Announcing Evanston Public Library’s 101 Great Books for Kids: 2025 Edition!!

It’s not the only year end listing of children’s books. Chicago Public Library does one. New York Public Library does one.

But you know what makes the Evanston Public Library 101 Great Books for Kids list so very special? Out of all the major library systems out there, we’re the only smaller system that does this many books, every year, without cease or fail. And our choices? Let’s just say that we have extraordinarily good taste.

Now there is a reason that this list is of “Great Books” and not “Best Books”. Quite frankly, to winnow it down to a mere 101, sacrifices must be made. As I always say in our final meeting (the hard one) everyone is going to lose something they love. But that’s okay. You know why? Because we lose what we love together.

This year, it is my supreme honor and privilege to present to you the 2025 101 Great Books for Kids List. To celebrate, here in Evanston we’ll be hosting a 101 Great Books for Kids 2025 Open House from Monday, November 24th through Sunday, November 30th. Each year my library sets out a “petting zoo” of the books for patrons to look through and consider as they begin your holiday shopping. 

Now, we’re going to officially premiere the list next week, but I just couldn’t wait. Today, you lucky ducks, I present to you the official list. You’re going to see books you love and you’re also going to see a lot of titles you haven’t read yet. Aren’t you privileged? You still have time to discover them before the end of the year!

They are:

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101 Great Books for Kids 

2025

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Picture Books

1. A Book of Maps for You by Lourdes Heuer, ill. Maxwell Eaton III. Call Number: J Picture Heuer.L

A series of maps introduces the reader to a small town, its people and places, and the new home that you’re moving into.

2. Broken by X. Fang. Call Number: J Picture Fang.X

What happens when you make a mistake you cannot undo? Do you let an innocent cat take the blame or do you confess? A heartfelt and hilarious tale of guilt and unconditional love.

3. City Summer, Country Summer by Kiese Laymon, ill. Alexis Franklin. Call Number: J Picture Laymo.K

New York, meet Country. Sent to the country for the summer, a boy makes friends with the kids there after false starts and confusion. 

4. Don’t Trust Fish by Neil Sharpson, ill. Dan Santat. Call Number: J Picture Sharp.N

Oh sure, they may look innocent but those fishies in the sea? They’re up to something. An absolutely hilarious explanation of an underwater threat told by an unreliable narrator. 

5. Downpour: Splish! Splash! Ker-Spash! by Yuko Onari, ill. Koshiro Hata, translated by Emily Balistrieri. Call Number: J Picture Onari.Y

Bada-Bada-Bada! Plip! Plip! Plam-Pl-Plam! When noisy raindrops sound like they’re singing then it’s time to joyfully dance and splash in the rain!

6. Every Monday Mabel by Jashar Awan. Call Number: J Picture Awan.J

Most people don’t love Mondays but Mabel does. An ode to garbage truck enthusiasts everywhere.

7. Fireworks by Matthew Burgess, ill. Cátia Chien. Call Number: J Picture Burge.M

On a hot summer day, two children pass the time splashing in water and munching on watermelon, waiting for the big event. Explosive poetry meets dynamic art.

8. The Interpreter by Olivia Abtahi, ill. Monica Arnaldo. Call Number: J Picture Abtah.O

Can a kid have a job? Sure! Cecilia has the job of being a kid and the job of interpreting for her parents. But what happens when one job overwhelms the other?

9. The Invisible Parade by Leigh Bardugo, ill. John Picacio. Call Number: J Holiday Day of the Day Bardu.L

Deeply ensconced in grief over her beloved grandfather, Cala doesn’t want to go to the Día de Muertos party in the graveyard. But that’s before four mysterious riders teach her a little about love, loss, and courage.

10. Island Storm by Brian Floca, ill. Sydney Smith. Call Number: J Picture Floca.B

“Now take my hand and we’ll go see the sea before the storm.” Two children venture forth as terrifying clouds creep closer and closer. Will they make it home safe in time?

11. ¡Mistaco! A Tale of Tragedy y Tortillas by Eliza Kinkz. Call Number: J Picture Kinkz.E

What can you do with a bad day full of mistakes? Eat it! Everyone makes mistakes and sometimes there’s a tasty solution to them. 

12. Octavio and His Glasses by Marc González Rossell, translated by Susan Ouriou. Call Number: J Picture Gonza.M

Before, Octavio couldn’t see so well. Now, thanks to his glasses, the world has opened up for him. Incredible art and a playful story show how glasses can be the key to truly experiencing the world. 

13. Our Lake by Angie Kang. Call Number: J Picture Kang.A

Two brothers go to a lake on a hot summer’s day. But with the water so far down how will the younger brother ever jump? A deeply touching story about memory, love, and taking the leap.

14. Popo the Xolo by Paloma Angelina Lopez, ill. Abraham Matias. Call Number: J Picture Lopez.P

Little Popo is the kind of dog who knows just how to keep Nana company. So when she sets out through nine lands to find her final destination, brave little Popo stays with her all the way. Available in Spanish!

15. Raven’s Ribbons by Tasha Spillett, ill. Daniel Ramirez. Call Number: J Picture Spill.T

Raven loves the round dances, particularly when the women dance in their ribbon dances. Could he ever dance with a skirt of his own? A touching tale of empathy and change.

16. Tíos and Primos by Jacqueline Alcántara. Call Number: J Picture Alcan.J

Visiting her father’s homeland for the first time is exciting for his daughter but there is one problem: She doesn’t speak the language! A tale of family found and language barriers crossed. Available in Spanish!

17. The Trickster Shadow by Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley. Call Number: J Picture Pawis.M

“Zoon was an ordinary boy with a peculiar problem.” That problem? A naughty shadow that constantly follows him and gets him into trouble. But how do you tame something that might actually be inside you?

18. We Are the Wibbly! A Tadpole’s Tail by Sarah Tagholm, ill. Jane McGuinness. Call Number: J Picture Tagho.S

“Oh my crikeys!” A tadpole watches the changes in its friends and tries desperately to catch up in this clever encapsulation of the life cycle of a frog.

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Fairy Tales, Folk Tales, and Religious Tales

19. Bear and the Three Goldilocks by Patrick Horne, ill. Dan Yaccarino. Call Number: J 398.20942 Horne.P

The Goldilocks family wants to enjoy a camp-out, but along comes a bear who munches on their s’mores, wrecks their musical instruments, and treats their car like a scratching post. A delightful fractured fairy tale.

20. Big Enough by Regina Linke. Call Number: J Picture Linke.R

When his father is delayed in the village, little Ah-Fu is informed that he is to fetch home the family’s gigantic ox from the woods. A clever parable about trusting yourself when in doubt.

21. The Greedy Wolf by Timothy Knapman, ill. Jean Jullien. Call Number: J Picture Knapm.T

A greedy wolf decides to devour a slew of baby goats, but he has no idea what he’s gotten into. A hilarious take on “The Wolf and the Seven Young Goats” with an ending you WON’T see coming!

22. Pilgrim Codex by Vivian Mansour, ill. Emmanuel Valtierra, translated by Carlos Rodríguez Cortez. Call Number: J Picture Manso.V

This story of people desperately trying to get to America and facing untold dangers along the way draws upon Mesoamerican mythology while drawn in the style of an ancient codex!

23. Tales From Beyond the Rainbow:Ten LGBTQ+ Fairy Tales Proudly Reclaimed, collected and adapted by Pete Jordi Wood, various illustrators. Call Number: J Fiction Wood.P

A dedicated folklore researcher collects and adapts ten stories from around the world with queer themes and characters. Proof positive that LGBTQ+ folktales and fairytales have always been with us. 

24. Vida: The Mice, the Cat and the Alebrije by Duncan Tonatiuh. Call Number: J Picture Tonat.D

A clever and strikingly illustrated fable about a group of artistic mice saving their city from a menacing cat. A colorful tour de force from an award-winning artist.

25. Xolo by Donna Barba Higuera, ill. Mariana Ruiz Johnson. Call Number: J 299.784 Higue.D

Think you know the Aztec myth of how the serpent god Quetzalcoatl helped create humans? Think again! Meet the dog-headed god that gave the world man’s best friend. 

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Easy and Early Chapter Books

26. Amina Banana and the Formula for Friendship by Shifa Saltagi Safadi, ill. Aaliya Jaleel. Call Number: J Chapter Safad.S 

She may have just immigrated to America from Syria with her family, but Amina is determined to fit in. She has a helpful list to guide her, but soon finds that making friends isn’t quite as difficult as she might have thought.

27. Brianna Banana: Helper of the Day by Lana Button, ill. Suharu Ogawa. Call Number: J Chapter Butto.L

All Brianna wants in the whole entire world is to be Helper of the Day in school. But when the new girl gets the job instead, Brianna gets something even better: a new friend. 

28. From Memen to Mori by Shinsuke Yoshitake, translated by Ajani Oloye. Call Number: J Graphic Yoshi.S

In strange and sweet little sequences, a brother and a sister question the world around them in this gently philosophical title. 

29. Jasper Rabbit’s Creepy Tales: Troubling Tonsils by Aaron Reynolds, ill. Peter Brown. Call Number: J Chapter Reyno.A

Charlie Marmot was just an average kid with an average problem: His tonsils are infected and have to come out. What no one warns him about is what happens when those tonsils get ideas of their own…

30. The Letter Setters in BOP! by Ethan Long. Call Number: J Begin Long.E

Meet the letter setters! When they discover a massive bone, these mischievous pups will stop at nothing to get it for themselves. An entire tale told entirely in one word per page! 

31. Night Light by Michael Emberley. Call Number: JBegin Ember.M

At bedtime a little child creature wants a bedroom full of stars so an older relative plucks them from the sky. But what about the poor lonely moon? Enchanting easy fun for budding graphic novel fans.

32. Ride the Riverboat (Duck and Cat) by Drew Panckeri. Call Number: J Easy Panck.D

What could be more relaxing than a riverboat ride that comes with dinner and a show? But things get a little tricky when three hungry crocodiles turn their sights on Duck and Cat. It’s gonna have to be showtime or they will be dinnertime!

33. The Shindig Is Coming! by Cherise Mericle Harper. Call Number: J Chapter Harpe.C

It’s coming! The Shindig! But what exactly is a Shindig? The forest animals need to figure it out and fast, because something truly IS coming… and it’s unexpected. 

34. The Tunneler Tunnels in the Tunnel by Michael Rex. Call Number: J Easy Rex.M

Meet the tunneler. He tunnels in the tunnels. Why? Join the other industrious penguins he finds along the way and see where all of them end up!

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Poetry

35. Black Diamond Kings by Charles R. Smith Jr., ill. Adrian Brandon. Call Number: J 796.35764 Smith.C

Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, Cool Papa Bell, Smokey Williams, all the great players of the Negro leagues are on display with bat-cracking poems and eye-popping visuals to match!

36. The Boy Who Lived in a Shell: Snippets for Wandering Minds by John Himmelman. Call Number: J 811.54 Himme.J

Once there was a boy named Ivo who lived in a giant moon snail shell on a beach. Read the poems he writes on the wall of the shell in this witty, and occasionally touching collection. 

37. Dinos That Drive by Suzy Levinson, ill. Dustin Harbin. Call Number: J 811 Levin.S

Let this delightful array of facts, fun poetry, and cars cars cars show you what these vehicular-loving thunder lizards are all about.

38. Five Little Friends: A Collection of Finger Rhymes by Sean Taylor, ill. Fiona Woodcock. Call Number: J 398.3 Taylo.S

Warm up your digits and prepare to encounter all new finger movements for 21st century toddlers and preschoolers. Rhymes that go far beyond “The Itsy Bitsy Spider”. 

39. Nightmare Jones by Shannon Bramer, ill. Cindy Derby. Call Number: J 811.54 Brame.S

Creepies, crawlies, and monsters galore. If you’re looking for unsettling poetry for kids, you can’t do better than this eerie collection.

40. Where the Deer Slip Through by Katey Howes, ill. Beth Krommes. Call Number: J Picture Howes.K

“This is the gap where the deer slip through, when the sky is still more pink than blue.” A gentle celebration of nature, a garden, and the people and animals that live alongside one another.

41. Words with Wings and Magic Things by Matthew Burgess, ill. Doug Salati. Call Number: J 811.6 Burge.M

A clever, silly, smart, hilarious, touching, and ultimately magical collection of poems. Dive through the die-cut portals into whole new worlds!

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Middle Grade Fiction 

42. Blood in the Water by Tiffany D. Jackson. Call Number: J Fiction Jacks.T

Against her wishes, Kaylani is sent to Martha’s Vineyard to stay with a wealthy family. When a crime occurs, she soon finds herself investigating a shocking mystery. A bracing page turner.

43. Busted by Dan Geimenhart. Call Number: J Fiction Geime.D

After a new manager threatens to evict Oscar and his grandfather from their retirement home, Oscar has to rely on a 104-year-old resident with a criminal past to save them. Comical chaos ensues.

44. Danilo Was Here by Tamika Burgess. Call Number: J Fiction Burge.T

It’s 1990 Panamá and Danilo has just experienced the Just Cause military operation. He has a chance to play baseball in the United States where his estranged father now lives. But does he really want to go?

45. An Encantadora’s Guide to Monstros & Magic by Sarah J. Mendonca. Call Number: J Fiction Mendo.S

Rosa learns how to trap ghastly Monstros, but has higher aspirations. When corrupt government officials threaten her family, she strives to join a rebellious secret society to take them down.

46. The Experiment by Rebecca Stead. Call Number: J Fiction Stead.R

It’s all fun and games until you accidentally grow a tail. Nathan’s been trying to fit in as a human for years, but suddenly kids are disappearing and it may be that everything he’s ever known is wrong.

47. The Freedom Seeker by Ruchira Gupta. Call Number: J Fiction Gupta.R

Fleeing bigotry in Chandigarh, India, Simran and her mother attempt to enter America via coyotes in Mexico. A harrowing but ultimately hopeful exploration of a brutal immigration system.

48. The Gate, the Girl, and the Dragon by Grace Lin. Call Number: J Fiction Lin.G

Lion cub Jin exists as part of an enchanted sculpture. When a mysterious sculptor steals a magical sphere, Jin must retrieve it and save the spirit world. 

49. Let’s Get Together by Brandy Colbert. Call Number: J Fiction Colbe.B

Liberty has just started at a new school where she meets Kenya, a girl who…looks exactly like her??? Secrets from the past unfold and rock the girls’ worlds in this riff on The Parent Trap.

50. Neshama by Marcella Pixley. Call Number: J Fiction Pixle.M

Kids think Anna is weird because she can see ghosts. Things become stranger still  when Anna meets the ghost of an aunt who died young and has a score to settle with a bully. A fast-moving free verse novel.

51. The Pecan Sheller by Lupe Ruiz-Flores. Call Number: J Fiction Ruizf.L

A timely and potent look at how a girl can become part of a union movement. In 1930s San Antonio, 13-year-old Petra fights for better working conditions as well as her own dreams. 

52. Pocket Bear by Katherine Applegate, ill. Chales Santoso. Call Number: J Fiction Apple.K

A stray cat brings discarded stuffies to a ramshackle home where toys are given a second chance. Then a mysterious new teddy bear arrives…and it might be in danger!

53. The Queen Bees of Tybee County by Kyle Casey Chu. Call Number: J Fiction Chu.K

All basketball star Derrick wants is to fit in. But when he spends the summer with his grandmother, he discovers a love of drag and performance that he never suspected was there. But will he be brave enough to show the world who he is?

54. Scarlet Morning by N.D. Stevenson. Call Number: J Fiction Steve.N

Orphans Viola and Wilmur have lived all their lives on the boring island of Caveat. When an exciting stranger appears, they trade a strange book for a life of adventure. But is their captain the infamous pirate Scarlet Morning? 

55. Severe and Unusual Weather by Jessie Ann Foley. Call Number: J Fiction Foley.J

Magical twists and sinister undertones make up this satisfying tale of new friends and the tornado mystery and bonds them together. 

56. Starstuff: Ten Science Fiction Stories to Celebrate New Possibilities, edited by William Alexander and Wade Roush. Call Number: J Fiction Starstu

Take a trip to the distant, and not so distant, future! From miracle drugs that keep you young, to clones, alternate universes, aliens, space-crazed billionaires, and more, these are stories to make you think and wonder.

57. Stitch by Pádraig Kenny. Call Number: J Fiction Kenny.P

Wide-eyed Stitch looks for the good in everybody, which can be hard to do when people see him as a monster. A sweet Frankensteinian tale of found family.

58. The Teacher of Nomad Land: A World War II Story by Daniel Nayeri. Call Number: J Fiction Nayer.D

Against the backdrop of World War II comes an epic adventure set in Iran. Through the cacophony of soldiers, tanks, and planes, can young hearts of different creeds and nations learn to find a common language?

59. The Tontine Caper by Dianne K. Salerni, ill. Matt Schu. Call Number: J Fiction Saler.D

Guests at The Precipice Inn never arrive in the late fall, so when members of a mysterious tontine start showing up as guests, young Nico Lombardi is determined to get to the bottom of what they’re all up to. 

60. The Trouble with Heroes by Kate Messner. Call Number: J Fiction Messn.K

Living in the shadow of his firefighter dad, a 9/11 hero who dies mysteriously during the pandemic, Finn attempts to climb all 46 of the Adirondack mountains. Excellent poetry in this powerful mix of humor and heartbreak.

61. The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest by Audrey Hartman, ill. Marcin Minor. Call Number: J Fiction Hartm.A

An undead fox named Clare helps usher recently deceased animals into the afterlife. However, things go terribly awry when a mysterious badger shows up at his door. Is Clare out of a job?

62. The Village Beyond the Mist by Sachiko Kashiwaba, ill. Miho Satake, translated by Avery Fischer Udagawa. Call Number: J Fiction Kashi.S

When Lina’s father sends her away for the summer, the last place she expects to end up is in a tiny village inhabited by the descendants of wizards. Magic, fun, sweets, toys, enchanted princes, cowardly tigers, and more abound in this 1975 Japanese classic that inspired Spirited Away. 

63. Will’s Race for Home by Jewell Parker Rhodes, ill. Olga and Aleksey Ivanov. Call Number: J Fiction Rhode.J

In 1889, young Will and his sharecropper father take part in the Oklahoma land rush. Along the way they encounter rattlesnakes and raging rivers and prejudice, but never give up. An adrenaline rush of a survival story.

64. The Winter of the Dollhouse by Laura Amy Schlitz. Call Number: J Fiction Schli.L

All the doll Gretel has ever wanted is to be owned and played with by a child. All the girl Tiph has ever wanted is to own a doll like Gretel. A tale of friendship, family, theft, betrayal, and a great deal of love.

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Graphic Novels

65. Almost Sunset by Wahab Algarmi. Call Number: J Graphic Algar.W

Hassan loves soccer, but during Ramadan, he must fast and attend nightly services at his Mosque. How can he do it all and stay on his team? 

66. Cabin Head and Tree Head by Scott Campbell. Call Number: J Graphic Campb.S

Meet Cabin Head and Tree Head! Two great buddies helping one another through a series of small adventures. Join them and all their friends as they enjoy portraiture, leafcuts (both good and bad), treasure hunts, and more!

67. Chickenpox by Remy Lai. Call Number: J Graphic Lai.R

A visually inventive (and at times gross) memoir, told from the POV of the author’s older sister, about the time the Lai kids all caught chickenpox. Will they get along while trapped together in quarantine? Ha! No way! 

68. Creature Clinic by Gavin Aung Than. Call Number: J Graphic Than.G

A young orc doctor takes care of mythical creatures in need of (sometimes hilarious) medical help. When a human (gasp!) enters their fantastical realm, she must hide him!

69. The Fire-Breathing Duckling by Frank Cammuso. Call Number: J Graphic Cammu.F

Mama Duck loves all her ducklings equally… even the fire-breathing ones. Nort isn’t like his brothers and sisters. Will he ever find the place he belongs?

70. Fresh Start by Gale Galligan. Call Number: J Graphic Galli.G

Having trouble at school? No worries! Thanks to Ollie’s dad’s job, she moves from place to place all the time, never having to live with her past mistakes. But what happens when the family lands in Virginia… forever?

71. How to Say Goodbye In Cuban by Daniel Miyares. Call Number: J Graphic Miyar.D

Who would have thought winning the lottery would be such a problem? Carlos didn’t want to leave his grandparents’ Cuban farm for the big city, but that’s what happens when his papi hits it rich. Then Castro takes over and things change further still.

72. Oasis by Guojing. Call Number: J Graphic Guojing

In a barren desert, two children strive to survive while their mother works in the city. But when they discover an abandoned robot and fix it up, they find a new kind of mother as well.

73. One Crazy Summer: The Graphic Novel adapted by Rita Williams-Garcia, ill. Sharee Miller. Call Number: J Graphic Willi.R

A beautifully illustrated graphic novel adaptation of the classic award-winning novel about three sisters who travel to Oakland to spend the summer with their estranged mother who works as a poet with the Black Panthers.

74. Sea Legs by Jules Bakes, ill. Niki Smith. Call Number: J Graphic Bakes.J

Janey’s family lives on a boat traveling through the Bahamas. She feels isolated and wants to make a friend…but learns to be careful what you wish for. Based on the author’s childhood.

75. The Snips: A Bad Buzz Day by Raúl the Third, colors by Elaine Bay. Call Number: J Graphic Raul

Evil barbers have a diabolical plan that involves hundreds of unsuspecting victims to receive terrible buzzcuts. But never fear, the crime-fighting Snips are on the case!

76. A Song for You & I by K. O’Neill. Call Number: J Graphic Oneil.K

An aspiring ranger. A shy musician. An injured winged horse. All learn to heal again and gain confidence in this quietly fantastical tale.

77. True Colors: Growing Up Weird in the ‘90s by Elise Gravel, translated by Montana Kane. Call Number: J Graphic Grave.E

Elise knows she’s a weirdo, but she is pretty okay with that, as long as she has her best friend Asma. But when Asma and a new friend start hanging out without her, is their friendship over?

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Nonfiction Picture Books

78. Alberto Salas Plays Paka Paka con la Papa by Sara Andrea Fajardo, ill. Juana Martinez-Neal. Call Number: J B Salas.A Fajar.S

Agricultural scientist Alberto Salas is on the hunt… for potatoes. If he finds them, they could help to feed the world. If he misses them, they might go extinct! A glorious introduction to a little known science told with fun and whimsy. Available in Spanish!!

79. Are You a Friend of Dorothy?: The True Story of an Imaginary Woman and the Real People She Helped by Kyle Lukoff, ill. Levi Hastings. Call Number: J 306.766 Lukof.K

How could LGBTQ+ people be safe in an era when being queer was a crime? A book that spotlights and uplifts people who have always wanted, and remain wanting, to be themselves.

80. The Black Mambas: The World’s First All-Woman Anti-Poaching Unit by Kelly Crull. Call Number: J 639.90968 Crull.K

With their incredible skills, this all-women anti-poaching team has been keeping animals safe for years. Watch how they do it and learn more about the critically endangered species that owe these women their lives. 

81. The Five Sides of Marjorie Rice: How to Discover a Shape by Amy Alznauer, ill. Anna Bron. Call Number: J B Rice.M Alzna.A

What does it mean to “discover” a brand new shape? Meet Marjorie Rice, an ordinary woman who discovered shapes no one had ever found before. 

82. Gabba Gabba We Accept You: The Wondrous Tale of Joey Ramone by Jay Ruttenberg, ill. Lucinda Schreiber. Call Number: J B Ramon.J Rutte.J

That the awkward boy who loved rock n’ roll and couldn’t fit in turned into Joey Ramone, one of the fathers of punk, is a story worth telling. A beautiful and touching look at finding what you love and living it. 

83. A Gift of Dust: How Saharan Plumes Feed the Planet by Martha Brockenbrough, ill. Juana Martinez-Neal. Call Number: J 551.37 Brock.M

How does an ancient fish control the raindrops that fall from the sky? Learn about the Saharan plumes that affect living things all over the Earth.

84. Go Tell It: How James Baldwin Became a Writer by Quartez Harris, ill. Gordon C. James. Call Number: J B Baldw.J Harri.Q

“The first time James Baldwin read a book, the words clung to him like glitter.” The early life of one of America’s greatest writers comes to vibrant life in this incredible peek into his earliest inspirations. 

85. The History of We by Nikkolas Smith. Call Number: J 599.938 Smith.N

Take a trip back in time to our earliest ancestors. Nikkolas Smith delves deep into humanity’s past and shows how much has changed and how much has stayed the same.

86. I Am We: How Crows Come Together to Survive by Leslie Barnard Booth, ill. Alexandra Finkeldey. Call Number: J 598.864 Booth.L

You may have seen them. You may have heard them. But how well do you know them? Crows introduce themselves to you, and you may never be the same.

87. Jim! Six True Stories About One Great Artist: James Marshall by Jerrold Connors. Call Number: J B Marsh.J Conno.J

This gentle and delightful paean to picture book creator James Marshall plucks stories from his life and tells them entirely in his style. Clever and touching all at once.

88. Lady of the Lines: How Maria Reiche Saved the Nazca Lines by Sweeping the Desert by Michaela MacColl, ill. Elisa Chavarri. Call Number:  J 985.27 Reich.M Macco.M

Armed with a broom, Maria Reiche not only revealed the Nazca Lines in the desert but saved them numerous times. The tale of a one woman powerhouse who gave her all for the preservation of the past.

89. Make a Pretty Sound: A Story of Ella Jenkins-The First Lady of Children’s Music by Traci N. Todd, ill. Eleanor Davis. Call Number: J B Jenki.E Todd.T

Learn about what inspired legendary Chicago-based children’s musician Ella Jenkins to perform such terrific music. Lively, energetic prose teams up with lyrical colorful art.

90. Meet the Mini-Mammals: A Night at the Natural History Museum by Melissa Stewart, ill. Brian Lies. Call Number:J 599 Stewa.M

Here’s a question for you: What is the smallest mammal in the world? Let your ferret host take you on a deep dive into the contenders (all displayed at their ACTUAL SIZE!).

91. Poo Pile on the Prairie by Amy Hevron. Call Number:  J 577.44 Hevro.A

How can one little poop pile influence life in the prairie? Watch the incredible ecosystem that occurs when a key species does something as simple as poo. 

92. So Many Years: A Juneteenth Story by Anne Wynter, ill. Jerome Pumphrey. Call Number: J Holiday Juneteenth 394.263 Wynte.A

How would you dress, dance, sing, or eat after years of various forms of oppression? A glorious celebration of Juneteenth that cleverly links the past to the present in new, vital, and vibrant ways.

93. We Carry the Sun by Tae Keller, ill. Rachel Wada. Call Number: J 333.7923 Kelle.T

What if the Sun could be a source of power here on Earth? This book follows humanity across the globe and the many scientists and clever thinkers that are making solar power a possibility today. 

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Nonfiction for Older Readers

94. I’m a Dumbo Octopus: A Graphic Guide to Cephalopods by Anne Lambelet. Call Number: J 594.56 Lambe.A   

What makes the dumbo octopus so special? That’s the question it wants to know and it’s going to tell you about all the cool cephalopods it can in order to find out. Hilarious and informative!

95. An Immense World: How Animals Sense Earth’s Amazing Secrets by Ed Yong, adapted by AnnMarie Anderson, ill. Rebecca Mills. Call Number: J 591.5 Yong.E

How do animals see, hear, and feel the world? In more ways than you think. A colorful, fact-packed adaptation of a celebrated science writer’s award-winning tour de force.

96. Lice: How to Survive on Humans by Berta Páramo, translated by Marc Correa Haro. Call Number:  J 595.756 Param.B

Are you a louse that lives on a human head? Then this book is for you! A delightfully hilarious and disgusting tour of everything you need to know about lice, told for the discerning parasite.

97. Malcolm Lives! by Ibram X. Kendi. Call Number: J B X.M Kendi.I

History comes to evocative life in this eclectic and incredible biography. The past and the present mix and meld in this beautifully encapsulation of Malcolm’s days.

98. My Presentation Today Is About the Anaconda by Bibi Dumon Tak, ill. AnneMarie Van Haeringen, translated by Nancy Forest-Flier. Call Number: J 590 Dumon.B

Welcome! Animals give oral presentations about one another. Hilarity and fun facts mix and meld in this truly original collection. 

99. The Sky Was My Blanket: A Young Man’s Journey Across Wartime Europe by Uri Schulevitz. Call Number: J B Sulew.H Shule.U

The gripping, true story of Shulevitz’s uncle and everything he had to do to survive as a Jewish man during WWII. Simply told, quick, and unforgettable. 

100.  The Vanishing of Lake Peigneur by Allan Wolf, ill. Jose Pimienta. Call Number: J Graphic 613.69 Wolf.A 

On November 20, 1980 an entire 1,100 acre lake disappeared. How did it happen? Action packed graphic novel storytelling relays this forgotten piece of Louisiana history. 

101. Whale Eyes: A Memoir About Seeing and Being Seen by James Robinson, ill. Brian Rea. Call Number: J 362.41 Robin.J

How do you write a book about yourself when, growing up, you hated to read? A clever and original memoir about James Robinson’s misaligned eyes and how he became the filmmaker he is today.

Special thanks to our incredible committee members of 2025:

They are: Kimberly Diebold,  Bill Ohms,  Bridget Petrites,  Elizabeth English Steimle, Heather Norborg, Jessica Iverson Wu, Jeny Mills, Karina Andrus, Kimberly Daufeldt, Kennedy Joseph, Kasandra Trejo, Leigh Kennelly, Martha Meyer, Olivia Mo, Patricia Alm, Robin Sindelar, Taylor Keahey, Theresa Romano, Brian Wilson, Renee Grassi,  and Betsy Bird (a.k.a. “that guy”) Note: If you’re wondering if my own picture book POP! Goes the Nursery Rhyme was up for contention, it was not. We decided long ago that it was a conflict of interest to include any books written by staff on the list. Sorry, weasel.

Filed under: Best Books, Best Books of 2025