NPR Books We Love 2025

December 1, 2025November 25, 2025 | Tasha

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

11 Delightful December New Releases

December 1, 2025November 11, 2025 | Tasha

PICTURE BOOKS

How We Love by Kati Douglas and Ashley Jefferson

Meet the Smushkins by Claudia Rueda

Shaped by Love: An Ode to Mom Bods by Nikki Powers

The Snow Theater by Ryoji Arai

Whooo Is Still Awake by Brigette Barrager

CHILDREN’S

Ghost Boys: The Graphic Novel by Jewell Parker Rhodes, illustrated by Setor Fiadzigbey

The Spectacular Space Loop by Javi De Castro

The Stolen Songbird by Judith Eagle, illustrated by Jo Rioux

Persephone’s Curse by Katrina Leno

Seven All Alone by Kirsty McKay

There’s Always Next Year by Leah Johnson

Barnes & Noble Best Young Adult Books of 2025

November 26, 2025November 20, 2025 | Tasha

Barnes & Noble have announced their best book lists for the year. Here are their picks for the top YA books of 2025:

An Archive of Romance by Ava Reid

The Demon and the Light by Axie Oh

Eternal Ruin by Tigest Girma

Fake Skating by Lynn Painter

Fearful by Lauren Roberts

A Forgery of Fate by Elizabeth Lim

Grim and Oro by Alex Aster

Hazelthorn by CG Drews

I Am Not Jessica Chen by Ann Liang

Oathbound by Tracy Deonn

The Rose Field by Philip Pullman

Seven Deadly Thorns by Amber Hamilton

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins

Wings of Starlight by Allison Saft

You’ve Found Oliver by Dustin Thao

Forests by Nell Cross Beckerman – Book Recommendation

November 26, 2025November 7, 2025 | Tasha

Forests by Nell Cross Beckerman, illustrated by Kalen Chock

Publisher: Orchard Books

Publication Date: November 4, 2025

Reviewed from Edelweiss e-galley

ISBN: 9781546130970

Enter a variety of forests from across the world in this nonfiction picture book. Start with the wonder of a deciduous forest at night and then explore it during the day. There is information on roots and fungi and then the drama of a forest wildfire and how trees survive. The book moves on to a kelp forest in the ocean, the beauty of a forest hosting butterflies. It includes the Amazonian rainforest and a bamboo forest in Japan, each with its own visuals, sounds and facts.

All of the facts shared are fascinating and add to the understanding of how forests work together and how humans impact them for good and bad. There is a sense of wonder as each page turns and reveals a different forest or a new aspect of the same one. The digital illustrations are arrestingly beautiful from the beam of the flashlight on the first pages to the destructive beauty of fire to the cool greens of bamboo. Each image embraces the colors of the landscape, comparing and contrasting visually.

A detailed and interesting glimpse of forests both familiar and new. Appropriate for ages 5-9.

Barnes & Noble Best Young Reader Books of 2025

November 25, 2025November 20, 2025 | Tasha

Barnes & Noble have released their Best Books of 2025 lists. Here are their picks for the best Young Reader books of 2025:

The Court of the Dead by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro

Dog Man: Big Jim Believes by Dav Pilkey

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Partypooper by Jeff Kinney

The First Cat in Space and the Baby Pirate’s Revenge by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Shawn Harris

The Gate, the Girl and the Dragon by Grace Lin

Growing Home by Beth Ferry, illustrated by The Fan Brothers

Howl’s Moving Castle Collector’s Deluxe Edition by Diana Wynne Jones

I Am Rebel by Ross Montgomery

J vs. K by Kwame Alexander and Jerry Craft

Pocket Bear by Katherine Applegate

The Poisoned King by Katherine Rundell

Scarlet Morning by ND Stevenson

Spy School Blackout by Staurt Gibbs

Vanya and the Wild Hunt by Sangu Mandanna

War Games by Alan Gratz

2 New Picture Books about Learning from Grandparents

November 25, 2025November 7, 2025 | Tasha

A Knot Is Not a Tangle by Daniel Nayeri, illustrated by Vesper Stamper

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: November 25, 2025

Reviewed from Edelweiss e-galley

ISBN: 9780593809693

An Iranian boy is woken up by his grandmother. They have breakfast together on the old frayed rug before taking a meal out to Grandpa in the field where he is herding sheep. The three start planning to make a new rug. They wash the wool and card out the tangles. They spin it into wool that is dyed with local flowers. Then the design is plotted out on graph paper. Next they start weaving on the loom, creating Persian knots to hold tight. The boy learns to create knots and not tangles, until midway his grandmother adds the Persian flaw to keep it from being perfect. The new rug is finished and ready for new memories to be made.

Nayeri shows the art of Persian rug making through the eyes of a child, making not only the art itself accessible but also showing the love of grandparents along the way. The boy learns the craft and also the heart of making rugs, with specific emphasis on the Persian flaw and the lack of perfectionism. The art in the book captures the colors of the wool, the beauty of the flowers, and the lovely designs of both rugs that the family uses.

Family, warmth and art combine in a winning title. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

The One About the Blackbird by Melanie Florence, illustrated by Matt James

Publisher: Tundra Books

Publication Date: October 21, 2025

Reviewed from e-galley provided by publisher

ISBN: 9781774882665

Jack lived with his grandfather in a house filled with music. There was music on the record player plus his grandfather played several instruments, including the guitar. Jack particularly loved it when his grandfather played the guitar, especially the song about the blackbird. Jack asked his grandfather to show him how to play the blackbird song, but first it took a lot of help and practice to even play a single chord. With encouragement from his grandfather, Jack kept at it and learned to play the guitar. As Jack got bigger and the guitar got smaller, he left home and played music all over the world. When he returned, his grandfather was different and this time it was Jack who showed him how to play.

Throughout this book, I could hear the song about the blackbird in my head, haunting and lovely. Children will want to hear that song after reading this book. The touching relationship between the two characters comes full circle by the end of the story as the grandfather grapples with dementia. The power and connectivity of music is on full display throughout the tale. James’ art is deeply organic yet accessible, showing the two characters as their relationship evolves and changes in the small blue house.

Sure to strike the right chord. Appropriate for ages 5-7.

Barnes & Noble Best Picture Books of 2025

November 24, 2025November 20, 2025 | Tasha

Barnes & Noble have announced their Best Books lists for the year. Here are their picks for Best Picture Books:

The Bakery Dragon and the Fairy Cake by Devin Elle Kurtz

Buffalo Fluffalo and Puffalo by Bess Kalb, illustrated by Erin Kraan

The Day the Crayons Made Friends by Drew Daywalt, illustrated by Oliver Jeffers

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

Elvis & Romeo by David Soman and Jacky Davis

Firefly by Robert Macfarlane, illustrated by Luke Adam Hawker

Hansel and Gretel by Stephen King, illustrated by Maurice Sendak

Hedgehogs Don’t Wear Underwear by Marissa Valdez

The Humble Pie by Jory John, illustrated by Pete Oswald

The Littlest Yak by Lu Fraser

Snow Kid by Jessie Sima

There Are No Silly Questions: More than 200 Weird and Wacky Questions, Expertly Answered! by Mike Rampton, illustrated by Guilherme Karsten

The Trouble with Giraffes by Lisa Mantchev, illustrated by Taeeun Yoo

Will the Pigeon Graduate? by Mo Willems

2 Helpful New Picture Books about Homes

November 24, 2025November 7, 2025 | Tasha

The Moving Book by Lisa Brown

Publisher: Neal Porter Books

Publication Date: July 22, 2025

Reviewed from library copy

ISBN: 9780823457182

The author of The Airport Book and The Hospital Book returns with another book about a turning point in a child’s life. Told by an older sibling, the book shares a list of the places that their family has lived in. Before the younger sister was born, they lived in a tiny apartment with their grandfather downstairs. They moved to a tall apartment building with lots of stairs. Next came a larger apartment in a building with elevators near the museum. Finally, their current house where they had their own bedrooms. Now it’s time for another move, this time to a place with their grandfather.

Brown captures something I rarely see in picture books, the fact that many families move multiple times as children grow up. Each of the places they lived had something special about it from a child’s point of view: a great playground, warm bagels, a nearby museum, a grandparent right next door. The illustrations capture the packing and unpacking of boxes, the search for favorite toys, and the family working together no matter where they live.

A warm and lovely look at more than one move. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Song for Two Homes by Dr. Michael Datcher and Charly Palmer

Publisher: Random House Studio

Publication Date: October 7, 2025

Reviewed from Edelweiss e-galley

ISBN: 9780593429365

When Auset’s parents divorce, her world splits into two. Happily, she has Sweet Honey in the Rock and Bob Marley to help her. Auset tries going to a therapist, but finds her stuffed dolphin a much better listener. Auset is doing OK at school, keeping up appearances and not showing how hurt and angry she is. Except that one time when she hit a kid at school and made him cry. Auset doesn’t tell her mother the truth, pretending to be OK. Luckily she can talk to her dad more honestly. It takes a lot of songs, love and honesty to try to get through suddenly having two homes.

Told in verse, this picture book beautifully shares the emotions of having parents divorce and the direct impact it has on a child. Auset is wonderfully both herself and also speaks universally of the journey involved in divorce and loss. The use of verse captures emotions and relationships, struggles and triumphs. The acrylic art is vibrant and depicts Auset’s feelings clearly.

A moving picture book about divorce and families. Appropriate for ages 4-7.