Henry, Like Always by Jenn Bailey

Illustrated by Mika Song 3 stars A follow-up early chapter book to the picture book, A Friend for Henry. One day at school, Henry’s teacher tells the class that they will have a parade on Friday. But that means changing their weekly schedule. Henry soon becomes frustrated by the changing rules, the loudness of the parade…

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A Friend for Henry by Jenn Bailey

Illustrated by Mika Song 2 stars A story about a boy looking for a friend at school who is quiet, shares, listens, and follows the rules. While it is started in the blurb that Henry is autistic, it does not make mention in the actual story as the author wanted the story to be more…

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Hide and Don’t Seek: And Other Very Scary Stories by Anica Mrose Rissi

Illustrated by Carolina Godina 4 stars Delightfully creepy and well written. Nice variety of story structures including poetry, short stories, an epistolary, a play, chat fiction told through text messages, metafiction, and even stream of consciousness from a family dog. In terms of kid’s horror, I think this one hits the mark well for middle…

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A Plan for Pops by Heather Smith

Illustrated by Brooke Kerrigan 3 stars A sweet, gentle story. Lou loves visiting Grandad and Pops on Saturdays. But one Saturday, something terrible happens and Pops gets hurt. Lou makes a plan to cheer him up with the help of Grandad and their neighbors. The illustrations are lovely. Loved the soft colors and sweet details….

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The Wheel of the Year: An Illustrated Guide to Nature’s Rhythms

by Fiona Cook Illustrated by Roux 4 stars An nice introduction to the Wheel of the Year, its different spokes, and holidays and activities associated with each. While this is aimed at children, the book also works for adults looking for ways to connect to nature and discover their own inner magic. Each section includes…

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Hellaween by Moss Lawton

2.5 stars An interesting start to a series. This has a good start to a story, but for some reason, it was hard for me to get into. I was definitely intrigued by the monster realm, Gwen’s experience as an amateur witch, and her supernatural friends from another world. Some fun humor. The story was…

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This Is My Bag: A Story of the Unhoused

by Roxanne Chester Illustrated by Abraham Matias 4 stars A wonderful resource for beginning conversations with children about unhoused populations and the importance of treating individuals with kindness and empathy. There are few examples of unhoused individuals in children’s books. When they do show up, they are often presented in stereotypical ways. Chester’s book is…

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Goodnight Racism by Ibram X. Kendi

Illustrated by Cbabi Bayoc 5 stars A lyrical book that dreams of an equitable world for all. Beautiful representations of different people and families living together in a vibrant community. Lush, dynamic artwork. A nice place to start introducing ideas of activism, equity, antiracism, and justice. Inspiring and hopeful. A beautiful book. Goodreads

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Buffalo Fluffalo by Bess Kalb

Illustrated by Erin Kraan 3 stars A The Pout-Pout Fish-style story featuring a grumpy bison. Buffalo Fluffalo wants to be alone. The other animals offer him gifts and ask him to spend time with them, but all they get back is a gruff rebuke. A cute book with nice messages of being kind to others, accepting…

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