And not many students were actually reading the now-banned books. According to a memo from Indian River County Superintendent Dr. David Moore, 34 books were removed as a result of that meeting.

It is also, quite possibly, the cleverest book for kids out this year. You don't quite know what's going to happen in this collection. You only know that children are going to freakin' love it.

The School Board listened Monday to letters from national authors whose books have been removed from school libraries.

We spoke with teachers and librarians to find the best children's books, from board books to graphic novels for middle schoolers. Here are our top picks for 2023.