The Bank Street Children’s Book Committee have made their selections for their annual Best Children’s Books of the Year list.

“The list includes more than 600 titles chosen by reviewers for literary quality and excellence of presentation as well as the potential emotional impact of the books on young readers. Other criteria include credibility of characterization and plot, authenticity of time and place, age suitability, positive treatment of ethnic and religious differences, and the absence of stereotypes.”

We are so happy to share the following titles have been accepted into 2025’s Best Children’s Books of the Year. All titles are available now through your local bookseller, and on Bright’s Bookshop.org page.

Under Five

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Illustrated by Alex Willmore Written by Drew Daywalt Published by Philomel Books / Penguin Random House

Illustrated by Nabila Adani Written by June Sobel Published by Clarion Books

Illustrated by David Litchfield Written by Smriti Prasadam-Halls Published by Candlewick Press

Illustrated by Gavin Scott Written by Amber Hendricks Published by Amicus Ink

Five to Nine

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Written & illustrated by Karl James Mountford Published by Candlewick Studio

Illustrated by Lorena Alvarez Gómez Written by Karol Hernández Published by Dial Books for Young Readers

Illustrated by Yasmeen Ismail Written by Kusum Mepani Published by Kokila/Penguin Random House

Illustrated by Jensine Eckwell Written by Vikki VanSickle Published by Tundra Books / Penguin Random House of Canada

Illustrated by Hatem Aly Written by Omar Abed Published by Dial Books for Young Readers

Illustrated by Hatem Aly Written by M. O. Yuksel Published by Harper/HarperCollins

Illustrated by Mark Chambers Written by Kes Gray Published by Happy Yak / The Quarto Group

Illustrated by Yas Imamura Written by Patricia McCormick and Mevan Babakar Published by Balzer + Bray / HarperCollins

Written & Illustrated by Aura Lewis with collaboration from Farai Simoyi Published by Beach Lane Books / Simon & Schuster

Illustrated by Nabila Adani Written by Hena Khan Published by Lee & Low Books

Illustrated by Colleen Larmour Written by Dr. Nick Crumpton Published by Candlewick Press

Illustrated by Stephanie Fizer Coleman Written by Leslie Barnard Booth Published by Margaret K. McElderry Books / Simon & Schuster

Illustrated by Luisa Uribe Written by Carlie Sorosiak Published by Nosy Crow

Nine to Twelve

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Illustrated by Steffi Walthall Written by Jaha Nailah Avery Published by Charlesbridge

Illustrated by Tim Smart Written by Linda Leopold Strauss Published by Kar-Ben / Lerner

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