It's that time again. For the moment, anyway, my curated starred review spreadsheet is up to date, y'all.
As a reminder, I curate and collate the starred reviews from six trade journals:
I realize, of course, that other sites/blogs award stars, too... but these are the journals I've chosen to focus on.
Some Sassy News!
Back in December, I shared that my initial partner in the work of curating this spreadsheet, Donalyn Miller, had to bow out of the project. At that time, I wondered how much longer I'd be able to tackle this work on my own. To be clear, I love keeping this spreadsheet and find it very meaningful, but it's also A LOT of work. Turns out, I didn't need to worry, however, because, soon after posting my concerns, I got a message from Martha Hickson, offering to help me keep the starred review spreadsheet up to date!
If you're not familiar with Martha, she's a retired HS Librarian who, among other things, has been a leader in the fight for Intellectual Freedom. Martha uses the moniker "Sassy Librarian" on social media and I'm grateful for all the ways she continues to be a thorn in the side of book banners. Needless to say, I am delighted that Martha has decided to devote some of her retirement time to this work. She definitely gets a starred review from me!
The Stars So Far!
Let's start with a quick recap. Here's the current distribution of 2025 stars so far:
0 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
2 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
6 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
48 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
74 ⭐️ ⭐️
250 ⭐️
Jennifer's Picks + Takeaways
One of the benefits of having a partner in this work again is that I get to spend more time each month actually reading through the starred reviews I curate. Of course, this also means that I end up spending a lot more money on books, but as problems go, that's a pretty good one to have. With that said, here are a few books from our spreadsheet that I'm really excited about:
Title: The Gate, The Girl and The Dragon
Author/Illustrator: Grace Lin
Why I'm excited: I received an ARC of this title (thank you, Little, Brown!) and added it to my pile of books to read. However, it wasn't until I read this review from PW that I learned about the illustrations in the final copy.
"Vibrantly colorful full-page gouache pieces depict ethereal happenings, and foreshadowing chapter openers feature key objects or places."
Naturally, I rushed over to Edelweiss for a sneak peak and, y'all... this book looks stunning.
Title: Hurricane
Author/Illustrator: Jason Chin
Why I'm excited: I love Jason Chin's work. So... truth be told, I probably would have been excited by ANY new Jason Chin title. Still, this picture book seems primed for me as a reader. After all, it's set in my former home state of NC AND it's about a weather phenomenon that I've experienced many times. This part of the Kirkus starred review has me especially intrigued!
"On one wordless page, Chin captures the eye of the storm—an eerily calm, brightly lit neighborhood filled with downed trees and drenched roads."
Title: J vs. K
Author/Illustrator: Kwame Alexander and Jerry Craft
Why I'm excited: This is another title that I received an arc of (thanks again, Little, Brown!), so I've already read this one! However, I'm especially excited to see the final artwork, because it will give me an excuse to read it again! This part of the starred review from PW captures the layers behind Jerry and Kwame's first collaboration.
"Author’s notes are sprinkled throughout the text; while some contextualize narrative decisions and define words, others showcase Craft and Alexander’s gentle ribbing and easy camaraderie, directly paralleling J and K’s evolving friendship."
Title: Once for Yes
Author/Illustrator: Allie Millington
Why I'm excited: I got to chat with Allie about Once For Yes for a recent episode of The Reader's Heart, so I was already excited for her follow up to last year's MG triumph, Olivetti. However this review from the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books only added to the anticipation!
"Offering no easy solutions, this is a well-crafted read with a tragedy at its heartbreaking center and a constellation of moving parts that draw readers into its uniquely human anti-gentrification story."
Title: A Hero's Guide To Summer Vacation
Author/Illustrator: Pablo Cartaya
Why I'm excited: For real, though... who wouldn't be excited about A Hero's Guide To Summer Vacation after reading this starred review??
"While Gonzalo’s personable first-person POV relays most of the duo’s adventure, Cartaya (Curveball) cleverly inserts chapters addressed to the audience in which a confident omniscient narrator explains literary techniques readers can use to analyze the unfolding action. It’s a touching intergenerational road trip epic that juxtaposes heavy themes surrounding loss with playful yet sophisticated interpretations of artistic integrity."
What Did I Miss?
As you might imagine, this project takes a lot of time and it's easy to make mistakes. I appreciate your help as I do my best to make sure the final product is as accurate as possible. That said, to be clear, I'm not taking notes on misspellings, etc., but If, after at least a month**, you notice that I have missed a starred review from one of the journals I curate, please use this form to let me know.
** Why do I ask you to wait a month? Some reviews appear online before that journal's official issue has been released. Waiting the month helps me avoid duplicating reviews.
