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.

 AI-generated booklists are possible—and even published. So what is the value of human curation?

Lavonnia Moore lost her job after including the Kyle Lukoff book in a summer reading display at the request of a young patron; new law gives school boards in Texas authority over collection development; Ohio governor vetoed bill that would have restricted public library access to titles "related to sexual orientation or gender identity or expression."

These eight forthcoming board books and picture books will be available long before December. Turn on some Christmas tunes, grab a Santa hat, and peruse these holly, jolly offerings.

This funding can help with everything from collection development and programming to disaster recovery and more.