2025 Kansas Notable Books Announced
State Library of Kansas celebrates variety of genres among Kansas-related books and authors
TOPEKA –The State Library of Kansas is pleased to announce the 2025 Kansas Notable Books selections. This year’s Notable Books contain stories for Kansas readers of many interests to include mystery, fantasy, poetry, memoirs, and enthusiasts of Wichita’s distinct blues tradition.
“This year’s Kansas Notable Books selection offers variety and familiar themes, inviting readers into the lives of a Kansas ranching family, self-described Kansas girl turned international spy, and a tree-top world created in the imaginations of a Kansas illustrator and New York Times author,” said Ray Walling, State Librarian. “Books explore family and friendships, finding success in Kansas, how a Kansan became the first person of color to serve as vice president of the United States, and the faith of Father Emil Kapaun as told by the prisoners-of-war he selflessly served.”
Each year, the Kansas Notable Books committee recommends 25 books written by Kansans or about Kansas to the State Librarian. The State Librarian then selects 15 Notable Books as a celebration of the sunflower state’s rich culture and storytelling. The 2025 Notable Book selection committee included representatives of public, university, and regional libraries, scholars and writers from across Kansas.
Kansas Notable Books authors will be recognized and awarded medals during the Kansas Book Festival reception, September 19, 2025, at Washburn University.
Kansas Notable Books is a project of the Kansas Center for the Book, a program at the State Library of Kansas which is the state affiliate of the Library of Congress Center for the Book. The mission of the Kansas Center for the Book is to highlight the state’s literary heritage and foster an interest in books, reading, and libraries.
2025 Kansas Notable Books
Coco, Snow!
by Julie Mosiman, illustrated by Ellen Youngman
Publisher: Author
Dress Me Like a Prizefighter
by Catherine Strayhall
Publisher: Spartan Press
From the Reservation to Washington: The Rise of Charles Curtis
by Debra Goodrich
Publisher: TwoDot
In True Face: A woman's Life in the CIA, Unmasked
by Jonna Mendez
Publisher: Public Affairs
Las Madres: Latinas in the Heartland Who Led Their Family to Success
by Dennis Raphael Garcia
Publisher: University Press of Kansas
The Last Rancher
by Robert Rebein
Publisher: Meadowlark Press
The Lies We Conjure
by Sarah Henning
Publisher: Tor Teen
No Bullet Got Me Yet: The Relentless Faith of Father Kapaun
by John Stansifer
Publisher: Hanover Square Press
Not the Worst Friend in the World
by Anne Rellihan
Publisher: Holiday House
Outdoor Farm, Indoor Farm
by Lindsay H. Metcalf, illustrated by Xin Li
Publisher: Astra Young Readers
Remnants of a Scarlet Flame
by Cindy L. Sell
Publisher: Aether and Ash Press
The Rhino Keeper
by Jillian Forsberg
Publisher: History Through Fiction
The Switch Point
by A. D. Childers
Publisher: Next Chapter
Treehouse Town
by Gideon Sterer, illustrated by Kansan, Charlie Mylie
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Wichita Blues: Music in the African American Community
by Patrick Joseph O'Connor
Publisher: University Press of Mississippi
Visit library.ks.gov/KSNotableBooks for more information. If you have questions about Kansas Notable Books, contact the State Library of Kansas at 785-296-3154 or email allie.lousch@ks.gov.
The State Library of Kansas supports the informational needs of government entities and the public and serves as a repository for government publications. The State Library plays a crucial role in strengthening public libraries through grant programs and the coordination of statewide resource-sharing initiatives. The State Library of Kansas also oversees the Talking Books program, which provides specialized materials and support services to qualifying Kansans. Learn more at library.ks.gov.
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