Many educators, librarians, and even some parents anticipate the publication of the Outstanding Science Trade Books (OSTB) for grades K-12 each year (page 23). Have you ever wondered how the mountain of trade books out there gets evaluated or how books are chosen as "outstanding"? This list doesn't just magically appear but is the result of a careful evaluation process by the NSTA/Children's Book Council Joint Book Review Panel, a long name for a small committee of nine science educators from across the country, tasked with the enormous job of selecting the books for this annual list. Reviewers are appointed to the panel for three-year terms by the NSTA president, and panel members take their job seriously. (Also provides a list of additional resources.)