There were so many wonderful books published in 2025, it was very difficult to choose our Books of the Year!
Our team of dedicated and experienced children’s booksellers: Trish, Sarah, Susan and Grace carefully selected their favourite books of the year in each category from all the children’s books they had read over the year. We added all these together and came up with our overall selection. We chose our overall winner from these books, a really special book that we all fell in love with in 2025.
Our Overall Book of the Year 2025:
Badger Books by Paddy Donnelly!!
Our Novel of the Year is My Name is Jodie Jones by Emma Shevah
Halfway up the Stairs Books of the Year – Picture Books
Badger Books by Paddy Donnelly Buy here
Don’t Trust Fish by Neil Sharpson, Illustrated by Dan Santat Buy here
Letters to a Monster by Patricia Forde, illustrated by Sarah Warburton Buy here
Once I was a Tree by Eoin McLaughlin, illustrated by Guilherme Karsten Buy here
Don’t Think of Tigers by Alex Latimer Buy here
Some more Picture Books we loved this year:
Hogbert by Briony May Smith
When You Find the Right Rock by Mary Lyn Ray, illustrated by Felicita Sala
Run Home, Little Fox by Tom McCaughren and Erika McGann, illustrated by Shannon Bergin
Puffling and the Stormy Sea by Erika McGann, illustrated by Gerry Daly
The Lonely Only Dinosaur by Olivia Hope, illustrated by Anna Süßbauer
The Forever Bear by Lu Fraser, illustrated by Pippa Curnick
Flossie McFluff Saves Christmas by Eoin O’Brien, illustrated by Audrey Dowling
A Map for Falasteen by Maysa Odeh, Illustrated by Aliaa Betawi
Halfway up the Stairs Books of the Year – Gift Books and Information Books
Oscar Wilde’s Stories for Children illustrated by Lauren O’Hara Buy here
Animalopedia by Kathi Burke and John Burke Buy here
The Cloud Kingdom by Máire Zepf, illustrated by Andrew Whitson Buy Here
Your Places Gift Box by Jon Klassen Buy Here
Making It Up As You Go Along by Patricia Forde, illustrated by Mary Murphy Buy Here
Some more Gift Books we loved this year:
Fold-Out and Play Doll’s House by Ingela P Arrhenius (Gift Item)
My First Record Player by My Irish Books (Gift Item)
The Experimenters by Shane Bergin, illustrated by Sayani Mukherjee
Enchanted Ireland: An Atlas of Magical Stories from Every County by Kieran Fanning, illustrated by Julia Iredale
Feminist History for Every Day of the Year by Kate Mosse, illustrated by Sophie Bass (Macmillan)
Halfway up the Stairs Books of the Year – Age 6+
Bear and Bird: The Secret and Other Stories by Jarvis Buy Here
Gordon, the Meanest Goose on Earth Wins it All by Alex Latimer Buy Here
Ellora McGee, Trainee Banshee by Sinéad O’Hart, illustrated by Úna Woods Buy here
Adventuremice: Mousehole to the Centre of the Earth by Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre Buy here
Halfway up the Stairs Books of the Year Age 8+
The Grand Central Cinema Club by Alan Nolan Buy here
After by Pádraig Kenny Buy here
The Diary of Wiska Wildflower by Harriet Muncaster Buy here
Milly McCarthy and the Haunted House Hullabooloo! By Leona Forde, illustrated by Karen Harte Buy here
We also loved:
Dino Mode Activated by Jen Wallace, illustrated by Alan O’Rourke
Unfairies by Huw Aaron
Halfway up the Stairs Books of the Year Age 10+
The Museum of Lost Umbrellas by Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick Buy here
Small Wonder by Ross Montgomery Buy here
The Doomsday Club by Kevin Moran Buy here
The First Year by Matt Goodfellow Buy here
Conn of the Dead by Dave Rudden Buy here
Swanfall by Sophie Kirtley Buy here
The Lone Husky by Hannah Gold Buy here
Some more books we loved:
To the Waters and the Wild by Eilish Fisher, illustrated by David Rooney
Evie and Maryam’s Family Tree by Janeen Hayat
Halfway up the Stairs Books of the Year – Teen
A Flash of Neon by Sophie Cameron Buy Here
The Wordsmith 10th Anniversary Edition by Patricia Forde Buy Here
Any way you Slice It by Méabh McDonnell Buy Here
The Twelve by Liz Hyder Buy Here
Under the London Sky by Anna Woltz (Author), Michele Hutchison (Translator) Buy Here
Some more books we loved:
Lady’s Knight by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
What Happens Online by Nathanael Lessore
Enter the Endgame by Triona Campbell
Halfway up the Stairs Books of the Year – YA
My Name is Jodie Jones by Emma Shevah Buy Here
Solo by Gráinne O’Brien Buy Here
This Song is About Us by Sara Barnard Buy Here
Songs for Ghosts by Clara Kumagai Buy Here
We also loved:
Skipshock by Caroline O’Donoghue
Halfway up the Stairs – Favourite Comic Book Choices 2025
The Squid Squad by Aoife Dooley Age 6+ Buy Here
Pablo and Splash: Roman Holiday by Sheena Dempsey Age 7+ Buy Here
Evil Duck and the Nest of Destiny by Chris Judge Age 7+ Buy Here
The Donut Squad by Neil Cameron Age 8+ Buy Here
The Cartoonists Club by Raina Telgemeier and Scott McCloud Age 8+ Buy Here
Nina Peanut Epic World Tour Era by Sarah Bowie Age 8+ Buy Here
When the Sky Falls by Phil Earle Age 10+/Teen Buy Here
Irish Language Choices
Puisín na mBróg by Fearghas Mac Lochlainn and Paddy Donnelly Buy Here
Níl Éisc Le Trust by Neil Sharpson and Dan Santat Buy Here
Oíche Mhaith, a Ghrá! by Sadhbh Devlin and Brian Fitzgerald Buy Here