Beanie the Bansheenie by Eoin Colfer

Illustrated by Steve McCarthy 5 stars The sweetest book about banshees that I have ever read. Bansheenies (baby banshees) typically bond with the first person they see, allowing them to learn when that person will die. Through happenstance, Beanie’s story is not quite so straightforward. Instead of simply telling her human, Rose, when her death…

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The Book of Bill by Alex Hirsch

5 stars Strike a deal with Bill and dive in to learn secrets never yet revealed. A sinister book that brings you face-to-face with the elusive Bill after the events of Weirdmageddon. This book really delivers. It’s everything you’d expect from Bill. Creepiness, humor, mystery. Hilarious and nightmare-inducing. The Gravity Falls finale left us all…

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Simone by Viet Thanh Nguyen

Illustrated by Minnie Phan 5 stars A remarkable story of bravery, hope, and working toward a better future. Set during the 2020 California wildfires, the story follows Simone as she and her mother evacuate. Though Simone is scared, her mother helps calm her by recounting her own evacuation during a flood in Viet Nam. Using…

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Agent Unicorn by Jenny Alvarado

3 stars A cute comic-style picture book about a unicorn that longs to be a special agent. The artwork was really cute. I loved the color palette. The story itself was fine. Unicorn is a real jerk for most of the book, but kind of learns a lesson at the end. There is some nice…

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A Little Like Magic by Sarah Kurpiel

5 stars An utterly stunning story of art, beauty, and permanence. The narrator is not happy about facing the cold weather, uncomfortable winter clothes, crowds, and an unfamiliar setting to attend the winter festival. She doesn’t see the point of making ice sculptures that are just going to melt. To make matters worse, on her…

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Detective Beans: The Case of the Missing Hat by Li Chen

3 stars Detective Beans is the best in the business. Or he likes to think so at least. One day, Beans sets out to solve the mystery of who’s leaving him encouraging notes only to discover… his detective hat is missing. Before he can solve the note-giver mystery, he must track down his hat and…

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