Young readers · 2025

Best Young Readers Books of 2025

Fireworks by Matthew Burgess, illustrated by Cátia Chien was the most-recognized young readers book of 2025, named by 8 of the 153 sources we track. The table ranks all 43 by how many sources named them.

Sources is the number of distinct awards and year-end lists that name the book's ISBN, in any year. 2025 is the award or list year in our catalog.

#BookAuthorSourcesNamed by
1FireworksMatthew Burgess, illustrated by Cátia Chien8
2Every Monday MabelJashar Awan7
3OasisGuojing7
4The Summer of the Bone HorsesVirginia Driving Hawk Sneve, illustrated by Steph Littlebird6
5A Book of Maps for YouLourdes Heuer, illustrated by Maxwell Eaton III5
6BrokenX. Fang5
7Island StormBrian Floca, illustrated by Sydney Smith5
8Our LakeAngie Kang5
9The Midwatch Institute for Wayward GirlsJudith Rossell5
10My Presentation Today Is About the AnacondaBibi Dumon Tak, illustrated by Annemarie van Haeringen, translated by Nancy Forest-Flier3
11Pilgrim CodexVivian Mansour, illustrated by Emmanuel Valtierra, translated by Carlos Rodríguez Cortez2
12SundustZeke Peña2
13The Village Beyond the MistSachiko Kashiwaba, illustrated by Miho Satake, translated by Avery Fischer Udagawa2
14Blood in the WaterTiffany D. Jackson1
15CrumbleMeredith McClaren, illustrated by Andrea Bell1
16Last Chance Live!Helena Haywoode Henry1
17They Bloom at NightTrang Thanh Tran1
18Whale Eyes: A Memoir About Seeing and Being SeenJames Robinson, illustrated by Brian Rea1
19A Feast for the EyesAlex Crespo0
    20A World Without Summer: A Volcano Erupts, a Creature Awakens, and the Sun Goes OutNicholas Day, illustrated by Yas Imamura0
      21After LifeGayle Forman0
        22BraveWeshoyot Alvitre0
          23Don't Trust FishNeil Sharpson, illustrated by Dan Santat0
            24Dream OnShannon Hale, illustrated by Marcela Cespedes0
              25FirebloomsAlexandra Villasante0
                26Hansel and GretelStephen King, illustrated by Maurice Sendak0
                  27How to Say Goodbye in CubanDaniel Miyares0
                    28J vs. KJerry Craft and Kwame Alexander0
                      29Kirby's Lessons for Falling (in Love)Laura Gao0
                        30Never Thought I'd End Up HereAnn Liang0
                          31On Guard!Cassidy Wasserman0
                            32One Crazy Summer: The Graphic NovelRita Williams-Garcia, illustrated by Sharee Miller0
                              33Scarlet MorningND Stevenson0
                                34Sunrise on the ReapingSuzanne Collins0
                                  35The ExperimentRebecca Stead0
                                    36The First State of BeingErin Entrada Kelly0
                                      37The Gathering TableAntwan Eady, illustrated by London Ladd0
                                        38The History of WeNikkolas Smith0
                                          39The InterpreterOlivia Abtahi, illustrated by Monica Arnaldo0
                                            40The Last TigerJulia Riew and Brad Riew0
                                              41The Survivor Wants to Die at the EndAdam Silvera0
                                                42The Teacher of Nomad Land: A World War II StoryDaniel Nayeri0
                                                  43Tuck Me In! A Science Bedtime StoryNathan W. Pyle0