Personal rating of 4 out of 5 stars
Illustrated by Lane Smith 4 stars I read this book so many times growing up. It was definitely one of my favorites. I remember being equally horrified and entranced by it. It is probably the book that fostered my lifelong love of fairy tale retellings, specifically stories told from the “villain’s” point of view. Such…
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4 stars A heartwarming story about a little house finding her place. There once was a little house on a hill in the country. From her perch she watched day become night and night become day. She watched the seasons change and the world go by. But over time, the world around her changed. There…
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by Joanna McClintick Illustrated by Keisha Morris 4 stars A lovely story of food, reminiscing, and bringing people together. A child wonders how their chosen family’s Friendsgiving tradition got started, asking different members of the family. They all think they had a part in starting the tradition, but by the end they recognize that the…
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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,…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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by Suzanne Slade Illustrated by Cozbi A. Cabrera 4 stars A wonderful children’s biography of Gwendolyn Brooks and her lifelong love of poetry. The story spans from Brooks’ childhood to winning the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1950. The book focuses on Brooks’ love of writing and her publishing career, as well as touching on…
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Illustrated by Faith Ringgold 4 stars A nice collection of poetry focused on the lives of children in the Bronzeville neighborhood of Chicago. The book includes a variety of themes expressed with different rhythms and rhymes. It covers relatable topics of friendship, moving to a new place, making new friends, dealing with illness, death of…
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by James Rallison 4 stars A collection of humorous tales about growing up and figuring out life. From sibling dynamics to science fairs, pet problems to the woes of job hunting, the collection offers hilarious stories with tongue in cheek advice. This was a fun read. I enjoyed the mix of comics and prose. I’ll…
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