Booktopia’s Best Books of 2016: Picture Books | Kids Fiction | Young Adult Fiction

Here at Booktopia we’ve done the hard work for you. We’re read countless books this year, flicked over thousands of pages, and forgone sleep, all in search of the very best books published this year.

Below, you’ll find the kids and young adult books we haven’t stopped talking about. The books we can’t stop re-reading, can’t stop bragging about. Buy, borrow or steal yourself a copy. Either way, these stories need to be read and shared.

Picture Books: Winner 

A Child of Books
by Oliver Jeffers, Sam Winston 

From Oliver Jeffers and typographical fine artist, Sam Winston, comes an inspiring and lyrical picture book about a little girl who sails her raft ‘across a sea of words’ to arrive at the house of a small boy. There she invites him to come away with her on an adventure where they can journey through ‘forests of fairy tales’, ‘across mountains of make-believe’ and ‘sleep in clouds of song’.

Guided by his new friend, the boy unlocks his imagination and a lifetime of magic lies ahead of him… But who will be next?… Learn more. 

Picture Books: The Shortlist 

The Shortlist: Introducing Teddy by Jessica Walton, The Fabulous Friend Machine by Nick Bland, Pig the Elf by Aaron Blabey, Do Not Open This Book by Andy Lee, Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty, We Found A Hat by Jon Klassen.

Kids Fiction: Winner 

The 78-Storey Treehouse
Treehouse Series: Book 6
by Andy Griffiths, Terry Denton

Join Andy and Terry in their spectacular new 78-storey treehouse.

They’ve added 13 new levels including a drive-thru car wash, a combining machine, a scribbletorium, an ALL-BALL sports stadium, Andyland, Terrytown, a high-security potato chip storage facility and an open-air movie theatre.

Well, what are you waiting for? Come on up!… Learn more. 

Kids Fiction: The Shortlist 

The Shortlist: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, Wormwood Mire by Judith Rossell, Alice-Miranda in China by Jacqueline Harvey, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Illustrated) by J.K. Rowling and Jim Kay, The Furball Strikes Back by Aaron Blabey, and The Midnight Gang by David Walliams.

Young Adult Fiction: Winner

A Court of Mist and Fury
A Court of Thorn and Roses Series: Book 2
by Sarah J. Maas

Feyre survived Amarantha’s clutches to return to the Spring Court – but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can’t forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin’s people.

Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms – and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future – and the future of a world cleaved in two.

With more than a million copies sold of her beloved Throne of Glass series, Sarah J. Maas’s masterful storytelling brings this second book in her seductive and action-packed series to new heights… Learn more.

Young Adult Fiction: The Shortlist

The Shortlist: Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo, Spontaneous by Aaron Starmer, Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare, Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas, Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff, and The Sidekicks by Will Kostakis.

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About the Contributor

Anastasia Hadjidemetri

Anastasia Hadjidemetri is the former editor of The Booktopian and star of Booktopia's weekly YouTube show, Booked with Anastasia. A big reader and lover of books, Anastasia relishes the opportunity to bring you all the latest news from the world of books.