Reviews+

The author/illustrator's work shines a light on Latinx icons who haven't always appeared in our history books. Here we celebrate Menéndez's illustrations in the Spanish and English editions of the excellent poetry collection Hopeful Heroes by Margarita Engle.

This month, a poetry collection by Margarita Engle, a new middle grade novel from Dan Gemeinhart, and a nonfiction title about the Erie Canal stand out, along with other great books.

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.

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.

From Pakistan to Spain to ordinary neighborhoods, the power of books has never been more visible than in these 65 gems plucked from the mines of picture books published in the first half of 2025. 

New readers will feel proud of their ability to read these fun, outstanding stories on their own.

From rollicking fantasy to heartbreaking realism, these excellent additions to the middle grade and hi-lo genres will have something for every tween to enjoy.

Spanning genres from fantasy to thriller to romance and everything in-between, these titles for teens are sure to delight.