My Little Pony: Spirit of the Forest by Ted Anderson

Illustrated by Brenda Hickey 4 stars After noticing an abundance of litter on their latest camping trip in the White Tail Woods, the Cutie Mark Crusaders team up with an unexpected ally to help preserve the forest. A fun mystery turned pursuit of environmental justice with a little cryptid-style storyline woven throughout. I loved seeing…

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Agent Unicorn by Jenny Alvarado

3 stars A cute comic-style picture book about a unicorn that longs to be a special agent. The artwork was really cute. I loved the color palette. The story itself was fine. Unicorn is a real jerk for most of the book, but kind of learns a lesson at the end. There is some nice…

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A Little Like Magic by Sarah Kurpiel

5 stars An utterly stunning story of art, beauty, and permanence. The narrator is not happy about facing the cold weather, uncomfortable winter clothes, crowds, and an unfamiliar setting to attend the winter festival. She doesn’t see the point of making ice sculptures that are just going to melt. To make matters worse, on her…

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Detective Beans: The Case of the Missing Hat by Li Chen

3 stars Detective Beans is the best in the business. Or he likes to think so at least. One day, Beans sets out to solve the mystery of who’s leaving him encouraging notes only to discover… his detective hat is missing. Before he can solve the note-giver mystery, he must track down his hat and…

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The Great Wiz and the Ruckus by Joey McCormick

2 stars A fast-paced adventure tale of saving the world and the balance of light and dark The looming threat of the Ruckus has returned. In order to restore balance, five Wiz’s (I don’t know why this is the plural form but it is apparently) must band together to summon the Great Wiz. But is…

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Over the Garden Wall: Hollow Town by Celia Lowenthal

Illustrated by Jorge Monlongo 4 stars Delightfully spooky. After a series of unfortunate raft troubles, Wirt, Greg, Beatrice, and everyone’s favorite frog seek refuge in a quiet town filled with polite inhabitants. However, the longer they stay, the more sinister the town seems. Can they unlock its dark secrets, and if they do, will they…

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