Not Like Every Day: Finding Calm During School Lockdown Drills

by Stephanie V. W. Lucianovic with resources by Dr. Christina Chester Illustrated by Gabrielle Grimard 5 stars A touching story to help children deal with anxiety about lockdown drills. Henry reminds himself that the lockdown is just a drill. It’s not real. But that doesn’t change how he feels about it. Even after the drill…

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Pizza Witch by Sarah Graley & Stef Purenins

Illustrated by Sarah Graley 3 stars A fun adventure story with plenty of magic, cat cuteness, and some tasty spells. All Roxy wants is to attend Magic Uni and become the greatest Pizza Witch of all time. But first, she must retrieve the Remarkable Oregano with the help of George, her talking cat companion. Along…

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Hidden Strings by K. J. Mist

2 stars After the death of her grandmother, Tessa’s family takes over the Fairy Tale Family Fun Park & RV Campground. They hire a new puppeteer to run the puppet show, but instead of cute stories like her grandmother told, Liza tells spinechilling ones. As strange things start happening on the campground, Tessa wonders if…

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Isabella Nagg and the Pot of Basil by Oliver Darkshire

4 stars Humorous, fantastical, and filled with magic. Isabella Nagg lives a normal, boring life on a little farm, cooking, cleaning, and (barley) tolerating her husband. But when Mr. Nagg brings home a stollen spell book, Isabella’s life becomes anything but ordinary. With the help of a catlike companion, Isabella navigates the magical world while…

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Too Old For This by Samantha Downing (Audiobook)

Narrated by Elizabeth Wiley 4 stars Lottie Jones spends her days gossiping at church bingo, cooking with her friends, and buying presents for her grandchildren. What she does not want is for her past as a serial killer to interfere with her new life. Though she hasn’t killed in years, a meeting with an investigative…

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My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Back to School

by Katie Cook, Ted Anderson, Danny Djeljosevic, Christina Rice, and Toni Kuusisto Illustrated by Andy Price, Tony Fleecs, and Toni Kuusisto 2 stars An okay collection of comics focused on the Equestria Girls. While I generally enjoy Friendship is Magic stories more than the Equestria Girls, I was really excited to see a new collection…

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The Salt Princess (Everlasting Tales #2) by Anoosha Syed

5 stars A fantastic story featuring a clever and mischievous princess, a kind and understanding prince, and beautiful artwork. Four princesses tell their father how they love him. But when Princess Amal compares her love to humble and common salt, the king banishes her from the kingdom. She finds a new home and comes up…

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It Rhymes With Takei by George Takei

Adapted by Steven Scott & Justin Eisinger Illustrated by Harmony Becker 4 stars A great graphic autobiography that explores Takei’s acting career, education, political involvement, friendships, family, sexuality, and activism. Nicely written. This book takes on a lot of material and does not disappoint. A wonderful focus on activism and the joy of living as…

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A Monstrous Bedtime by Kerilynn Wilson

5 stars A sweet picture book that highlights the importance of a good bedtime routine. While the human child is ready for bedtime, the monster under her bed isn’t sleepy. Together, they go through the bedtime routine in this adorable story of friendship and imagination. Delightful, humorous illustrations. A very cute story, simply told with…

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Muted, Vol. 1 by Miranda Mundt

3 stars After her demon-summoning ritual takes a dramatic turn, Camille Severin is left in her childhood home to hone her skills for her next attempt at the ritual. But slowly Camille begins to uncover her family’s secrets and realizes everything is not as she’d always believed. Magic, mystery, and secrets dwell in the Louisiana…

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