What I Did This Summer: A Joy for Books Book Review Story

Every August, students across the country are asked to write the same familiar essay: “What I Did This Summer.”

So, in the spirit of back-to-school season, we thought we'd write one of our own.

This summer, Joy for Books read a LOT of books. More specifically, 21 volunteer reviewers evaluated 84 unique children's book titles through 98 individual reviews. But they didn't just read them. They thoughtfully evaluated each title using the Joy for Books Book Review Rubric.

Why We Review

Joy for Books believes educators and children deserve access to books that are engaging, high-quality, and meaningfully representative of the diverse world around them.

Our review process helps us identify those books. Reviewers use our rubric to evaluate each title through a consistent framework, considering qualities such as literary quality, representation, authenticity, engagement, and overall value for young readers.

What Did We Find?

Of the 98 reviews completed this year: 40 earned scores of 90% or higher. And 9 books received a perfect score. We're incredibly grateful to the volunteers who gave their time, expertise, and thoughtful attention to this process.

Where Do the Books Go?

This is the most important part! Books that meet our standards help populate the curated Joy for Books online bookstore available to selected educators. Our goal isn't simply to tell educators which books we think are good. We want to make it easier for them to discover and access high-quality, culturally diverse children's literature. Some of these books may also become part of Joy for Books programs and classroom collections.

And Now...

Our 2026 reviews are complete, and we're getting ready to celebrate the books that rose to the top. Books scoring 95% or higher will receive a Joy for Books Award, while books scoring 86% or higher will be included on our Recommended Reading List. Stay tuned for the reveal!