ABC Group Unveils 2018 Best Books for Young Readers Catalog Cover Art

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July 2 deadline for booksellers’ title recommendations

Mother BruceThe 2018 ABC Best Books for Young Readers catalog cover will feature art from Ryan T. Higgins, the author of Mother Bruce, Hotel Bruce, and the upcoming We Don’t Eat Our Classmates (all Disney-Hyperion). The cover art, which features the character of Mother Bruce and was created specifically for the catalog cover, was chosen by the ABC Children’s Group Advisory Council from publisher submissions.

This year’s catalog will feature more than 200 fully vetted titles for children and teens that have been recommended by booksellers at American Booksellers Association member stores.

Booksellers at all ABA member stores are encouraged to submit title recommendations by July 2 via the catalog’s online submission form; booksellers’ recommendations for the Kids’ Indie Next Lists will also be considered for the catalog.

Titles must be published between January and November 2018. Holiday titles will not be included so stores can use the catalog year-round. 

Suggestions are needed in the following categories: infant/toddler, picture books, activity books, middle grade, YA, award-winners, and nonfiction. This year, the ABC Group is also encouraging booksellers to recommend titles that have a focus on STEM and STEAM content, are bilingual, feature diverse characters, have strong female characters, or have been translated into other languages.

The 2018 catalog is scheduled to land in stores in early October. A catalog order form will be available to ABA member stores later this summer. All members of the ABC Children’s Group at ABA will automatically receive 250 catalogs with no imprinting.

Questions about the catalog should be addressed to ABC Children’s Group Manager Gen de Botton.