quirky memoir replete with tales of her awkward childhood in Texas, her husband and taxidermy.

Mansion of HappinessThe Mansion of Happiness: A History of Life and Death
by Jill Lepore
10 essays on how Americans have looked at the stages of human life, from "Hatched" (conception) to "Resurrection", which focuses on cryogenics, distinguished by clear, insightful, and wry writing.

Da Vinci's Ghost: Genius, Obsession, and How Lenoardo Created the World in His Own ImageDa Vinci's Ghost: Genius, Obsession, and How Leonardo Created the World in His Own Image
by Toby Lester
Portrays the intellectual journey behind the creation of Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian Man and how the drawing represents the momentous period in Western history when the Middle Ages gave way to the Renaissance.

Drift: The Unmooring of American Military PowerDrift: The Unmooring of American Military Power
by Rachel Maddow
MSNBC's star anchor explains how the focus on national security is actually compromising national stability, tracing the historical events and contributing factors that have promoted a deeply militarized American culture.

Thomas Jefferson: the Art of PowerThomas Jefferson: the Art of Power
by Jon Meacham
In this magnificent biography, the Pulitzer Prize–winning author brings vividly to life an extraordinary man and his remarkable times.

Shooting Victoria: Madness, Mayhem, and the Rebirth of the British MonarchyShooting Victoria: Madness, Mayhem, and the Rebirth of the British Monarchy
by Paul Thomas Murphy
During Queen Victoria's 64-year reign, no fewer than eight attempts were made on her life. While thrones across Europe toppled, the Queen's would-be assassins contributed greatly to the preservation of the monarchy and to the stability that it enjoys today.

The Lady in GoldThe Lady in Gold: the Extraordinary Tale of Gustav Klimt's Masterpiece, Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer
by Anne-Marie O'Connor
The spellbinding story, part fairy tale, part suspense, of one of the most emblematic portraits of its time.

Spillover:  Animal Infections and the Next Human PandemicSpillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic
by David Quammen
Describes a process called spillover, where illness originates in wild animals before being passed to humans, and discusses the potential for the next huge pandemic.

Yes, ChefYes, Chef
by Marcus Samuelsson
A love letter to food and family in all its manifestations. Every Saturday afternoon, a boy who loves to cook walks to his grandmother's house and helps her prepare a roast chicken for dinner. He will grow up to become a world-renowned chef.

Darwins GhostDarwin's Ghosts: The Secret History of Evolution
by Rebecca Stott
A chronicle of the collective history of evolution dedicates each chapter to an evolutionary thinker, from Aristotle and da Vinci to Denis Diderot and Alfred Wallace.

Wild : From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest TrailWild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail
by Cheryl Strayed
A powerful, blazingly honest, inspiring memoir: the story of a 1,100 mile solo hike that broke down a young woman reeling from catastrophe--and built her back up again.

Mrs. RobinsonMrs. Robinson's Disgrace: The Private Diary of a Victorian Lady
by Kate Summerscale
Brilliantly recreates the Victorian world, chronicling the life of Isabella Robinson, wherein the longings of a frustrated wife collide with a society clinging to rigid ideas about sanity, the boundaries of privacy, and the institution of marriage.


Last Updated: November 29, 2012