Recommended Reads of 2025

Each year I make a conscious effort to read more books, especially in a particular genre or format.  The range of books that I enjoyed this year surprised me. Perhaps it is due to my working with high school students that my mind has been opened to more young adult books, or because I have a tween at home, I am more in-tune with what middle grade books can offer this age range and their caregivers.  If you're looking for something new to read in the new year, consider my list below.  If you've read any of them, please comment as I love hearing what others think about the books, too!

Where Wolves Don't Die by Anton Treuer

I'm Not Dying With You Tonight by Kimberly Jones & Gilly Segal

Shut Up, This is Serious by Carolina Ixta 

Bloom by Kevin Panetta & Savanna Ganucheau

Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys

Eyes Open by Lyn Miller-Lachmann

Under the Same Stars by Libba Bray

Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann

Run Away with Me by Brian Selznick

Canto Contigo by Jonny Garza Villa

Kate in Waiting by Becky Albertalli

We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer

    

Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White

Up in Smoke by Nick Brooks

49 Miles Alone by Natalie D. Richards

I Am Not Jessica Chen by Ann Liang

When We Ride by Rex Ogle

Does My Body Offend You? by Mayra Cuevas & Marie Marquardt

Pick the Lock by A.S. King

Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia

The Corruption of Hollis Brown by K. Ancrum 

The Scammer by Tiffany D. Jackson

All Better Now by Neal Shusterman

Looking for Smoke by K.A. Cobell

The Singular Life of Aria Patel by Samira Ahmed

Icarus by K. Ancrum

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Sisters in the Wind by Angeline Boulley

Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros

Frontera by Julio Anta & Jacoby Salcedo

Just Another Epic Love Poem by Parisa Akhbari

Black Girl You Are Atlas by Renee Watson & Ekua Holmes

Promise Boys by Nick Brooks

You and Me on Repeat by Mary Shyne 

The Voting Booth by Brandy Colbert

One Big Open Sky by Lesa Cline-Ransome 

Redwood & Ponytail by K.A. Holt

Black Star by Kwame Alexander 

The Bletchley Riddle by Ruta Sepetys & Steve Sheinkin

Dragonfruit by Makiia Lucier

Borders by Thomas King

Malcom Lives! by Ibram X. Kendi

What Came from the Stars by Gary D. Schmidt

Soundtrack Jason Reynolds

The Wrong Way Home by Kate O'Shaughnessy

Buzzing by Samuel Sattin & Rye Hickman

Moonleapers by Margaret Peterson Haddix

The Last Resort by Erin Entrada Kelly

Out of My Dreams by Sharon M. Draper 

Ash & Feather by Sharon Frances

A World Worth Saving by Kyle Lukoff 

The Incredibly Human Henson by Derrick Barnes

The Enemy's Daughter by Anne Blankman

The Teacher of Nomad Land: A World War II Story by Daniel Nayeri

Home by Julio Anta & Anna Wiesczyk

Angelica and the Bear Prince by Trung Le Nguyen

Obie is Man Enough by Schuyler Bailar

Best of All Worlds by Kenneth Oppel

Somadina by Awaeke Emezi

The Girls Who Grew Big by Leila Mottley

Isola by Allegra Goodman

Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson

Buckeye by Patrick Ryan

Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arundhati Roy

Black Buck by Mateo Askaripour

The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark 

Homeseeking by Karissa Chen 

The Wonder by Emma Donoghue

The Perfect Nanny by Leila Slimani

See What I Have Done by Sarah Schmidt

The God of the Woods by Liz Moore

The View from Lake Como by Adriana Trigiani 

A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum: Murder in Ancient Rome by Emma Southon

All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker

The Tell by Amy Griffin

One of Our Kind by Nicola Yoon

The Wedding People by Alison Espach

Stoic Empathy by Shermin Kruse

All That Life Can Afford by Emily Everett

I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue

Swallows by Natsuo Kirino

The Manor of Dreams by Christina Li