The adventure never ends in these stories about kids stumbling upon fantastic worlds, overcoming great odds, and learning to love and trust their siblings. Plus, there are jaw-dropping and educational stories about figures in history, a fox who helps wandering souls, and a genetically engineered pet who has to find his way back home! There won’t be a dull moment when you listen together to one of our top picks for kidlit in 2025.
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Our Best of the Year list is all about the audio—how was the story elevated by the listening experience? There is so much magic in listening to El Niño by Pam Muñoz Ryan. Our hero, Kai Sosa, is grappling with grief two years after the disappearance of his sister Cali. But when Kai finds a library book that Cali had been obsessed with about an underwater realm and a group of mermalians protecting a lost ancient island, details from the story start to appear in his own life, giving clues to what might have happened to Cali. The legendary children’s book author merges myth and magical realism with a contemporary narrative that’s enhanced by a mystical soundscape and the performances of Timothy Andrés Pabon and E.J. Lavery. It will stay with you long after you've finished listening. To hear more from Pam Muñoz Ryan, listen to our interview. —Katie O.
The Incredibly Human Henson Blayze is a modern classic in the making. National Book Award finalist and Newbery Honoree Derrick Barnes weaves allegory and folktales to deliver a powerful story of a young boy longing to be valued for who he truly is. Henson Blayze is a football phenom, a beloved Black hero in a mostly white town. When he discovers at halftime of the first game of the season that his good friend has been beaten nearly to death by police officers, he chooses to leave the game and be with his friend. This decision makes Henson quickly realize just how tenuous his position as town hero truly is. Actor Miles. J. Harvey beautifully performs his first audiobook, ensuring that Henson’s voice will live on in my mind for years to come. —KO
As a mother of elementary school children, nothing delights me more than seeing my kids begin to fall in love with the stories that empowered and inspired me when I was young. What’s even more special is that with this new Full-Cast Audio Edition of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, new audiences and established fans (like me!) will find it equally enchanting. The breathtaking sound design, immersive score, and outstanding performances by hundreds of actors had my kids on the edge of their seats, and I was squealing with delight right alongside them. Even if you know everything there is to know about Harry Potter, you’ve never heard it quite like this—and if you’re new to the stories, there has never been a better way to dive in. —Esther B.
The first book in Katherine Rundell’s series was a top pick for us in 2024, and the sequel, Impossible Creatures: The Poisoned King, is just as good. Listeners can join Christopher as he returns to the Archipelago, a secret set of islands where all manner of mythical creatures exists—and who need his help! Poison is spreading across the islands, and Christopher must come to the rescue again. Delightful and classic, with stellar narration by Sam West, The Poisoned King is a much-welcomed expansion of a world that I’ll return to again and again. —Melissa B.
My whole family was psyched to listen to a third installment of this zany history program. From medieval queens to dueling generals to a tennis rivalry to end all match-ups, Scott McCormick and his merry band of performers have delivered another hit full of laugh-out-loud learning. This is my family's go-to for road trips because it's so much fun for all ages. —Emily C.
It's bittersweet to say farewell to Melancholy, Barnacle, Garlic, and Miss Emily, but this final chapter in the short saga was—as the kids say—everything. The dry wit and sharp one-liners that make this truly an ageless series were all brilliantly delivered by Helena Bonham Carter, who is the perfect voice to deliver all the weirdness this tale requires. —EC
The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest will charm you from its very first lines. Author Aubrey Hartman has notes of Tim Burton and Kate DiCamillo (what a combo!) but with a wholly original voice that announces she’s a talent to pay attention to. Her prose is so vivid that I hope we will get a screen adaptation in the not-so-distant future. In the meantime, I’m more than content to relisten to narrator Marisa Calin, who does a mesmerizing job on both our bard narrator and all the animal voices, in particular our hero fox, Clare. More specifically, Clare is an undead fox, tasked with ushering souls to the Afterlife. The job is somewhat predictable, until one day a badger named Gingersnipes proves unable to cross over. The adventure that unfurls wound its way around my heart, and I am eager to begin it anew with my boys. —KO
Josefina “Joey” Guerrero was a war hero overlooked by history. But now, two-time Newbery Medal-winning author Erin Entrada Kelly has uncovered her remarkable story in At Last She Stood, narrated by Ferdelle Capistrano. Guerrero was many things in her lifetime: spy, leprosy survivor, guerrilla fighter, and peacemaker. She fought for her native Philippines during WWII as the Japanese occupied the country. It's a fascinating story not only about Guerrero’s time as a resistance fighter but about making a life for herself in the US against all odds. At Last She Stood is a secret piece of history that will inspire listeners young and old. —MB
In Barnaby Unboxed, a follow-up to the award-winning The Barnabus Project by the Fan Brothers, listeners will journey along with the half-mouse, half-elephant Barnaby as he runs away from home and then finds his way back through the big city. Along the way, Barnaby encounters friends in dumpsters and friendly squirrels. Narrated by Anand Rajaram and replete with charming sound effects, Barnaby Unboxed is a grand adventure. My heart squeezed at the end for our friend Barnaby as he remembers what’s important to him and finds love again. —MB
Bedtime story time is my favorite part of being a guncle, but I can easily exhaust my ability to do creative voices (or read the same book for the 22nd time), so thank you, Kate McKinnon, for your indefatigable well of humor and wacky-weird vocal chops. The SNL alum hilariously narrates this absurd and delightful fantasy sequel in the Millicent Quibb series with as much gusto as the first volume. Full of smart-girl power and positivity, it gets me laughing right along with my niece. Even the footnotes are funny! —Jerry P.
