2025 Starred Reviews and Best of the Year Round Up
Lee & Low is thrilled to shine a light on our starred reviews and best of the year 2025 titles.
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Fall of the Fireflies / El otoño de las luciérnagas
De la exitosa autora Guadalupe García McCall llega el primer libro de la trilogía Las estaciones de la sororidad, en que las gemelas Velia y Delia asumen la misión divina de ser mujeres guerreras cazadoras de monstruos y salvar la vida de su padre.
From bestselling author Guadalupe García McCall comes the first book in the Seasons of Sisterhood trilogy, in which twins Velia and Delia take on a divine assignment to be monster-hunting warrior women and save their father's life.
From bestselling author Guadalupe García McCall comes the first book in the Seasons of Sisterhood trilogy, in which twins Velia and Delia take on a divine assignment to be monster-hunting warrior women and save their father's life.
A Rage of Lions (The Shadow Prince #3)
In the third installment in The Shadow Prince saga, Ash and his friends race against time to save Egypt, again. This time it's to stop a war with Kush and its raging, roaring, lion-headed god Apedemak.
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This bright and vivacious book from two Native creators celebrates the energy, moxie, and determination of water activists of all ages.
In the third installment in The Shadow Prince saga, Ash and his friends race against time to save Egypt, again. This time it's to stop a war with Kush and its raging, roaring, lion-headed god Apedemak.
From bestselling author Guadalupe García McCall comes the first book in the Seasons of Sisterhood trilogy, in which twins Velia and Delia take on a divine assignment to be monster-hunting warrior women and save their father's life.
De la exitosa autora Guadalupe García McCall llega el primer libro de la trilogía Las estaciones de la sororidad, en que las gemelas Velia y Delia asumen la misión divina de ser mujeres guerreras cazadoras de monstruos y salvar la vida de su padre.
From bestselling author Guadalupe García McCall comes the first book in the Seasons of Sisterhood trilogy, in which twins Velia and Delia take on a divine assignment to be monster-hunting warrior women and save their father's life.
Esta entrada inspiradora en la series de "Historia" de libros por capítulos biográficos se enfoca en Wangari Maathai, la primera mujer africana, y ambientalista, a ganar el Premio Nobel de Paz.
This inspiring entry in the "Story of" line of chapter-book biographies features Wangari Maathai, the first African woman, and environmentalist, to win a Nobel Peace Prize.
Esta cautivadora entrada en la series de "Historia" de libros por capítulos biográficos se enfoca en Sammy Lee, un clavadista coreanoamericano que fue el primer asiaticoestadounidense a ganar una medalla de oro en las olimpiadas.
This compelling entry in the "Story of" line of chapter-book biographies features Sammy Lee, a Korean American diver who became the first Asian American to win an Olympic gold medal.
Rafi y Rosi, los hermanos rana arbórea curiosos y amantes de la diversión, están preparando una tormenta con deliciosas delicias puertorriqueñas en el menú.
Rafi and Rosi, the curious, fun-loving tree frog siblings, are cooking up a storm with delicious Puerto Rican treats on the menu.
Rafi and Rosi, the curious, fun-loving tree frog siblings, are cooking up a storm with delicious Puerto Rican treats on the menu.
A thought-provoking picture book about the ways we create our own realities through the words and actions that we put out into the world.
Join Jan and her dad as they have a fun day at the Culture Camp!
Jan at Camp is part of the Drumbeat Decodable Book Collection, a groundbreaking beginning reader series designed to strengthen and advance phonics and reading skills.
Web discount do not apply to any titles under the Bebop Books® imprint.
Join Tom and his dog, Dot, as they have fun at the dock!
Grandfather Rock is part of the Drumbeat Decodable Book Collection, a groundbreaking beginning reader series designed to strengthen and advance phonics and reading skills.
Web discount do not apply to any titles under the Bebop Books® imprint.
Hardcover available March 10, 2026
A tender story with exquisite illustrations, Ours will resonate with families who have endured unexpected pregnancy loss and are beginning to heal together.
Pre-order from your local independent bookstore or the online retailers listed below:
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Paperback available May 12, 2026
In this graphic novel retelling of an Indigenous Mexican tale, demigod twins must use their magic of song to rescue their father and uncle from the perilous Land of the Dead. A supreme middle-grade adventure!
Pre-order from your local independent bookstore or the online retailers listed below:
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Hardcover available June 16, 2026
This is the inspiring true story of James Forten who served in the American Revolution as a teenager and then dedicated his life to fighting for the ideals set forth by the Declaration of Independence that "all men are created equal."
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Paperback available May 19, 2026
Can Shade help a lame snake feel better at Cape Lake?
Web discount do not apply to any titles under the Bebop Books® imprint.
Paperback available May 19, 2026
Follow Gail as he goes down a trail to find Snail and Quail.
Web discount do not apply to any titles under the Bebop Books® imprint.
Paperback available May 19, 2026
Join three eaglets, Bree, Dee, and Reed, as they peep and tweet until it's time to fly free.
Web discount do not apply to any titles under the Bebop Books® imprint.
Paperback available May 19, 2026
Like the Beaver, Bean is eager to learn to leap, read, and dream.
Web discount do not apply to any titles under the Bebop Books® imprint.
Paperback available May 19, 2026
Go on a fun ride with Shine and Mike as they make their way to visit Aunt Adeline.
Web discount do not apply to any titles under the Bebop Books® imprint.
Paperback available May 19, 2026
Follow along as a turtle named Stone leaves a cove to find his way home.
Web discount do not apply to any titles under the Bebop Books® imprint.
Paperback available May 19, 2026
Join Sloane and Oakley as they go in a boat to find the big oak tree!
Web discount do not apply to any titles under the Bebop Books® imprint.
Una biografía ilustrada de la científica Wangari Maathai, la primera mujer africana (y la primera ambientalista) en ganar el Premio Nobel de la Paz por su trabajo sembrando árboles en su Kenia natal.
A picture book biography of scientist Wangari Maathai, the first African woman--and first environmentalist--to win a Nobel Peace Prize for her work planting trees in her native Kenya.
Galardonada con el premio Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Award, una biografía de la virtuosa del jazz afroamericana Melba Doretta Liston, una trombonista, compositora y arreglista musical pionera del siglo XX en una época en la que pocas mujeres tocaban instrumentos y formaban parte de la escena del jazz.
Recipient of the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor award, a biography of African American jazz virtuoso Melba Doretta Liston, a pioneering twentieth-century trombone player, composer, and music arranger at a time when few women played brass instruments and were part of the jazz scene.
Cuando la tribu Umpqua de Regina es terminada legalmente y su familia debe mudarse de Oregón a Los Ángeles, ella se embarca en una búsqueda para comprender su identidad como india a pesar de estar tan lejos de casa.
When Regina's Umpqua tribe is legally terminated and her family must relocate from Oregon to Los Angeles, she goes on a quest to understand her identity as an Indian despite being so far from home.
What makes a great juice that keeps everyone healthy? Art and his dad discover it takes carrots... collards... cayenne... and community!
A Pura Belpré Author Honor Award winner
Una Pura Belpré Premio de Autor Infantil (Libro de Honor)
Maximillian's summer vacation resembles one of his beloved lucha libre movies: grudge matches, fantastic villains and the Guardian Angel.
Las vacaciones de verano de Maximillian se parece a una de sus queridas películas de lucha libre: partidos de rencor, villanos fantásticos y el Ángel Guardián.
Ganador del premio New Voices de Lee & Low, El frasco de Juna es una conmovedora y caprichosa celebración de la amistad y el poder de la imaginación.
Un libro ilustrado de no ficción sobre la historia de Puerto Rico y la cotorra puertorriqueña, que se recuperó del borde de la extinción.
A 2023 Pura Belpré Illustrator Award Honor
In the first children's book to describe the long-forgotten chapter of US history known as Mexican Repatriation, a boy and his family leave their beloved home to avoid being separated by the government.
En el primer libro infantil que describe el capítulo olvidado de la historia de los Estados Unidos conocido como la Repatriación Mexicana, un niño y su familia dejan su amado hogar para evitar ser separados por el gobierno.
Este dulce y pionero libro ilustrado, ganador del Premio de Libro Stonewall 2020, celebra los cambios en la vida de un niño transgénero: desde su anunció que era trans hasta su preparación para ser un hermano mayor.
This sweet and groundbreaking picture book, winner of the 2020 Stonewall Book Award, celebrates the changes in a transgender boy's life, from his initial coming-out to becoming a big brother.
A 2023 Pura Belpré Illustrator Award Winner
From the creators of the award-winning picture book All Around Us comes another lyrical intergenerational story exploring our connections to nature, family, and traditions.
Paperback available May 19, 2026
June Bug plays a cute tune on her flute for her friends, Duke, Plume, and Bruce.
Web discount do not apply to any titles under the Bebop Books® imprint.
Can Tim help an injured robin heal its wing so it can fly again?
Tim and Robin is part of the Drumbeat Decodable Book Collection, a groundbreaking beginning reader series designed to strengthen and advance phonics and reading skills.
Web discount do not apply to any titles under the Bebop Books® imprint.
Find out what Rhett and Jett catch in their net on their fishing adventure!
Rhett and Jett is part of the Drumbeat Decodable Book Collection, a groundbreaking beginning reader series designed to strengthen and advance phonics and reading skills.
Web discount do not apply to any titles under the Bebop Books® imprint.
Join Duck and Cub as they play in the mud then splash in a tub of suds!
Duck and Cub is part of the Drumbeat Decodable Book Collection, a groundbreaking beginning reader series designed to strengthen and advance phonics and reading skills.
Web discount do not apply to any titles under the Bebop Books® imprint.
Pedro has a pizza. Why do you think he wants more?
Web discount do not apply to any titles under the Bebop Books® imprint.
Pedro tiene una pizza. ¿Por qué crees que quiere más?
Pedro has a pizza. Why do you think he wants more?
Web discount do not apply to any titles under the Bebop Books® imprint.
¡Lee este libro para aprender sobre inventoresque convirtieron sus ideas en invencionesque hacen nuestra vida más fácil, segura o sabrosa!
Read this book to learn about some inventors who turned their ideas into inventions that make our lives easier, safer, or tastier!
Web discount do not apply to any titles under the Bebop Books® imprint.
¿Puedes adivinar lo que hay dentro de la caja?Lee para que veas qué es.
Can you guess what's in the box? Read this story to find out.
Web discount do not apply to any titles under the Bebop Books® imprint.
¿Qué harías si tu mejor amigo se mudara? Lee este libro para que veas lo que hizo Jorge.
What would you do if your best friend moved away? Read this book to see what Jorge did.
Web discount do not apply to any titles under the Bebop Books® imprint.
Abre este libro para aprender una canción tradicional española sobre las estaciones del año.
Open this book to learn a traditional Spanish song about the seasons of the year.
Web discount do not apply to any titles under the Bebop Books® imprint.
Hardcover available April 7, 2026
In Lucía's small hometown, girls weren't supposed to play soccer and they definitely weren't supposed to be good at it either. But Lucía was determined to prove everyone wrong!
En el pequeño pueblo natal de Lucía, se suponía que las niñas no jugaban al fútbol, y mucho menos se suponía que fueran buenas en él. ¡Pero Lucía estaba decidida a demostrarles a todos que estaban equivocados!
Pre-order from your local independent bookstore or the online retailers listed below:
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Other editions:
Paperback available May 12, 2026
En esta novela gráfica que reinventa un cuento indígena mexicano, los gemelos semidioses usan la magia de las canción para rescatar a su padre ya su tío de la peligrosa Tierra de los Muertos. Una aventura suprema para los lectores preadolescentes!
In this graphic novel retelling of an Indigenous Mexican tale, demigod twins must use their magic of song to rescue their father and uncle from the perilous Land of the Dead. A supreme middle-grade adventure!
Pre-order from your local independent bookstore or the online retailers listed below:
Bookshop Barnes & Noble Amazon
Other editions:
Cuando un ataque de panico impide que Florencia actúe como Clara en El Cascanueces y su mejor amiga actúa como Clara en lugar de ella, un nuevo estilo de baile la ayuda a enfrentar su ansiedad y una amistad problemática.
After a panic attack prevents Florencia from performing as Clara in The Nutcracker and her best friends takes the lead, a new dance style helps her face her anxiety as well as a troubled friendship.
Other editions:
En esta novela gráfica que reinventa un cuento indígena mexicano, los gemelos semidioses usan la magia de la canción para rescatar a su padre y a su tío de la peligrosa tierra de los muertos. Una aventura suprema de grado medio!
In this graphic novel retelling of an Indigenous Mexican tale, demigod twins must use their magic of song to rescue their father and uncle from the perilous Land of the Dead. A supreme middle-grade adventure!
Other editions:
¡Detente y huele las rosas del Ecuador con Isabella, mientras ella aprende cómo tratar a los trabajadores agrícolas y a la Madre Tierra de una manera justa hace que el mundo florezca! Also available in English.
Stop and smell the roses of Ecuador with Isabella as she learns how treating farmworkers and Mother Earth fairly makes the world bloom!
En esta clásica historia sobre la mayoría de edad, Chela enfrenta los desafíos del sexto grado luego de perder a su padre, su mujer amigo.
In this classic coming-of-age story, Chela faces the challenges of sixth grade after losing her father, her very best friend.
Young readers will delight in learning about a wide variety of musical instruments in English and Spanish through beautifully handcrafted sculptures from Oaxaca, Mexico.
Los lectores jóvenes se deleitarán aprendiendo sobre una amplia variedad de instrumentos musicales en inglés y español a través de bellas esculturas hechas a mano en Oaxaca, México.
Dance and rattle along with skeletons on their way to celebrate their day--the Day of the Dead!
Baila y meneate junto a las calaveras en camino a su día: ¡el Día de Muertos!
From the Mixed up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler se encuentran con Merci Suarez en esta inteligente novela de misterio de grado medio sobre un diamante que desapareció del Louvre, y la dulce y valiente chica que resuelve el caso.
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler meets Merci Suarez in this smart young middle-grade mystery about a diamond gone missing from the Louvre and the sweet and spunky girl who cracks the case.
Una niña de 13 años en Ciudad Juárez, México recibe la visita de una versión futura de ella misma de 30 años en esta novela poderosa para adultos jóvenes en verso sobre cómo manejar la depresión.
A 13-year-old girl growing up in Mexico is visited by her 30-year-old future self in this powerful YA novel in verse about handling depression.
An enchanted prince caught in the body of a green bird -- who will help him overcome an evil trap, secure his transformation, and reclaim his kingdom?
Un príncipe encantado atrapado en el cuerpo de un pájaro verde, ¿quién lo ayudará a superar una trampa malvada, asegurar su transformación y recuperar su reino?
From Oaxaca, Mexico, come vibrant wood carvings of animals that invite children to learn animal sounds in English and Spanish.
Desde Oaxaca, México, vienen vibrantes tallados en madera de animales que invitan a los niños a aprender los sonidos de los animales en inglés y español.
Imaginatively colored and adorned animals handcrafted in Oaxaca, Mexico, help teach children a rainbow of colors in English and Spanish.
Animales adornados y de colores imaginativos hechos a mano en Oaxaca, México, ayudan a enseñar a los niños un arcoíris de colores en inglés y español.
Handcrafted clay figures from Oaxaca, Mexico, invite children to join a parade as they count from one to ten in English and Spanish.
Figuras de barro hechas a mano en Oaxaca, México, invitan a los niños a unirse a un desfile mientras cuentan del uno al diez en inglés y español.
Xavier Garza brings another action-packed bilingual picture book about traditional Mexican wrestling--lucha libre!
Xavier Garza presenta otro libro ilustrado lleno de acción sobre un deporte tradicional de Mexico: ¡la lucha libre!
In this bilingual Persian-English picture book, a little girl learns how to live with the gentle giant that embodies her grief.
Pink goats, blue rabbits, and purple cats--oh my! Manuel has the determination and imagination to create them all!
Cabras rosas, conejos azules y gatos morados--¡que maravilla! ¡Manuel tiene las ganas e imaginación para crearlo todo!
A prized apple tree, a dangerous bet, and a beautiful young woman--can Juan Verdades still be truthful by the end of the two-week bet?
Un manzano preciado, una apuesta peligrosa y una hermosa joven: ¿puede Juan Verdades seguir siendo sincero al final de la apuesta de dos semanas?
It's bedtime! Join Nikko in this joyous bilingual lucha libre counting adventure by wrestling aficionado Xavier Garza.
¡Es la hora de dormir! Únete a Nikko en esta alegre aventura bilingüe de conteo de lucha libre del aficionado a la lucha libre Xavier Garza.
An amusing tale, about sisterly affection and motherly appreciation. You can never have too much love for your family, but you can have too many hot chiles!
Un cuento divertido, sobre el cariño entre hermanas y el aprecio maternal. ¡Nunca puedes tener demasiado amor por tu familia, pero puedes tener demasiados chiles picantes!
Lee & Low Books is the largest multicultural children’s book publisher in the United States with a simple mission: to publish beautiful books about everyone, for everyone. We are also dedicated to promoting equity within the company and in the publishing industry at large.
Lee & Low is thrilled to shine a light on our starred reviews and best of the year 2025 titles.
Publisher Jason Low walks us through a brief history of representation in children’s books, the positive effects it has had, and the backlash currently ensuing from working towards parity in publishing and hiring.
Publisher Jason Low calls on publishers to remain vigilant as we head into the new year and join forces with those actively fighting the bans to make incremental progress in supporting librarians and booksellers on the front lines.
Lee & Low represents the very best in children’s publishing and are important leaders in the movement for diversity in children’s literature.
Lee & Low Books is simply the best when it comes to publishing and promoting diversity in children’s literature. They are one of my top resources for excellent books, booklists, guides, and resources to recommend to educators and parents. And as passionate advocates for diversity in children’s literature and other fields, Lee & Low are models for the rest of us. They pave the way for new authors and illustrators covering all forms of diversity and they remind us to be vigilant in our own reading lives, not only for ourselves and our children, but for society at large.
Lee & Low Books are publishers and heroes. Lee & Low Books are excellent books for children. Their stories are authentic, respectful, and unforgettable. They harness the power and wonder of our culturally rich world to create books that will entertain and inspire both children and adults.
Lee & Low plays a unique and valuable role in the publishing industry. Not only are they publishing new books, but they are also bringing back into print many of the gems from multicultural literature that have been unavailable for years. These titles were published at a time when children’s books had a stronger orientation to issues of race, class, and power than one typically sees in picture books today. Lee & Low is also conducting invaluable studies of diversity (or the lack of it) in the children’s book publishing industry. The studies serve as important exposés and call to action.
All children deserve to feel included and respected; nowhere is this more true than at school. Lee & Low publishes high-quality books that feature all kinds of people and families, offering children the chance to see themselves in the pages even as they encounter others who are different. A school whose classroom libraries are stocked with Lee & Low books has made a commitment to celebrate diversity.
His big, natural smile filling his face and her twinkling eyes piercing through and dancing with joy are reactions I treasure most when visiting with children at a book distribution. These children have perhaps only seen “window” books – books showing people and experiences different than theirs and now they have a “mirror” book, one where each sees a portrait of self in a book and that in turn allows that child to see her/himself as a person of value. Thank you, thank you Lee and Low for providing quality “mirror” experiences for children as well as new “windows” for readers. It is always with great confidence I refer individuals inquiring about great books for children to Lee and Low, I know they will be pleased with the choices available and the quality – physical quality as well as quality substance. And the children for whom they are buying? Those smiles and twinkles in the eyes are there!
Lee & Low has been and continues to be committed to publishing diverse books that are windows and mirrors for young readers. Lee & Low understands that reading about people different from oneself is as important as seeing oneself in books.