Guide Book to Gift Books
An Annotated List of Books for Youth, 2025
Contents
- Picture Books
- Books for Young Readers (Gr. 1-3, 6-8 yrs)
- Books for Middle Readers (Gr. 4-6, 9-11 yrs)
- Books for Older Readers (Gr. 7-12, 12-18 yrs)
How to Use This Guide
It’s hard to imagine finer gifts than books—they offer enjoyment, knowledge, and artistic stimulation, are a cinch to wrap, and are easily sent through the mail. And it’s hard for us to imagine a finer gift to you, reader, than a new Guide Book to Gift Books, revived and revised for 2025! We’re delighted to share this tradition with you once again.
To inform your holiday shopping this year, peruse the 60+ titles selected below from the past year of Bulletin reviews. All were in print in the U.S. at the time of this guide’s compilation, so they should be either in stock or quickly available through a special order from bookstores both brick-and-mortar and virtual (we recommend your local indie bookstore, if you can swing it).
You know your recipient better than we do, of course, so you’re the best judge of a title’s suitability and promise for an individual reader. We’ve included a broad range of styles, genres, subjects, and reading levels (roughly divided by audience age), so whether you’re looking for a cheerful picture book, an absorbing nonfiction title, or a pulse-pounding novel, there will be something here for the young person on your gift-book list.
While titles are sorted into four categories according to their most likely use—picture books for reading aloud to youngsters, books for primary-grades readers, books for middle-grades readers, and young adult titles—neither books nor readers are so easily categorizable, so we’ve included age/grade-range designations to help you get an idea of just who in that category is a title’s likeliest audience. And since many books reach across category borders but could only be included once, you’ll want to check the next younger category for titles whose audience stretches up into the higher age range.
Happy gifting!
Picture Books
Allick, Chantaie Amoya Blackwood Is Brave; illus. by Aaron Marin. Tundra, 2025. $18.99. E-book $10.99. 4-8 yrs
This picture book ode to loud and proud Black girls everywhere is filled with as much cheer and energy as its star, Amoya Blackwood, whose roller-skating, no-nonsense Gran picks her right back up after she’s made to feel small in school.
Ardagh, Philip Do You See the Tiger?; illus. by David Melling. Candlewick, 2025. $18.99. 3-7 yrs
A routine outing on the London Underground transforms into something miraculous when a young girl named Penny spots a tiger in the train car; cheerfully rhyming text and borderless watercolor vignettes celebrate the wonders and joy of imagination.
Awan, Jashar Every Monday Mabel; written and illus. by Jashar Awan. Simon, 2025. $19.99. E-book $10.99. 4-7 yrsYoung Mabel looks forward to every Monday morning to hear the “HONK HONK” of a garbage truck’s arrival in this arm-pumping, visually explosive celebration of loving what you love with abandon and zeal.
Bingham, Winsome Fish Fry Friday; illus. by C.G. Esperanza. Abrams, 2025. $19.99. 4-8 yrs
Up before the sun, our young Black protagonist and his Granny head out to Chesapeake Bay for some fishing and then return home later to fry up their catch; there’s nary an unused space in Esperanza’s thickly applied oils, which are saturated with bold hues and overflowing with an ever-present sense of happy anticipation.
Diaz, Lucky Fix-It Familia; illus. by Micah Player. Harper, 2025. $19.99. 3-7 yrs
With proud and joyful gusto, young Chavo narrates as he and his parents come to the rescue in their Los Angeles community in both big and small ways; the combination of rhyming, lyrical lines and Spanish words sprinkled throughout the story make an appealing multicultural tale about solving problems together.
Flett, Julie My Friend May; written and illus. by Julie Flett. Greystone, 2025. $17.00. 4-8 yrs
This story of lost-and-found centers a missing black cat named May and her owner Margaux, a young Plains Cree girl; soft pastels and watercolors keep the tension low despite the emotional stakes, and the book’s design combines with straightforward prose to warmly invite beginning readers to join the young girl on her search.
Harper, Janelle Salon Saturday; illus. by Charlot Kristensen. Viking, 2025. $18.99. E-book $10.99. 3-7 yrsPastels in bright, cheerful hues and an array of brown skin tones create a comfy, welcoming atmosphere as a little Black girl joins Grandma, Momma, and Sissy for her first trip to the salon, where she gets to pick her hairstyle all by herself.
Marwan, Zahra Sakina and the Uninvited Guests; written and illus. by Zahra Marwan. Bloomsbury, 2025. $18.99. 4-8 yrs
An initially boring trip to a museum turns exciting when Sakina is followed home by some mischievous statues that help her understand the importance of cultural memory; Marwan layers dynamic textures in watercolor and ink, with warm golden tones that make the imaginative twist that much greater.
Peña, Zeke Sundust; written and illus. by Zeke Peña. Kokila/Penguin, 2025. $19.99. E-book $10.99. 4-7 yrs
Two curious siblings pursue a dazzling, pink sundust trail across their desert home, marveling at the fantastical things it leaves behind; pencil-like strokes detail stunning landscapes, with textured shading and vivid hues breathing life into the siblings and setting.
Rao, Kritika H. Shivi’s Big Leap; illus. by Sandhya Prabhat. Feiwel, 2025. $18.99. 3-6 yrsShivi has been practicing all week to climb like Hanuman, the monkey god, at the rec center climbing wall, but he’s got to overcome some last-minute nerves first; the art makes particularly deft use of perspective and employs a palette of joyful yellows and greens to show Shivi, his supportive parents, and his monkey hero.
Rosie, Tanya The Night of the Hedgehog; illus. by Chuck Groenink. Candlewick, 2025. $18.99. 3-7 yrs
This lovely picture book is an intimate observation into the not-so-stillness of a starry night, as a father and daughter venture out into their moonlit backyard to watch its nocturnal denizens go about their evening; Groenink’s sleepy sketches illuminate the intricate lushness of their yard with a painted periwinkle color palette and twinkling stars.
Sharpson, Neil Don’t Trust Fish; illus. by Dan Santat. Dial, 2025. $18.99. E-book $10.99. 4-7 yrs
Fish are the agents of chaos, rule-defiers, and rebels in this gleefully absurd picture book; Santat employs his characteristic off-kilter figures and composition to echo the narrative tone, with small panels and half-page spreads proving the narrator’s staunch argument that fish cannot be trusted.
Schwarz, Viviane Sometimes You Find a Dragon; written and illus. by Viviane Schwarz. Candlewick, 2025. $18.99. 6-8 yrs
Schwarz’s stirring picture book celebrates creativity and individuality, as direct address encourages the listener to imagine dragons in anything—for example, twigs and leaves, paintbrushes, music, or dance—including the book’s art, made of simple line drawings paired with explosions of color and texture.
Spillett-Sumner, Tasha Raven’s Ribbons; illus. by Daniel Ramirez. Little, 2025. $18.99. 4-7 yrsIn this reassuring tale of intergenerational love and tribal tradition, a young boy asks his grandmother to make him a ribbon skirt to wear at their next round dance; acrylics on canvas in a variety of warm tones make for an inviting, almost tactile reading experience.
Thomas, Tess Shibu’s Tail; illus. by Kamwei Fong. Levine Querido, 2025. $19.99. 3-6 yrs
Shibu, a cat with an expressive, long, bushy tail makes an excellent guide to help readers understand that their feelings are worth sharing as he deals with his own tangled ball of emotions; thousands of black-ink, crosshatch strokes build the volume of Shibu’s fur to make him the adorable hero of this charming picture book.
Wedelich, Sam A Quick Trip to the Store; written and illus. by Sam Wedelich. Knopf, 2025. $18.99. E-book $7.99. 4-7 yrs
A little girl and her mother have to go to the store to get more bananas—a truly dreadful development for both parties involve—but their outing results in drolly comic fun for both readers and their adults, as ink and watercolor illustrations depict the antics and side buns of our adorable, curly-haired, red-headed protagonist.
Books for Young Readers (Gr. 1-3, 6-8 yrs)
Alexander, Kwame The Mighty Macy; illus. by Kitt Thomas. Little, 2026. $16.99 E-book $9.99. Gr. 2-4
Alexander explores themes of courage and determination in this story of twelve-year-old Macy, who draws both on her favorite superhero books and her Black family’s love to advocate for her school library’s reopening after budget cuts close it.
Dominguez, Angela Gabby Torres Gets a Billion Followers; written and illus. by Angela Dominguez. Roaring Brook, 2025. $19.99. Paperback $12.99. Gr. 2-4Nine-year-old Gabby encounters an online troll after becoming the youngest member of a club dedicated to protecting the ocean; her desire for independence and escalating frustration will be relatable to kids, and fans of Kinney’s Wimpy Kid series will appreciate the book’s the cartoony, illustrated style.
Emberley, Michael Night Light. Holiday House, 2025. $14.99. Gr. K-2
The child/parent duo of striped monsters from Emberley’s award-winning I Did It! are snuggling down for a bedtime story when the lights suddenly go out; pencil-like shading and loose linework bring an appropriate feel of dreaminess as they search for light to assuage the kiddo’s cries of “Too dark!”
Gastaut, Charlotte Giselle. Tate, 2025. $26.00. Gr. 1-4
Ballet lovers and aspiring dancers will gladly feast their eyes on Gastaut’s elegant picture book adaptation of the 1841 ballet Giselle, with posed cut-paper figures resembling puppets that depict the titular beautiful village girl and her act of bravery for her love.
Harper, Charise Mericle The Shindig Is Coming!; written and illus. by Charise Mericle Harper. Union Square, 2025. $16.99. Paperback $8.99. E-book $7.99. Gr. K-3
A group of animals prepares for a rumored shindig (despite having no idea what a shindig is) in this charming early reader, which blends clever text and brightly hued illustrations to give burgeoning readers a buoyant, cheerful opportunity to sharpen their literacy skills.
Heikkilä, Cecilia The Slightly Spooky Tale of Fox and Mole; written and illus. by Cecilia Heikkilä; tr. from the Swedish by Polly Lawson. Floris, 2025. $19.99. Gr. 2-4
This subversive beginning chapter book is perfect for burgeoning horror readers, as Mole’s thoughtlessness pushes his friend Fox to the edge; though a comforting reunion quells the scariness, a blend of watercolors, gouache, pastels, and geometric patterns makes some spectacularly creepy art.
Higuera, Donna Barba Xolo; illus. by Mariana Ruiz Johnson. Levine Querido, 2025. $19.99. Gr. 3-5Canine lovers will be little surprised to learn that it was one very good dog who saved the whole of civilization in this clever, culturally rich graphic novel that draws on Aztec mythology and is enhanced by exceptional, vibrant art inspired by sixteenth-century Aztec art.
Kastner, Emmy Outside In and the Inside Out: A Story About Arnold Lobel; written and illus. by Emmy Kastner. Viking, 2025. $18.99. E-book $11.99. Gr. 1-3
Kastner’s clever biography of children’s book author Lobel invites young readers to understand the many creative forces that influenced Lobel’s beloved characters (such as Frog and Toad); highly readable sentences are backgrounded by lots of white space and accompanied by illustrative vignettes that move between cozy realism and whimsical fancy.
Kopsombut, Guy Badge Quest: A Cheesy Brie-ginning!; written and illus. by Guy Kopsombut. McMeel, 2025 $11.99. Gr. 2-4
A young bear embarks on a quest to earn a new hero badge, and while nothing goes quite as planned, all turns out for the best in this winsome graphic novel; sequential panels, a trim word count, and a generous dose of punny humor all work together to make this a winning choice for early readers.
Partridge, Billy Hupo and the Wonder Thief; written and illus. by Billy Partridge. Flying Eye, 2025. $17.99. Gr. 2-4Avid reader of adventure stories Hupo finds himself on a fantastical quest of his own when he must face down a joy-stealing beast called the Wallower; this short graphic novel also features creative critters and conversational direct address to the reader, giving it a delightfully omniscient, folk-like feel.
Reynolds, Aaron Troubling Tonsils!; illus. by Peter Brown. Simon, 2025. Paperback $13.99. E-book $9.99. Gr. 3-5
Jasper Rabbit moves from hero to sardonic narrator in Reynolds’ latest illustrated chapter book, offering a Twilight Zone tale of fleshy, gooey, and potentially unnecessary bodily organs gone awry that is structured to support beginning readers.
Song, Mika Night Chef: An Epic Tale of Friendship with a Side of Deliciousness!; written and illus. by Mika Song. Random House Graphic, 2025. $20.99. Paperback $12.99. E-book $8.99. Gr. 2-4
Night Chef, a raccoon, likes her warm, peaceful kitchen, but she discovers wonder and love when she leaves her comfort zone to help a baby crow find its family; perspective is used effectively here, with warm watercolors situating a tiny Night Chef and her even more vulnerable (and adorable) charge against a giant world.
Spiotto, Joey Max, a Little Axolotl; written and illus. by Joey Spiotto. Graphix/Scholastic, 2025. $24.99. Paperback $12.99. Gr. 1-3
Quirky humor and a surprising realism make this early graphic novel a reassuring delight, with axolotl hero Max negotiating the very human emotions of insecurity, anxiety, and self-doubt after he’s scooped from the waters of Lake Xochimilco and taken to an aquarium.
Stewart, Melissa Meet the Mini-Mammals: A Night at the Natural History Museum; illus. by Brian Lies. Beach Lane/Simon, 2025. $19.99. E-book $10.99. Gr. 2-5A gracious docent weasel takes readers through museum-like spreads to see other tiny creatures, presented (at real size) in neat box frames, to answer the question: what mammal is “the mini-est mammal of all?”
Tonatiuh, Duncan Vida: The Mice, the Cat, and the Alebrije; written and illus. by Duncan Tonatiuh. Abrams, 2025. $18.99. Trade ed. (Spanish ed.) $18.99. Gr. K-2
Tonatiuh’s recognizable Pre-Columbian illustration style deftly conveys this modern fable about fighting back against fear with art, community, and joy, as young mouse Vida dreams up a giant alebrije sculpture to scare off a cat terrorizing her village.
Books for Middle Readers (Gr. 4-6, 9-11 yrs)
Bird, James Wolf Club. Feiwel, 2025. $17.99. E-book $9.99. Gr. 5-8Bird seamlessly weaves Ojibwe spiritual and cultural traditions into this adventure story of three middle-schoolers searching for a rumored antlered white wolf, a quest that ultimately leads the three to learn about one another and the world of their Indigenous elders.
Chu, Kyle Casey The Queen Bees of Tybee County. Quill Tree/HarperCollins, 2025. $19.99. Gr. 5-8
Chu, a founding queen of the group Drag Story Hour, offers a tender coming-of-age novel about Chinese American middle school basketball player Derrick, whose summer with his pageant-loving grandmother helps him understand himself as queer, recognize his first crush, and pursue drag despite the judgement of his friends and father.
Hartman, Aubrey The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest; illus. by Marcin Minor. Little, 2025. $17.99. E-book $9.99. Gr. 3-6
The endearing grumpy/sunshine dynamic between Clare, the titular fox guiding creatures to the afterlife, and Gingersnipes, a ghostly badger who won’t move on, makes Hartman’s raucous tale of adventure, self-discovery, and love a warm, accessible classic that readers will not soon forget.
Kashiwaba, Sachiko The Village Beyond the Mist; illus. by Miho Satake; tr. from the Japanese by Avery Fischer Udagawa. Restless Books, 2025. $18.00 Gr. 4-6
Kashiwaba’s beloved novel, seamlessly translated from Japanese to English and complemented by Satake’s intricate illustrations, invites young readers into a world filled with delightful whimsy and profound moments of self-discovery, as sixth-grader Lina Uesugi discovers a hidden magical rural village.
King, Rachael The Grimmelings. McElderry, 2025. $18.99. Paperback $8.99. E-book $8.99. Gr. 3-7First published in New Zealand and bearing influences of Susan Cooper and Mollie Hunter, this story of horse-loving Ella and her New Zealand family blends Scottish folklore with intriguingly complex, engaging characters.
King, Wesley Benny on the Case. Beach Lane/Simon, 2025. $17.99. E-book $10.99. Gr. 4-7
The titular Benny and his pal Salma investigate a series of thefts at a retirement home in this riveting mystery that hits all the staples of the genre, including red herrings, shifty side characters, and climactic clue reveals, with the quirky Newfoundland setting as a wonderful bonus.
Lin, Grace The Gate, the Girl, and the Dragon. Little, 2025. $18.99. E-book $10.99. Gr. 4-6
Lin delicately pulls elements of Chinese folklore into this tender story of Jin, the cub of the two stone Lion guardians, and Lulu, a sad, adrift human girl, who must help Jin retrieve a sacred object and reopen the portals between the spiritual and mortal realms before both worlds are destroyed by an evil force.
Lide, Eric Dragon Forged: Sword of the Champion; written and illus. by Eric Lide. Union Square, 2025. $24.99. Paperback $14.99. Gr. 3-6
Snappy dialogue and vibrant artwork make this buoyant fantasy graphic novel easily recognizable to any reader who has played a role-playing game as they follow young Ori, who can save the world if he can just quell his insecurities long enough to give his powers a chance to work.
Medina, Meg Graciela in the Abyss; illus. by Anna and Elena Balbusso. Candlewick, 2025. $18.99. Gr. 4-7
Medina crafts a uniquely magical world for Graciela, a young sea spirit who tends to the ocean, and Jorge, a human boy renounced by his parents, as they go up against sea monsters, sharks, and an army of nasty spirits hellbent on destroying everything in their path.
Okorafor, Nnedi The Space Cat; illus. by Tana Ford. First Second, 2025. $22.99. Paperback $14.99. E-book $9.99. Gr. 4-6
Periwinkle the cat spends his days like a normal housecat, but when his loving family goes to sleep, his adventures turn intergalactic; this accessible graphic novel blends daily realism with sci-fi, as Periwinkle takes to his spaceship to race against Orange Meow, a cat from Neptune.
Russell, Ally Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave. Delacorte, 2025. $17.99. E-book $10.99. Gr. 5-8Raised in a funeral home by her adoptive Tía Lucy, young Mystery has just the right amount of pluck and fearlessness to track down a missing necklace, but she may have met her match in the ghostly Baron; this is a classic whodunit mystery with a Faustian twist.
Stead, Rebecca The Experiment. Feiwel, 2025. $17.99. $10.99. Gr. 5-8
Stead brings her unique creativity to this engaging blend of sci-fi and humor that follows sixth grader Nathan, an alien trying to fit in among humans, which gets a bit harder when he grows a sentient black-and-orange tail (think Hobbes) and is called back to the mothership.
Suwannakit, Tull Higher Ground: A Graphic Novel; written and illus. by Tull Suwannakit. Crocodile, 2025. $11.95. Gr. 4-6
In a post-apocalyptic world, two children, with the help of their beloved grandmother, learn to survive the rising waters that seem to have drowned everything in sight; a rich tapestry of watercolor, gouache, and acrylic paints, along with mixed-media collages, creates an immersive, breathtaking graphic novel.
Tak, Bibi Dumon My Presentation Today is About the Anaconda; tr. from Dutch by Nancy Forest-Flier; illus. by Annemarie van Haeringen. Levine Querido, 2025. $19.99. E-book $13.99. Gr. 3-7Twenty creatures in this ingenious anthology present information on twenty other animals to give readers an insider’s perspective on the world of the wild; between the eye-catching art and the chatty, accessible format, this makes a breezy invite for just recently solo readers to engage with a scientific text.
Telgemeier, Raina The Cartoonists Club; written and illus. by Raina Telgemeier and Scott McCloud. Graphix/Scholastic, 2025. $24.99. Paperback $14.99. Gr. 3-6
This zippy, information-packed introduction to how comics are created follows four members of a newly formed middle-school Cartoonists Club; saturated colors, clear paneling, and an easy-to-read lettering style all model how to create an accessible read while expansive end matter connects those elements to the graphic novel design process.
Books for Older Readers (Gr. 7-12, 12-18 yrs)
Ahmed, Samira The Singular Life of Aria Patel. Little, 2025. $19.99. E-book $12.99. Gr. 8-12
High-achieving high schooler Aria’s headaches turn out to be heralds of very unwanted, very involuntary jumps through the multiverse, as Ahmed presents an insightful, mind-bending look at what space and time mean for our identities, helped along both by Aria’s passion for physics and her witty, charismatic narration.
Day, Nicholas A World Without Summer: A Volcano Erupts, A Creature Awakens, and the Sun Goes Out; illus. by Yas Imamura. Random House Studio, 2025. $19.99. E-book $11.99. Gr. 6-9With clarity and poignance, Day brilliantly brings together three disparate elements—the massive nineteenth-century eruption of a volcano, Mary Shelley’s writing of Frankenstein, and the current climate crisis—for a thoughtful reflection on scientific progress and moral responsibility.
Heiligman, Deborah Loudmouth: Emma Goldman vs. America (A Love Story). Farrar, 2025. $20.99. E-book $11.99. Gr. 9-12
This sharp, informed biography is a fearless, well-rounded exploration of Jewish activist Emma Goldman, showing her as a ferocious, observant, and compassionate child as well as a remarkable orator and activist for social justice when she carried those traits to adulthood.
June, Jason Flopping in a Winter Wonderland. Harper, 2024. $19.99. E-book $8.99. Gr. 7-11
Rom-com shenanigans abound in this adorable queer romance that follows holiday cynics Aaron and Kris as they try to break up another couple but end up falling for each other at the most premier Christmas theme park in the world, Winter Wonderland.
Keith Jr., Tony Knucklehead: Poems. Quill Tree/HarperCollins, 2025. $19.99. Gr. 7-11Part memoir, part collection of advice, part manifesto, this verse novel is ultimately a love letter—to Black people, to Black boys in particular, and to gay Black boys who find themselves submerged in the uncertainty and vulnerability the author is pointedly familiar with.
Lewis, Jessica Nav’s Foolproof Guide to Falling in Love. Harper, 2025. $19.99. E-book $9.99. Gr. 9-12
Nav might just be able to attend the summer SAT prep camp that initially rejected her, if she can help her well-connected classmate Gia get a date with Nav’s best friend Hallie; this premise perfectly executes on its romance tropes and refreshingly handles relationships of all kinds with care as its queer characters grow up and branch out.
Moulite, Maika The Summer I Ate the Rich; written by Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite. Farrar, 2025. $19.99. E-book $11.99. Gr. 9-12
The narrator of this supernatural dark comedy, Haitian American Brielle, is a zombie (sharp and sardonic rather than slavering and brain-obsessed), and her relatively normal life in Miami with her human Haitian mom is upended when Brielle seizes a chance to give away a billionaire’s money.
Muhammad, Qurratulayn Blood and Breath. Page Street, 2025. $18.99. Gr. 7-12
Muhammad’s excellent take on Black girl horror features a Jazz Age-inspired world of magic, demons, and vengeance, revealed to readers through the dual, unreliable perspectives of magic-wielder Evan and also Jack, the demon she summons to punish those who wronged her and her family.
Nazemian, Abdi Exquisite Things. Harper, 2025. $19.99. E-book $12.99. Gr. 10-12
This queer romance is anchored to queer resilience, following two immortal teen boys as they fall in and out of love over decades, reconnecting with one another amid the art, culture, and resistance of their LGBTQIA+ communities.
Robin, Taylor Hunger’s Bite; written and illus. by Robin Taylor. Union Square, 2025. $24.99. Paperback. $17.99 Gr. 8-10Nothing good can come of a creepy, voraciously greedy villain taking over an early twentieth-century steamship—except, perhaps, this sharp, darkly humorous graphic novel that brilliantly uses saturated hues and dynamic paneling to maximize tension and horror as our gutsy protagonist Neeta contends with the evil Mr. Honeycutt aboard the SS Lark.
Suk, Sarah Meet Me at Blue Hour. Quill Tree/HarperCollins, 2025. $19.99. E-book $10.99. Gr. 9-12
When Yena and Lucas run into each other during a summer in Korea, Yena remembers him as the childhood best friend she fell in love with, but Lucas seems to have no idea who she is; told from alternating perspectives, their romance explores ideas around choosing or being forced to forget certain parts of who you once were.
Underhill, Edward In Case You Read This. Quill Tree/HarperCollins, 2025. $19.99. E-book $10.99. Gr. 8-10
One serendipitous night at a motel in Nebraska, the two trans boy narrators of this novel cross paths, united by their love for their favorite band; their subsequent attempts to reconnect after that meeting give voice to the breadth of the trans experience in America.
Ukazu, Ngozi Flip. First Second, 2025. $25.99. Paperback $18.99. Gr. 9-12
In the latest graphic novel from Ukazu, Black high schooler Chi-Chi is distraught when her crush, popular swimmer Flip rejects her video promposal in front of their class; a subsequent wish gone wrong leads to the two swapping bodies, seeing the world literally through each other’s eyes.
Williams, Stephanie, ad. The Raven Boys: The Graphic Novel; written by Maggie Stiefvater; illus. by Sas Milledge. Viking, 2025. $24.99 Paperback $17.99. E-book $10.99. Gr. 8-10
This graphic novel adapts the first book in Stiefvater’s The Raven Cycle with immersive and striking illustrations, as sixteen-year-old psychic Blue hesitantly befriends the wealthy, aloof boys from a nearby private school and begins a tale of adventure and magic.
Yun, Jihyun And the River Drags Her Down. Knopf, 2025. $20.99. Gr. 9-12After resurrecting her beloved older sister, Mirae, Soojin is delighted to have her protector and best friend back, but Mirae’s more focused on calculated revenge than cozy reunion in this nuanced, painful meditation on sisterhood and the desperate things people do to keep grief at bay.
