5 stars An adorable little story about making new friends and being brave enough to be yourself. Little Ghost and his mother have been haunting their home for hundreds of years, but in all that time Little Ghost hasn’t made a single friend. He’s nervous he’ll scare everyone away. But when a new family moves…
Read More
Illustrated by Oliver Jeffers 4 stars The crayons in Duncan’s crayon box raise their concerns in a series of letters in this imaginative epistolary adventure. A fun story with plenty of humor and a wonderful ending that encourages creativity and thinking outside the (crayon) box. Includes nice themes of voicing your concerns, listening to others,…
Read More
Illustrated by Sanjay Patel 4 stars A gorgeously illustrated story inspired by Hindu mythology. When Ganesha was young, he loved going out with his friend Mr. Mouse to collect sweets from the temples to snack on. But after breaking his tusk on a Super Jumbo Jawbreaker Laddoo, Ganesha becomes self-conscious. Until he meets Vyasa who…
Read More
5 stars A sweet mix-up adventure. Little Sal and her mother go to Blueberry Hill to gather berries to can for the winter. Little Bear and his mother go to eat their fill of blueberries for winter. The families get separated and reunite, but there is a bit of a mix-up. A sweet low-stakes story….
Read More
3 stars An imaginative tale that follows the perspective of two ants as they explore an alien new world and face its many dangers. After discovering a trove of tasty crystals, an ant scout leads the others to the stash to bring back to the queen. But while the rest of the ants head back…
Read More
Illustrated by Angela Dominguez 5 stars A heartwarming story of a girl, her grandmother, and their pet parrot. This was such a sweet book. At first, when Mia’s grandmother moves in, they have a hard time understanding each other. Mia doesn’t know much Spanish and her grandmother doesn’t know much English. But together, they teach…
Read More
by Tami Lewis Brown and Debbie Loren Dunn Illustrated by Frenci Sanna 4 stars A fascinating exploration of scientific experimentation, color, and history. Purple was once the color of royalty, a shade only the rich could afford. But through persistence and experimentation, William Henry Perkin found a way to bring purple to everyone. The book…
Read More
by Haro Aso Illustrated by Kotaro Takata Translated by Nova Skipper 5 stars Probably the most action-packed volume so far. Akira and his friends find out the lab they’re found refuge in isn’t as safe as they initially thought. Following that jaw-dropping cliffhanger ending from the previous book, the team works to save Shizuka. Some…
Read More
Illustrated by Frenci Sanna 5 stars The most beautiful picture book I have ever read. A gentle intergenerational tale of a family’s gifts of kindness, love, an appreciation of nature, and time spent together. They grow and build a community as large as the forest they’ve planted. I checked this one out because I love…
Read More
4 stars A fantastic story about a young girl making her way through life in Reconstruction-era Louisiana. Though slavery in America has ended, ten-year old orphan, Sugar, is still stuck on the River Road Plantation working the sugarcane fields. All she wants to do is have fun, but she’s the only kid left on the…
Read More