Top Five Read Alouds of 2025

A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus

It's 1940, and William, Edmund, and Anna's grandmother has died.  Although the children are prepared financially, suitable guardians are in short supply, and the children are sent from London to live in the countryside.  Tossed from one home to another, the children remain close and always on the lookout for a real family.  But can they find such a place in the throws of WWII?

NeverMoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend

Morrigan Crow is cursed.  A child born on Eventide, Morrigan is blamed for every small inconvenience... from hailstones to heart attacks.  On the eve of her 11th birthday, the day in which all Eventide children die, Morrigan is whisked away to NeverMoor by a remarkable benefactor, Jupiter North.  There she is trained to compete in the Wonderous Society trials, still trying to discover what makes her special.  Can she still in Nevermoor indefinitely and avoid the Eventide curse?  Or will she bring her cured nature with her and be driven out of the only safe place she's ever know?

The Cricket War by Tho Pham & Sandra McTavish

This book follows 12-year-old Tho Pham as he flees communism in 1980's Vietnam.  An unexpected journey involving pirates, a refugee camp, and eventually arriving in Canada, Tho learns about courage, resilience, and the true meaning of home.

Half-Magic (Tales of Magic series) by Edward Eager

Curious Jane reaches down and discovers a strange coin on the sidewalk.  Without thinking, she makes a wish and it comes true... but only in half.  What started out as a boring summer, soon turn into the summer of a lifetime for Jane and her siblings.  From one adventure to another, the group discovers the unexpected thrills, and consequences, of hasty wishes.  Witten with a funny and gentle style, the Tales of Magic series provide lots of laughs, escapades, and a true sense of family.

The Angel on the Square (Russian Saga series) by Gloria Whelan

Set during the fall of 1914, The Angel on the Square focuses on young Katya living in St. Petersburg.  Her mother is a lady in waiting to Empress Alexandra when the revolutionaries force the royal family out of the city.  All four books are set in Russia and cover the time period from WWI to the fall of Communism.  This series is an incredible look at one family's courage, hope, and will to survive.

Which one will you read first?