5 stars A beautiful, powerful, inspiring, empowering story of courage, strength, love, tradition, and making change. I’m disappointed such a book had to be written and how events have transpired to inspire it, but it’s a wonderful step to help guide the world toward a better path. Goade’s artwork is phenomenal. Each page tells its…
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5 stars A powerful tale of a life lived and how quickly the world can change. Inside Out & Back Again tells the story of a year in the life of Hà, based on Thanhha Lai’s own childhood. In that year (1975), Hà experiences the Fall of Saigon, the treacherous journey by ship to America,…
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4 stars A delicious book recounting the tale of a girl trying different foods (even though pizza is the best!) for the sake of science. Perfect for pizza lovers of all ages and a good reminder about how fun (and delectable!) it can be to try new foods. Gianna Ruggiero‘s illustrations are just the right…
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5 stars What a wonderful way to teach an important lesson. When Amera has a bad day and uses unkind words, her mother suggests tasting her words before she says them, which opens Amera to the power of words. Inspired by Proverbs 16:24, “Kind words are like honey, sweet to the soul and healthy for…
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5 stars A frightened ghost swept away from his family, a “solid” (aka non-ghost person) who can see ghosts, and a library that has a few mysteries. This was a delightful read. It started off a bit dark with Kaz being blown away from his family. But it ends on a hopeful note and sets…
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3 stars Pizazz doesn’t like her name, her cape, her “embarrassing” superpower, or being a superhero in general. But as she navigates the world of elementary school, she learns new ways of viewing the world and how to save it. An engaging story about a reluctant superhero and her struggles fitting in at a new…
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4 stars A well-written book that takes some big topics and simplifies them for a young audience. Systemic racism can be a big idea that’s hard to wrap your head around, especially when you aren’t used to trying to see it or when it’s easier to ignore. This book helps kids and adults alike understand…
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5 stars Gorgeous! Absolutely gorgeous! Every page is a treat to the eyes, every word a treat to the soul. This is the book every book-lover needs in their life. It perfectly captures the magic of stories and why we all fell in love with reading in the first place. Everything about this book is…
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5 stars Loved it. Absolutely loved it. This is the first book I’ve read of Selznick’s. I picked it up after researching books to add to an International Week of the Deaf display for my library. I loved the combination of story told through words and story told through pictures. It was exceptionally fitting for…
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4 stars A hilarious combo of two adventures in one book. Featuring Wyss-Kuzz aka Klawde, an evil alien warlord cat exiled to Earth, and Raj, a city boy thrown into the wilderness of Elba, Oregon and forced to partake in the horrors of making new friends and surviving nature at Camp Eclipse. The two come…
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