by Christine Virnig Illustrated by Korwin Briggs 4 stars Fascinating, entertaining, and downright disgusting. This was a great read. Grabbed this from the library based on the title alone and was not disappointed. Virnig takes the reader on a trip through time to learn about some of history’s grossest jobs, from a dining room attendant…
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Illustrated by Mariyah Rahman 3 stars A sweet, lyrical book about remembering those you’ve lost and their continuing love. Nice rhymes. The text works well for talking about belief in an afterlife and different ways to connect to loved ones after they’re gone such as writing letters to them or singing their favorite songs. The…
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Illustrated by Danica Novgorodoff 5 stars I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. The novel-in-verse genre at its finest. I absolutely loved this book. Well-written with engaging characters, powerful themes, and a wonderful story. Includes themes of friends growing apart, loss, grief, guilt, racism, crushes, masculinity, family, and societal expectations. There was…
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Illustrated by Kukka Translated by Evan Ward 3 stars A mysterious tunnel rumored to grant wishes, a pair of teens with troubled pasts, and an unexpected friendship born from the desire to know more. I’ve been really loving the manga of this and enjoyed the anime so I figured I’d check out the original light…
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Illustrated by Bérengère Delaporte Translated by Karen Li 3.5 stars Told from the perspective of a child, this book is a touching story of grief, loss, and recovery. Everyone is excited about the new baby. They all prepare for the upcoming arrival. But when his parents come home from the hospital without his new sibling,…
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Story by Mei Hachimoku Illustrated by Koudon Translated by Alexa Frank 5 stars Definitely grabbed this one for its gorgeous cover. I didn’t initially realize it was based on a light novel that was made into an anime. Even without background though, I thoroughly enjoyed this manga. When Kaoru overhears a legend about a tunnel…
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by Megan Madison & Jessica Ralli Illustrated by Isabel Roxas 5 stars A wonderful introduction to talking about death, dying, and grief with young ones. Told in kid-friendly language, this book provides talking points for caregivers to introduce concepts of death and grief. The book is broken down into different common questions such as what…
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Written by Jason Reynolds Art by Danica Novgorodoff 5 stars I loved Reynolds’ original novel-in-verse and was a little nervous about this graphic adaptation. But it really delivered. Reynolds’ words and messages shine through accompanied by Novgorodoff’s haunting artwork and stunning visuals. The watercolors perfectly capture the essence of Reynolds’ words. Absolutely stunning. A fantastic…
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2 stars A weird little story with a fun blend of cutesy and dark style. Becka has a crush on fellow university student, Kim,. When she tries to make a move, she gets swept up in Kim’s job as a part-time grim reaper. Zombies, pirate ghouls, and buff cat dads… can a simple crush overcome…
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Story by Fuse Adapted by Taiki Kawakami Characters by Mitz Vah Translated by Stephen Paul 4 stars I’ve been enjoying the anime so far and thought I’d give the manga a try. The first volume covers the first 5 episodes of the anime. The show sticks pretty closely to the manga from what I remember….
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