The Best Kids’ Books of May 2025

The author of Prunella and The Scarecrow is back with Growing Home, an endearing story of friendship and family featuring lovable, chatty houseplants, pets, and a pesky man in purple shoes.

This adorable and joyful celebration of dads — even if they do nothing — is the perfect story for fathers to share with their children.

Perfect for Percy Jackson fans old and new, The Chalice of the Gods is an adventure of epic proportions filled with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments from Percy, Annabeth and Grover as they work together to help Percy with his biggest quest yet — getting into college.

The respective creators of New Kid and The Crossover unite in this ridiculous and hilarious adventure featuring two creative fifth graders who will stop at nothing to one-up each other.

The FunJungle animal hijinks continue, and bigger than ever. With a lone elephant at the core of a mystery, it’s up to Teddy to save the day.

A brand new fantastical world with a unique and exciting magic system. Rich in imagination and deeply immersive, this is a worthy addition to the magic school genre.

Be careful what you wish for — especially if the annoying new kid is around to ruin them. Funny, sweet and imaginative, The Wish Switch is perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier and Kayla Miller.

Exploring the tension and drama of middle school friend groups, this summer camp story resonates the same way Raina Telgemeier continues to resonate.

Emmie’s middle school tumult takes an unexpected twist when she finds an unlikely friend. It’s fun, it’s full of warmth, it’s token Terri Libenson.

Baby elephant Ruby finally gets to share her story in this sweet novel in verse featuring all of the animals readers know and love from The One and Only Ivan and The One and Only Bob. This timeless tale is sure to be cherished by readers of all ages.

The third book in the beloved Wild Robot series is filled with just as much heart as the first two as Roz sets out to protect the island and all of its inhabitants from a poison tide threatening to destroy their home.

An inspirational tale of courage, loyalty and hope, I Am Rebel follows one pooch’s impossible journey across battlefields.

For any young mind who thinks outside of the norm, Wish in a Tree is a one-stop shop for validation, individuality and joy.

Murdlers, sharpen your pencils and get ready to sleuth — there are even more puzzling problems to solve.