The good folks at NPR have announced their picks for the top books of 2025. They include children’s and YA titles. Below is the list of books for youth included in their lists:

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Blood in the Water by Tiffany D. Jackson

A Book of Maps for You by Lourdes Heuer, illustrated by Maxwell Eaton III

Brave by Weshoyot Alvitre

Broken by X. Fang

Crumble by Meredith McClaren, illustrated by Andrea Bell

Don’t Trust Fish by Neil Sharpson, illustrated by Dan Santat

Dream On by Shannon Hale, illustrated by Marcla Cespedes

Every Monday Mabel by Jashar Awan

The Experiment by Rebecca Stead

Fireworks by Matthew Burgess, illustrated by Cátia Chien

The Gathering Table by Antwan Eady, illustrated by London Ladd

Hansel and Gretel by Stephen King, illustrated by Maurice Sendak

The History of We by Nikkolas Smith

How to Say Goodbye in Cuban by Daniel Miyares

The Interpreter by Olivia Abtahi, illustrated by Monica Arnaldo

Island Storm by Brian Flocas, illustrated by Sydney Smith

J vs. K by Jerry Craft and Kwame Alexander

The Midwatch Institute for Wayward Girls by Judith Rossell

My Presentation Today Is about the Anaconda by Bibi Dumon Tak, illustrated by Annemarie van Haeringen, translated by Nancy Forest-Flier

Oasis by Guojing

On Guard! by Cassidy Wasserman

One Crazy Summer: The Graphic Novel by Rita Williams-Garcia, illustrated by Sharee Miller

Our Lake by Angie Kang

Pilgrim Codex by Vivian Mansour, illustrated by Emmanuel Valtierra, translated by Carlos Rodríguez Cortez

Scarlet Morning by ND Stevenson

The Summer of the Bone Horses by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve, illustrated by Steph Littlebird

Sundust by Zeke Peña

The Teacher of Nomad Land by Daniel Nayeri

Tuck Me In! A Science Bedtime Story by Nathan W. Pyle

The Village Beyond the Mist by Sachiko Kashiwaba, illustrated by Miho Satake, translated by Avery Fischer Udagawa

Whale Eyes by James Robinson, illustrated by Brian Rea

A World Without Summer: A Volcano Erupts, a Creature Awakens, and the Sun Goes Out by Nicholas Day, illustrated by Yas Imamura

YOUNG ADULT

After Life by Gayle Forman

A Feast for the Eyes by Alex Crespo

Fireblooms by Alexandra Villasante

Kirby’s Lessons for Falling (in Love) by Laura Gao

Last Chance Live! by Helena Haywoode Henry

The Last Tiger by Julia Riew and Brad Riew

Never Thought I’d End Up Here by Ann Liang

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins

The Survivor Wants to Die at the End by Adam Silvera

They Bloom at Night by Trang Thanh Tran