New & Noteworthy Children's Books May 2025Like this list

20 items

• Benny on the Case

  King, Wesley,

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  Eleven-year-old Benny, a boy with Mosaic Down syndrome, uncovers a government conspiracy threatening to close down the retirement home owned by his mother. Fiction; Ages 8 to 12.

• Botticelli's Apprentice

  Husted, Ursula Murray,

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  Though girls can't be official apprentices to artists in Florence, Mella has been secretly teaching herself to paint while tending to artist Sandro Botticelli's chickens. Graphic novel; Ages 8 to 12.

• City Summer, Country Summer

  Laymon, Kiese,

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  Three African American boys, including one visiting from New York, form a meaningful connection during a summer trip to rural Mississippi. Picture book; Ages 5 to 9.

• Dino Poet

  Angleberger, Tom,

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  Get writing or get eaten! Dino Poet is on a mission: to write the first great poem--ever! His lunch, a prehistoric frog, is also on a mission: to not get eaten! Graphic novel/early reader; Ages 5 to 8.

• Don't Trust Fish

  Sharpson, Neil,

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  A ribald and uproarious warning to those unschooled in fishy goings-on. Picture book; Ages 4 to 8.

• Downpour

  Splish! Splash! Ker-splash!

  Ōnari, Yūko, 1965-

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  As the rain pours down, making all kinds of sounds, a little boy encourages the droplets to play with him. Picture book; Ages 3 to 6.

• The Enemy's Daughter

  Blankman, Anne,

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  The year is 1915 and the world is at war. Marta and her father are passengers on the Lusitania, desperately trying to get back home to Germany. While aboard, they must keep their identities hidden or risk being mistaken for enemy spies. Fiction;…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Fierce Aunties!

  Goodluck, Laurel,

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  Celebrates aunts, related by birth or not, who surround children with unyielding love and support. Picture book; Ages 4 to 8.

• The Girl and the Robot

  Rodriguez, Oz,

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  After a mysterious robot crashing to earth, Mimi does what any street-smart electronics repair person would do: she takes the robot home and fixes her up. Fiction; Ages 8 to 12.

• The Heron Princess

  Valenti, Karla,

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  Twins Emma and Martín, along with their abuela, embark on a magical adventure in the book of legends. Chapter book; Ages 7 to 10.

• I Know Dino!

  Amazing Breakthroughs, Mega Mistakes, and Unsolved Mysteries in Dinosaur Science

  Ricci, Sabrina,

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  Turns out that a lot of what we thought we knew about dinosaurs was... totally wrong. Fortunately, prehistory pros Sabrina Ricci and Garret Kruger are here to parse dino-fact from dino-fiction! Non-Fiction: Ages 8 to 12.

• Isle of Ever

  Calonita, Jen,

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  In order to receive her mysterious inheritance, twelve-year-old Everly "Benny" must play--and win--a game following clues left by her ancestor. Fiction; Ages 10 and up.

• Kaya Morgan's Crowning Achievement

  Tew, Jill,

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  Twelve-year-old African American Kaya struggles to remain true to herself when she encounters bias while competing for the role of queen at the Renaissance Faire camp. Fiction; Ages 8 to 12.

• Midnight Motorbike

  Tajsar, Maureen Shay,

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  A mother lulls her little girl to sleep with a motorbike ride through Southern India. Picture book; Ages 4 to 8.

• ¡Mistaco! : a Tale of Tragedy Y Tortillas

  Kinkz, Eliza,

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  After a terrible day at school, Izzy's grandfather helps her turn things around by making "mistacos" and celebrating their mistakes. Picture book; Ages 4 to 8.

• Opal Watson, Private Eye

  Thurman, Brittany,

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  Opal Watson is a young detective who loves solving mysteries. After returning to Chicago from New Orleans, she investigates disturbances in her apartment building. Fiction; Ages 8 to 12.

• Poo Pile on the Prairie

  Hevron, Amy,

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  Did you know that entire tiny habitats can form on a pile of poo? Non-fiction Picture Book; Ages 4 to 8.

• Raven's Ribbons

  Spillett, Tasha, 1988-

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  A boy shares his dream of wearing a traditional ribbon skirt to the community's round dance with his grandmother. Picture book; Ages 4 to 8.

• Storm Singer

  Chadda, Sarwat,

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  Twelve-year-old Nargis forms an unlikely alliance with a young prince and uses her power to control the elements to save the kingdom from an evil overthrower. Fiction; Ages 8 to 12.

• The Truth About the Tooth Fairy

  Cypess, Leah,

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  When her first tooth comes loose, Miriam is determined to prove to her friends and family that the tooth fairy isn’t real. Early chapter book; Ages 6 to 9.