I was a voracious reader as a child and I find that my reading life has been enhanced as an adult by the fact that I still read picture books through YA titles. Not only do I get to recommend great children’s books to children but I also get to enjoy reading them myself. It’s why I wish that readers grew up accumulating more categories to read rather than aging out of them.
This list of Best Children and Middle Grade books of 2025 is a continuation from the first half of the list, The 5 Best Children’s Books of the Year So Far, and combines my personal picks along with a few selections chosen by fellow Rioters as the Best Books of 2025. You’ll find beautiful picture books, a mystery book full of puzzles for elementary kids, a pirate adventure, a spooky tale, and more!
From Book Riot’s Best Books of 2025
Rosemary Long Ears by Susie Ghahremani
Sometimes, you’ve got to let your ears down and let your paws get dirty to have a little fun. This sweet picture book follows weiner dog Rosemary and her best human friend through a day of fun around the neighborhood. It’s full of puddles, leaf piles, and all kinds of young people taking delight in a day outside. At the end of the day, we see Rosemary and her friend delight in a luscious bubble bath. The art is as bright and lively as the text, making this a surefire hit for young readers–especially those who love a good animal story. This has been a go-to gifting title this year.- Kelly Jensen
The Nine Moons of Han Yu and Luli by Karina Yan Glaser
This gorgeous, expansive middle grade historical fiction delves into Chinese history through two alternating timelines. As Han Yu traverses ancient China with a poet to sell goods for his ill family, Luli launches a museum to aid her family during the Great Depression in Chinatown, New York City. These two tweens use courage and creativity to support their families, their two storylines becoming increasingly interconnected as the novel progresses. It’s an action-packed and heartwarming read, steeped in richly imagined worlds that are as well-researched as they are fascinating.- Margaret Kingsbury
Lu and Ren’s Guide to Geozoology by Angela Hsieh
One of my favourite books of all time is The Tea Dragon Society by K. O’Neill. I’ve been searching for a book that is as comforting and beautiful as that one, and I’ve finally found it. When Lu stops getting letters from her ah-ma, the famous geozoologist, she and her best friend set out on a trip to find her, learning more about geofauna along the way. This queernorm middle grade fantasy graphic novel is a cozy story that also deals with grief and cultural divides between generations. The illustrations are so stunning that I finished the book and immediately ordered several art prints, which are now proudly displayed on my wall. -Danika Ellis
My Favorite Children’s & Middle Grade Books of 2025
The Trickster Shadow by Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley
A beautiful picture book in art, story, character, and message.
Each page of this picture book is gorgeously inspired by woodland art and perfectly represents the action, emotions, movement, mood, and tone of the story. Zoon is having trouble with his shadow which seems to be getting him into trouble. His grandmother gives him advice along with his grandfather’s drum in order to teach him how to work with the shadow. It takes Zoon time, but eventually he finds the heartbeat and how to live alongside his shadow. It’s a moving story with quick pacing that will keep children engaged and turning the pages, and the artwork will inspire rereads to take in all the details.
Ivy and Bearlock Holmes: The Case of the Missing Flower by Kristyna Litten
I would have been obsessed with this book as a child, which is stuffed with my love for animals, nature, science, mystery-solving, and puzzles!
Ivy and her grandfather Bearlock Holmes are excited, along with the entire town, to witness a once-in-one-hundred-years event: the Agave flower will bloom at the Botanic Garden. But the flower is stolen, so Ivy and Bearlock get to sleuthing and readers get to work on the puzzles—from matching band members with their instruments to getting through a maze—along with them to help solve the mystery. You’ll also learn about nature and science, and maybe wish you lived in this town with anthropomorphic animals.
Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave by Ally Russell, Devin Forst
I love the balance of Mystery James’ internal struggles with the fun, darkly spooky plot in this middle grade duology starter.
I am from the generation that grew up with Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark, and I vividly remember in elementary school a bunch of kids who’d read it trying to scare each other and having so much fun with our collective reading. I love that Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave is creepy with its set-in-a-graveyard horror, a mystery to solve, and themes of friendship, family, identity, and belonging. Mystery James was found in a cemetery as a baby and has been raised by Tía Lucy, the owner of a funeral home. But when a recently deceased client’s heirloom necklace is stolen, Mystery will have to find the thief in order to save Tía Lucy and the family business.
Scarlet Morning by N.D. Stevenson
A true adventure story that reminds me of my childhood favorites because it trusts children to read about danger, scary things, weird things, and gross things!
I’ve been a big fan of N.D. Stevenson since Lumberjanes, and the Nimona adaptation is one of my all-time favorite animated films, so I pre-bought the audiobook and a physical copy (for the illustrations) of Scarlet Morning. And what a treat this book ended up being! It’s a pirate adventure, with a capital A for adventure, that follows two children, Viola and Wilmur, on a pirate ship with the snarkiest captain as they travel through a unique, atmospheric world full of danger and eccentric characters. I can see Scarlet Morning being loved equally by children and adults in the same way that The Princess Bride is. I am highly anticipating the sequel.
The year’s not over yet! Don’t forget to check out November’s new kid lit releases and this roundup of the best new graphic novels for kids.
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