CCBC booklist are compiled from books we have recommended in various editions of CCBC Choices. Most of these booklists are updated annually. You can also select books from one or more booklists to create a custom list, which can also include additional books from the CCBC-Recommended Book Search.

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Game On! Books About Games and Gaming

Games and gaming, in all forms, are a topic of interest in the lives of young people as well as an area of research at UW-Madison. The novels on this list explore video games, coding, card games, board games, and immersive game-world experiences. This list also includes nonfiction titles celebrating pioneers in games and gaming.

Compiled by Tessa Michaelson Schmidt

Tabletop Games, Video Games, and Coding in Realistic Fiction

Shine On, Luz Veliz!
by Balcarcel, Rebecca
Chronicle, 2022. 262 pages. Ages 9-12

The Door Is Open: Stories of Celebration and Community by 11 Desi Voices
by DasGupta, Sayantani and Reem Faruqi, Veera Hiranandani, Simran Jeet Singh, Supriya Kelkar, Rajani LaRocca, Maulik Pancholy, Mitali Perkins, Aisha Saeed, N. H. Senzai
Little, Brown, 2024. 328 pages. Ages 9-12

We Still Belong
by Day, Christine
HarperCollins/Heartdrum, 2023. 249 pages. Ages 9-12

Not an Easy Win
by Giles, Chrystal D.
Random House, 2023. 245 pages. Ages 9-12

Playing the Cards You're Dealt
by Johnson, Varian
Scholastic/Scholastic Press, 2021. 309 pages. Ages 8-12

With a Little Luck
by Meyer, Marissa
Feiwel and Friends/Macmillan, 2024. 360 pages. Age 12 and older

Word Nerd
by Nielsen, Susin
Tundra, 2008. 248 pages. Ages 10-14

The Cardturner
by Sachar, Louis
Random House, 2010. 352 pages. Age 13 and older

Protagonist as Player in Game-driven Fantasy

The Hunger Games
by Collins, Suzanne
Scholastic Press, 2008. 420 pages. Age 12 and older

A Game of Noctis
by Fagan, Deva
Atheneum/Simon & Schuster, 2024. 310 pages. Ages 9-13

Warcross
by Lu, Marie
Putnam, 2017. 353 pages. Age 11 and older

Brave Story
by Miyabe, Miyuki
Translated by Alexander O. Smith. Viz Media, 2007. 816 pages. Ages 10-14

Who’s Gaming Who? Clues, Competitions, and Puzzling Plots

Flying Up the Mountain
by Baitie, Elizabeth-Irene
Norton, 2023. 233 pages. Ages 8-11

Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute
by Hibbert, Talia
Joy Revolution/Random House, 2023. 319 pages. Age 13 and older

Hide and Geek (#1)
by Jagger, T.P.
Random House, 2022. 309 pages. Ages 8-10

Hide and Geek: The Treasure Test (Hide and Geek, #2)
by Jagger, T.P.
Random House, 2023. 330 pages.

Anahita's Woven Riddle
by Sayers, Meghan Nuttall
Abrams/Amulet, 2006. 352 pages. Ages 11-15

Picture Book Biographies of Game Inventors

A Sporting Chance: How Ludwig Guttman Created the Paralympic Games
by Alexander, Lori
Illustrated by Allan Drummond. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2020. 114 pages. Ages 9-14

Erno Rubik and His Magic Cube
by Aradhya, Kerry
Illustrated by Kara Kramer. Peachtree, 2024. 32 pages. Ages 7-10

Hoop Genius: How a Desperate Teacher and a Rowdy Gym Class Invented Basketball
by Coy, John
Illustrated by Joe Morse. Carolrhoda, 2013. 36 pages. Ages 7-11

Pass Go and Collect $200: The Real Story of How Monopoly Was Invented
by Stone, Tanya Lee
Illustrated by Steven Salerno. Christy Ottaviano Books/Henry Holt, 2018. 32 pages. Ages 8-12

Can’t find what you’re looking for? Our Recommended Book Search includes access to CCBC-recommended titles based on subject headings created by our staff.

Please send questions or comments about CCBC booklists to ccbcinfo@education.wisc.edu.