Favorite Books of 2025
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Children: Board Books | Picture Books | Early Readers | Chapter Books
Teens: Middle School | High School
Adults: Fiction | Non-Fiction
As the year comes to a close, we love to look back at all the new books that were published and highlight our favorites. These books made us laugh, cry, think, question, learn, and feel all the feels. The Happy Valley Library staff have made their list and checked it twice to share their favorite reads of 2025. With everything from a picture book history of the color orange to an award-winning dustbowl epic, and an entertaining deep dive into the U.S. Constitution — there are illuminating picks for every reader.
Want to check any of these out? Place a hold on a title at lincc.org or give us a call (503-783-3455). For even more ideas, just ask your librarian!
Also, take a peek at our favorites from past years: 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024
Board Books
Sturdy books for ages 0 – 5
Becoming Siblings by Shuli de la Fuente-Lau
Celebrate all the diverse and loving ways new siblings come into our lives!
A Home like this by Laura Purdie Salas
Explore various types of homes in nature, notice their differences but also elements common to all, love and family.
Let’s Make Pasta by Jamie Oliver
Lift the flaps, crush the garlic, squish the tomatoes . . . in six simple steps you’ll have made pasta. Yummy!
Trees Stand Tall by Mélina Mangal
Young children observe, appreciate and mimic trees during an outing to the park.
You are my Rainbow by Michael Joosten
With a rainbow of colors, celebrate the love between parents and their children in a variety of families.
Your Island by Jon Klassen
Go on a journey constructing your very own island.
Picture Books
Books to read aloud to young children, but playful readers of all ages will find delight here too.
Alberto Salas Plays Paka Paka con la Papa by Sara Andrea Fajardo; illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal
Go on the hunt with scientist Alberto Salas for wild potatoes before they go extinct in this playful beautifully illustrated biography.
Birdlore: The Iridescent Life of Florence Merriam Bailey by Jess Keating; illustrated by Devon Holzwarth
Learn about Florence Merriam Bailey, the groundbreaking scientist who inspired a nation to take up bird-watching and worked tirelessly to protect our feathered friends.
Broken by X. Fang
Uh oh, Mei Mei broke Ama’s favorite cup! What will happen when she finds out?
Electric Birds of Pothakudi by Karthika Nair; illustrated by Joelle Jolivet
Karuppu Raja is responsible for the only streetlamp in his small village, but one evening, he discovers a bird’s nest inside the fuse box and is faced with a dilemma: turn the switch on and destroy the nest or leave the village in darkness until the fledglings are born, based on a true story.
Every Monday Mabel by Jashar Awan
Every Monday, Mabel wakes up early and peeks out her window, she drags her chair down the hallway, past her big sister and Mom and Dad, out the door, and waits.
A friend for Eddy by Ann Kim Ha
Eddy the goldfish makes a leap of faith to become closer to new friends.
Ra! Ta! Ma! Cue! by Howie Shia
A unique picture book adventure for music lovers of all ages about how to never be quiet, never give up, and never underestimate the power of percussion.
This is Orange: a Field Trip Through Color by Rachel Poliquin
Prepare your senses for a delicious shock of orange in all its glory and variety–in a playful color tribute destined to wow art and design enthusiasts of all ages.
Early Readers
Books for beginning readers
I Like Hoops by Juwanda G. Ford
The basketball game is tied in this sports story for new readers full of suspense, joy, and good sportsmanship too!
The Letter Setters in Bop
The Letter Setters, four canine friends set off on a fun and clever phonics adventure with one three letter word per page, just right for new readers.
Octopus Moves by Bob Barner
When Octopus needs a new home, a group of adorable sea creature friends is ready to help.
Squid in Pants by Kat Windness
When a fashion-seeking squid spies some abandoned clothing on a boat, he feels his time has come at last! He takes the clothes to try on, but when their owner returns, a deal must be struck!
The Tunneler Tunnels in the Tunnel by Michael Rex
The tunneler tunnels in the tunnel. But why? And where is he going? It’s a surprise!
We Dig Fossils by Alliah L. Agostini
Ava loves fossils – she digs in the backyard, in the park, and by the creek but still no fossils. Ava will not give up!
Chapter Books
Just right for grade schoolers
Dino Poet by Tom Angleberger
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! So when Frog tells Dino Poet that his poems stink, he decides lunch can wait . . . for now.
The Gate, the Girl, and the Dragon by Grace Lin
Stone spirit Ji is stuck in the People’s world, but with the help of new friends Lulu and Worm, he hopes to find a way back home through the Old City Gate before it disappears forever.
How to Talk to Your Succulent by Zoe Perisco
Eleven-year-old Adara copes with grief after she and her dad move from California to Michigan in this heartfelt graphic novel.
The Nine Moons of Han Yu and Luli by Nina Glaser
Two eleven-year-olds, one in the China of 731 and the other in Manhattan’s Chinatown in 1931, embark on challenging journeys to save their families from peril.
Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest by Aubrey Hartman
An undead fox serving as the usher of souls between the living and the dead has his life upended when a mysterious badger soul appears.
The Witch in the Tower by Julia Sarda
Feeling lost and lonely, Carmel sets off on a long aimless walk – she comes upon a strange tower, and what she finds there will transform her life forever – gorgeous illustrations are the star of this fantastical adventure about hidden magic, growing up, and braving the unknown.
Words with Wings and Magic Things by Matthew Burgess; illustrated by Doug Salati
A whimsical collection of poems that takes young readers on an imaginative journey through everyday experiences, turning the ordinary into the extraordinary.
Xolo by Donna Barba Higuera
Newbery Medalist Higuera recasts the Aztec myth of creation, situating Xolotl, the dog-headed god of lighting, death, and misfortune, as a celebrated hero, a special book with stunning color illustrations by Mariana Ruiz Johnson on every page.
Middle School
Just right for 6th-8th graders
Blood in the Water by Tiffany Jackson
Kaylani is thrust into an intricate web of lies when a shocking murder on Martha’s Vineyard threatens to expose dangerous secrets.
How to Draw a Secret by Cindy Chang
Twelve-year-old Cindy relishes drawing flawless images, but she is stumped by the art contest prompt, what family means to me.
The Trouble with Heroes by Kate Messner
Finn Connelly’s dad was a firefighter who saved lives on 9/11, and when Finn is caught kicking down a headstone, he agrees to climb 46 Adirondack High Peaks to avoid charges, giving him time to think about his dad and himself.
True colors : Growing Up Weird in the ’90s by Elise Gravel
Inspired by Gravel’s experience as an artsy kid with undiagnosed ADHD, readers are invited into her wonderfully quirky illustrated diaries as she recounts the joys and challenges of adolescence.
The River of Spirits by Shana Targosz
Senka lives between the realms of the Living and the Dead, as the Ferrier of the Underworld, but when she is dragged downriver by a girl looking for her brother, she encounters dangers and uncovers secrets about her own origin in this action-packed adventure based on Greek mythology.
13 Ways to Say Goodbye by Kate Fussner
A novel-in-verse about life after loss, the power of sibling bonds, the depth of grief, and the strength of learning to love again.
Very Bad at Math by Hope Larson
Verity “Very” Nelson can do it all – she’s student body president, debate club whiz, and first chair clarinetist, well, almost everything, except math. All seems lost until a teacher helps her discover the truth: Verity has dyscalculia, a learning disability that causes her to mix up numbers.
High School
Young adult books for teens
Angelica and the Bear Prince by Trung Lee Nguyen
After a busy year participating in a few too many high school activities, an overwhelmed Angelica drops everything and focuses on theater, working on her favorite play about a Bear Prince in this sweet graphic novel romance.
Death in the Jungle by Candace Fleming
This chronicle of one of American history’s most notorious cults follows Jim Jones from humble origins to “Jonestown” in Guyana, South America, and traces his transformation of Peoples Temple into a nefarious experiment in mind control.
Nobody in Particular by Sophie Gonzales
Princess Rosemary can’t afford distractions as she works to repair her image following a scandal; unfortunately, when a beautiful and funny new student joins her boarding school, Rose finds herself quite distracted indeed.
Renegade Girls: A Queer Tale of Romance and Rabble-Rousing by Nora Neus; illustrated by Julie Robine
Nell Nelson, an undercover reporter, works to expose the plight of young factory workers in nineteenth-century New York City with the help of her love interest, street-photographer Alice Austen.
Sisters in the Wind by Angeline Boulley
Lucy Smith is on the run, not sure who she can trust, and afraid her past will catch up to her in this thriller about a foster teen reclaiming her Ojibwa heritage.
Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
Set twenty-four years before the Hunger Games series opener, this prequel reveals Haymitch’s story.
This Place Kills Me by Mariko Tamaki
Who killed Wilburton Academy’s it-girl, Elizabeth Woodward? Transfer student Abby Kita was one of the last people to see Elizabeth alive, and when local authorities deem her death a suicide, Abby’s not convinced, a propulsive mystery told in comics, letters, diary entries, and news articles.
They Bloom at Night by Trang Trahn Tran
Mercy, Louisiana has never been a safe place, but it’s getting worse — people are disappearing, and the only clues as to why are whispers of underwater shadows. As the next storm approaches, Noon and Covey set off to find what’s haunting Mercy.
This Thing of Ours by Frederick Joseph
Ossie Brown’s identity and future changes when a torn ACL ends his promising basketball career.
Adult Fiction
The Antidote by Karen Russell
Five characters’ fates entangle after a massive Dust Bowl storm ravages their small Nebraska town.
Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor
A Nigerian American woman pens a wildly successful Sci-Fi novel, but as her fame rises, she loses control of the narrative–a surprisingly cutting, yet heartfelt drama about art and love, identity and connection, and, ultimately, what makes us human.
The Devils by Joe Abercrombie
Brother Diaz has been summoned to the Sacred City, where he is certain a commendation and grand holy assignment awaits him.
Flashlight by Susan Choi
Spanning decades and continents, Choi weaves a complex and gripping story of one Korean American family.
The Girls of Good Fortuneﾠby Kristina McMorris
In 1888 Portland, amid the subterranean labyrinth of the notorious Shanghai Tunnels, half-Chinese Celia awakens drugged and disguised fearing that she will soon be shipped off as forced labor.
Heart the Lover by Lily King
Uninspired by her classes, the narrator is practically sleep-walking toward graduation, until she meets two exceptional scholars, Sam and Yash – the three proceed to ignite one another’s romantic, sexual, intellectual and creative passions for decades.
King Sorrow by Joe Hill
Arthur Oakes, a dreamy student at icy Rackham College, is coerced into stealing rare library books, prompting him and his friends to attempt a fantastical dragon-summoning rescue that spirals into a horrifying pact requiring yearly sacrifices to the dread King Sorrow.
The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Keiran Desai
As is expected of them, the offspring of two well-to-do Indian families go abroad to be educated, find their fortunes, and marry respectably in this sweeping family saga that touches on class, race, history, and the bonds that link one generation to the next.
Malinalli by Veronica Chapa
Presents an imaginative retelling of one of the most controversial women in Mexico’s history, Malinalli, the Nahua interpreter who helped Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés communicate with the native people of Mexico.
Tilt by Emma Pattee
Annie is nine months pregnant and shopping for a crib at IKEA when a massive earthquake hits Portland, Oregon. With no way to reach her husband, no phone or money, and a city left in chaos, there’s nothing to do but walk — as she walks, Annie reflects on her struggling marriage, her disappointing career, and her anxiety about having a baby. If she can just make it home, she’s determined to change her life.
The True, True Story of Raja the Gullible (and his mother) by Rabih Alemeddine
When Raja receives an invite to an all-expenses-paid writing residency in America, the timing couldn’t be better. It arrives on the heels of a series of personal and national disasters that have left Raja longing for peace and quiet away from his mother and the heartache of Lebanon, but what at first seems a stroke of good fortune soon leads Raja to recount and relive the very disasters and past betrayals he wishes to forget — told in Raja’s irresistible and wickedly funny voice, the novel dances across six decades to tell the unforgettable story of a singular life and its absurdities–a tale of mistakes, self-discovery, trauma, and maybe even forgiveness.
Adult Non-Fiction
Everything is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of our Deadliest Infection by John Green
Green recounts a deeply human story illuminating the fight against the world’s deadliest infectious disease, tuberculosis.
A Marriage at Sea: A True Story of Love, Obsession, and Shipwreck by Sophie Elmhirst
The electrifying true story of a young couple shipwrecked at sea, a tale of obsession, survival, and partnership stretched to its limits.
Is a River Alive? by Robert Macfarlane
A joyful, mind-expanding exploration of an ancient, urgent idea: that rivers are living beings who should be recognized as such in imagination and law.
Good Things: Recipes and Rituals to Share with People You Loveﾠby Samin Nosrat
Samin Nosrat offers down to earth advice on entertaining and cooking for friends, sharing over 125 of her favorite recipes.
Nettles & Petals: Grow Food, Eat Weeds, Save Seeds by Jamie Walton
Full of inviting imagery and essential information, this accessible guide provides a holistic and ecological approach to gardening and vegetable growing.
Paper Girl: A Memoir of Home and Family in a Fractured America by Beth Macy
Blending family history, reporting, and social insight, Macy traces the loss of community, the rise of anger and division, and the human cost of economic and cultural decline in small-town America.
We the People: A History of the U.S. Constitution by Jill Lepore
Published on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding, Lepore offers a new and engaging history of the Constitution.
