Today a lot of shiny stickers are going to be given out to many fabulous books at the 2013 ALA Youth Media Awards. In honor of this amazing day for book awards, I am sharing my top five favorite books from 2012. These books may not win actual shiny stickers. However, they have all snuck into my heart and attached a shiny sticker marked LOVE!

1.  Boy + Bot by Ame Dyckman  Illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

2. Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett  Illustrated by Jon Klassen

3. Wonder by R.J. Palacio

4. The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

5. One For The Murphys by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

I hope you are celebrating your favorite books today from 2012. There will always be winners in our hearts and the hearts of our students that don’t win actual book awards. I think the real joy comes from knowing that the books we love make a difference in our lives and the lives of our students. That is the true magic of reading that shines through no matter what happens today.

So what 2012 books are you rooting for? What books do your students love from 2012? I am look forward to reading about your favorites in the comments section.