45 Starred Reviews[updated]
This year, LQ has racked up 45 Starred Reviews, including SIX stars for The Sea-Ringed World, FIVE stars for Red & Green & Blue & White, a TRIO of stars for The Shape of Home, The Last Cuentista and Neverforgotten, and a PAIR of stars forThe Stolen Prince of Cloudburst and Osnat And Her Dove. Plus, there are accolades we cant officially tell you about yet [shhhh!].
PICTURE BOOKS
ALIEN NATION
Kirkus Best Books of the Year
BookShops Most Astonishingly Unconventional Books of the Year
A clever, enigmatic glimpse at first-world alienation.Kirkus [starred]
RED AND GREEN AND BLUE AND WHITE
5 STARRED REVIEWS
Association of Jewish Libraries Best of the Year
A moving historical tale that encourages taking a stand. Publishers Weekly [starred]
A strong addition to holiday stories, one that can be reread and rediscovered many times and whose theme of community support and friendship is appropriate year-round. School Library Connection [starred]
Captures the celebratory joys of the season. Horn Book [starred]
A powerful and inspiring example of community, friendship, respect, and love.School Library Journal [starred]
Vibrant and compassionate. [A] spirited picture book that models allyship. Shelf-Awareness [starred]
SHY WILLOW
A dreamlike adventureA warm and wondrous adventure for armchair, or high chair, travelers.Booklist, starred review
THE SHAPE OF HOME
A joyful, wildly imaginative book New York Times Book Review
A creative, child-centered picture book about finding a new home after immigration. Ebulliently illustrated.Kirkus Reviews [starred]
Its hard to find a more joyful take on the first day of school in a new country than that found in Kheiriyehs new work.School Library Journal [starred]
Exuberant...A warm and welcoming story about a group of children who may have come from other places but have found a classroom that is shaped like a home.Booklist [starred]
OSNAT AND HER DOVE
Canadian Jewish Literary Award Winner
Evanston Public Librarys 101 Great Books for Kids
School Library Journals Best Books of the Year
Tablets Best Jewish Childrens Books of the Year
A vibrant life story, with imagined conversations and brilliant illustrations, that will find a home in every collectionSchool Library Journal [starred]
This dynamic and respectful picture book envisions the life of a prominent 17th-century Jewish leader who defied gender norms.Shelf-Awareness [starred]
SHEEP COUNT FLOWERS
Dreamlike, and utterly beguiling. Shared at bedtime, this richly imaginative story may launch children into vivid dreamscapes of their own.Kirkus [starred]
THE BIG HOUSE AND THE LITTLE HOUSE
Kirkus Best Books of the Year
Tender and companionable.Kirkus [starred]
WHAT OLLIE SAW
Ideal for shelves about outsiders and those who march to that different beat, this encourages all children to view the world with wonder. School Library Journal [starred]
MIDDLE GRADE
DAWN RAID
Kirkus' Best Books of 2021
Well-crafted and wonderfully fresh.Kirkus [starred]
Smiths timely novel encourages empathy and understanding while spotlighting underrepresented history, and providing an example of how young people can take action. Highly recommended. School Library Journal [starred]
MIGHTY INSIDE
A well-constructed and movingly told story of a thoughtful Black boy making his place in his family and in 1950s America.Publishers Weekly [starred]
This powerful novel weaves strong characters into the tapestry of civil rights, treatment of people with disabilities, fallout fear from the war, and ever-changing cultural shifts that defined the 1950s.School Library Journal [starred]
One of those rare books I found myself reading more slowly as I got to the final pages. I didnt want it to end.Newbery Award winner, Christopher Paul Curtis
ILL KEEP YOU CLOSE
In its specificity, it finds the universal. Multigenerational trauma artfully revealed from a childs point of view.Kirkus [starred]
NEVERFORGOTTEN
An Fall 2021 Indie Next Selection
A Fall 2021 Indies Introduce Selection
A transformative, noteworthy debut. A philosophical read, begging discussion and interpretation.Pam Muñoz Ryan, The New York Times
Algortas narrative glides with skillful pacing and poetic yet accessible language; Rickenmanns soft, detail-rich illustrations tonally match the refined internal rhythm of the prose.Publishers Weekly [starred]
Poetic...lyrical and moving novel with a melancholic ode to coming of age.Foreword Reviews [starred]
An unmissable tale about loss and reclamation.Kirkus [starred]
THE LAST CUENTISTA
Publishers Weeklys Best Books of the Year
School Library Journal's Best Books of the Year
Kirkus' Best Books of 2021
Bank Streets Best Childrens Books of the Year
BookPages Best Books of the Year
Chicago Public Library's Best of the Best Books of 2021
Higuera spins a tale that crosses the depths of space, interweaving Mexican folklore with a mystical strand of science fiction. An overall slow burner, this tale packs a wallop. Exquisite.Kirkus [review]
Suspenseful speculative novel. This is the work of a true cuentista: gripping, euphonious, and full of storytelling magic.Publishers Weekly [starred]
A strong, heroic character, fighting incredible odds to survive and protect others. The ending leaves the door wide open for a sequel.School Library Journal [ starred]
Deftly blends Mexican folklore with science fiction in this thrilling and emotional post-apocalyptic novel. Shelf-Awareness [starred]
THE STOLEN PRINCE OF CLOUDBURST
A delightfully quirky story with nuance, depth, and a colorful cast of characters, this book begs for multiple readings.School Library Journal [starred]
Like a middle-grade version of Terry Pratchetts Discworldfantasy adventure steeped in humor, with a touch of satire, and set in a whimsical secondary world of the highest orderBooklist [starred]
THE SEA-RINGED WORLD: SACRED STORIES OF THE AMERICAS
6 STARRED REVIEWS
Evanston Public Librarys 101 Great Books for Kids 2021
Chicago Public Library's Best of the Best Books 2021
School Library Journal's Best Books of the Year
Kirkus' Best Books of 2021
Visually striking...full of vivid language.Publishers Weekly [starred]
A rich anthology to understand and delight in Native traditions.Booklist [starred]
Bowles finely rendered translation begs to be read aloud.Kirkus [starred]
Breathtaking and simply beautiful.School Library Journal [starred]
Impressive, handsome, and universally appealing.Horn Book [starred]
"The language sparkles and the tales beg to be read aloud." School Library Connection [starred]
YOUNG ADULT
EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT INDIANS BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK [YOUNG READERS EDITION]
Chicago Public Librarys Best of the Best Books of the Year
Kirkus Best Books of 2021
Wise, well-researched, and not to be missed. This collection of short essays about Native Americans is comprehensive, equitable, and generous.Kirkus [starred]
Reading this book is like enjoying a talk with a close relative who wants you to learn, grow, and continue to ask questions.School Library Journal [starred]
THE IMMORTAL BOY: EL INMORTAL
An unforgettable and tragic story, with many entry points for deep discussions.School Library Journal [review]
A SNAKE FALLS TO EARTH
National Book Award Longlist
Publishers Weeklys Best Books of the Year
Chicago Public Library's Best of the Best Books of the Year
Kirkus Reviews' Best Books the Year
Apples Best Books of the Year
Little Badgers new genre-bending narrative draws on her heritage and the tradition of story-telling that has informed her worldview.TIME
Evokes the timeless feeling of listening to traditional oral storytelling. A coming-of-age story that beautifully combines tradition and technology for modern audiences.Kirkus [starred]
Fun, imaginative, and deeply immersive, this story will be long in the minds of readers.Publishers Weekly [starred]
Magical, stunning, and wholly original.Booklist [starred]
MIDDLETOWN
New England Book Awards Finalist
Chicago Public Librarys Best of the Best Books of the Year
This journey is a rewarding one[Middletowns] representation of siblinghood is equally nuanced, portraying a bond that rings true. Publishers Weekly [starred]
GRAPHIC NOVELS
OKSI
Kirkus Most Anticipated Books for Fall
"A must for libraries with folklore and world culture collections."School Library Connection [starred]
Fluidly rendered in inky b&w washes; accents of color leap off the page as the translation by Aronpuro flows smoothly. Publishers Weekly [starred]
Painful yet unforgettable [this] Finnish fairy tale sees the damage that gods, mothers, and daughters are willing to inflict upon one another, all under the guise of love.Booklist [starred]
Rich. Radiant. Arresting. A breathtaking exploration of generational connection and the ways that damage can pass down from mother to daughter as easily as love. Bulletin of the Center for Childrens Books [starred]