SIXTEEN middle-grade books stood out to me last year! When I looked at my list, I did a quick count of how many books I read in all. I lost count at sixty! Of course, that includes picture books and chapter books that make for quicker reads. Here’s my list, beginning with the books I gave five stars and then moving to those with 4.5.
Willodeen
What can one say about Katherine Applegate’s writing that hasn’t been said before? Willodeen is a stunning book, richly textured and beautifully detailed. It’s a work of fantasy that brilliantly touches upon ideas and themes that are relevant to our very real world. Through hummingbears and screechers, she shows us what havoc we’re wreaking on the world around us.
Gossamer
Gossamer by Lois Lowry is another gorgeous book. I often find myself thinking that I don’t read much fantasy, but this simply isn’t true. When fantasy is delicately woven, I’m drawn to it with a sense of wonder both at the craft of writing and at the story itself. Gossamer weaves together dreams, reminding us of the power of stories and memories.
The Double Life of Danny Day
The Double Life of Danny Day is the brilliantly original story of a boy who gets to live each day twice. On his discard day, he can do whatever he likes, paying attention to everything that’s coming his way. On his sticky days, he’s a model schoolchild, and does everything perfectly, as foreseen. But what happens when he decides to confide in a friend? I loved this quirky book with its unusual plot line!
Circus Mirandus
Circus Mirandus is yet another work of fantasy that features on my list of favourites from 2025! I love books that create a sense of yearning, and this book does just that. It makes us believe that magic is right here, elusive, out of reach for the moment, but just one step away. It filled me with the wonder and joy of the best kind of magic.
Get a Grip, Vivy Cohen!
I love epistolary novels (or any novels that play with form, really), and Get a Grip, Vivy Cohen! was a lovely one. Even though I know nothing about baseball, Vivy Cohen’s story sucked me in and kept me reading. The authenticity of the voice and the way the characters emerge through the letters they write make this a beautiful middle-grade read!
The Space We’re In
The Space We’re In is a book that made my heart ache even as I was moved by the beauty of the story. Katya Balen’s storytelling is stellar, and what I like most about it is how authentic her narrative voice is. The Space We’re In is about kindness and compassion, family and friends. Sensitively told, it’s one that makes you slow down and feel every emotion in its depth and gentleness.
October, October
October, October is another unusual, beautiful book by Katya Balen. Although I didn’t enjoy it as much as I did The Space We’re In, I loved the beautiful descriptions of the wild, as well as the protagonist October’s journey towards understanding herself and her family.
Echo
Who would have thought a harmonica could save a life? Inspired by letters in a museum, Pam Muñoz Ryan tells a beautiful story that blends historical fiction and fantasy. Featuring a very special enchanted harmonica, Echo is a symphony of stories, one that ends with a flourish that is as satisfying as the melodies that comprise it.
A Girl, a Tiger and a Very Strange Story
Another book that plays with form in a delightful way, A Girl, a Tiger and a Very Strange Story resonated with me for several reasons. For one, it raises the idea that things aren’t always black and white. What we see as ethical or unethical sometimes addresses only part of the issue. With delicacy and nuance, Paro Anand and Priya Kuriyan tell the story of a Pardhi girl and a tiger cub, and their struggle for survival in a world that isn’t always welcoming.
Lion of the Sky
I seem to have read much less historical fiction last year, and I only just noticed that! Lion of the Sky is a beautiful verse novel set in Sindh in August 1947. Amidst rising communal tension and a question of where we belong, two boys try to make sense of the Partition and what it means for them. Who gets to stay and who must leave? And most importantly, who gets to decide?
Bipathu and a Very Big Dream
Bipathu and a Very Big Dream came my way in 2024, but it was only when author Asha Nehemiah recommended it to me at the world book fair in early 2025 that I finally picked it up and read it. It’s such a lovely story! Quirky characters come together in a sensitively told story that challenges stereotypes and warms the reader!
The Bridge Home
Stories about sisterhood are close to my heart, and The Bridge Home is a stellar example of one of those. Padma Venkatraman perfectly portrays the mixture of love and irritation that comprises sisterhood as she tells this poignant tale in the form of the elder sister talking to the younger one. The Bridge Home is a gorgeous read that made me cry!
Doubles: Peace Pulao/The Forbidden Snacks Society
I sneaked this Doubles book in just before the year ended, and the fact that it makes it to this list of mine reminds me of why I always make my lists in January rather than in December! Peace Pulao by Vibha Batra and The Forbidden Snacks Society by Menaka Raman form two sides of this book about food. One is a mystery story–who is out to sabotage two heritage restaurants of Pasinabad? And the other is an adventure story–what exactly is happening at the sinister camp that promises to make children obedient and disciplined? Both are humorous, pacy and fun to read!
The Letter with the Golden Stamp
The Letter with the Golden Stamp is one of those heart-achingly innocent books that talks about doing impossible things for all the right reasons. Onjali Q. Raúf tells the story of a girl who is determined to protect her family’s secrets, no matter the cost. Ultimately, she needs help, and she goes about seeking it in the most unlikely of ways, making for a sweet, lovely middle-grade story.
Full Cicada Moon
Full Cicada Moon by Marilyn Hilton is a lovely middle-grade verse novel that reminds you that big changes don’t happen overnight. If you chip away at something, eventually, perhaps you can create change. With Mimi, the protagonist of the story, we experience all the colours of life–humour, anger, love, frustration, and everything else in between.
Leeva at Last
Leeva at Last by Sara Pennypacker was one of the first books I read in 2025! A charming story about impossible things along the lines of Pippi Longstocking or something by Roald Dahl, it is about a feisty girl who dares to rebel. In a wonderful, terrifying world about which she knows nothing, Leeva forges her own path, making friends and learning about herself and her family.
That was quite an exhausting list to make! But each book on this list brought me so much joy that I didn’t have the heart to leave any of them out. Tomorrow’s list–of young adult books I read and loved last year–is a tiny one again, like my list of chapter books!
Leave a Reply