31 Days, 31 Lists: 2025 Middle Grade Fiction
Our penultimate post! We’re so very very close to the end. Not gonna lie. I absolutely love making these lists but they’re just a bit on the tiring side of the equation. Still, I am in it to win it, and this list today is one of my absolute favorites.
Naturally, trying to read all the middle grade fiction in a single year is a hopeless affair. Unless you’re serving on a national committee, like the Newbery or National Book Awards, and focusing all your energy, every single day, to each and every book published in the year, it’s impossible to see everything. You’re going to notice a lot of your favorites missing here today. That’s not because they didn’t deserve to be here. It’s more that I had to split my focus between these books and all the picture books/early chapter books/fairy tales/ nonfiction/ poetry/ easy books/ board books out there. Still, I was able to see these titles (and a lot more that didn’t do it for me) and these are the ones that, I truly believe, your kids are gonna get into. These are the books that will worm their ways into the crannies and crevices of your children’s gray matter, affecting their thoughts, their brains, their lives. If you’re comfortable with that, read on.
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If you’d like a PDF of today’s list, you may find it here.
Curious about past middle grade lists? Then check out the ones from previous years!
2025 Middle Grade Fiction
FEATURED TITLE
Ink Witch by Steph Cherrywell
[Previously Seen on the Fantasy List]
I won’t deny that there’s a possibility that I’m turning this book into my “Featured Title” today, by way of an apology. After all, I should have read it sooner. I should have reviewed it. I should have promoted it on all the year-end lists. In lieu of that, I place it here, before you, and tell you how great and grand and marvelous it truly is.
Another great example of a book that I discovered in just the nick of time. And, may I say, it’s been a particular delight seeing trans authors embracing fantasy in 2025. Between Kyle Lukoff’s A World Worth Saving (not on this list, but only because it just read a little too YA for me), N.D. Stevenson’s Scarlet Morning, and now this beauty, it’s really been heartening. What makes this even better is that Becca, our heroine, is trans herself. Trans and bored. Super bored. She has to help out her mom in running their dilapidated little motel, and even worse is that her mom is weirdly overprotective. Why? Maybe it has something to do with the woman who shows up and uses magic to pop Becca’s mom into an obedience spell. Becca is now determined to use all her latent powers to save her mom (and possibly the world itself, but that is definitely a #2 concern). I should have put this on the Funny List, you know. The ration of jokes that land to jokes that don’t in this book is shockingly high. Plus it’s hugely inventive when it comes to mermaids and other magical creatures. I can’t help it. This is clearly one of the best of the year.
All the Blues in the Sky by Renée Watson
Sage’s friend dies on what should have been a celebratory day, Sage’s birthday. Here, we find that Renée Watson has written a compelling novel-in-verse about a girl who feels simultaneously lost and guilty, in desperate need of rediscovering her self-worth and sense of purpose. It is strong, but then, as I may have already mentioned, it’s Renée Watson. When is she not strong? Plus I have her to blame for having tears running down my face as I listened to the audiobook of this book on my way to work. Excellent audio, by the way. And short! I am here for the short! As one of my co-workers put it so beautifully, in terms of grief, this book is, “Rich and poignant.”
Bad Badger: A Love Story by Maryrose Wood, ill. Giulia Ghigini
A lonely badger makes an unlikely friend in a mute seagull until that friend disappears. A lovely tale of what makes someone “good”, “bad”, or a “friend”. I went a little back and forth over whether or not this book should be considered an early chapter book or a full-on work of middle grade fiction, but doggone it, this is most certainly on the upper end of the equation. Now one of the things I really loved about this book was how beautifully it highlighted a basic miscommunication between friends from different backgrounds. Septimus makes his assumptions about Gully, and Gully makes assumptions about Septimus, but I love the degree to which they are dedicated to being friends in spite of their very obvious differences. This felt a lot like Skunk and Badger by Amy Timberlake from a couple years ago in terms of tone. That said, the truth of the matters is that this title doesn’t really feel like anything but itself. A book that is very comfortable with its own discomfort.
The Beat I Drum (Life of a Cactus #3) by Dusti Bowling
Things could not be worse. Connor’s about to enter high school all alone thanks to his mom’s move to be closer to the dad that abandoned him years ago. Will his Tourette Syndrome start acting up prevent him from making new friends? Even if you haven’t read any of the books in the “Life of a Cactus” series before, I’d have to say that this title stands entirely on its own. Connor rings true and this absolutely has the #1 best portrayal of what it’s like to live with Tourette’s I’ve ever read (there’s an early description of what it feels like to prevent a tic that is simultaneously visceral and completely understandable). Plus I’ve always sort of loved heroes that have a justifiable anger against an adult that betrayed them, and this has LOTS of that. The bullying is minimal to nonexistent which I greatly enjoyed. A pure pleasure to read.
Blood in the Water by Tiffany D. Jackson
Against her wishes, Kaylani is sent to Martha’s Vineyard to stay with a wealthy family. When a crime occurs, she soon finds herself trying to solve a shocking mystery. A fast-paced page turner. Bonus: Bloody bloody blood blood blood! And whatta cover! I admit that when I first saw this, the combination of the name “Tiffany D. Jackson” (who formerly did primarily YA lit) and the title/sky combo made me think that this was more of the same. Instead, you get this rip-roaring middle grade murder mystery with a great setting. I’ve been to Martha’s Vineyard twice, I have ridden that dang merry-go-round, and I found the setting here to be downright authentic. We get so few mysteries in a given year too, so to find this was a treat. Plus I loved how Kaylani had all the best detective instincts. This was a thrill. Makes me wish I had a Mystery list (and a enough books to fill it every year).
Candle Island by Lauren Wolk
When Lucretia and her mother move to vacation destination Candle Island, they harbor both a tragedy and a secret. Luscious writing enhances this tale of new beginnings and tentative friendships. That Lauren Wolk is an accomplished writer is without question. Additionally, I love any book that tells me right at the beginning that its heroine is carrying around a massive secret and then, somehow, manages to make me forget about all that by the story’s end. Kirkus had issues with the spoiled villains of this title, saying they were two-dimensional, and I suppose that’s true, but they’re also woefully realistic. Quite frankly, we live in an amazing era of two-dimensional, rich baddies. At its heart, this book is just a remarkable paean to art, artists, and appreciating what art can mean to individuals.
Cincinnati Lee, Curse Breaker by Heidi Heilig
How do you break an ancient curse that haunts your family for generations? If you’re Cincinnati Lee then you track down and repatriate stolen objects, of course. Chases, goons, ancient artifacts, and great writing accompany this Indiana Jones-style adventure. Aw, shoot. I really liked this. Not at first, necessarily. At the beginning of the book, when Cincinnati was determined to heist a museum piece, I thought it had too much Indiana Jones and not enough heart. Once that whole plan falls apart, however, I found myself not only enjoying the story, but really admiring Heilig’s beautiful writing style. Cin can be a hard character to love sometimes, considering the choices she makes, but once it became less Raiders of the Lost Ark and more Last Crusade I was ON BOARD. It’s a supremely clever title, legitimately convincing you that a plucky group of kids could solve an ancient mystery. Also, who doesn’t love an evil Hobby Lobby woman with ties to Nazism? Oh! And if you want a serious discussion of repatriation? This book is your BEST book. Really good!
Danilo Was Here by Tamika Burgess
It’s 1990 Panamá, and Danilo has just experienced the Just Cause military operation. Now he has a chance to play baseball in the United States where his estranged father currently lives. But does he really want to play ball? Five stars, all the way. I cannot help but think that it must have been remarkably difficult to write a book where a kid is a sports prodigy and does NOT want to play the game. I was expecting a lot of familiar tropes to show up in this title, and time after time they just didn’t happen. Now I’d really enjoyed Burgess’s previous book (Sincerely Sicily) but this book is even more sophisticated and accomplished. And that DAD! Ooooo! Boy, it is SO hard to write someone who is as disappointing as this guy is. Plus, I think it’s pretty clear that Burgess is showing how the he clearly has a girlfriend, or something going on, without having to spell it out. Lots and lots of layers here. I’m very impressed.
An Encantadora’s Guide to Monstros and Magic by Sarah J. Mendonca
[Previously Seen on the Fantasy List]
Someone pitched this book to me as similar to last year’s A Game of Noctis meets Ocean’s Eleven, and after that I didn’t need any more convincing. Now near the end of every year my tolerance for middle grade wanes. I really and truly need exciting stories or my attention will meander away without looking back. With this book, my attention was riveted. We meet Rosa Coelho, who suffers from a severe case of imposter syndrome. Rosa’s just a basic monster catcher, but when she gets recruited into a gang determined to make the steal of the century, she has to pretend to be a keeper. Keepers use charms on locks, a skill that Rosa’s been practicing independently on her own. Now she’s lost her best friend, she’s in over her head with this gang, and her grandmother will lose their family business unless she figures out not only how to fool the most impressive people in society, but her teammates as well. If I were to rank all the books on this list today in terms of world-building, this title would certainly be at the top. Mendonca is drawing upon a specific color-based, Portugese genre I’ve never seen before, and for all that the tale is about the evils of bureaucratic governments that seek only to aid the rich and powerful, it’s enormously accessible. Did I get confused repeatedly about keepers and trappers and all that? You betcha. But once this ride starts moving you have no choice but to hold on and see where it goes. Incredible.
The Experiment by Rebecca Stead
[Previously Seen on the Science Fiction List]
You know how a first page is supposed to capture a reader’s attention and intrigue them right form the start? That doesn’t always happen with classic kids’ books (I’m looking at you, Watership Down). Of course Charlotte’s Web is a prime example of not only a killer first chapter, but a killer first sentence as well. And considering the degree to which Rebecca Stead’s delightful alien invasion science fiction tale The Experiment owes to Charlotte (extra points to anyone who catches the direct Charlotte reference at the book’s end), it seems fitting that her first chapter is as good as it is. In fact, this book is just pure fun. Our hero, Nathan, isn’t that outgoing a guy. If his best friend Victor is Calvin, then Nathan is Hobbes. But in spite of this fact, there is something special about Nathan: He’s grown up his whole life knowing that he’s an alien. His parents have never been secretive about the fact that they are the Kast. This is why Nathan has to brush his teeth five times a day with a special pink toothpaste, why his mom tracks everything he consumes, and it probably is why recent he started growing a tail. Now the other Kast kids are disappearing and no one will tell him why. I’ve noticed that in 2025 there’s a distinct trend amongst children’s books to discuss what happens when the people you care about refuse to acknowledge that they may have been lied to because it would negate the stories they tell about themselves. Stead throws twist after twist into this clever book, to the point where you can’t stop turning those pages. It’s caring and smart and so incredibly fun. Also? I’m a BIG fan of the kind of aliens you see in this book.
The Forest of A Thousand Eyes, by Frances Hardinge, ill. Emily Gravett
[Previously Seen on the Science Fiction List]
Feather knew it was wrong to steal the spyglass for the stranger she met, but her curiosity about the world beyond her small community has always been outsized. Now she must track him down. Does she have the courage to face the forest on her own? After the 2024 election results, I pointed out to my kids that the pop culture songs on the radio seemed to be separating into two different camps: I’m depressed and The world is ending. Because pop music moves at a rate slightly quicker than that of literature, I guess it hadn’t really occurred to me that I might see similar themes in my books for kids. The Forest of a Thousand Eyes by Frances Hardinge isn’t necessarily an answer to the times in which we live, but it’s not NOT an answer either. It takes place in a future where forces beyond our control have separated humans into different camps and our only salvation is to join with one another, no matter how different we all are, because therein lies our salvation. Hardinge seems to quite fond of these small novellas she’s gotten into recently. Last year her new venture began with Island of Whispers. That was very much within her comfort zone of eerie fantasy. This book is entirely different. It’s still a short little novella, but instead of fantasy this is essentially science fiction. Post-apocalyptic science fiction at that! Her greatest strength has always, to my mind, been her ability to world build in a short amount of time. That’s truly put to the test here, and I’d say it pays off. A story about individual communities learning to come together in a hostile world feels awfully prescient, I must say. And yes, I literally gasped when the inciting incident happened at the beginning of the book (I won’t give it away). Evocative and FILLED with Hardinge’s beautiful language but also sweet and caring. You can’t miss this.
The Gate, the Girl, and the Dragon by Grace Lin
[Previously Seen on the Fantasy List]
Lion cub Jin exists as part of an enchanted sculpture. When a mysterious sculptor steals a magical sphere that’s also part of the work, Jin must retrieve it and save the spirit world. It’s funny, but I get so used to reading all these significantly older middle grade novels with death and trauma and all that jazz that when I read something legitimately younger, like Lin’s latest, I have to perform a kind of gear-shift in my brain. They certainly spared no expense for this title either. Full color interior spot art and full-page illustrations, plus whatever it is we’re calling color on the edges of the pages themselves, foil on the cover, the works! Lin also telegraphs a lot of the reveals far in advance, but that’s just going to make the kids who figure out stuff (like the fact that you can only see the head of the dragon by the sea because he’s the baddie) feel like a million bucks. I like its gentle bedtime reading lilt. I like the stakes being high but, somehow, not too high for younger readers to take in. And, as always, no one writes descriptions of food better than Grace Lin. No one.
A Hero’s Guide to Summer Vacation by Pablo Cartaya
Fantasy fans love the novels written by Gonzalo’s cranky, reclusive abuelo, and now Gonzalo (against his will) finds himself on his grandfather’s book tour. The problem: Grandpa doesn’t want to be on tour. And Gonzalo? He hasn’t even read his grandfather’s series! Seems to me that the middle grade road trip novel is a fascinating creation, is it not? And unlike a lot of other authors, I sincerely believed in the fantasy novel series that Gonzalo’s grandfather created. Sometimes people have a hard time making the made up books in their titles sound real, but not Pablo! This title makes for a rather lovely pairing alongside How to Say Goodbye in Cuban (the graphic novel). And the fact that this book is simultaneously available in Spanish? That’s just the icing on the cake. A nice example of a book of realistic fiction that shows that if it wanted to veer into fantasy, no one would even object.
Into the Rapids by Ann Braden
[Previously Seen on the Blueberry List]
All her life, Addy’s lived with her mom, without any outside help. But when heavy storms stand in the way of Addy getting to Survival Camp, she’ll put her skills to the test thanks, in part, to a new friend. This book has come up in online conversations of how many middle grades this year are focused on grief. But since Addy’s father died when she was young, it’s her mother’s grief that seems to be more of a focus. This is fast-paced, interesting, and blessedly short. Always nice to see a family integrate into a community (even when some of those community members act like spoiled children). My sole objection? I like to have a word with the Art Director on this cover. Addy is referred to constantly as stocky and strong, which pleased me greatly. This willowy wisp of a girl isn’t the Addy I want to see. Strong girls with muscles deserve covers too!
It’s All or Nothing, Vale by Andrea Beatriz Arango
Vale knows she excels at fencing. She’s one of the best, but after an accident sidelines her, Vale must find a way to accept her situation. Especially after a new girl, who is great at fencing, arrives. I confess that I rather like authors that are willing to make their main characters unlikable. Arango does this amazing balancing act between Vale’s dreams and visions alongside her complete and utter inability to care about anyone other than herself. This is jock fiction, clear and simple, and I am here for it. The relationship between Vale and her rival had a distinctly Salieri/Amadeus quality to it too, don’t you think? The learning and growing works, and while I did feel that Vale sort of slipped into understanding her situation just a touch too quickly at the end, I don’t hold it against the book. I mean, we didn’t want it to go on for another 100 pages, after all. I also thought it was nice that she has a crush but that crush never gets resolved. A LOT of middle school books end up with characters together, which always strikes me as a bit bizarre. Oh, and the way the Spanish was seamlessly incorporated into the text was flawless. Really beautifully done. If you’re into 2025 fencing books, consider pairing it alongside On Guard! by Cassidy Wasserman (as seen on the Comics & Graphic Novels List).
Last Chance Academy: A Study in Secrets by Debbi Michiko Florence
After losing her mom, Megumi “Meg” Mizuno has let her grades slip so low that her father sends her to a school for troubled kids. There she must use her special skills alongside her wits to outwit her peers in a scavenger hunt that is simultaneously fun and a tiny bit creepy. I really liked this! Mind you, I’m a big time fan of books where the characters have to solve a series of puzzles. The author pretty much plays fair, though it would have been nice if the publisher had shelled out a buck or two to make the cards that appear in the book appear on the page (so you could see things like the extra space for the hidden message, as one example). Emotionally, the book also resonated. When Megumi gets betrayed I felt that scene HARD in my gut. And yes, it never satisfies all your questions at the end, but I thought that was fine since it’s clearly the first in a series. This traipses nicely close to the “mystery” genre, and lord knows we’re always looking for more of those.
Let’s Get Together by Brandy Colbert
I’m going to make a confession right here and now. The Parent Trap? I’ve never seen it. Not the original Hayley Mills or the one with Lindsey Lohan. I get the general gist, though, and now, after reading Let’s Get Together, I think I understand why it’s as satisfying as it is. The premise of this book is pretty ballsy right up front, which I appreciated. Liberty, a foster kid with a pretty great new guardian, is attending a new school when she discovers that there’s another girl there that looks identical to her. Kenya, the girl in question, has no idea what’s going on. It’s the first day of sixth grade in a school she’s attended her whole life, and now a doppelganger has shown up. If anyone’s ever seen the documentary Three Identical Strangers then you’ll get a lot of the similar vibes here. The trick on Colbert’s part is to make it crystal clear that Kenya’s dad is not to blame for the fact that he hasn’t been able to find Liberty all these years. The additional fact that he didn’t tell his daughter that she had a twin though? Yeah. That’s on him. And the plan to try and get him together with Liberty’s guardian is completely believable (as is the fact that the adults, when they learn of it, are pretty amused but unpersuaded). I found this book compelling, particularly when I wanted to get to the part where all is revealed to Kenya’s dad. Great audiobook and just downright enjoyable writing. Oh. And I’m going to note that when I was Googling the correct spelling of Hayley’s name, I only then realized that there’s a song in The Parent Trap called “Let’s Get Together”. Yup.
A Little Too Haunted by Justine Pucella Winans
[Previously Seen on the Gross List]
Proof positive that with the right writer, representation is always possible. Even in creepy, gory little middle grade novels like this one. Luna has a fairly serious case of IBS that gets in the way of a lot of things. That’s not the gross part of this book, though. As the story opens, she and her moms are moving into a new home. This isn’t particularly notable, since her moms flip houses. What is notable is that they flip haunted houses, and up until recently Luna was 100% on board with the whole plan. Then she found out that they were faking the hauntings (they’re influencers and that’s where most of their salaries come from) and she revealed their duplicity in front of all their viewers. Now they’ve come to this house to rebrand, but there’s a slight problem. The place really is haunted, and only Luna can see it. You get this truly funny moment at the beginning where the walls of the bathroom begin to bleed, the message “GET OUT” appears… and Luna could not be more thrilled. Some of the hauntings are definitely on the disgusting side (hope you like charred flesh!) and if you’ve a special love of butterflies, better be prepared to find them horrific from here on in. All told, a very fun ghost story, with a truly satisfying ending.
Lost Evangeline by Kate DiCamillo, ill. Sophie Blackall
[Previously Seen on the Fantasy List]
Found in the heel of a shoe, tiny Evangeline is raised by a shoemaker who yearns for the sea. When unscrupulous forces tear the two apart, they must decide what it is they want and if following their dreams will make it happen. This would be the latest entry in DiCamillo’s “Norendy Tale” series and this time she’s taking on both the Elves and the Shoemaker and the Thumbelina fairytales simultaneously. The thing is, with a DiCamillo book I never feel quite safe. I know that there will probably be a complicated happy ending after quite a bit of strife, but the percentage of happiness in that ending is always unknown. This falls into some of the more happily ambiguous endings DiCamillo has dreamed up, if only because there’s a possibility of a much wanted reunification without proof that one occurs. It is a very Stuart Little ending, if you get my meaning. That’s not a bad thing, it’s more a warning to my third grade self that had some serious issues with how E.B. White chose to end that book. All that aside, this is really good. You’ve got Blackall back in the saddle with the illustrating (no one does a disdainful cat better than she) and plenty of good heroes and villains with names like Stumphaulf (inarguably an amazing choice of name). Doggone it. I like it. Nice and complicated.
A Method for Magic and Misfortune by Craig Kofi Farmer
[Previously Seen on the Fantasy List]
Marcus has trusted community leader Mr. O since the man rescued him and his sister from their abusive dad. So when Marcus discovers he can do magic, Mr. O is the one to help him… or is he? I walked into this expecting something along the lines of Craig’s previous book Kwame Crashes the Underworld and instead ended up with something a lot more nuanced, difficult, and complex. In this title, Farmer’s wrestling with the concept of toxic mentorship, which is NOT something I’ve ever seen in a novel for kids before and certainly not in a fantasy. It’s a lot of words on a lot of pages (355, to be precise) but I can’t imagine excising a one of them. Amusingly, I read this shortly after reading The Experiment by Rebecca Stead, and now I don’t think I’ll ever be able to put my faith in an authority figure again! Pairs exceedingly well with last year’s The Wrong Way Home (if only because I kept screaming at the main character to stop doing the wrong thing).
Neshama by Marcella Pixley
Kids think Anna is weird. Why? Because she can see ghosts and interact with them. Things become even odder, though, when Anna meets the ghost of an aunt who not only died young, but has a score to settle with a bully. This is a fast-moving free verse novel. We’ve had shockingly few middle grades with Jewish content in 2025, I’ve noticed, so it was such a relief to discover this one during the year. At first I thought that this storyline might go the dybbuk route, but it’s genuinely more interested in family trauma than cultural myths. It’s a good strong verse novel, which always helps matters, and reads REAL fast! I thought it did a fairly good job of humanizing the bully, which is always a difficult matter in these stories, and the dad’s turnaround is pretty darn good too. A strong inclusion on this list.
Norah’s Ark by Victoria Williamson
[Previously Seen on the Blueberry List]
Knowing, as I did, that this book was an import from the UK (originally published there in 2023) I was curious to see whether or not this book jacket image was the same there as here. Turns out, yep. Same cover and everything. Thing is, I’m not really all that sure that this is a cover designed to appeal to American kids. It’s accurate (you can even make out the book’s cat) but considering how gripping the story inside is, I’d have advocated for a jacket with a little more pizzazz. I am pleased, though, that my co-workers were able to persuade me to read it. I live in an American where SNAP benefits were rescinded, so this tale of Norah and her father just barely getting by (and even then, it’s a close thing) within the social structure of the U.K. (which, as difficult as it is, is still a lot better than what we have here in the States) felt horrendously timely. The story is, as I say, about Norah and her father. Unhoused, they’ve been struggling for a while, her dad unable to hold down a variety of jobs and Norah getting teased by the other kids at school. When she finds a nest of abandoned baby birds, she protects and feeds them constantly. Then a boy she doesn’t know takes them to his tree fort. When the two kids meet, Norah discovers that Adam may have a family with money, but he’s miserable. A cancer survivor, his parents treat him like a delicate vase, and he’s never allowed friends, school, or even to return to the swimming he loved. Williamson’s title apparently won a “Big Issue Book of the Year” award, but it’s much more than that. These kids feel horrendously real, and their parents may try hard, but they are deeply flawed individuals. There’s a deeply satisfying and happy ending, I am pleased to report. A hugely empathetic work.
The Reel Wish by Yamile Saied Méndez
Florencia really loves ballet and cannot wait to play Clara in The Nutcracker. Then things go wrong. Very wrong. Fortunately, thanks to two new misfit friends and a discovery of Irish dance, Flor finds hope and a new beat to dance to. In spite of the opinions of my fellow librarians, I actually like this cover a whole lot and find it very appealing. That said, it is possible that it didn’t prepare me for the levels of depth that this author was capable of. Now I actually used to participate in Irish dance when I was a kid (before they started making the dancers wear those wigs) and a lot of this felt very real. Even thought it’s a bully book, I become so fond of it. And, because I’m a bitter, vindictive soul at heart, a part of me really and truly wanted Selena (the bully) to suffer a lot more at the story’s end. Buuuuuut…. fine. This is the better ending *grumble*. Engrossing and impossible to put down. Also available in Spanish as El Deseo de Mi Corazón!
Scarlet Morning by N.D. Stevenson
[Previously Seen on the Fantasy & Funny List]
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? I’m so sorry, folks. I’ve just discovered, quite late in the game, my favorite fantasy novel for kids of 2025. It’s sort of what you’d get if you combined The Pirates of the Caribbean with Lemony Snicket. I don’t know that I can describe it any better than that. N.D. Stevenson is best known for the graphic novel Nimona, but here he’s just using his art skills to illustrate his own book. I forgot that at one point and found myself thinking, “Man. The illustrator here is WAY better than I’m used to on these books.” Is it a standalone? Not really. I mean, some threads get tied up but some are definitely dangling. Still, I was just GRIPPED by this and the writing is absolutely jaw-droppingly good. Definitely on the older side, but so much fun and funny funny funny. Hugely imaginative too! Please give it a read
Starstuff: Ten Science Fiction Stories to Celebrate New Possibilities, edited by William Alexander and Wade Roush
[Previously Seen on the Science Fiction List]
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. I don’t think I mentioned this before, but my new year’s resolution for 2025 was to read more science fiction. It’s the genre I love so dearly, and it just gets completely ignored sometimes by the rest of children’s literature. This book is pure, unapologetic, unfiltered science fiction in the best sense. The ten stories collected in this title include some particularly good tales. Are they all 100% the best? Not exactly, but at the same time I wouldn’t say that any of them are duds. The connecting thread is that they all incorporate real science in some way (which is the best kind of science fiction). I was particularly keen on “The Traveler and A Proposal to the Animal Congress” (though it is weeeeeird). “The Most Epic Nap in the Universe” reminded me a little of Stephen King’s “The Jaunt”, though without the creepiness. All told, I really enjoyed this.
Stitch by Pádraig Kenny
[Previously Seen on the Science Fiction List]
If we consider the fact that Frankenstein really was the first science fiction story, then it makes perfect sense to include Stitch on this list (and it is NOT to be confused with the somewhat similar Stitch Head). Wide-eyed Stitch looks for the good in everybody, which can be hard to do when people see him as a monster. A Frankensteinian tale and the sweetest little undead guy you ever will meet. It can be difficult to say how much of the pleasure of this book comes from recognizing all the Frankenstein Easter eggs that Kenny drops in his writing, but I’d wager that even a kid who had never even heard of Frankenstein would get a kick out of this book. There’s just so much humanity at work on these pages. Do I think the ending where the villagers accept the weirdo monster family into their midst is a bit of a stretch? Oh, absolutely. But as a found family narrative I really enjoyed this thoroughly. I thought it nailed the characterizations, the villain was nicely complicated, and it stuck the landing.
The Teacher of Nomad Land: A World War II Story by Daniel Nayeri
Against the backdrop of World War II comes an epic adventure in a faraway place. Through the cacophony of soldiers, tanks, and planes, can young hearts of different creeds and nations learn to find a common language? They can when they’ve a kid with a blackboard and a sister to keep safe. Oh. So it’s my pick for this year’s Newbery Award, and it already won a National Book Award? Well that makes my job easy. Yeah, I was completely taken in by this. I think that Nayeri has hit his middle grade sweet spot. This has everything I love about his books without the excess. It’s like he trimmed his storytelling to the bone and has ended up with a book that’s tight and telling. It has all his beautiful language and gripping sequences, as well as character development and SUCH a sense of place and time. And humor! Loads of it! Incredible.
The Tontine Caper by Dianne K. Salerni, ill. Matt Schu
Guests at The Precipice Inn never arrive in the late fall, so when members of a mysterious tontine start showing up as guests, young orphan Nico Lombardi is determined to get to the bottom of what they’re all up to. Kids love mysteries but mysteries are darned hard to write. That’s probably why we see so few of them in a given year. Now at first glance I thought that this book had a premise not terribly dissimilar from Greenglass House by Kate Milford. You know. An inn in the off-season is suddenly flooded with guests for some mysterious reason. But the difference here is that Salerni (whom you’ll remember from that cool book The Carrefour Curse) is actually writing for a bit of a younger audience. Matt Schu’s art here is also invaluable, since he allows readers to keep track of all the different characters with relative ease. As an adult I saw a lot of the reveals a mile off, but Salerni had plenty more that I didn’t see coming, which was a treat. It’s not really a straightforward mystery in the traditional sense, but there are a lot of mysteriously unlocked doors, people in disguise, and true villains. Fun!
The Trouble with Heroes by Kate Messner
[Previously Seen on the Blueberry List]
Living in the shadow of his firefighter dad (a 9/11 hero who died mysteriously during the pandemic) Finn must climb all 46 of the Adirondack mountains to make amends for an act of vandalism. Excellent poetry accompanies this powerful mix of humor and heartbreak. Strong is the word for it. One might even go so far as to say that this is Messner’s best middle grade to date. I’ve been reading a LOT of well-intentioned, likeable kids in book this year, so, for me, snarky Finn is like a breath of fresh air. You kick those gravestones over, Finn! Kick ‘em, I say! It was fun reading this and watching to see how Messner would redeem Finn, and the premise, while odd, actually works. She makes a big revelation at the end that felt too easy, but actually justifies a lot of what came before, so I went for it. If you get a chance, I HIGHLY recommend that you listen to the audiobook read by Mack Gordon. He manages to make his voice tremble at all the right moments so, yes. I got all teary. My sole true objection to the book? That dog on the cover is insufficiently gross and drooly. MORE DROOL NEEDED! Otherwise, no notes.
The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest by Audrey Hartman
[Previously Seen on the Fantasy List]
An undead fox named Clare helps usher recently deceased animals into the afterlife. However, things go awry when a mysterious badger shows up at his door and doesn’t appear to be going anywhere. What is it with foxes and Newbery contender titles? Between this and Scary Stories for Young Foxes we’ve apparently got an entire genre of zombie foxes on our hands. This is much less creepy than Scary Stories, of course. Audrey Hartman seems dedicated to wringing every drop of sympathy out of poor Clare. I mean, you just FEEL for this guy. You can see where he’s coming from and you are with him. The world just seems terribly terribly unfair for a long time, until it miraculously manages to resolve itself in an emotionally honest and satisfying way at the end. I am maybe most impressed with how well Hartman pulled everything together by the end. A masterclass in fiction, right here.
Vanya and the Wild Hunt by Sangu Mandanna
[Previously Seen on the Fantasy List]
Holy moly! Well, THAT was a pleasant surprise! You know, in the wake of J.K. Rowling’s TERF-dom, I’ve had a fair number of folks ask me if I can recommend fantasies in lieu of her own. And while the middle grade market does not lack for fantasy novels, finding any that align with you-go-to-a-magical-school or you-have-surprising-powers, and are actually original in their own right, can prove to be a challenge. Mandanna, however, really and truly does come up with something one-of-a-kind. Vanya’s ADHD is better delineated than Percy Jackson’s, and the fantasy world she enters into is really comprehensively thought out. Did I figure out who the baddie was before the grand reveal? Sure, but it took me a little longer than it should have (so well done there). I also thought that Mandanna did a great job of keeping Vanya’s parents out of the way realistically, and she does a great job with the sweets, treats, and food. You really and truly would like to step through a magical door to get to the land here (not true of every fantasy land). Plus the book acquires a really fun element near the end that does a great job of making you want to read the sequel RIGHT NOW! A British fantasy adventure import on which we can all agree.
The Village Beyond the Mist by Sachiko Kashiwaba, ill. Miho Satake, translated by Avery Fischer Udagawa
[Previously on the Translation and Fantasy Lists]
You can’t do much better as a translation in the American children’s book market than to proclaim loudly and proudly that your book was the “Inspiration for the film Spirited Away”. One might look upon such a statement skeptically, but the fact of the matter is that it’s true. Sachiko Kashiwaba isn’t a household name here in the States, but in Japan she’s one of the greats. A children’s and young adult fantasy writer who has been working for five decades, we’re not entirely unaware of her work here in the States. I mean, her books Temple Alley Summer and The House of the Lost on the Cape (both of which, to my chagrin, I missed reading) won Batchelder Awards and Honors, respectively. This particular book (originally published in Japan in 1975 or so, which is how Miyazaki knew it) is so friggin’ charming that once you’ve read it you’re convinced that you must have known it your whole life. You know when parents or grandparents come into the library asking for something “classic” or a good readaloud bedtime story? Give ‘em this. The illustrations by Miho Satake, for starters, are a great match. But then the tale itself is also fantastic. A girl is sent for the summer to “friends” in the country, but when she gets to the train stop no one is there to meet her and no one has heard of where she’s supposed to go. She soon finds herself in the strangest little village where she befriends a wild array of people, all the descendants of wizards. Magic and fun, tons of sweets and toys, enchanted princes and cowardly tigers, this book has it all. Best of all? It’s a sweet little 146 pages.
Will’s Race for Home by Jewell Parker Rhodes
[Previously Seen on the American History List]
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. Okay, I am all in on this. First off, this is just about the most positively masculine thing I’ve read in a long long time. Second, it’s hitting Western trope after Western trope and making them all seem new for kids. From shootouts in the streets to Shane to rattlers, you got it. Like last year’s fellow exoduster novel (and Newbery Honor winner) One Big Open Sky, Rhodes is NOT interested in engaging with where precisely all this open land is coming from. She does have a lot of nice info about displaced Indigenous people in her backmatter, but it would have been nice to see the in the front since none of the characters give them even a second thought. That said, it’s a really sweet story and so tense that I actually had to flip to the end of the book to find out what was going to happen. Bound to keep readers on the edge of their seats. And that cover? *chef’s kiss*
The Winter of the Dollhouse by Laura Amy Schlitz
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 friendships, family, theft, betrayal, and a great deal of love. You see, the thing about Laura Amy Schlitz is that she has this incredible (some might say, magical) ability to take topics that feel a bit old-fashioned to contemporary writers of books for kids, and turn them into titles any contemporary child reader would enjoy. In the past she’s tackled fairies and come out swinging. Now she’s upped the ante and is talking dolls and dollhouses. And, let’s face it, we get plenty of dolls and the occasional dollhouse book, but only when they’re haunted. To do a middle grade novel about a doll that yearns for a girl and girl that yearns to play with a doll feels almost impossible to do without turning twee. Yet Schlitz is never twee. Instead you get this ribald, wonderful, deeply thought out and touching tale of a friendship between this girl and a lonely old woman and the dolls that bring them together. And it’s got everything! Theft! Hidden messages in puzzle boxes! The Wicked Witch of the West! It clocks in at 400 pages, which is a little hefty, but man does this storytelling fly.
Interested in the other lists this month? We’re almost at the end, but check out a couple of these if you like:
December 1 – Great Board Books
December 2 – Picture Book Readalouds
December 3 – Simple Picture Book Texts
December 4 – Transcendent Holiday Children’s Books
December 5 – Rhyming Picture Books
December 6 – Funny Picture Books
December 7 – Caldenotts
December 8 – Wordless Picture Books
December 9 – Bilingual Books for Kids
December 10 – Math Books for Kids
December 11 – Books with a Message / Social Emotional Learning
December 12 – Easy Books
December 13 – Translated Children’s Books
December 14 – Fairy Tales / Folktales / Religious Tales
December 15 – Gross Books
December 16 – Poetry Books
December 17 – Unconventional Children’s Books
December 18 – Early Chapter Books
December 19 – Comics & Graphic Novels
December 20 – Older Funny Books
December 21 – Science Fiction Books
December 22 – Fantasy Books
December 23 – Informational Fiction
December 24 – American History
December 25 – Science & Nature Books
December 26 – Unique Biographies
December 27 – Blueberry Award Contenders (Celebrating the Environment)
December 28 – Nonfiction Picture Books
December 29 – Nonfiction Books for Older Readers
December 30 – Middle Grade Novels
December 31 – Picture Books
Filed under: 31 Days 31 Lists, Best Books, Best Books of 2025
About Betsy Bird
Betsy Bird is currently the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system and a former Materials Specialist for New York Public Library. She has served on Newbery, written for Kirkus, and has done other lovely little things that she'd love to tell you about but that she's sure you'd find more interesting to hear of in person. Her opinions are her own and do not reflect those of EPL, SLJ, or any of the other acronyms you might be able to name. Follow her on BlueSky at: @fuse8.bsky.social
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