Books are magical! One moment we could be traveling on a Friendship train in the 1940s French countryside, while the next we are navigating Ancient China on the Silk Roads. Books might introduce us to characters like Clare, an undead fox who ushers souls to the afterlife, or Finn, a troubled boy learning the healing power of nature. Nonfiction books can answer questions like: Is a tomato, a fruit or a vegetable? or how can humans help animals safely cross our roads? Biographies allow us to peek into the lives of inspiring people who teach us how to lead by example. Stories of magic, monsters, or aliens allow us to escape for a while into adventures that fill us with hope, while stories of grief, poverty, escape, or first crushes let readers know they are not alone. With books, readers can explore the possibilities of the world without even stepping outside.
In 2025, the dedicated Youth staff read a wide variety of new books published across genres, age ranges, and formats. We picked our favorites based on our knowledge of what makes a quality children’s book while also considering what is important to the Mount Prospect community. We hope you enjoy these books as much as we did!
Board books are for our littlest infants and toddlers. Whether your little one’s love farm animals, vehicles, or sweet treats, these books are sure to delight them.
Picture books can be shared with energetic toddlers, curious 5-year-olds, or even older kids who enjoy a good story. We found a variety of books that can be shared in the classroom, on the couch, or on the go!
We enjoyed early readers that featured high interest topics and graphic novel formats to encourage confidence in our readers who are just getting started. Highlights included simple text stories with a cat, a comic with a penguin, and more!
Transitional chapter books help our younger elementary readers gain confidence while reading a shorter book. Transitional chapter books typically have a bigger font and more white space on the page. They also might have illustrations throughout while keeping the book shorter in length. Our favorites included time travel, cooking, and robots.
These shorter informational books can be used in story times, classrooms, or as a lap-share with your favorite littles. Many picture book nonfiction titles bring facts and information to life with vibrant illustrations or photographs.
Curious older readers will devour the facts, information, and history featured in our favorite middle grade nonfiction titles. We were wowed by books covering a variety of topics in different formats and lengths to appeal to many readers.
Graphic novels have become a hot commodity with more choices than ever before! Some of our favorites include imaginative stories with detectives, vampires, and dinosaurs. Others were grounded in the real world, depicting stories of friendship, school life, and all the ups and downs of what it is to be a human.
Middle grade fiction was so extraordinary this past year that we had a hard time choosing our top favorites! Readers not only get to see themselves in books; they also get to take a walk in someone else’s story and perhaps view the world from a different perspective.
Readers interested in realistic stories will enjoy “Benny on the Case” or “No Purchase Necessary”, while Fantasy-lovers should dive into “The Island of Forgotten Gods”, “The Midwatch Institute for Wayward Girls”, or “The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest” to find a new world to explore. And readers who enjoy novels in verse should check out “All the Blues in the Sky” or “The Trouble with Heroes”.
Becca is the Youth Collection Specialist Librarian and assists in the youth collection development process. You might find her on the youth desk recommending any of her favorite books, in story time singing about dinosaurs, or wandering in the stacks. In her free time she loves baking, reading and attending comic conventions meeting authors and actors.
