5 stars A stunning graphic novel that perfectly captures the beauty of everyday life cut with the shattering effects of anxiety and PTSD. Manuel works to navigate a world that no long feels safe after witnessing a traumatic event involving gun violence. With the help of some new friends, a supportive therapist, and a love…
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5 stars A beautiful celebration of the similarities and differences that make us who we are. I loved the positive message of the story. At no point is the narrator upset that she has the eyes she has. She does not wish them to be a different shape or color. She loves them and their…
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4 stars A sweet story that takes an unexpected turn. Freda doesn’t want to lose her favorite things. So she keeps them unused, preserved in jars. The story takes on a fantastic twist as she collect everything from rainbows to the moon to her favorite people. But as she navigates the darker, quieter world, she…
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5 stars An absolutely fantastic read. Right from the start, the story begins with a powerful basis. One that is sadly relatable for many in America. When presented with an assignment to “trace your roots” and draw the flag of her ancestral land, the narrator is unable to do so. She goes to her grandmother…
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5 stars Jaw-droppingly beautiful. A stunning, heartwarming story about family, love, and acceptance. This book was a pleasure to read. As soon as I finished, I wanted to pick it back up and do it all over again. I find when I really love a book, my review tends to be short. This is one…
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5 stars I don’t think anything I can write will do this book justice so I’ll keep this short. I loved this story. Yu perfectly balances self-aware humor with heartbreaking reality. Centered around identity, the story explores the way American society pigeonholes people of Asian decent, lumping them all into one group and a set…
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5 stars A powerful novel in verse that proves you are more than the hardships you have faced. I’d recommend looking at the trigger warnings before going in to this as there are quite a few traumatic events that occur. These include rape, food insecurity, homelessness, drug overdose, and police brutality. This book may not…
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4 stars A heartwarming and magical tale that explores family structures, fantasy versus reality, and self-discovery. Mystery, secrets, and magic combine to explore some of the complexities of growing up and coming into one’s self. The majority of the book is in black and white, which makes the full-color fantasy scenes even more magical. The…
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4 stars Another fun and hilarious installment in the Feminist Baby series. This is such a fun series filled with bright pages, silly illustrations, humor, and lessons. While the text of the book is very simple, there are many lessons incorporated such as it’s okay to cry, turn taking, being yourself, self-love, embracing your interests,…
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4 stars A fast-paced adventure filled with action, mystery, family, and friendship. The next generation of superheroes for new readers and lifelong fans. There’s a great balance to the amount of action to growth and reflection in this book. The story moves along quickly but there is also plenty going on internally. Also, Tai’s relationship…
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