🤩 Among The Stars: February Update!
- Jennifer LaGarde
- 3 minutes ago
- 5 min read
It's that time again. For the moment, anyway, our curated starred review spreadsheet is up to date, y'all.
As a reminder, Martha Hickson and I curate and collate the starred reviews from six trade journals:
*This also includes SLJ Express Reviews
We realize, of course, that other sites/blogs award stars, too... but these are the journals we've chosen to focus on.
Starred Reviews FAQs!
One of my favorite sessions to share when I’m working with educators explores how starred reviews fit into the larger collection development puzzle. During these sessions, I often share the work behind this spreadsheet and give away many, many books.
Along the way, I also get a lot of questions about what starred reviews are and how they work. Because many of those questions come up again and again, I thought it might be helpful to start answering one of them each month as part of these regular update posts.
Let’s start with the question I hear most often!
"What's the difference between a "starred reviews" and a "one-star review?"
The shortest answer is this: a starred review is the HIGHEST distinction a professional trade journal can give a book, while a one-star review is the LOWEST rating a member of the public can give a book on a commercial website.
But let's break it down even further:
A starred review is awarded by professional review journals such as School Library Journal or Publishers Weekly. When a reviewer believes a book is truly exceptional, they may attach a star to the review.
That star signals that the book stands out for its quality, originality, or impact. Only a small percentage of reviewed titles receive a starred distinction, which is why librarians, booksellers, and award committees often pay close attention to them.
A one-star review, on the other hand, usually comes from a reader on a commercial platform like Amazon or Goodreads. These platforms use a five-star rating system, where one star represents the lowest possible rating.
Unlike a starred review from a professional journal, a one-star review simply reflects an individual reader’s personal experience with a book. Sometimes a one-star review can also reflect the consumer’s experience with the website itself. For example, customers occasionally rate products with one star if a book arrives damaged. Unlike starred reviews, one-star reviews can also be weaponized through a process known as review farming.
In other words:
A starred review is a star attached to an already positive review, signaling that professional critics believe a book is exceptional.
A one-star review is the lowest rating on a five-star scale and signals that an individual reader strongly disliked a book.
As you might imagine, both types of reviews can trigger strong emotions from book creators.
Onto this month's starred reviews!
The Stars So Far!
One of the reasons I decided to tackle this work in the first place was because I ask the MLIS students I teach to explore this spreadsheet for various projects in both the Young Adult Literature and Emerging Literacies courses I teach for Rutgers. I mention this because each month, as I check in on how the data are shaping up, I can’t help but wonder what my students will notice when they start digging into these numbers.
One thing that stood out to me this time around is a small uptick in nonfiction titles receiving starred reviews this year as compared to last year. By the end of last year, roughly 20% of all books that received starred reviews fell into the nonfiction category. At the time of this update, that number sits at just over 23%.
What does this mean? Maybe nothing! And, of course, this could change dramatically by the end of the year. Still, the shift was enough to make me take a closer look at some of these lauded nonfiction titles a bit more closely. I’ll share a few of my favorites below.
You can take a closer look at all the spreadsheet-related data by checking out the tabs labeled “stats” at the bottom of the spreadsheet.
What's On My Radar?
One of the benefits of having a partner (*waves at Martha!*) 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. As I mentioned above, this month I focused on nonfiction:
Title: Unbreakable: A Japanese American Family in an American Incarceration Camp (A Picture Book)
Author/Illustrator: Minoru Tonai and Jolene Gutiérrez, Chris Sasaki
Why I'm Excited: At a time when history seems to be repeating itself in multiple ways, moving true stories like this one remind us of the harm caused by fear and prejudice while also centering hope and empathy. As this review notes, “Sasaki’s earth-toned illustrations evoke strong emotion. Deep shadows and dramatic angles portend Min’s father’s arrest. When the family is finally reunited, the images rejoice in the determined beauty of cactus flowers blossoming despite their bleak surroundings, a moving metaphor for the Tonais’ own story.” – Kirkus ⭐️
Title: Diamond Fever!: The Discovery of South Africa’s Diamonds and the Race to Control Them
Author/Illustrator: Steve Sheinkin and Jon Chad
Why I'm Excited: If you’ve spent any time with Steve Sheinkin’s books, you already know he has a knack for translating history into stories that kids can't put down. This one dives into the frenzy surrounding diamond discoveries in South Africa, weaving together science, politics, and the larger story of how a single resource can reshape the world. As this review notes, “Sheinkin’s gift for narrative nonfiction is on full display here, pairing meticulous research with propulsive storytelling that will keep readers turning pages.” – Kirkus ⭐️
Title: The Fight of Our Lives: AIDS in America
Author/Illustrator: Gabriel Duckels and David Levithan
Why I'm Excited: Stories about the AIDS crisis remain essential, especially for young readers who may not yet understand how profoundly this epidemic shaped lives, communities, and activism in the United States. This book introduces that history in imaginative and powerful ways, helping readers see both the human cost of the crisis and the courage of those who fought for care, dignity, and justice. As this review notes, “A clear, compassionate introduction to a pivotal chapter in American history that continues to shape public health and civil rights conversations today.” – Kirkus ⭐️
Title: Armaveni: A Graphic Novel of the Armenian Genocide
Author/Illustrator: Nadine TakvorianA
Why I'm Excited: In this graphic memoir, Takvorian explores her Armenian heritage while tracing the lasting impact of the Armenian Genocide across generations. By blending personal reflection with historical context, the book invites readers to consider how identity, memory, and resilience are carried forward. As this review notes, “[Armaveni is] a powerful autobiographical graphic novel that paints a poignant portrait of an immigrant family’s reckoning with heritage and history, this is recommended for all collections.” – School Library Journal ⭐️
Title: The Six Queens of Henry VIII
Author/Illustrator: Honor Cargill-Martin and Jaimee Andrews
Why I’m Excited: During Women’s History Month it feels especially appropriate to revisit familiar stories in ways that recenter the women who have too often been treated as side characters in someone else’s history. This book does exactly that, shifting the focus away from Henry VIII and toward the six queens whose lives, choices, and fates continue to fascinate readers centuries later. As this review notes, “Emphasis is placed on the women’s accomplishments and unique characters. Refreshingly, little attention is paid to the king himself, who serves mostly in the role of antagonist.” – School Library Journal ⭐️
What Did I Miss?
As I mentioned in last month's update, our form for reporting missed reviews is currently closed. I'll let you know when I open in back up. In the meantime, feel free to:
Notice our mistakes
Keep them to yourself (for now!) :)
