Newbery Book Awards 2025
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The Newbery Medal celebrates the most outstanding children’s books of the year, recognizing stories that captivate, educate, and inspire. The 2025 winners are no exception, offering powerful messages that young readers will cherish. Whether you’re looking for an adventurous tale, a heartwarming journey, or a book to spark a love of reading, these Newbery Award-winning titles are perfect additions to your collection!
Newbery Award Winner
The First State of Being written by Erin Entrada Kelly
Twelve-year-old Michael Rosario’s life in Red Knot, Delaware, feels pretty ordinary—except for his worry about the Y2K crisis and his crush on his older babysitter, Gibby. That is, until a mysterious boy named Ridge appears, claiming to be a time traveler from the future. Ridge is everything Michael isn’t—confident, bold, and carefree—and as he explores 1999 with fascination, Michael becomes increasingly curious about a book Ridge has that predicts the next twenty years. Michael’s curiosity soon turns into a desperate need to get the book and learn what the future holds, but he must decide how far he’s willing to go to get it.
Newbery Honors
Across So Many Seas written by Ruth Behar
Ruth Behar’s award-winning novel spans over 500 years, telling the stories of four girls from different generations of a Jewish family, each forced to leave their homeland and start anew. Despite the centuries that separate them, the girls share a love of music, poetry, and learning, and they are united by the courage of their ancestors.
Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All written and illustrated by Chanel Miller
Award-winning author and artist Chanel Miller tells a heartwarming and humorous story of friendship and community in Magnolia Wu, a ten-year-old self-appointed sock detective who spends her days in her parents’ laundromat in New York City, pinning up lonely, mismatched socks in hopes their owners will return for them. But no one seems to notice, and Magnolia feels invisible. That changes when Iris, a new friend from California, arrives. Together, they start on an adventure to solve the mystery of the missing socks, exploring the city, meeting quirky people, and discovering unexpected connections. Through it all, Magnolia learns that being brave enough to explore the unknown can lead to surprising and meaningful discoveries.
One Big Open Sky written by Lesa Cline-Ransome
Award-winning author Lesa Cline-Ransome brings this underrepresented chapter of Black history to life, exploring themes of self-emancipation and the struggle for true freedom. In this powerful intergenerational verse novel, three women narrate a dangerous wagon journey westward in 1879, where their pursuit of freedom could either grant them the independence they long for or cost them everything. As they face the challenges of their journey, they must also contend with the limitations of their freedom and the patriarchal forces at play.
The Wrong Way Home written by Kate O’Shaughnessy
Twelve-year-old Fern has always believed she’s living a meaningful life at the Ranch, an off-the-grid community in upstate New York, under the guidance of Dr. Ben, the leader she admires. But when her mother suddenly escapes with her in the middle of the night, warning her that Dr. Ben is dangerous, Fern refuses to believe it. She desperately wants to return, but her mom keeps driving, forcing Fern into the outside world. As she plans her return, Fern starts to realize there are things she misses about the Ranch—and things that aren’t true. Now, she must decide: should she trust Dr. Ben’s vision for her life, or trust her own instincts and live by her own rules? This heartwarming story follows Fern as she learns to question everything she’s been taught and trust herself.
Bring these exceptional stories home today and inspire the next generation of readers!
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Jann Fujimoto, MS CCC-SLP is an avid reader and looks forward to the announcement of the Newbery Medal each January. She’s a speech-language pathologist and owner of SpeechWorks. SpeechWorks helps children become confidence communicators and provides in-person and online speech therapy services.