I was amazed to find that a question 3 months old and this open ended had yet to be answered.

I thought "what a good topic to do my next hub about." What a tough question it was, there were so many great children's books published in 2008 however here is my selection.

Birmingham, 1963
By Carole Boston Weatherford (4/15/08)
In this 2008 award winner aimed at young teen readers, tells the story of the darkest day in Birmingham’s history thought the eyes of a 10 year old girl:

The bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church. Because the church was centrally located and had a large basement perfect for meetings, it became a rallying place for the movement and many protests were staged there.

This act of terror would become known as the “blast heard around the world,” and was one of several bombings that earned Birmingham the nickname “Bombingham.”

Shift
By Jennifer Bradbury (6/17/08)
This wonderful story for teen readers. It is a tale of friendship, self-discovery, and coming-of-age explored through a cross-country bike trip and the mysterious disappearance of a friend.

Young readers will lose themselves in an utterly compelling read — fast-paced, full of twists and turns. Enjoy.

Eleven
By Patricia Reilly Giff (6/17/08)
This lovely, striking mystery will not be to every child's taste as there's no action and no villains. But Reilly doesn't need them to produce an utterly captivating and deeply moving page-turner.

There are many pleasures here, from Sam's touching friendship with Caroline to his delightful alternative family, he lives with his grandfather over their woodworking shop, next to a deli and a restaurant, whose owners live over them as well. Together the boy and three single adults form an unusual but very workable family, taking care of one another and parenting Sam. Sam's dyslexia is beautifully described, as is the reaction of those in his life.

He doesn't live in fear of others finding out, pretty much everyone knows. Instead he has given up on it ever getting better, and has learned to make the most of his other talents.

The Calder Game
By Blue Balliett (6/17/08)
It all starts when they take a field trip to the art museum to see the new exhibit featuring work by Alexander Calder. Even though their nasty and fun-sucking teacher tries to make the trip as miserable as possible, the three friends manage to find great inspiration and fascination in Alexander Calder's work.

As always, Blue Balliett has created an intricately woven story which takes art, mystery, and friendship and turns it into one heck of a book. What's especially nice about THE CALDER GAME is that you don't necessarily have to have read the other books in the series (CHASING VERMEER and THE WRIGHT 3) to understand what's going on; while it would be nice, this story is complete on its own.

A Thousand Never Evers
By Shana Burg (8/1/08)
Interspersed with historical facts from the Civil Rights Movement, A Thousand Never Evers takes a good hard look at the injustice of discrimination.

First-time author Shana Burg has created an unforgettable main character. Told in first-person narrative, Addie Ann’s voice carries the reader on a page-turning journey toward the final conclusion where a little child does lead?

Will she be strong enough to rally her people and bring the cause to Kuckachoo in time to save Bump? Will there ever be peace in Kuckachoo?

The Underneath
By Kathi Appelt, illustrated by David Small (8/15/08)
THE UNDERNEATH is lyrical, strong, and extremely well-written. It is thought provoking and "can't put it down" fantastic.

Kathy Appelt does not lower the bar in the slightest from page one until the book is done. Not one bit. Appelt weaves a brilliant tale about an old, beaten-down hound dog and the felines he loves. She also weaves an almost entirely separate folktale of a miserable, bitter, shape-shifting snake. How do these two stories fit into the same book? Ask Kathi Appelt, because I'm still trying to figure out how she beautifully intertwined them. But she did. She did.

Masterpiece
By Elise Broach, illustrated by Kelly Murphy (11/24/08)
Marvin is a beetle. A beetle who can swim and draw. When James, the boy in whose house Marvin lives, gets a pen and ink set for his birthday, Marvin can't help but try it out after James goes to sleep.

Marvin's life changes when James wakes up to discover Marvin painting. It's an excellent book though and perfect for younger siblings or cousins. What little kid can resist an adventure? And Marvin is definitely caught up in a mystery that will capture the attention of young readers.

There are art lessons sneakily inserted into the story, so it's not only an exciting read but also an educational one. I never thought I could love a beetle, but Marvin captured my heart.

A River of Words
By Jen Bryant, illustrated by Melissa Sweet (11/26/08)

Willie loved to write—words gave him freedom and peace. But he also knew that he needed to earn a living, so when he grew up he went off to medical school and became a doctor—one of the busiest men in town!

Yet he never stopped writing. In this picture book biography of poet William Carlos Williams, Jen Bryant’s engaging prose and Melissa Sweet’s stunning mixed-media illustrations celebrate the amazing man whose poems about ordinary, everyday things will inspire young readers to create poems of their own.

Something Wicked
By Alan Gratz (11/22/08)
The Scottish Highland Festival in Tennessee is all set to begin, but there's one problem: Duncan MacRae, founder of the games, has just been murdered. The police arrested Malcolm, Duncan's son, but is he really the killer?

Horatio Wilkes, for one, has doubts. Horatio is attending the festival with his childhood friend Mac, Mac's super-hot yet controlling girlfriend Beth, and geeky sidekick Banks. Once there, he quickly finds himself caught up in the cutthroat world of the Scottish games, where fair is foul and foul is fair . . . and his best friend may yet turn out to be his worst enemy.

Join Horatio as he navigates the sinister world of Shakespeare's Macbeth in this fun and clever follow-up to Something Rotten. “Something Wicked” has a snarky narrator who will speak perfectly to older teen readers as they become involved in a mystery that threatens damage to the environment.

Chalice
By Robin McKinley (11/25/08)
The demesne of Willowlands is in a state of upheaval—great fissures in the earth have opened and swallowed livestock, fires have broken out across the land, the earthlines rumble in disquiet, the people are unsettled. The former Master of Willowlands, a reckless tyrant who reveled in his power and neglected his role, died heiress.

His younger brother was sent away many years earlier to become a fire priest—a calling from which none return to the mortal realm. Yet, he is one year from completing his apprenticeship, and the Circle sends for him to heal his troubled land. Mirasol is the young beekeeper called to become Chalice, to bind together the Circle, the people, and the demesne into a unified entity. She has no training or experience, and the realm is so fractured that uniting it under the rule of a Master who is no longer completely human, and who can touch nothing without burning it, seems an impossible task.

As delicately structured as the chambers of a honeycomb, this novel begs to be read slowly. The people of Willowlands are interesting and well crafted, and despite a conclusion that seems rushed and incomplete, this novel is a delight. Because this story is slow paced and does not happen in complete chronological order, reluctant readers will struggle with it. However, mature teens who long for beautiful phrases and descriptive writing will find themselves drinking in this rich fairy tale as if it were honey trickling down their throats.

Let me know your thoughts on these or buy one today and if you have any other choices let me know those as well.