Best Reads of T2 2024-2025

I have to admit that most of what I read during second trimester were mysteries and thrillers for grownups, but here are my favorites from the kids' books that I read. All images and summaries from Goodreads.

Picture Books

Todd Parr's bestselling books have taught kids about unconditional love, respecting the earth, facing fears, and more, all with his signature blend of playfulness and sensitivity. Now, The Thankful Book celebrates all the little things children can give thanks for. 

From everyday activities like reading and bathtime to big family meals together and special alone time between parent and child, Todd inspires readers to remember all of life's special moments.

Jack wants to apologize for hurting Zoe's feelings. He just can't seem to find the right words. Turns out there's more to an apology than just saying "I'm sorry."

In the tradition of Tomie dePaola’s Quiet, this lyrical, timely picture book with beautiful diorama illustrations shows that if you really look, you never know what the world might give you to see.

The natural world is full of patterns to enjoy for those who can ground themselves, be mindful, and truly see.

Chapter Books

Ava Lin is really good at making things and eating snacks and making lists. But what she really wants to be good at is earning enough tickets to fill her kindness bucket. In Ava’s class, if you do something kind for someone, that person puts a ticket in your bucket, and whoever has the most tickets by the end of the week gets to choose a prize. Ava really wants to choose the narwhal eraser—she NEEDS that eraser—so she has to be sure she’s the best bucket filler of the week, no matter what.

But if you’re doing nice things just so you can pile up tickets, is that the same as being kind to others? Especially if you manage to hurt your best friend’s feelings along the way? 

To say Alex has had it rough is an understatement. His father’s gone, his mother is struggling with mental health issues, and he’s now living with an aunt and uncle who are less than excited to have him. [He has done something violent, but] his social worker pulls some strings and gets him a job at a nursing home for the summer rather than being sent to juvie.

There, he meets Josey, the 107-year-old Holocaust survivor who stopped bothering to talk years ago. [W]hen Alex and Josey form an unlikely bond, with Josey confiding in him, Alex starts to believe he can make a difference—a good difference—in the world. If he can truly feel he matters, Alex may be able to finally rise to the occasion of his own life.

Nonfiction

Though all our brains look the same, every brain works differently. This Is My Brain! shows readers that understanding how different brains feel and learn can help us connect with others . . . and keep our own brains happy!

Through humorous, engaging text and brightly colored art, readers are introduced to the fundamentals of how our brains work, how our unique neurology influences how we think and act, and how the world is a better place when we understand each other’s brains and use them collectively.

Montgomery, Alabama 1955. Fifteen-year-old Claudette Colvin is tired. Tired of white people thinking they’re better than her. Tired of going to separate schools and separate bathrooms. Most of all, she’s tired of having to give up her seat on the bus whenever a white person tells her to. She wants freedom NOW! But what can one teenager do?

On a bus ride home from school one day, young Claudette takes a stand for justice and refuses to get up from her seat―nine months before Rosa Parks will become famous for doing the same. What follows will not only transform Claudette’s life but the course of history itself.