2025 National Book Award Finalists and Audiobook Review: The Teacher of Nomad Land: a World War II Story by Daniel Nayeri

Image: Levine Querido

The Teacher of Nomad Land a World War II Story by Daniel Nayeri. Unabridged downloadable audiobook, ~3 hours. Read by the author. Listening Library, September, 2025. Review of audiobook borrowed from public library.

I have been a bad blogger. I read this back in the fall with the intention of reading all the National Book Award Finalists for Young People's Literature. I absolutely loved it and was thrilled when it was given the National Book Award. Did I blog about it then? No. It also garnered a Newbery Honor on 1/26. Did I blog about it? Nope, nope, nope. Bad blogger.

Daniel Nayeri is a masterful storyteller. I wrote on Goodreads, "I can't think of too many children's authors who can spin an enthralling tale with such economy of words." It is a treat to hear him narrate as well. 

I was totally unaware of the fact that Iran was occupied by both the British and Russians during WWII. The tale Nayeri spins of the trials of the two orphans, from despicable relatives who take them in only to exploit them, to the endearing British soldier who befriends them, to the Jewish refugee they feed is suspenseful. I was rapt. I laughed and cried. Truthfully, it is that rare middle school reader who will appreciate this; but it's wonderful to have it to share with that lucky reader. 

Waiting on Wednesday: Fight or Flight by Jeff Kinney

Image: Abrams

Fight or Flight: Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Diary of a Wimpy Kid #21) by Jeff Kinney. 224 p. Amulet Books/ Abrams, October 20, 2026. 9781419782701.

Waiting on Wednesday features Fight or Flight, the 21st Diary of a Wimpy Kid book, due out on October 21. I have been a fan of Wimpy Kid since the first installment. I wasn't blogging then, and I wasn't on Goodreads, but I thought it hilarious and just the right book for a variety of readers. 

Publisher synopsis: In Fight or Flight, Greg Heffley faces his biggest challenge yet as he becomes a target for the school bully. Luckily for Greg, his best friend, Rowley Jefferson, takes karate, so at least Greg's got someone in his corner. But an unexpected twist makes Greg realize he's facing an uphill battle.

Will Greg step into the ring or throw in the towel? One thing's for sure—Fight or Flight is a knockout!

Waiting on Wednesday: In the Blood by April Henry

Image: Hachette Book Group

 In the Blood by April Henry. 304 p. Christy Ottaviano Books, May 12, 2026. 9780316586214.

I've been a bad blogger, but I'm still reading and thinking about blogging about what I read. I just kind of freeze when I sit down to write. Ugh. 

News about this new release popped up in my feeds and I perked up. Ms. Henry's books were faves with my seventh and eighth graders. 

Publisher synopsis: When an adopted teen takes a DNA test to find her biological parents, she unknowingly puts herself in the crosshairs of a serial killer.

Adopted as a newborn, Tessa has always wondered who her biological parents are. After turning eighteen, she takes a DNA test in hopes of finding the answers. With best friend El and lab partner Victor, Tessa uses the results to start building her family tree. But they find more dead ends than answers. Her biological mother, who was raised in a religious cult, has cut all ties with her controlling family. And her biological father remains a complete mystery, at least until the police show up. For fifteen years, they’ve been trying to identify a serial killer known as the Portland Phantom. Tessa may be the link they’ve been waiting for.

April Henry delivers a twisty thriller about the families who choose us—and the ones we’re born into. Biology does not have to dictate one’s destiny.

I hope this post jump-starts my resolve to blog more. 

2025 Audio Books

 January (4)

1. When the World Tips Over by Jandy Nelson (1/6)

2. Alebrijes by Donna Barba Higuera (1/22)

3. Heir by Sabaa Tahir (1/25)*

4.Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt (1/29)

February (3)

5. Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All by Chanel Miller (2/7)

6. On Call: A Doctor's Journey in Public Service by Anthony Fauci (2/9)

7. First State of Being by Erin Entrada Kelly (2/21)

March (5)

8. Grief in the Fourth Dimension by Jennifer You (3/2)*

9. Skyhunter by Marie Lu (3/10)*

10. Not Quite a Ghost by Anne Ursu (3/15)

11. Steelstriker by Marie Lu (3/25)

12. The Night Visitor by Hildur Knútsdóttir 3/27

April (2)

13. Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins (4/10)*

14. Three Days in June by Anne Tyler (4/13)*

May (3)

15. A Queen's Game by Katherine McGee (5/1)

16. Not Nothing by Gayle Forman (5/7)

17. Careless People: a Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed and Lost Idealism by Sarah Wynn-Williams (5/18)*

June (3)

18. Prequel: an American Fight against Fascism by Rachel Maddow (6/7)*

19. Everything is Tuberculosis: the History and Persistence of our Deadliest Infection by John Green (6/13)*

20. Amelia, If Only by Becky Albertali (6/30)

July (4)

21. The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride (7/5)*

22. Under the Same Stars by Libba Bray (7/13)

23. Miss Liberty by Erin Moonyeen Haley (7/21)

24. Blood in the Water by Tiffany D. Jackson (7/26)

August (7)

25. I Hate You Fuller James by Kelly Anne Blount (8/7)

26. A Hero's Guide to Summer Vacation by Pablo Cartaya (8/10)

27. Snoop by Gordon Korman (8/14)*

28. Harboring Hope: The True Story of How Henny Sinding Helped Denmark's Jews Escape the Nazis by Susan Hood (8/17)*

29. El Niño by Pam Muńoz Ryan (8/21)

30. Lifeboat 5 by Susan Hood (8/23)

31. Lifeboat 12 by Susan Hood (8/25)

September (3)

32. Soundtrack by Jason Reynolds (9/5)*

33. Love is a Revolution by Renee Watson (9/20)

34. (S)Kin by Ibi Zoboi (9/27)

October (5)

35. The Extraordinary Orbit of Alex Ramirez by Jasminne Paulino (10/2)

36. The Redemption of Daya Keane by Gia Gordon (10/12)*

37. Dream by Barbara O'Connor (10/17)*

38. Dive by John David Anderson (10/27)*

39. The Teacher of Nomad Land: a World War II Story by Daniel Nayari (10/30)*

November (2)

40. All Ears by Stuart Gibbs (11/5)

41. The Correspondent by Virginia Evans (11/11)*

December (4)

42. A World Worth Saving by Kyle Lukoff (12/5)

43. First Love Language by Stefany Valentine (12/9)

44. 107 Days by Kamala D. Harris (12/20)

45. We Fell Apart by E. Lockhart (12/22)

2025 Reading

 I need to get my reading mojo back. I resolved to do so on January 1. I wanted to read more and blog more about what I'm reading. Let's see how this first year of retirement shakes out.

January
1. Urban Coyotes by Mary Kay Carson (1/1)*
2. Call the Bee Doctor! How Science is Saving Honey Bees by Sandra Markle (1/2)
3. Clever Crow by Chris Butterworth (1/3)
4. When the World Tips Over by Jandy Nelson (1/6)

5. Evidence: How Dr. John Snow Solved the Mystery of Cholera by Deborah Hopkinson (1/11)

6. Narwhal: Unicorn of the Arctic by Candace Fleming (1/11)

7. Alebrijes by Donna Barba Higuera (1/22)

8. So-Hee and Lowy by Anna Kang (1/23)*

9. Everywhere Beauty is Harlem: the Vision of Photographer Roy DeCarava by Gary Golio (1/24)*

10. Heir by Sabaa Tahir (1/25)*

11. Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt (1/29)*

February (10)

12. Bruce Saves the Planet by Ryan T. Higgins (2/5)

13. Magnolia Wu Unfolds it All by Chanel Miller (2/7)

14. Run Away with Me by Brian Selznick (2/9)

15. On Call: a Doctor's Journey in Public Service by Dr. Anthony Fauci (2/9)

16. Popcorn by Rob Harrell (2/14)*

17. That's Not Funny, David! by David Shannon (2/16)*

18. The Second Chance of Darius Logan by David F. Walker (2/17)

19. Anteaters, Bats & Boas: the Amazon Rainforest from the Forest Floor to the Treetops by Roxie Munro (2/20)*

20. First State of Being by Erin Entrada Kelly (2/21)

21. The Secret of Honeycake by Kimberly Newton Fusco (2/23)*

March (9)

22. Grief in the Fourth Dimension by Jennifer You (3/2)*

23. How It All Ends by Emma Hunsinger (3/5)

24. Skyhunter by Marie Lu (3/10)*

25. Spelling It Out by Margaret Finnegan (3/11)

26. Not Quite a Ghost by Anne Ursu (3/15)

27. Afia and the Land of Wonders by Mia Arajuo (3/18)

28. Steelstriker by Marie Lu (3/25)

29. The Night Visitor by Hildur Knútsdóttir (3/27)

30. The Right Call by Tommy Greenwald (3/30)*

April (3)

31. Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins (4/10)*

32. Three Days in June by Anne Tyler (4/13)*

33. A Day at the Beach by Gary D. Schmidt and Ron Koertge (4/14)

May (6)

34. A Queen's Game by Katherine McGee (5/1)

35. Not Nothing by Gayle Forman (5/7)

36. Soul Food Sunday by Winsome Bingham (5/7)

37. Careless People: a Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed and Lost Idealism by Sarah Wynn-Williams (5/18)*

38. Rebellion 1776 by Laurie Halse Anderson (5/ 24)*

39. Don't Cause Trouble by Arree Chung (5/ 26)*

June

40. One Step Forward by Marcie Flinchum Atkins (6/1)

41. Lover Birds by Leanne Egan (6/5)*

42. Prequel: an American Fight against Fascism by Rachel Maddow (6/7)*

43. Together, United by Tami Charles (6/9)*

44. The Gift of Words by Peter Reynolds (6/9)*

45. Everything is Tuberculosis: the History and Persistence of our Deadliest Infection by John Green (6/13)*

46. Outside by Jennifer L. Holm (6/28)

47. Amelia, If Only by Becky Albertali (6/30)

48. One Alley Summer by Annie Ylvisaker (6/30)*

July (4)

49. The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride (7/5)*

50. Under the Same Stars by Libba Bray (7/13)

51. Miss Liberty by Erin Moonyeen Haley (7/21)

52. Blood in the Water by Tiffany D. Jackson (7/26)

August (12)

53. Here is a Book by Elisha Cooper (8/5)*

54. New Shoes for Leo by Lauren Agra Deedy (8/5)

55. Baa Haa by Audrey Perrott (8/5)

56. Ruby Bridges: a Talk with My Teacher by Ruby Bridges (8/5)

57. I Hate You Fuller James by Kelly Ann Blount (8/7)

58. A Hero's Guide to Summer Vacation by Pablo Cartaya (8/10)

59. Faker by Gordon Korman (8/12)

60. Snoop by Gordon Korman (8/14)*

61. Harboring Hope: The True Story of How Henny Sinding Helped Denmark's Jews Escape the Nazis by Susan Hood (8/17)*

62. El Niño by Pam Muńoz Ryan (8/21)

63. Lifeboat 5 by Susan Hood (8/23)

64. Lifeboat 12 by Susan Hood (8/25)

September (4)

65. Soundtrack by Jason Reynolds (9/5)*

66. War Games by Alan Gratz (9/10)

67. Love is a Revolution by Renee Watson (9/20)

68. (S)Kin by Ibi Zoboi (9/27)

October (6)

69. The Extraordinary Orbit of Alex Ramirez by Jasminne Paulino (10/2)

70. The Redemption of Daya Keane by Gia Gordon (10/12)*

71. One Wrong Step by Jennifer A. Nielsen (10/16)

72. Dream by Barbara O'Connor (10/17)*

73. Dive by John David Anderson (10/27)*

74. The Teacher of Nomad Land: a World War II Story by Daniel Nayari (10/30)*

November (3)

75. All Ears by Stuart Gibbs (11/5)

76. The Correspondent by Virginia Evans (11/11)*

77. I am Made of Death by Kelly Andrew (11/12)

December

78. A World Worth Saving by Kyle Lukoff (12/5)

79. First Love Language by Stefany Valentine (12/9)

80. Coach by Jason Reynolds (12/10)

81. A Snow Day for Amos McGee by Philip Stead (12/

82. 107 Days by Kamala D. Harris (12/20)

83. The Leaving Room by Amber McBride (12/21)

84. We Fell Apart by E. Lockhart (12/22)

#tbt: Belly Up: Murder at FunJungle by Stuart Gibbs

Image: Simon & Schuster

Belly Up: Murder at FunJungle by Stuart Gibbs. 304 p. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, May, 2010. 9781416987314.

Stuart Gibbs made his debut in 2010 with his first FunJungle book, Belly Up, featuring one of the coolest covers around. He followed this up with The Last Musketeer in 2011. 2012 brought us Spy School and a sequel to The Last Musketeer called Traitor's Chase. In 2013, Spy Camp was released, and then he published 1 - 3 books per year, totaling 41 books by October of this year. There are 9 FunJungle books, with #10 releasing in March (see Waiting on Wednesday); 13 Spy School books, 3 Space Case books, 4 Once Upon a Tim books, 4 Charlie Thorne books, 4 Spy School graphic novel adaptations, 1 graphic novel adaptation of Space Case and 3 Last Musketeer books! Wowzers! Is there no end to this man's energy and creativity? (I hope not.) 

He must be very busy updating his colorful and instructive website as well. His FAQ page is hilarious and worth a read. It really does cover all the questions that students with author assignments might have; but I fear it's a futile attempt to stave off emails asking what he has already painstakingly covered on his website. 

The Spy School series is slightly more popular with my middle school students, but the FunJungle series holds its own and the Space Case books were loved enough to require replacement. Mr. Gibbs' books take up a lot of library shelf real estate, and those shelves are only full twice a year- at the beginning and at the end. I'm pretty sure I posted a pic either here or on my socials. It's a fantastic problem to have as a librarian. I'm retired now, but still love to read books for younger readers, especially those by authors I love. 

Keep them coming, Stuart Gibbs! 

 

Waiting on Wednesday: Ape Escape by Stuart Gibbs

Image: Simon & Schuster

Ape Escape by Stuart Gibbs. 320 p. FunJungle #10. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, March 24, 2026. 9781665986779.

I discovered this news when I went to Simon & Schuster's website for my Monday post! I need to remember to read it with my eyes! While I have started reading more fiction and nonfiction for adults, I will continue to read for young people, especially when favorite authors have new publications. I love this cover. Ape Escape is due on March 24, 2026. 

Publisher synopsis: In the tenth novel in New York Times bestselling author Stuart Gibbs’s FunJungle series, super sleuth Teddy Fitzroy is on the case to rescue an abducted young gorilla!

When a baby gorilla is stolen from an orphanage in Rwanda, Teddy, his parents, and an old family friend find themselves in a race against time to save it. Teddy has to piece together clues to figure out where the little ape is being taken while traveling through some of the most incredible—and dangerous—terrain in the world.

At the same time, he’s long-distance consulting with Summer to help solve another mystery back at FunJungle. Between facing down lions on the Serengeti and chasing poachers through the bazaars of Zanzibar, will Teddy be able to find the baby gorilla before it’s too late?