To create Literary Hub’s inaugural list of the most anticipated children’s books of the year, we turned to the experts, asking authors and illustrators of books for young people to share which upcoming releases they’re most looking forward to reading. Here are their choices: a wonderfully eclectic range of books to keep readers of all ages and interests turning pages throughout the year.

*

Drew Daywalt, Little Freddie Two Pants (The Dog with Too Many Pants)

Illustrated by Lucy Ruth Cummins
Philomel, February 25
Recommended for ages 3-7

As soon as I saw its bright, bold cover, Little Freddie Two Pants went right to the top of my list of most anticipated books of 2025! From the creators of The Day the Crayons Quit (Daywalt) and Stumpkin (Cummins), this one is bound to be a big hit at any storytime as it dares to ask the question, “How many pants should a dog wear?” –Jashar Awan

Quartez Harris, Go Tell It: How James Baldwin Became a Writer

Illustrated by Gordon C. James
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, January 7
Recommended for ages 4-8

What happens when a poet pens a picture book biography about the legendary poet, novelist, essayist, activist James Baldwin? A masterpiece happens. With lyrical phrases, Quartez Harris tells how James Baldwin navigated a racially charged world, was introduced to literature—The first time Jimmy read a book the words clung to him like glitter—and ultimately found freedom within himself and his writing. Gordon C. James’ illustrations beautifully compliment the text and offer their own story. James Baldwin would be proud. –Alicia D. Williams

Laurel Goodluck, Yáadilá! (Good Grief!)

Illustrated by Jonathan Nelson
Heartdrum, January 14
Recommended for ages 4 and up

Navajo humor and daily life shine in this intergenerational story about Nali (grandmother) moving from her sheep camp home to the main family house. As an imprint curator, I’ve longed for more stories that reflect today’s Diné people, celebrating their full dimensionality, including ridiculousness, exasperation, creativity, and acts of loving care. Yáadilá! reflects it all with warmth and laughter. –Cynthia Leitich Smith

Patricia Morris Buckley, To Walk the Sky: How Iroquois Steelworkers Helped Build Towering Cities

Illustrated by E.B. Lewis
Heartdrum, January 28
Recommended for ages 4 and up

For many readers, the history and courage of Mohawk steelworkers and their role in raising iconic skylines will be a revelation. But this book offers so much more. It’s a heartfelt, lovingly crafted account by an author whose own family is woven into the story, sharing insights and emotion that can only come from the deepest of ties. Paired with illustrations that capture scale, perspective, and dizzying heights, To Walk the Sky is a triumph—one I’m honored to bring to young readers through the imprint I curate. –CLS

Regina Linke, Big Enough

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, April 1
Recommended for ages 4-8

I love the Oxherd Boy webcomic and am so excited to see this new picture book by the artist. She illustrates traditional Chinese philosophy with delicate and detailed images—in this world where everything seems to be moving quickly and darkness is considered deep, the stillness and lightness of her imagery feels refreshing and special. I can’t wait to see how she creates a story for children. –Grace Lin

Matthew Forsythe, Aggie and the Ghost

Paula Wiseman Books, August 19
Recommended for ages 4-8

If you’ve read Pokko and The Drum or Mina, you know that any new picture book by Matthew Forsythe is something to look forward to! Aggie and The Ghost tells the story of a girl who moves into a new house only to discover that it is haunted. Her solution to the problem? Challenge the ghost to an epic game of tic-tac-toe, of course. –JA

Rachel C. Katz, Rise Up!: Powerful Protests in American History

Illustrated by Sophie Bass
Barefoot Books, March 11
Recommended for ages 6-8

As the country commemorates Lexington and Concord and the American Revolution, author Rachel Katz and illustrator Sophie Bass’s fact-filled and delightfully rendered picture book shows how 25 moments of protest, resistance, and revolution led to victories won by the same kind of grit and risk-taking of the Minutemen 250 years ago—emancipation from slavery, women’s rights, safe foods, environmental protection, and minority voting rights. –Ray Anthony Shepard

Gloria L. Huang, Kaya of the Ocean

Holiday House, January 7
Recommended for ages 8-12

Gloria L. Huang’s debut novel, an ABA Indies Introduce selection this year, is both a middle grade fantasy and an exploration of a kid dealing with anxiety. Thirteen-year-old Kaya discovers she’s inherited ocean-controlling powers from a water goddess ancestor, but learning to control your newfound magical abilities isn’t easy when you’re also trying to take care of your mental health and all the other ups and downs of thirteen-year-old life. I’m looking forward to seeing how Huang weaves these rich story elements together. –Caroline Carlson

Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich, Stealing the Show! (Operation Sisterhood #2)

Crown, January 14
Recommended for ages 8-12

I loved Rhuday-Perkovich’s Operation Sisterhood, an absolutely delightful ode to Black girlhood, community, and—of course—sisters, so I was thrilled to hear that there was a sequel. In this book, the girls decide to put on a musical, and I expect it to be just as funny, joyous, and heartwarming as its own big sister. –Anne Ursu

Maria Marianayagam, No Purchase Necessary

HarperCollins, January 14
Recommended for ages 8-12

My absolute favorite place to visit as a child was the tropical island of Sri Lanka. When I saw that No Purchase Necessary featured an immigrant Sri Lankan boy, Ajay Anthonipillai, I was intrigued. Ajay has a million-dollar problem: he questions everything in his life when he wins a prize (a million dollars!) in a stolen candy bar. Through Marianayagam’s deft storytelling, my heart soared with each triumph of Ajay. Through his lowest moments, I wanted to grab Ajay by the shoulders and guide him, but thankfully Maria Marianayagam’s story comes together beautifully through a series of tender twists. I didn’t just fall for Ajay; I fell for his entire Sri Lankan family. A delightful debut full of humor and heart! –Reem Faruqi

 

Adrianna Cuevas, What Fell From the Sky

Farrar, Straus and Giroux, February 11
Recommended for ages 8-12

An alien falling from the sky into Texas? The Goonies meets Stranger Things meets E.T. with some Cold War history sprinkled in? Count me in. Can’t wait for the latest middle grade novel from Pura Belpré honoree and Edgar Award winner Adrianna Cuevas. –Evan Griffith

Aron Nels Steinke, Speechless

Graphix, March 4
Recommended for ages 8-12

Aron Nels Steinke’s series Mr. Wolf’s Class is a favorite in my household, so we’re all eagerly awaiting his new graphic novel. Speechless is about Mira, who struggles to speak in public and has to deal with a best friend turned enemy turned roommate. While the story still takes place in a school, this time it’s filled with kids rather than anthropomorphic animals. –JA

Debbi Michiko Florence, A Study in Secrets (Last Chance Academy #1)

Aladdin, March 11
Recommended for ages 8-12

I love middle grade mystery puzzle books, so when I heard Debbi Michiko Florence had one set in a boarding school with an Asian girl protagonist—count me in! According to the tantalizing summary, one night at her new boarding school Megumi “Meg” Mizuno receives a mysterious envelope inviting her to participate in a mysterious scavenger hunt which starts an adventure to much more! The book promises treasure hunts and ciphers and, knowing it’s by Debbi Michiko Florence, heart. I know I will love curling up with it on a grey day. –GL

Yamile Saied Méndez, The Visitors (Tales from Cabin 23 #3)

Clarion, August 26
Recommended for ages 8-12

In 2024, Justina Ireland and Hannah Alkaf wrote the first two books in this scary camp tales series, and naturally I’m looking forward to the third installment. When Gen Farías moves to a small town with his family, he discovers that the town is just a little too perfect…in a sinister sort of way. As a children’s horror author, I’m obligated to read (and enjoy!) any story that uses the words “creepy wicker figures” in its description. –Ally Russell

D.W. Gillespie, Grin

Delacorte, August 26
Recommended for ages 8-12

Let’s face it—with each passing day, we all feel a bit like we’re living in the matrix, so I’m leaning in and looking forward to reading D.W. Gillespie’s new middle-grade horror novel about a kid who must play to the death to save himself and his family from a possessed arcade game that’s haunted by the spirit of a serial killer. If the retro cover isn’t enticing enough, maybe the fact that it sounds like Chucky meets Five Nights at Freddy’s will get you pumped or terrified to read it? –AR

Kate Messner, The Trouble with Heroes

Bloomsbury, April 29
Recommended for ages 9-14

This novel in verse is the story of an angry, grieving boy who commits an act of vandalism and is court-ordered to climb all 46 of the High Peaks of the Adirondacks. It’s gorgeously told and deeply felt, and yes, I cried twice reading it. Kate Messner has a long career of writing books that honor the complexity and depth of kids’ experiences—still, this book feels like the one she’s been building up to. –AU

H.M. Bouwman, Scattergood

Neal Porter Books, January 21
Recommended for ages 10 and up

H.M. Bouwman’s insightful middle grade novels are some of my favorites, and I can’t wait to read her newest. In Scattergood, Bouwman turns to historical fiction, exploring the life of a 12-year-old girl in rural Iowa during World War II and asking smart questions about how to live in a world you can’t always predict or control. –CC

Laurie Halse Anderson, Rebellion 1776

Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books, April 1
Recommended for ages 10-14

Laurie Halse Anderson’s stories blow me away. All of them. Her three-book series—Ashes, Forge, and Chains— offer American history that is deeply researched, carefully crafted, and beautiful presented. When I discovered Rebellion 1776, a story about the Revolutionary War and the smallpox epidemic, was on the horizon, the history geek rose within me. I got flashbacks to her heart-thumping Fever 1793. Be prepared to step back in time. –ADW

Cynthia Levinson and Jennifer Swanson, Who Owns the Moon? And Other Conundrums of Exploring and Using Space

Margaret Quinlin Books, January 14
Recommended for ages 12-16

I’m still an outer-space-obsessed kid at heart, which is why I’m so looking forward to this YA nonfiction deep dive into the past and the future of space exploration. From space tourism to space debris, this book is a primer for the next generation of galactic explorers—and with two masters of nonfiction at the helm, you know you’re in good authorial hands. –EG

Kip Wilson (editor), All the Love Under the Vast Sky

Nancy Paulsen Books, January 14
Recommended for ages 12-17

I’m always on the lookout for books that seem delightfully out of the ordinary, and this anthology of YA short stories in verse caught my attention right away. With contributions from authors like Margarita Engle, Laura Ruby, Jasmine Warga, and Charles Waters, All the Love Under the Vast Sky spans genres to explore the complexities of love in its many forms. –CC

Victoria Zeller, One of the Boys

Levine Querido, May 13
Recommended for ages 12-18

I love YA sports fiction, and I’ve been dying for more trans girl rep in YA, so this book really is the perfect storm of my wishlist, especially when there’s such a microscope specifically on trans girls in sports. There’s something so gutting about books that beautifully and achingly capture loving things—people, places, even sports—that may not love you back, and I have a gut feeling this will be one of them. –Dahlia Adler

Sabrina Fedel, All Paths Lead to Paris

Delacorte, June 17
Recommended for ages 12 and up

For something on the lighter side, I’m really looking forward to All Paths Lead to Paris by Sabrina Fedel. Set in the world of fashion in the City of Lights, this promises to be a delightful and escapist YA romance! –Rachel Ekstrom Courage

Claudia Friddell, The Mysterious Virginia Hall: World War II’s Most Dangerous Spy

Calkins Creek, June 24
Recommended for ages 12 and up

Like any good spy, Virginia “Dindy” Hall left few traces of her espionage behind, and her courageous deeds are not well known. Award-winning author Claudia Friddell spins a compelling life story of World War II’s most successful female spy. Despite losing a leg, Maryland-born Virginia Hall’s missions in France contributed to the Allies’ victory. Working for Allied intelligence services in France, she organized French resistance fighters, performed daring rescues, and provided the Allies with intelligence that was key for ousting the Nazis and made her the Gestapo’s most wanted spy. –RAS

Shannon Schuren, Water in Her Veins

Viking, August 12
Recommended for ages 12 and up

I’m excited to read Water in Her Veins by Shannon Schuren. In this YA novel, a teenage girl is plagued by a peculiar illness and starts seeing visions that seem to hint to the past of the small town of Claret Creek. As she digs into the town’s history and the creek’s healing powers, she finds herself entangled in a multigenerational mystery. Long-held secrets? Mysterious body of water? Sign me up! –REC

Sarah Raughley, The Queen’s Spade

HarperCollins, January 14
Recommended for ages 14 and up

The Queen’s Spade is a historical thriller inspired by a fascinating true story. Ina Sarah Forbes Bonetta was born a princess of the Egbado Clan, but after being orphaned, enslaved, and taken to England as a present for royalty, she became a goddaughter of Queen Victoria. Now, at age nineteen, she vows to take revenge on everyone who treated her as property and stole her away from her home—including the queen herself. I’m eager not only to read this novel but also to learn more about the real people and events behind the story. –CC

Alexis Nedd, How We Play the Game

Bloomsbury, August 5
Recommended for ages 14 and up

YA romance has been one of my favorite things to read for as long as I can remember, but few have stuck with me like Nedd’s debut, Don’t Hate the Player, which to date is still the only book I’ve read about eSports. In addition to being a delightful romance, it seamlessly wove in nuances of being marginalized in gaming and played with different perspectives in a cool way, and I’ve been hoping she’d return with something along the same lines. She must’ve heard my prayers! – DA

*

Dahlia Adler writes fiction for teens and adults. Dahlia is the author of Home Field Advantage.

Jashar Awan writes and illustrates books for young readers. Jashar is the author and illustrator of Towed by Toad.

Rachel Ekstrom Courage writes fiction for teens and adults. Rachel is the author of Nothing Bad Happens Here. 

Evan Griffith writes fiction and nonfiction for young readers. Evan is the author of Wild at Heart: The Story of Olaus and Mardy Murie, Defenders of Nature.

Grace Lin writes and illustrates books for young readers. Grace is the author and illustrator of Chinese Menu: The History, Myths, and Legends Behind Your Favorite Foods.

Reem Faruqi writes fiction and nonfiction for young readers. Reem is the author of The House Without Lights.

Ally Russell writes novels for young readers. Ally is the author of It Came from the Trees.

Ray Anthony Shepard writes biographies for children and teens. Ray is the author of A Long Time Coming: A Lyrical Biography of Race in America from Ona Judge to Barack Obama.

Cynthia Leitich Smith writes books for children and teens and curates the Heartdrum imprint at HarperCollins. Cynthia is the author of On a Wing and a Tear.

Anne Ursu writes novels for young readers. Anne is the author of Not Quite a Ghost.

Alicia D. Williams writes fiction and nonfiction for young readers. Alicia is the author of Mid-Air.