Illustrated by Dave Henderson 4 stars While this one didn’t really have a mystery to it, I really enjoyed this Ghostwriter adventure. When a new principal takes over, the students at Hurston Middle School are surprised to learn a dress code is being implemented. Lenni does not agree with the vague guidelines and she and…
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Illustrated by Leanne Hatch 4 stars A young child is having a hard time getting her thoughts to quiet down at bedtime. On her mother’s suggestion, she fills up on happy thoughts to help her fears and worries fly away. A nice visual for talking about worries and anxiety. The book presents the idea of…
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Illustrated by Dan Krovatin 2.5 stars Aliens, time travel, and a mystery-solving ghost. An interesting entry in the Ghostwriter series. It’s the day before Halloween in 1938, and cousins Emily and Sam are home alone. They’re listening to the radio when news of an alien invasion in their hometown breaks out. Can the Ghostwriter team…
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Translated by Bruno Navasky Foreword by Neil Gaiman 4 stars Much like the notebook Copper’s uncle writes to him, this is a great book to read at various stages in life, picking up new meaning that didn’t click on the previous read. I found the translator’s note especially helpful in understanding the context of the…
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Illustrated by Sydney Hanson 4 stars An absolutely adorable book about a French snail venturing out after a long winter. Funny and sweet. I’m always a fan of fourth wall breaks and loved the humor of Escargot’s conversations with the reader. This is the first Escargot book I’ve read and I really enjoyed it. Will…
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Illustrated by Tamisha Anthony 5 stars A delightfully sweet and delicious story of family, love, culture, and food. Hana is excited for all her grandparents to visit. But one set is from South Korea and the other set is from South Carolina, which leaves Hana wondering what to make for dinner for them all to…
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Illustrated by Dung Ho 4 stars A beautiful picture book about language, heritage, and the bond between a grandmother and grandchild. I love the way Felix and his grandmother connect across generations, languages, and cultures, sharing things they enjoy with each other. Felix is so excited for his grandmother to come to America and meet…
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by Bruno Enna Illustrated by Fabio Celoni Translated by Tea Orsi 2 stars An interesting Disneyification of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. This version tones down some of the darker elements of the original such as Victor von Duckenstein making his creation out of cardboard and everyone surviving relatively unscathed. Victor is certainly more redeemable in this…
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3.5 stars A humorous story about the power of banning together and the danger of only looking out for yourselves. The Little Guys are proud of how strong they are together. They can do anything. But that also means they can take things too far, picking fights, stealing from others, and being bullies. After a…
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Illustrated by Crystal Kung 5 stars A unique and entertaining retelling of Rapunzel. Ra Pu Zel is a princess who loves food, but isn’t so interested in meeting princes and acting like her parents think she should. So one day, she locks herself in a tower with her dog to enjoy cooking and trying different…
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