What could be better than brand-new books for your classroom shelf? We’ve scoured the reviews to find the best upcoming releases for all ages, in a variety of fiction and nonfiction genres. These are the new books for September 2025 that we’re most excited to check out!
FREE PRINTABLE
Free September Reading Log
Use our free printable reading log to help students record their pages and keep track of the books they explore all month long.
Fiction Picture Books for September 2025
The Pigeon Won’t Count to 10! by Mo Willems
Mo Willems’ lovable avian is back, and this time he’s refusing to count to 10. Want to know why? Well, he’s got 10 good (and hilarious) reasons!
Buy it: The Pigeon Won’t Count to 10
Dear Acorn, Love Oak by Joyce Sidman, illus. by Melissa Sweet
In a series of poetic letters, nature’s biggest and smallest objects write letters to one another. The sweet text and gorgeous illustrations remind us that no matter our size, we’re all connected.
Buy it: Dear Acorn, Love Oak
Seven Babies by Forest Xiao
One baby is a lot of work, so what do you do when seven arrive all at once in one big basket? Find out in this adorable and engaging new picture book for September 2025.
Buy it: Seven Babies
Shibu’s Tail by Tess Thomas, illus. by Kamwei Fong
This cat has big feelings and an expressive tail to show them all. But it seems all the other kitties are hiding their tails—and their feelings. Should Shibu hide his too?
Buy it: Shibu’s Tail
After: A Survivor’s Story by Hallee Adelman, illus. by Patrick Corrigan
This new picture book isn’t just for little ones: The powerful text aims to help kids of all ages cope with the aftermath of terrible events. After one little girl experiences a Horrible Day of gun violence (heavily implied but not explicitly stated), she slowly finds some comfort in learning that others have lived through Horrible Days too. By joining their voices together, survivors find the strength they need to endure.
Buy it: After: A Survivor’s Story
Easy Readers / Chapter Books for September 2025
Jasper Rabbit’s Creepy Tales! Troubling Tonsils! by Aaron Reynolds, illus. by Peter Brown
The latest entry in the Jasper Rabbit’s Creepy Tales series will delight emergent readers, with a silly but slightly spooky tale of infected tonsils that might just be out for revenge.
Buy it: Troubling Tonsils!
Stella & Marigold: Mermaids and Mix-Ups by Annie Barrows, illus. by Sophie Blackall
The charming chapter book series returns for another round, featuring sisters Stella and Marigold trying to make lots of new friends to fill up their friend book. Their adventures will make kids laugh out loud!
Kat & Mouse: I Like Cheese! by Salina Yoon
In this new easy reader series opener, meet Kat (a spontaneous kind of kitty) and Mouse (a routine-loving rodent), who are very different but nevertheless the best of friends. Mouse wants to eat cheese for lunch every day—can Kat encourage her friend to try something new?
Buy it: Kat & Mouse: I Like Cheese!
September 2025 New Middle Grade Books
The Last Resort by Erin Entrada Kelly
Eleven-year-old Lila Clement makes a startling discovery when her grandfather passes away: She can see and speak to ghosts. When her grandfather pleads for help solving his murder, Lila teams up with new pal Teddy and her brother Caleb to untangle the mystery and help spirits cross over, all while battling darker forces.
Buy it: The Last Resort
Let’s Get Together by Brandy Colbert
Liberty may have finally found a home at last with foster mom Joey. But when a DNA test reveals that her look-alike at school, Kenya, is actually her twin, Liberty must deal with the fallout of decisions made years ago, and the possibility of reuniting a family she never knew. This modern, nuanced nod to The Parent Trap deftly handles issues like the foster care system and substance abuse.
Buy it: Let’s Get Together
A Sea of Lemon Trees by María Dolores Águila
It’s 1931, and Roberto Alvarez is about to become the plaintiff in a groundbreaking desegregation case. In a tale that seems all too familiar, Mexican American students are barred from attending a local school after a series of deportation raids. This historical fiction tale told in verse captures and explores this important moment for today’s audiences.
Buy it: A Sea of Lemon Trees
The Nine Moons of Han Yu and Luli by Karina Yan Glaser
In two parallel stories, Han Yu in ancient China and Luli Lee in 1930s New York face family crises that push them to find courage and resourcefulness. Though living in different times, their adventures are connected by themes of Chinese culture, resilience, and the power of community.
The Incredibly Human Henson Blayze by Derrick Barnes
Thirteen-year-old Henson is a Black football hero in a mostly white Mississippi town, but everything changes when his best friend is violently attacked by state troopers during the first game of the season. Choosing justice over fame, Henson walks away from the game, sparking the town’s outrage and revealing the cost of standing up for what’s right.
Young Adult Fiction for September 2025
Truth Is by Hannah V. Sawyerr
High school senior Truth Bangura faces judgment and pressure after choosing to have an abortion, but she remains confident in making a decision that’s hers alone. Her powerful slam-poetry performance makes her private choice public, challenging those around her and affirming her voice in this new novel-in-verse.
Buy it: Truth Is
All the Way Around the Sun by XiXi Tian
High school senior Stella came to the United States from China when she was a child. But even bigger changes are ahead when her grandfather insists the family move to a new city after her older brother’s mysterious death. Struggling to cope with academic and familial pressures, Stella tours colleges with an estranged childhood friend and begins to confront grief, family secrets, and her identity.
Buy it: All the Way Around the Sun
The Story of My Anger by Jasminne Mendez
Yuli, a Dominican American teen, confronts racism in her school and censorship of her favorite teacher, channeling her anger into activism through guerilla theater. With support from her family and friends, she learns that art can be a powerful tool for change and finds her voice in the fight for justice.
Buy it: The Story of My Anger
Flip by Rebecca Fraser
After losing his mother, Australian teen Denim Davies struggles with grief and poverty while living in a caravan park, finding solace in reselling vintage items to help his dad. A new friendship, a moral dilemma, and his growing resilience lead him to discover strength, compassion, and hope in unexpected places.
Buy it: Flip
Graphic Novels and Nonfiction for September 2025
Cabin Head and Tree Head by Scott Campbell
Imagine a world where everyone had something on their head, from cabins and trees to volcanoes and cars. That’s the basis of this nutty new graphic novel, with six short stories featuring Cabin Head and Tree Head—and the characters that live on their heads too! (Grades 1–4)
Buy it: Cabin Head and Tree Head
Absolutely Everything by Damian Alexander
Undiagnosed ADHD is making 6th grader Marcella’s life seem impossible. Her best friend is drifting away, her parents want to move, and absolutely everything is just too hard. Fortunately, with the support of insightful teachers and caring dads, Marcella learns to use art to better understand herself and find ways to cope. (Grades 4–8)
Buy it: Absolutely Everything
Tuck Everlasting: The Graphic Novel by Natalie Babbitt; illus. by K. Woodman-Maynard
The beloved classic gets the graphic novel treatment in this new adaptation. The gorgeous illustrations give new life to the text, adding another layer of depth to this intriguing tale of a man who doesn’t age and the child who befriends him. (Grades 5–8)
Silenced Voices by Pablo Leon
In this powerful new graphic novel, two Maryland brothers uncover their mother Clara’s painful past as a survivor of the Guatemalan civil war and the brutal destruction of her Qʼeqchiʼ Mayan village. Her story inspires them to reconnect with their roots and search for their missing aunt, revealing how trauma and resilience echo across generations and diasporas. (Grades 9–12)
Buy it: Silenced Voices
I Wish I Didn’t Have To Tell You This by Eugene Yelchin
In this graphic memoir, Eugene Yelchin recounts his experiences in the Soviet Union from 1980 to 1983, including artistic triumphs, a budding romance with an American student, and the trauma of political repression. Through spare text and evocative grayscale illustrations, he captures the emotional highs and devastating lows of life under an authoritarian regime. (Grades 9–12)
September 2025 Nonfiction for Kids and Teens
A Change Is Gonna Come by Sam Cooke, illus. by Nikkolas Smith
Introduce the lyrics of this mighty civil rights anthem to a new generation, backed by illustrations of pivotal moments in Black American history. Though geared toward younger readers, older kids will also find a lot to explore in both the images and the text. (Grades pre-K to 3)
Buy it: A Change Is Gonna Come
Tuck Me In! by Nathan W. Pyle
The Strange Planet comic pivots to tell a delightful tale of beaches around the world playing tug-of-war with their ocean “blankets” as they try to sleep at night. Though the story itself has fictional elements, it explains the how and why of marine tides to a young audience in a relatable (and oh-so-fun) way. (Grades pre-K to 3)
Buy it: Tuck Me In!
Fly Like a Bird by Olga Ptashnik
Nearly all birds fly, but they don’t all do it in quite the same way. Join a baby chickadee as it learns to soar, learning about the way other species fly along the way. (Grades pre-K to 4)
Buy it: Fly Like a Bird
Journey of the Humpbacks by Juliana Muñoz Toro, illus. by Dipacho
Whales may be one of the most magical creatures on the planet, capturing the imagination of young and old. In this new STEM reader, kids follow humpbacks on their epic migration journey, learning how they swim, why they migrate, how whale calves are born and grow, and much more. (Grades 3–7)
Buy it: Journey of the Humpbacks
How the Word Is Passed (Young Readers Edition) by Clint Smith, adapted by Sonja Cherry-Paul
The stories of slavery in America aren’t confined to the history books—they’re found everywhere in the world around us. In this young readers adaptation of Smith’s seminal work, readers follow the author on a journey from New Orleans to New York, Monticello to Angola, seeking out the impacts that slavery and enslaved people left behind. (Grades 5–12)
Books for Teachers for September 2025
The Highest Exam by Ruixue Jia & Hongbin Li with Claire Cousineau
American teachers will be fascinated by this personal, in-depth look at China’s highest academic exam, the Gaokao, which is the only determining factor of whether students are admitted to universities. Parents and students dedicate massive amounts of time, money, and effort into acing the test, starting prep as early as preschool. It’s a fascinating cautionary tale for a country whose education system seems to put more and more emphasis on standardized testing.
Buy it: The Highest Exam
Alignment by Katie Keller Wood
This book challenges the idea of achieving perfect work-life balance, suggesting instead that true well-being comes from finding “alignment” between life’s shifting parts. Drawing on the Montessori principles that revolutionized early childhood education, this new book encourages readers to view life as a flexible mosaic, offering practical guidance and reflection to help reconnect with purpose and meaning.
Buy it: Alignment
Don’t forget to grab your free September reading log to share with your students!
