This year’s writing for young people is especially notable for its sweeping variety. Some years it’s all about young-adult novels; other years are for the very young. But 2011 brought something for every age and interest. From lyrical or antic picture books, to ingeniously illustrated picture-novels, to biographies of figures as different as Jane Goodall and Jim Henson, there has been a lovely eclecticism. No young reader needs to leave this year empty-handed.