In my searching through the nominations/submissions, looking for theme ideas, I noticed that there were a lot of books this year that were retelling or expanding upon classic stories. There are some really fun retellings on this list. Enjoy!
Self-Made Boys: A Great Gatsby Remix
by Anna-Marie McLemore
Feiwel & Friends
Travelers Along the Way: A Robin Hood Remix
by Aminah Mae Safi
Feiwel & Friends
A Secret Princess
by Margaret Stohl and Melissa de la Cruz
G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
The Agathas
by Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson
Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers
“The references to Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot will delight Agatha Christie fans, but they are not a distraction to those unfamiliar with those books. I wouldn’t be surprised though if The Agathas leads some young readers to look into Christie’s work.” – Gary Anderson
Anne of Greenville
by Mariko Tamaki
Melissa de la Cruz Studio
The Tarnished Garden
by Alyssa Colman
Farrar, Straus & Giroux
“A really delightful story, with the charming magic given weight by the sibling relationship and by the inequality of the society in which they live. My enjoyment was heighted by my familiarity with The Secret Garden–there were lots of echoes that I loved.” – Charlotte
The Marvelous Land of Snergs
by Veronica Cossanteli, illustrated by Melissa Castrillón
Europa Editions
“The marketing material says it’s based on the original story by E. A. Wyke-Smith, which inspired Tolkien to write The Hobbit, so there is that. IT does feel like something from the 1920s, with its Capital Letters and morals (but not terribly heavy-handed morals). Even so, I found it delightful. Not deep, but entertaining.” – Melissa Fox
Goblin Market
by Diane Zahler
Holiday House
“Rich world-building inspired by both Polish folklore and the poetry of Christina Rossetti combines with a tender sister story in this thrilling novel from Diane Zahler.” – GRgenius
Daughter of the Deep
by Rick Riordan
Disney-Hyperion
“This book differs from Riordan’s usual mythological fantasy series that readers might expect. It’s based on science fiction and Jules Verne’s novel 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. This classic novel is supposedly based on true events, and Daughter of the Deep explores how the world might change based on Captain Nemo’s discoveries and inventions.” – Mark Buxton
Anne of West Philly: A Modern Graphic Retelling of Anne of Green Gables
by Ivy Noelle Weir, illustrated by Myisha Haynes
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
“If you love Anne of Green Gables, you may enjoy the story set in West Philly. Mariella and Matthew decide to foster an eighth-grade girl named Anne (despite their friend Rachel’s misgivings).” – Anne W
M Is for Monster
by Talia Dutton
Harry N Abrams
“A tale of sisterhood, science and what meddling with death can create may not always be an expected result, M is for Monster is a chilling tale of what makes us who we are and what the love of a family really means.” – Kristen
Twelfth Grade Night
by Molly Booth and Stephanie Strohm, illustrated by Jamie Green
Disney-Hyperion
Hollow
by Shannon Watters and Branden Boyer-White, illustrated by Berenice Nelle
BOOM! Box
Little Thieves
by Margaret Owen
Henry Holt & Co.
Into the Bloodred Woods
by Martha Brockenbrough
Scholastic Press
The Excalibur Curse
by Kiersten White
Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers
“The entire trilogy stands everything you know about Arthurian Legend on its head. In this volume, Guinevere has trapped her loyal knight Lancelot in a shield dome protecting Camelot while she sets off to find out who she really is – she has known all along that she was not the real Guinevere.” – Sondra Eklund
The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea
by Axie Oh
Feiwel & Friends