By May every year, the reviews editors start to get a little nervous. “Have we missed any great books? Have we been inclusive, attentive, accurate? Did a buzz-worthy picture book get mixed in with some stinkers, and we passed?” You get the idea. This issue—“the stars so far”—is our halfway point on the path to Best Books in December; we stand back to take a look at a beautiful, blossoming list of notable books. Our heads are full of fabulous characters and tales we didn’t know we needed in the books that found our souls. By calling them out not only in the original review but also here as well, we hope to help smooth the path to young readers’ hearts one grand story at a time.

That hope, to share a book, is the bottom line hope for all of us. In these pages, you’ll also find Kelly Jensen’s incisive look at trends and some nuts-and-bolts truths about what the greater “we” is reading and purchasing for their collections. And what is a purchase if not the wish to invite someone else into an author’s or illustrator’s world?

We’re already gazing at the exhilarating rush of fall books pouring in to our (remote) offices. But summer nights are meant for counting stars, and this list of 346 titles is just that. Here you’ll find what our committed, book-loving reviewers have read and loved, and how ready they are for what’s next. —Kimberly Olson Fakih

2025 Stars So Far Homepage