2025 2×2 Reading List Announced!

The Texas Library Association is delighted to announce the arrival of the 2025 2×2 Reading List!

These beautifully illustrated, often humorous, and instructive volumes are the best of recent books meant for children 2 years old to grade two. Librarians serving on the Texas Library Association Children’s Round Table 2X2 Committee read hundreds of books before narrowing the list to these selected 20.

The 2×2 books on the list can be read to small children, as well as read by young readers. The list was developed to give parents, caregivers and teachers a curated list of quality books. These are excellent books for reading during story time at the library or school, at bedtime with a parent or grandparent or for fun at any time. Find the 2×2 coloring boot and activity page here.

2025 Texas 2×2 List

• A Pinecone! by Helen Yoon
• Adela’s Mariachi Band by Denise Vega; illustrated by Erika Rodríguez Medina
• AHOY! by Sophie Blackall
• Bear’s Lost Glasses by Leo Timmers
• Duck Goes Meow by Juliette MacIver; illustrated by Carla Martell
• Go and Get with Rex by David LaRochelle; illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka
• I’m Sorry You Got Mad by Kyle Lukoff; illustrated by Julie Kwon
• Into Goblin Market by Vikki VanSickle; illustrated by Jensine Eckwall
• Lefty: A Story That Is Not All Right by Mo Willems; illustrated by Dan Santat
• Look by Gabi Snyder; illustrated by Samantha Cotterill
• Lucky Duck by Greg Pizzoli
• Millie Fleur’s Poison Garden by Christy Mandin
• Outdoor Farm, Indoor Farm by Lindsay H. Metcalf; illustrated by Xin Li
• Pickle Words: Crunchy, Punchy, Pickles, & Poetry by April Pulley Sayre; illustrated by Jialei Sun
• Spider in the Well by Jess Hannigan
• The Man Who Didn’t Like Animals by Deborah Underwood; illustrated by LeUyen Pham
• The Spice Box by Meera Sriram; illustrated by Sandhya Prabhat
• There Are No Ants in This Book by Rosemary Mosco; illustrated by Anna Pirolli
• Towed by Toad by Jashar Awan
• We Are Definitely Human by X. Fang

Collection Development Statement
The 2×2 List is not designed to support any particular curriculum. Librarians are not required or expected to purchase every book on the list. Due to the diversity in age range and topics, librarians should follow their local collection development policies and guidelines when considering which titles to purchase for their library.