Stories as Provisions of Hope: The 2022 Notable Children's Books in the Language Arts

In our review of the 774 books submitted to the 2022 seven-member Notable Children's Books in the Language Arts (NCBLA) committee, we were struck again and again by the power of words within a story to light the way to understanding, compassion, empathy, power, and change. While many of the books we read addressed challenging themes and topics, we were left with a feeling of hope-hope for readers to know and value themselves and their place in this world, hope to move forward while knowing the past, and hope for the beautiful contributions we each make in our world. NCBLA committee members carefully evaluate each book on the following criteria: □ Deal explicitly with language, such as play on words, word origins, or the history of language; □ Demonstrate uniqueness in the use of language or style; □ Invite child response or participation.