by Tomo Kitaoka Translated by Caleb D. Cook 4 stars It’s the zombie apocalypse and there’s danger around every corner. Follow Yuki, a charismatic and resourceful cat, as he navigates this new world, dodging zombies, meeting other survivors, and making a place for himself. Was definitely intrigued by the concept of this story, but was…
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Narrated by Joshua Quinn 5 stars Jaw-droppingly good. The best of modern mythology retellings. Kwame just wants to have a normal summer. Instead his family is taking him to Ghana for his grandmother’s celebration of life. Still grieving the loss of his grandmother and having never felt Ghanaian enough at family events, Kwame is dreading…
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Illustrated by Clayton Nguyen 4 stars A heartwarming story of family, tradition, loss, and connection. In the first book in The Nguyen Kids series, we follow Anne, the eldest Nguyen sibling. After the passing of her beloved grandmother, Anne inherits her iconic jade bracelet. But this bracelet has a secret. Follow Anne as she uncovers…
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4 stars Following a traumatic school shooting, Bea takes up horseback riding to help her cope. We see glimpses of Bea’s life before and after the shooting, learning about her experience with cerebral palsy, her adopted mom Max, and her attempts to get her Little, Josie, to come out of her shell. A heartbreaking story….
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Illustrated by Hala Tahboub 5 stars An absolutely beautiful story about being there for those you care about when they’re grieving. As different people in his life experience loss, the narrator wants to help them, but they all seem to need different things. The narrator learns there is no one-size-fits-all approach and that just being…
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Illustrated by Rahele Jomepour Bell 5 stars A beautiful story of grief, loss, and remembering. The narrator and her grandfather have a special box of treasures that is all their own. Together, they add to the collection. But when her grandfather passes away, the narrator doesn’t want to open the box anymore; it will just…
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Illustrated by Xindi Yan 5 stars An absolutely stunning exploration of the lasting presence of a loved one. A little girl remembers her grandfather and keeps his memory alive by enjoying the things they once did together. While she is saddened by his absence, she finds joy in living out the lessons she learned from…
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by Nagabe Translated by Adrienne Beck 4 stars Abandoning their previous home, Shiva and Teacher have escaped the soliders for now. They travel far to find a new home in an attempt to escape the past. But it always has a way of catching up to them. Another fascinating read. The mysteries continue to build….
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Illustrated by Matt Rockefeller 5 stars Stunning. Absolutely stunning. Told entirely as a palindrome, this lushly-illustrated fantasy tale follows a young boy grieving the loss of his mother. In his anger and grief, he sets out on an adventure to seek the answer to a crucial question, learning an important lesson along the way. A…
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4 stars Another stunning collection from Oliver. I especially love her musings and observations of nature. The way she describes birds is absolutely perfect. Themes of this collection include nature, love, death, and aging. A few of my favorite poems here are “Porcupine”, “In a Dark Wood: Wood Thrushes”, “Stories”, and “I Looked Up”. A…
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