SLJ Reviews

This month, several middle grade and YA titles earned stars, along with picture books, transitional titles, and nonfiction.

These titles for the youngest readers share information on the origin of the Mid-Autumn Festival, as well as show the importance of gathering with family and eating mooncakes on that day.

SLJ spoke with Alston about how fantasy mirrors tweens' lives and why he thinks librarians are "the unsung heroes of our education system."

Starting a new school, or even a new school year, can elicit a lot of emotions for many children. These board books, picture books, and early readers will help reassure young readers that all will be well when they step into their new classroom.

From literacy instruction to battling book bans and censorship, the subjects of these titles will inform and inspire librarians and other educators.

In this Q&A series, SLJ poses five questions and a request for a book recommendation to a debut YA author. In the latest installment, Myah Hollis shares about Not About a Boy. 

Nonfiction books account for many of this month's stars, along with several middle grade and YA novels, and one holiday book.

This month's starred titles include a first day of school story by June Sobel, biographies on Mae Jemison and Roberto Clemente, and a new picture book from Kyle Lukoff.

Biographies for the picture-book set are in abundance, so we pulled out recent titles that got our reviewers' attentions and became stars in the first months of 2024. Use the link for the full review!