Illustrated by Olivia Duchess 5 stars A sweet new story, perfect for revisiting Tiana, Naveen, and all their friends in New Orleans. Tiana’s in-laws are joining them for the Mardi Gras celebration. Wanting everything to be just right, Tiana sets out to obtain a special ingredient to make the perfect dessert, a king-and-queen cake. Things…
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Illustrated by Ko Hyung-Ju 3 stars A semi-autobiographical tale set in 1983 during South Korea’s Fifth Republic. When book-loving Kim Hyun Sook starts college, she has big dreams of classes, learning, and campus life. But when she’s invited to join an unconventional book club, her whole world changes. She soon finds herself within a world…
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Illustrated by David Shannon 4 stars From death, destruction, and war to unity and peace, this book tells the story of Hiawatha and the Peacemaker, whose work to unite the Six Nations of the Iroquois people with the Great Law of Peace set a blueprint for democracy in America. Hiawatha is angry and devastated after…
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3 stars Kristina has lived most of her life trying to be perfect. But during a visit with her father, a new side of Kristina come out: Bree. Bree is everything Kristina is not; confident, bold, flirtatious, and unafraid to try to new things. With nothing else to do and the appeal of getting close…
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Translated by Jim Rion 5 stars Another unsettling exploration of truths revealed through a complex web of diary entries, interviews, magazine articles, and floorplans. After the popularity of Strange Houses within the novel, the author receives a variety of additional cases related to unique floorplans, strange renovations, and odd buildings. As he explores the stories,…
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Illustrated by Kristyna Litten 4 stars A sweet, simple little book depicting common events at a pride parade. Told through rhyming text paired with colorful illustrations, this acts as a sweet little story for young children, and a helpful guide for introducing specific topics as they get older. The text is very simple, generally consisting…
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by Jeanette Winter 4 stars The powerful story of Alia Muhammad Baker, the brave librarian who save 70% of her library collection during the Iraq War. The book focuses on Baker’s efforts to move the books to safe locations as the war nears Basra. It ends with a message of hope amid the chaos. The…
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Illustrated Michael Martchenko 4 stars A goofy little story about a boy and his ugly snowsuit. When Thomas’ mother buys him a new snowsuit, he refuses to wear it. It is just too ugly. His mother gets him into the snowsuit and sends him off to school. But at recess, Thomas again refuses to wear…
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5 stars A heartfelt, wordless tale that shows that bravery is being scared and doing it anyway. Molly is an introvert and mostly keeps to herself, but when she sees some kids talking about books, she longs to join in. The only problem? There’s a monster that follows her everywhere she goes. When Molly tries…
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By Pat R. Scales 4 stars A helpful reference resource for studying and discussing specific books and their challenges. The book covers a variety of children’s literature, from picture books to YA. Each entry contains a short summary with a few quotes from reviews, an overview of challenges against the book, a list of its…
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