Illustrated by Olga and Aleksey Ivanov Narrated by Christopher Hampton 5 stars I’ll admit I put off reading this one because I didn’t think I’d ever like a Western. But oh my gosh, this book was so good. Will and his father set out from Texas to Oklahoma to stake their claim during the Land…
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Illustrated by Kay Davault 5 stars An engaging chosen-one adventure featuring magic, dragons, and a talking llama. In this early chapter book series, llama caretaker Dak is recruited by his mysterious neighbor Fenn and magical llama Lucy to find the twelve Magic Stones of Ravenwood after they have been stolen. Their first stop is Dragons’…
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Illustrated by Laura Freeman 5 stars A wonderful book blending history, fairy tales, and biblical stories. Much like Cinderella, CeeCee is mistreated and disrespected. As an enslaved girl in the household, she is ordered around, isn’t allowed to learn, and is locked away in the attic whenever she is caught looking at books. The only…
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Illustrated by Ko Hyung-Ju 3 stars A semi-autobiographical tale set in 1983 during South Korea’s Fifth Republic. When book-loving Kim Hyun Sook starts college, she has big dreams of classes, learning, and campus life. But when she’s invited to join an unconventional book club, her whole world changes. She soon finds herself within a world…
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Illustrated by Violeta Encarnación 5 stars A beautiful picture book that celebrates a young girl’s connections to her grandmother, her ancestors, nature, and hoodoo. It’s the end of the school year and Juniper can’t wait to get away from the bullies at her school and visit her grandmother for the summer. There she will connect…
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5 stars Another one of those books it took me way too long to get around to reading, but I am so glad I finally did. Such a sweet, simple story about being yourself and accepting others. I loved the soothing artwork. Beautiful colors. I also love the diversity of the characters in terms of…
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by Kim Chi and Stephan Lee Illustrated by Utomaru 5 stars This was absolutely adorable. One of the best books I’ve read all year. I was pulled in by the beautiful and energetic cover and the story inside did not disappoint. The only place seventh grader Jae Han Kim feels he belongs is the Firkus…
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Illustrated by Sienna Youngsun Kim 5 stars An adorable story about a family coming together for a Thanksgiving meal. A young girl helps her mother shop for Thanksgiving. They have one list for the Korean market and one for the local market. It isn’t until they are all together enjoying the meal that the girl…
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Illustrated by Kaylani Juanita 5 stars An adorable story about being a good sibling and helping to make a world where people can be themselves. Growing up, Aidan didn’t feel like the girl people told him he was. Once he told his parents, they helped him let his true self shine. Now Mom and Dad…
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Illustrations by Jan Spivey Gilchrist 5 stars A fun story about four friends coming together for one epic summer. I really enjoyed this picture book in verse. Drum can’t wait for summer to be over so he can see his friends at school. But when a new family moves into his neighborhood, his summer gets…
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