Best Of

This year, we awarded dozens of books a prestigious star—and among this distinguished group, several clear commonalities shine bright. From fresh approaches on topics like grief to specific recurrences, such as characters taking on another person’s identity, here are the key trends among 2025's starred books.

The July issue—“the stars so far”—is our halfway point on the path to Best Books in December. SLJ reviews editors stand back to take a look at a beautiful, blossoming list of notable books.

The accolades keep coming for nonfiction picture books that dare to offer facts and true stories to elementary-aged readers. We cannot wait for autumn, when it's time for a whole other harvest of titles that keep children reading and learning.

From video games and documentaries to anime and tabletop RPGs, these standout stars shine at the top of their categories.

These six titles show that good things come in small sturdy packages. Board books, for the pre-literate and newest readers, continue to surprise and delight in equal measure, and fly off the shelves for story hours.

Whether they want to read one good poem or delight in a collection of good works, these titles offer something for all young readers.

In these two titles, librarians will be inspired by reading about the good work of colleagues and motivated to help young readers through the use of bibliotherapy.

Our starred middle and high school nonfiction offerings for the first half of 2025 are sure to keep readers engaged and informed. 

From picture book biographies to the Spanish-language edition of Jason Reynolds’s Lu, these picks are just-right for Spanish readers.