Bodies are Cool by Tyler Feder

4 stars An energetic, rhythmic read to celebrate the human body. The simple text maintains an infectious rhythm and rhyme that is uplifting and fun. The words flow beautifully. And the detailed pictures pair wonderfully. Every character is completely unique. They vary in their skin tones, hair types, body sizes, clothing choices, and gender expressions….

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Storyteller Skye: Teaching from My Ojibway Grandfather

by Lindsay Christina King Illustrated by Carolyn Frank 5 stars Such a wonderful read! At the start, we are introduced to Skye, who shares stories from her grandfather about the natural world. They explain the origins of animal characteristics such as raccoon’s black mask, beaver’s large teeth, and rabbit’s long ears. Each story ends with…

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Stacey’s Remarkable Books by Stacey Abrams

Illustrated by Kitt Thomas 5 stars Such a sweet story. It explores themes of a love of books and reading, making new friends, celebrating differences, and not being afraid to try new things, even if you aren’t good at them right away. When Stacey meets Julie, they dream of reading every story in the library…

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If Sharks Disappeared by Lily Williams

4 stars In this nonfiction picture book, Williams discusses the role of sharks in the oceans and what could possibly happen if sharks went extinct. Wonderful to see sharks presented beyond a scary element. The text is simple, breaking down a complex system into something more easily digestible for a young audience. There are more…

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enemies (Berrybrook Middle School #4) by Svetlana Chmakova

4 stars When her sister, Letty, teases Felicity about never finishing her projects, Felicity sets out to win the Pitch the Future competition. To do so, she must team up with her friend and come up with a great idea to change the world. But along the way, she has to face disagreements of ideas,…

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Transmogrify!: 14 Fantastical Tales of Trans Magic

Edited by g. haron davis Stories by Saundra Mitchell, Sonora Reyes, RenĂ©e Reynolds, A. R. Capetta, Cory McCarthy, Francesca Tacchi, Ayida Shonibar, Nik Traxler, g. haron davis, Jonathan Lenore Kastin, Mason Deaver, Ash Nouveau, Cam Montgomery, Dove Salvatierra, and Emery Lee 5 stars Generally with anthologies, there are some stories that resonate with a reader…

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Hungry Ghost by Victoria Ying

5 stars This book contains a content note for depictions of disordered eating. A hauntingly beautiful story of friendship, loss, family, and healing. Valerie has always tried to be a “good” daughter. To her, that means giving in to her mother’s concerns about her gaining weight, even if it means taking unhealthy measures to comply….

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Naming Ceremony by Seina Wedlick

Illustrated by Jenin Mohammed 5 stars A beautiful story celebrating new life and special connections. Amira is excited for her baby sister’s naming ceremony. But as her friends and family arrive, she worries the name she’s chosen isn’t special enough. Soon baby sister will wake and the naming ceremony will begin. Will Amira be ready…

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Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell

Illustrated by Faith Erin Hicks 4 stars Pumpkin spice and everything nice. It’s Deja and Josie’s last autumn working at the Patch and they each have a mission. Josie to finally talk to the Fudge Girl and Deja to eat all her favorite foods at the Patch one last time. While the night doesn’t go…

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When Dimple Met Rishi (Dimple and Rishi #1)

by Sandhya Menon 2 stars A fun, fairly light rom-com between a not-like-other-girls coder and a family-focused romantic. I loved the show adaptation so figured I’d read the book. Dimple loves coding and will do whatever it takes to bring change to the world. Rishi is a hopeless romantic off to meet the girl of…

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