Magnificent Homespun Brown: A Celebration by Samara Cole Doyon

Illustrated by Kaylani Juanita 5 stars Absolutely gorgeous. A beautiful celebration of heritage, family, nature, and the self. Told through accessible, poetic language, Doyon paints beautiful images of memories and little moments of celebration and joy, from watching a river to tasting a caramel apple, jumping in leaf piles to the marvel of a family…

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Awe-samosas! by Marzieh Abbas

Illustrated by Bhagya Madanasinghe 5 stars Adorable, heartfelt, and delicious! Noor wants to have a samosa party with her friends, but keeps running into problems along the way. With reminders of her Dadijaan’s advice, she pushes through and puts her own unique spin on a family recipe. Such a sweet story. Great themes of perseverance,…

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Ham Helsing: Vampire Hunter (Ham Helsing #1) by Rich Moyer

2 stars Ham Helsing comes from a long line of daring vampire hunters. After his older brother dies in a tragic wingsuit accident, he takes up the family mantle and sets out to defeat a vampire. Along the way, he encounters a ninja pig, a were-boy, a robot knight, and many more interesting characters. Figure…

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When Moon Blooms by Aida Salazar

Illustrated by Caribay M. Benavides 3 stars A beautiful exploration of the phases on the moon and the connection between nature and the body. Told in English with Spanish words interwoven throughout the text, the story tells of a mother passing down cultural wisdom to her child. Beautiful artwork and poetic text. A lovely read….

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Magic Like That by Samara Cole Doyon

Illustrated by Geneva Bowers 5 stars A gorgeous, lush celebration of Black hair and self-confidence. Told through lyrical narration, a young girl shares some of her favorite hairstyles as she waits for her mother to reveal her latest creation. I loved the different facets expressed through different hair styles, from whimsical to majestic, mischievous to…

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Sue & Tai-chan, Vol. 1 by Konami Kanata

Translated by Melissa Tanaka 3 stars An adorable collection of adventures featuring a senior cat and a rambunctious kitten. Sue is enjoying her peace and quiet when her human comes home with the news they will be watching a kitten for a while. The new arrival is full of energy, always curious, and keeps Sue…

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Day of the Living Liv (Spirited #1) by Liv Livingston

Illustrated by Anna Volcan 2 stars Some dynamics of school stay the same no matter where you are. Feeling like an outsider, getting used to new teachers, and the quandary of where to sit in the cafeteria. These are true even if your school is attended by ghosts, werewolves, and vampires. This is a pretty…

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