The 5 Best Children’s Books of the Year So Far

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a collage of children's book covers

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CJ Connor is a cozy mystery and romance writer whose main goal in life is to make their dog proud. They are a Pitch Wars alumnus and an Author Mentor Match R9 mentor. Their debut mystery novel BOARD TO DEATH is forthcoming from Kensington Books. Twitter: @cjconnorwrites | cjconnorwrites.com

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We may only be halfway through 2025, but the many wonderful children’s books published this year are enough to fill a library. Here are five picture books and middle grade books that stand out.

Book Riot just released our Best Books of 2025 (So Far) list, so I’ve included three of the picture books and middle grade books picked by my fellow Book Riot writers as well as two of my personal favorites. These include contemporary and fantasy middle grade, a sci-fi graphic novel, and two picture books that are sure to become new classics.

Plus, subscribe to The Kids Are All Right for a round-up of the best kidlit news and book deals sent to your inbox.

2 of My Picks for the Best Children’s Books of the Year So Far

cover of The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest by Aubrey Hartman; illustration of a fox wearing a red cape and using a walking stick

The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest by Aubrey Hartman

Caught between life and death himself, the fox Clare ferries lost souls into the afterlife. While it’s a precarious existence, it’s at least predictable—until a recently deceased badger named Gingersnaps leads Clare to investigate whispers of a growing danger in Deadwood Forest.

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All the Blues in the Sky cover

All the Blues in the Sky by Renée Watson

Following her best friend Angel’s sudden death, Sage is left with heavy, conflicting emotions: guilt, anger, love, and overwhelming grief. Sage used to confide in Angel about everything, and without her, she doesn’t know where to turn. But when she joins a support group for girls who have also lost someone they loved, she begins to feel less alone and takes small steps toward healing.

Book Riot’s Picks for Best Children’s Books of the Year So Far

For all our picks in every genre, check out Book Riot’s Best Books of 2025 (So Far)!

City Summer, Country Summer cover

City Summer, Country Summer by Kiese Laymon and Alexis Franklin

In the haven of “safeness” built between Grandmama’s pink shotgun home and Mama Lara’s ivory one, three Black boys—one from New York and two from Mississippi—spend their summer days together. In central Mississippi, they meet on porches. They walk in the cool forest. In an expansive garden with beans, cucumbers, and sunflowers, they play Marco Polo. Vibrant and textured, Franklin’s art includes swirls of clouds in wide skies, verdant fields, smiling faces, and dreamy magnolias blooming near a window. Laymon’s prose rings like poetry, and I keep reaching for this stunning meditation on love, vulnerability, the unspoken, joy, and possibility. —Connie Pan

 Defender of the Stars cover

Mr. Muffins: Defender of the Stars by Ben Kahn and Georgeo Brooks

An adorable, exciting, and heartfelt story that turns the “chosen one” trope on its big floppy ear, Mr. Muffins follows a homework-averse boy named Reuben and the titular corgi on an epic space adventure! The concept—a corgi with superpowers—grabs your attention immediately, and I am delighted to report that the rest of the book more than follows through.

What I especially love is how the book pairs sci-fi action and clever, snarky comedy with deeper lessons about how war affects ordinary people, and how no group of people—even the “bad guys”—is a monolith. 10/10, no notes. —Eileen Gonzalez

For a Girl Becoming cover

For a Girl Becoming by Joy Harjo and Adriana Garcia

This picture book by Indigenous creators is magnificent, from Joy Harjo’s luminous poem celebrating a girl’s life, to Adriana Garcia’s gorgeous illustrations awash in swirls of warmth, joy, and love. It’s told from the perspective of a family welcoming the birth of a girl, passing on their wisdom as she grows, and letting her know that her family has always been there with her, welcoming and supportive. Horses form a common theme. Harjo’s poem sings, as always, and while I have always loved Garcia’s illustrations, these are possibly her best yet. It’s a stunning book that will be loved by children and adults alike. —Margaret Kingsbury

Don’t forget to check out the full Best Books of 2025 (So Far) list for picks in every genre and category, including Young Adult.

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