Miso Magic by Moni Ritchie Hadley

Illustrated by Mizuho Fujisawa 5 stars A sweet story of traditions, family, and patience. Join Chiyoko as she learns how to make miso with her father. At first Chiyoko is bored with the chore, but soon she finds the magic in the process, enjoying the tradition and her family history. Nicely written and cozy with…

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My Name is Benny, Volume 1 by Sokomin

3 stars I enjoyed reading this on Webtoons and it was nice to revisit it in book format. Follow Benny and her best friend, Timothy, as they go about their day-to-day lives, bringing humor and mayhem to making new friends, celebrating holidays, and hanging out together. This collection includes the first 120 Webtoons episodes. Fun…

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In the Name of the Mermaid Princess, Vol. 1 by Yoshino Fumikawa

Illustrated by Miya Tashiro Translated by Junko Goda 4 stars A beautiful manga with sweet characters and wonderful messages about calling out injustice and fighting for your beliefs. In a kingdom that doesn’t allow the so-called Unhuman, beings born with magical powers, Princess Mio prepares for her betrothal to Prince Chika. But Mio has a…

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Villains Are Destined to Die, Vol. 3 by Suol

Original Story by Gwon Gyeoeul Translated by David Odell 3 stars Just when Penelope thinks she’s getting the hang of hard more, more obstacles appear in her path. In this volume her relationships with her brothers become rocky and she has another encounter with the dangerous and unpredictable Callisto. An interesting volume with some intriguing…

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Villains Are Destined to Die, Vol. 2 by Suol

Original Story by Gwon Gyeoeul Translated by David Odell 3 stars Penelope continues her journey to survive as the villain in Daughter of the Duke’s Super Love Project. In this volume she ventures out to find Eckles in an attempt to secure him as a love interest and learns more about the mysterious Winter. An…

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Donutella Hamachi and the Library Avengers

by Kim Chi and Stephan Lee Illustrated by Utomaru 5 stars This was absolutely adorable. One of the best books I’ve read all year. I was pulled in by the beautiful and energetic cover and the story inside did not disappoint. The only place seventh grader Jae Han Kim feels he belongs is the Firkus…

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Disney’s Kilala Princess, Volume 5 by Rika Tanaka

Illustrated by Nao Kodaka Translated by Christine Dashiell 3 stars The conclusion of Kilala’s adventure. While there were definitely ups and downs in this series, the ending was pretty satisfying. Kilala and her friends make it to Agrabah and meet Aladdin and Jasmine. They must defeat Jafar to earn the sixth gem to get Kilala…

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Two-List Thanksgiving by Christine Whan

Illustrated by Sienna Youngsun Kim 5 stars An adorable story about a family coming together for a Thanksgiving meal. A young girl helps her mother shop for Thanksgiving. They have one list for the Korean market and one for the local market. It isn’t until they are all together enjoying the meal that the girl…

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Eating to Save the Planet: How Veganism Helps Fight Climate Change

by Anne Broyles Illustrated by Hannah Li 3 stars A good overview of reasons to adapt a vegan diet that includes a nice visual presentation and beautiful illustrations. Easy-to-read and persuasive, Broyles presents various arguments for adapting a vegan diet and how the use of animal products impacts the environment. Despite the subtitle, the book…

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Lonely Castle in the Mirror, Vol. 3

Story by Mizuki Tsujimura Illustrated by Tomo Taketomi Translated by Jacqueline Fung 4 stars Another great volume that continues the story nicely. Summer has come to a close and a new school year begins. And with it, March comes ever closer along with the deadline to find the key. Continuing the events from the previous…

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