Ban This Book by Alan Gratz

5 stars A fantastic book about book bans and using your voice to speak up for what you believe in. “It wasn’t just good books that shouldn’t be hidden away. It was all books. Any books. It didn’t matter what they were about, or whether I liked them, or Mrs. Spencer liked them, or the…

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We are Shining by Gwendolyn Brooks

Illustrated by Jan Spivey Gilchrist 3.5 stars “Life is for us, and is shining. We have a right to sing.” An colorfully illustrated edition of Brooks’ poem, “A Little Girl’s Poem”, to celebrate her 100th birthday. A lovely poem wishing the best for all the children in the world. Promotes themes of acceptance, joy, love,…

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Plum Crazy! Tales of A Tiger-Striped Cat, Vol. 1

by Natsumi Hoshino Translated by Nan Rymer 3 stars A adorably sweet story about Plum the cat and the shifting dynamics in the house when she brings home a stray kitten. Includes relatable moments of life with a cat from waking you up for playtime to trying to dress them in cute outfits to the…

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Sparkle Boy by Lesléa Newman

Illustrated by Maria Mola 5 stars Absolutely adorable. A wonderful story with sweet illustrations. Jessie loves all things sparkly, but when her brother Casey shows an interest in them as well, she doesn’t think he’s allowed. He’s a boy after all. Her family supports Casey’s interest and helps him put together shimmery attire. When confronted…

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The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

5 stars It took me way too long to start reading this but I am so glad I finally did. A hard-hitting and heartfelt book of family, human connection, grief, activism, and empowerment. Wonderfully written. This book evokes so many emotions: joy, sorrow, guilt, anger. There are so many difficult topics including death, police shootings,…

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Delicious in Dungeon, Vol. 2 by Ryoko Kui

Translated by Taylor Engel 3 stars The party continues their decent into the dungeon to rescue Falin. Along the way they encounter golems, orcs, treasure insects, ghosts, living pictures, mimics, and a kelpie. This series is growing on me a little. Laois still weirds me out and I didn’t particularly like the kelpie chapter in…

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Disney’s Kilala Princess, Volume 5 by Rika Tanaka

Illustrated by Nao Kodaka Translated by Christine Dashiell 3 stars The conclusion of Kilala’s adventure. While there were definitely ups and downs in this series, the ending was pretty satisfying. Kilala and her friends make it to Agrabah and meet Aladdin and Jasmine. They must defeat Jafar to earn the sixth gem to get Kilala…

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Disney’s Kilala Princess, Volume 4 by Rika Tanaka

Illustrated by Nao Kodaka Translated by Christine Dashiell 2.5 stars Kilala and Rei continue their request to collect the gems for the tiara and save Paradiso, visiting different Disney princesses. But this time they are joined by Sylphy, a woman claiming to be Rei’s fiancée. Will she help or hurt their cause? We get two…

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My Little Pony: Trixie and the Razzle-Dazzle Ruse (My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic #10) by G. M. Berrow

4 stars Another fantastic pony adventure. Follow Trixie as she creates an eye-catching new trick in hopes of joining the illustrious Starmane Society of Magicians. Suspenseful and well-written. Berrow’s perfectly matches the tone of the show. Such a fun adventure that nicely blends action, humor, magic, and friendship. Includes themes of patience, admitting mistakes, and…

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Yayoi Kusama: From Here to Infinity by Sarah Suzuki

Illustrated by Ellen Weinstein 3 stars A nice, kid-friendly introduction to Yayoi Kusama’s life and art that gives some basic information about her childhood in Japan, life in New York, and struggle to get her work recognized. Great illustrations. Despite the length, there isn’t a ton of detail about Kasama’s life. The information presented is…

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