Sparks Volume 1: Portals by Revel Guts

4 stars This is absolutely adorable and I loved it and I need more immediately! I was not familiar with the webcomic before seeing this volume, but am so glad I stumbled across it at the library. So worth the read! At a magic academy with graduation just around the corner, underperforming student Philo isn’t…

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Hilda and Twig: Hide from the Rain (Hilda #6) by Luke Pearson

5 stars A brand-new adventure featuring Hilda and Twig. This is everything I love about the Hilda series. Cozy, adventurous, humorous, and sweet. Back in the wilderness, Hilda is on the lookout for adventure. Twig just wants to make it home in one piece. When the pair get caught in the rain, they seek shelter…

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Puzzled: A Memoir about Growing Up with OCD by Pan Cooke

4 stars Pan deals with many issues growing up from friendship struggles to body image issues to dealing with bullies. But Pan has a secret. There is an underlying puzzle that intrudes his thoughts and he cannot seem to solve it. Follow Pan on his journey to understanding himself as he navigates the world with…

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Quiet Karima by Nidhi Chanani

3 stars “Without silence, there’s no music.” A sweet story celebrating sound and silence. Follow Karima as she goes about her day, taking in the sounds of the world. Though everyone calls her Quiet Karima, that is not all she is. Being quiet allows her to hear the music all around her and to create…

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Emilio Sloth’s Modern Manners by Renée Ahdieh

Illustrated by Alea Marley 3 stars A cute picture book that celebrates friendship, taking your time, and minding your manners. Follow Emilio Sloth on his journey to meet a friend for teatime. Along the way, he greets old friends and makes new ones, always polite and mindful of being on time. Goes through some polite…

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Things that Go Bump in the Day

by Melinda Beatty Illustrated by Charlene Chua 3.5 stars A sweet little story about an adorable vampire child trying to get some sleep and his ever-reassuring mother explaining away the sounds in the day. A cute bedtime story full of humor. Nicely written. I really enjoyed the spin on what noises would be scary to…

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Avatar: The Last Airbender: My Cabbages!

By Rebecca Gyllenhaal and Jessica Yang Illustrated by Bonnie Pang Based on the animated series by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko 5 stars Absolutely hilarious. Follow Aang and his friends’ journey to defeat the Fire Lord from the perspective of Merchant Cai, the cabbage merchant. Cai dreams of selling his cabbages throughout the Earth…

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My New Life as a Cat Vol. 4 by Konomi Wagata

Translated by Molly Rabbitt 3 stars More humorous adventures with Nyao, the human-turned-cat, and his temporary human caretaker, Chika. In this volume, Nyao theorizes that if he does enough good deeds, he might regain his human form. Thus, he goes about town doing his best to help others. Features adorable cat adventures such as finding…

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Wildfire Rescue (Disaster Squad #1) by Rekha S. Rajan

Illustrated by Courtney Lovett 3 stars A fun read overall. Honestly, the setup was a little weird to me. A journalist and a doctor drive around the country in their RV with their two young children and their dog helping out with various natural disasters. It seemed odd that Jaden and Leela would go along…

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Bella Ballerina by Sharon M. Draper

Illustrated by Ebony Glenn 3 stars A cute, rhyming picture book following a young ballerina’s first recital. Gorgeous illustrations with lovely movement. I love that the dancers include both girls and boys with different skin tones and hair textures. At the back there is a glossary of the terms used in the book including different…

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