Juvenile Fiction Lists: Best of 2025

"No one knows hard work and dedication like Valentina Camacho. And Vale's thing is fencing. She's the top athlete at her fencing gym. Or she was--until the accident. After months away, Vale is finally cleared to fence again, but it's much harder than before. Her body doesn't move the way it used to, and worst of all is the new numberone: Myrka. When she sweeps Vale aside with her perfect form and easy smile, Vale just can't accept that. But the harder Vale fights tocatch up, the more she realizes her injury isn't the only thing holding her back. If she can't leave her accident in the past, then what does she have to look forward to?"-- Provided by publisher.

"Three middle schoolers ditch detention to search for an elusive white wolf who may have the magical powers they need to face their challenges and heal their hearts" (Provided by publisher)

"Set during World War II, a twelve-year-old orphan who accidentally unleashes a shadow monster onto the streets of London must team up with unlikely allies to hunt it down"-- Provided by publisher.

A preteen android based on a popular TV character grapples with new friendships, insecurities, and learning how to embrace her individuality.

"Chinese American Derrick explores his queer identity by competing in a small-town beauty pageant where he shares his new love of drag with his family and friends." (description from catalog)

Max Bretzfeld has become a British spy and is returning to Germany with two missions: to infiltrate the Funkhaus, the center of Nazi radio and propaganda; and to find his parents.

"In 731 Chang’An, China, Han Yu sells steamed buns, and in 1931 Chinatown, New York, Luli Lee gazes out from her parents’ restaurant, and when crisis strikes both, they undertake perilous adventures to save what they love." (description from Novelist)

"An undead fox serving as the Usher of souls has his life upended when a mysterious badger soul appears." (description from Novelist)

"It is said the mighty feathered serpent god, Quetzalcoatl, helped create the earth. He is the hero who stole back the bones of humanity from the evil god of the Underworld. In his quest to bring humans to the earth, Quetzalcoatl's dog-headed twin brother, Xolotl, was present. Not much is known of Xolotl, the god of lightning, death, and misfortune. A true monster. This is what really happened."

Eleven-year-old Benny, a boy with Mosaic Down syndrome, navigates a new mainstream classroom, standing up to bullies, making new friends, and uncovering a government conspiracy threatening to close down the retirement home owned by his mother.

"In the deepest recesses of the ocean, Graciela--once an ordinary girl--now makes sea glass and assists her friend, Amina, as she welcomes newly awakened sea ghosts from their death sleep. Though Graciela's spirit is young, she has lived at the bottom of the ocean for more than a hundred years. Meanwhile, in the mortal world on land, twelve-year-old Jorge Leon works in his family's forge. He's heard of the supernatural spirits living beneath the ocean's waves--tales that do nothing to quell his fear of the water. But when Jorge discovers a hand-wrought harpoon with the power to spear a sea ghost, he knows he must destroy it any way he can." (description from NoveList)

"With Iran being squeezed between the forces of Great Britain and the Soviet Union, a boy valiantly tries to protect his sister from Nazi spies, soldiers, and hunger." (description from Novelist)

Wickedly funny, deeply emotional, and sharply incisive, Scarlet Morning is a tale of love, betrayal, and the extraordinary lengths we’d go to save a world broken beyond repair. Published from Amazon Books.

"Thirteen-year-old Junius Leak is doomed to ten days of boredom on a houseboat on Lake Peigneur with his uncle while his parents "work on" their marriage. Caught up in a mystery involving pirates, a buried treasure, and a hundred-year-old family feud, he is determined to learn why his mom left Delcambre, Louisiana, when he was a baby and to conquer his fear of water. But the lake has other plans for him. When disaster strikes, Junius must dive deep within to emerge an unlikely hero." (description from catalog)

Septimus is not good at being a badger. He adores the sunset. He dreams of going to Venice. And he lives alone in a charming cottage by the sea. He’s not unhappy with his tidy, solitary life, but there are times when being so bad at badgerdom makes him wonder if he’s even a badger at all.