2025 Newbery Medal and Honor Books

The First State of Being

By: Erin Entrada Kelly

Medal Winner

Reviewed by: Christine Kallner

As an almost 40-year old reader, I got such a kick out of this historical fiction novel set in… 1999. Why are there explanatory notes for Y2K and 90s slang? Oh, right, these things are ancient history to today’s middle grade readers. I’m not sure how I feel about the era of my early teenage years being considered historical fiction already, but I must admit the author nailed it with the details that brought this setting to life. I understood the pop culture references (for once!) and song lyrics popped into my mind unbidden as different bands and artists were mentioned throughout the story. “The mall” was indeed a social destination and I remember it well. Will today’s tweens catch the references in the same way this elder millennial did? Probably not, but I’m old enough to roll my eyes at my younger self anyway, so I’m sure I’ll be in good company.

Stroll down memory lane aside, this book is a page-turner and a solid story that provides much food for thought. Twelve year-old Michael and his sixteen year-old babysitter Gibby (whom he has a crush on) meet a strange kid named Ridge who has time-travelled from the year 2199. This is revealed pretty early on (even before the story starts for anyone who spotted it on the copyright page like I did!) With the Millenium Bug or Year 2000 Problem causing panic, Michael is anxious about the future. He also blames himself for his single mom losing her better job and now needing to work three different jobs to support them. He takes it upon himself, in a misguided way, to prepare for Y2K for the both of them. I was extremely skeptical when chapter 1 opened with the main character shoplifting, but you have to see that one all the way through to the end. It may not get resolved to every reader’s satisfaction, but it doesn’t leave anyone thinking that shoplifting is OK either.

“One thing was certain. ‘I’m a thief,’ he said. He imagined Mr. Mosley at the foot of his bed, repeating something he’d said the last time Michael saw him. The day he unloaded the dishwasher. Before you go to sleep at night, ask yourself: was I the best person I could be today? […] If the answer is no, do better tomorrow.” (p. 243)

How one person can or cannot affect the entire course of history and the various theories scientists of the 22^nd century have about this are worth contemplating, even if time travel is just a thing of fiction. A beloved neighbor passes away and Michael wrestles with how he isn’t remembered in Ridge’s history book:

“Sometimes history remembers people who don’t deserve it and forgets the ones who do,” Ridge said. Besides, he’s being remembered right now, by you. And me. And Gibby. And your mom. Just because he isn’t written down in a book doesn’t mean he wasn’t important.” “No, I get it. History doesn’t care about maintenance men who work in apartment buildings or single moms who work three jobs. They’re just….what? Blips.” “We’re all blips, Michael,” Ridge said. He coughed, then lay silent for a while. “And we’re all part of history. You, me, Gibby, Mr. Mosley, your mom, my mom, even stupid Beejee.” (p. 191)

Michael has to learn how to live in the “first state of being” – right here, right now – not trapped in past regrets, or overly anxious about the future. We as readers, however, do get a glimpse into his future with a clever “epilogue” in the form of additional excerpts from a 22^nd century book which fills us in on how things turn out for several of the characters which makes for a very satisfying ending.

Across So Many Seas

By: Ruth Behar

Honor

Reviewed by: Sherry Early
Recommended age: 10 and up

Across So Many Seas, the story of four twelve year old Sephardic Jewish girls from different time periods, felt very . . . educational. I didn’t mind the didactic tone of the story, and I was somewhat fascinated by the saga of the Sephardic Jewish experience from Spain to Turkey to Cuba to the United States (Miami). We tend to know and read more about Ashkenazi, Eastern European Jews and Judaism than we do about the Sephardic Jewish people, who came from Spain after the 1492 expulsion of the Jews under King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella (yes, Columbus’s sponsors). These Sephardic Jews spoke a Spanish-derived language called Ladino and either became conversos (converts to Catholicism) under threat of death, or left Spain as refugees, going to Italy and Turkey and other places to find freedom to practice their Jewish faith.

The author, Ruth Behar, comes from both Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jewish ancestry. The book is based in part on the story of Ms. Behar’s Abuela, her paternal grandmother, who came to the United States via Turkey and Cuba and who was of Sephardic heritage. It’s a lovely tribute to Ms. Behar’s heritage and to her grandmother, and I enjoyed learning more about this stream of history. But be warned that the book is heavy on the history and light on believable characterization, dialogue, and plot.

Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All

By: Chanel Miller

Honor

Reviewed by: Christine Kallner

Magnolia Wu lives in New York City and meets a new friend who helps her reunite solitary socks left behind at her family’s laundromat with their owners. The ‘mystery of the missing socks’ is a clever premise that moves the story forward and allows the reader (and Magnolia herself) to get to know her neighbors and neighborhood better. The mysteries are solved quickly and without much trouble, but they give the girls an opportunity to go on little summer adventures and get to know each other. In my opinion, the book’s greatest strength is how it shows Magnolia discovering there is more to people than what she sees on the surface: her parents had a whole life before she was born, the school bully has a difficult home life, the popular girl who seems to “have it all” misses her mom, etc. That said, I found much of this book’s valuable wisdom delivered in an on-the-nose, didactic style. I found many (though not all) of the illustrations to be off-putting and my inner grammar nerd cringed at the use of the word “worser” in one sentence. Parents should be aware that the author’s other book, which is featured opposite the title page and praised in the author’s bio on the dust jacket is an adult memoir.

One Big Open Sky

By: Lesa Cline-Ransome

Honor

Reviewed by: Sarah Kim
Recommended age: 13+

Told through the voices of three women, this novel in verse brings to life a lesser-known chapter of U.S. history: the earlier wave of the Great Migration. As a result of the 1862 Homestead Act, some African American families left the South for the Midwest, seeking freedom and land. As the story unfolds, the three women navigate personal growth and confront the hardships of their journey, making this a compelling and emotional exploration of resilience and hope.

The Wrong Way Home

By: Kate O’Shaughnessy

Honor

Reviewed by: Sherry Early

A girl and her mom escape from an abusive apocalyptic cult, but their escape leads them to a safe haven with a lesbian friend who seems too good to be true. Fern wants to go back to the Farm, but eventually she is "cured" of all of her former beliefs and becomes tolerant of those with differing  lifestyles.