Best New Books Coming October 2025 for Kids and Teens

Crisp cool nights, changing leaves, the smell of woodsmoke in the air … fall has arrived! That makes it the perfect time to cozy up with a pumpkin spice latte and a good book. We’ve pored over the reviews to find the best new books coming in October 2025 for kids and teens, so mark your calendar and get ready for some wonderful reads.

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Fiction Picture Books in October 2025

Yellow Is a Banana by John Himmelman

“This red is an apple.” “No, this apple is red!” Two siblings drive each other a little crazy while they explore different ways of looking at colors and the world around them in this inventive new picture book.

Buy it: Yellow Is a Banana

My Home is in My Backpack book cover — Amazon

My Home Is in My Backpack by Eugenia Perrella and Angela Salerno

When your own home is no longer safe, you have no choice but to travel somewhere new. Refugee Clara and her family are walking to a better life, carrying all they own in backpacks. Try this new picture book for October with older students to introduce the tough topic of forced migration.

Buy it: My Home Is in My Backpack

Moon Song by Michaela Goade

Enjoy a magical look at the endless winter night of the far north, seen through the eyes of two young Tlingit children. An older cousin helps a younger one see the beauty and color in a world that at first seems full of darkness.

Buy it: Moon Song

And They Walk On by Kevin Maillard, ill. by Rafael López

A young boy deals with his grandmother’s death, finding ways to stay connected as he imagines where she is and what she’s doing now. This tender new read is a lovely way to help little ones cope with the loss of a loved one.

Buy it: And They Walk On

Flora and the Jazzers book cover — Amazon

Flora and the Jazzers by Astrid Sheckels

This delightfully imaginative new tale follows a ferret who longs to be a musician even though she’s told “Music is not for someone like you.” Fortunately, Flora finds a way to free the music inside her so all the world can hear it!

Buy it: Flora and the Jazzers

New Easy Readers / Chapter Books in October 2025

Growing Up Beth by Beth Ann York, ill. by Ana Latese

Beth’s big family doesn’t have a lot of money, but their resourcefulness and love for one another leads to all sorts of simple adventures. This is a chapter book with real heart, different from the usual easy reader fare but just as enjoyable.

Buy it: Growing Up Beth

Brianna Banana and the Worst Surprise Ever book cover — Amazon

Brianna Banana: Worst Surprise Ever by Lana Button, ill. by Suharu Ogawa

Third grader Brianna is looking forward to being helper of the day at school. But the surprise substitute teacher doesn’t know anything about it, and Brianna is crushed! It takes an unexpected event to remind her that being a real helper isn’t limited to a job title.

Buy it: Brianna Banana: Worst Surprise Ever

A Recipe for Robbery book cover — Amazon

Mystery at the Biltmore: A Recipe for Robbery by Colleen Nelson, ill. by Peggy Collins

The latest entry in this chapter book series is as full of charm and mystery as earlier entries. This time around, the LaRue Detective Agency (“100% success rate!”) must track down Biltmore resident Chef Sebastian’s stolen recipes in time for him to open his new pastry shop.

Buy it: Mystery at the Biltmore: A Recipe for Robbery

New Middle Grade Books in October 2025

Finding Lost by Holly Goldberg Sloan

After Cordy’s father died, nothing felt the same anymore. As she searches for that elusive “something” to make things feel right again, what she discovers is a little stray dog she names “Lost.” It turns out to be just what Cordy and her family needs.

Buy it: Finding Lost

Jackson Bright in the Spotlight book cover — Amazon

Jackson Bright in the Spotlight by Eureka O’Hara & Dan Poblocki, ill. by Ricardo Bessa

Jackson loves bright, colorful clothes and is confused by being told to “dress like a boy.” To prove his point, he decides to enter his town’s Little Miss pageant dressed in drag. This new middle grade book deftly explores gender boundaries, with well-drawn, relatable characters that help draw attention to important issues of free expression and tolerance.

Buy it: Jackson Bright in the Spotlight

The Golden Necklace by Mitali Perkins, ill. by Maithili Joshi

Twelve-year-old Sona faces the pressure of an important exam, her brother’s false theft accusation, and her older friend Tara’s forced engagement to a greedy fiancé. When Tara’s family gold goes missing, Sona must uncover the truth while navigating the social and economic struggles of life in Darjeeling.

Buy it: The Golden Necklace

Words Apart by Aimee Lucido, ill. by Phillippa & Rachael Corcutt

Part novel-in-verse, part graphic novel, this new middle grade read for October defies easy categorization. Follow the lives of two sisters, one who loves words and one who prefers pictures, as they grow up and deal with changes in their family and friendships. Crossword puzzles sprinkled throughout add a clever level of engagement to the story.

Buy it: Words Apart

A Glimmer of Change by Elle McNicoll

Keedie—13, a twin, and autistic—attends a school with a zero-tolerance policy for bullying, but it doesn’t stop some kids from pushing others around. When Keedie agrees to intervene on behalf of one student in exchange for payment, she soon finds herself running an anti-bullying agency. Tween readers will cheer her actions and sympathize as she navigates challenging relationships with her family (including neurotypical twin Nina) and peers.

Buy it: A Glimmer of Change

New Young Adult Fiction in October 2025

Red Flags and Butterflies book cover — Amazon

Red Flags and Butterflies by Sheryl Azzam

Lexie, a talented Canadian teen, juggles swimming, school ambitions, and volunteering while coping with her parents’ divorce and her father’s controlling behavior. As pressures mount, she learns to set boundaries, recognize healthy love, and find strength in the support around her.

Buy it: Red Flags and Butterflies

K-Jane by Lydia Kang

Jane, a Korean American teen in Omaha, immerses herself in Korean culture for her vlog, but her obsession strains relationships with friends and family. It turns out that being Korean means much more than just trying kimchi and singing along to K-pop. Many of today’s American teens love all things Korean and will revel in the references in this new young adult read.

Buy it: K-Jane

The Leaving Room by Amber McBride

Seventeen-year-old Gospel, a Keeper who guides children’s souls in the space between life and death, begins to question the meaning of her role. As she collects memories, forms forbidden connections, and discovers love, she must decide whether her existence can hold more than grief in this new novel told in verse.

Buy it: The Leaving Room

The Hidden Girl by Louise Bassett

When Australian teen Mel finds a stolen diary written in Indonesian, she and new friend Michael discover it belongs to a girl being held as a sex worker in Melbourne. Determined to help, they set out on a dangerous quest for truth and justice that tests their courage and resolve.

Buy it: The Hidden Girl

Fall of the Fireflies book cover — Amazon

Fall of the Fireflies by Guadalupe García McCall

The first book in a new trilogy follows 15-year-old twin sisters Delia and Velia as their summer plans are derailed by a supernatural attack on their father. To save his life, they must face a world of gods and monsters from Aztec mythology, and determine their own place within it.

Buy it: Fall of the Fireflies

New Graphic Novels and Nonfiction in October 2025

Night Chef by Mika Song

A lonely raccoon chef who lives inside a French restaurant must step outside her comfort zone to take a baby crow back to its home in the wild. Perfect for fans of the movie Ratatouille! (Grades 1–4)

Buy it: Night Chef

Kindred Dragons by Sarah Mensinga

Alice feels left out when her friends receive dragon eggs, since her family history means she can’t become a dragon’s kindred. But with the help of an ailing dragon named Brim, she discovers a special gift of her own and learns the true meaning of family and belonging in this new fantasy graphic novel. (Grades 5–8)

Buy it: Kindred Dragons

The Vanishing of Lake Peigneur book cover — Amazon

The Vanishing of Lake Peigneur by Allan Wolf, ill. by Jose Pimienta

Louisiana’s freshwater Lake Peigneur was a bustling place, full of life and industry. That all changed one day in 1980 when an oil drilling rig caused the lake to drain practically overnight. This true-life tale is gripping and fascinating and will keep readers on the edge of their seats. (Grades 5–9)

Buy it: The Vanishing of Lake Peigneur

Rhiannon by Kiara Brinkman and Sean Chiki

In the summer of 1989, 12-year-old Rhiannon (who’s the only kid living in a retirement community trailer park) reunites with her best friend Kit, ready for adventures like clubhouse building and coyote-watching. Then they meet Elizabeth, a purple-haired former ballerina with a secret, who pulls the trio into a summer of friendship, first crushes, and self-discovery. (Grades 9–12)

Buy it: Rhiannon

Patchwork: A Graphic Biography of Jane Austen book cover — Amazon

Patchwork: A Graphic Biography of Jane Austen by Kate Evans

This captivating and unique look at the beloved author’s life uses Jane Austen’s final quilt as the basis for the story, piecing together a new narrative that will change the way we view her and her timeless novels. (Grades 9–12)

Buy it: Patchwork: A Graphic Biography of Jane Austen

New Nonfiction for All Ages in October 2025

The Museum of Shapes book cover — Amazon

The Museum of Shapes by Sven Völker

Starting with a single point and building out through lines, curves, and their combinations, this new book takes readers on an interactive journey through geometry as Alma plans a new exhibit at the Museum of Shapes. It’s such a fun way to introduce shapes to young learners! (Pre-K to Grade 2)

Buy it: The Museum of Shapes

Rock Star by Sandra Neil Wallace, ill. by Nancy Carpenter

Inspire kids with the true story of groundbreaking geologist Ursula Marvin, who traveled to Antarctica to prove her theories about the significance of meteorites—and show that women could be scientists too. (Pre-K to Grade 2)

Buy it: Rock Star

All About Antarctica book cover — Amazon

All About Antarctica by Marc Martin

Speaking of Antarctica, here’s a new and detailed exploration of the southern continent full of fascinating facts. Learn about the land itself, the animals that live there, and the scientists who call it home. (Grades K–3)

Buy it: All About Antarctica

3 Weeks in the Rainforest book cover — Amazon

3 Weeks in the Rainforest by Jennifer Swanson

From the chilly Antarctic, head north to the steamy rainforests of the Amazon for a close look at the plants and animals there. Told from the perspective of scientists taking a 3-week “rapid inventory” and illustrated with beautiful photos throughout, this new nonfiction book for October exposes readers to a whole new natural world of wonders. (Grades 3–8)

Buy it: 3 Weeks in the Rainforest

Fascinating Fungi by Karen Latchana Kenney

The title says it all: This new reference book dives deep into the world of mushrooms, molds, yeasts, and other members of the eukaryotic kingdom. It deserves a place on any middle or high school library shelf. (Grades 7–12)

Buy it: Fascinating Fungi

Get your free October Reading Log!

We created a free October Reading Log to help kids keep track of their reading. Fill out the form on this page to grab it.

What new books are you looking forward to in October 2025? Drop us a note at books@weareteachers.com and let us know!

Plus, check out Best Halloween Books for Kids and Teens.

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