Illustrated by Lane Smith 4 stars I read this book so many times growing up. It was definitely one of my favorites. I remember being equally horrified and entranced by it. It is probably the book that fostered my lifelong love of fairy tale retellings, specifically stories told from the “villain’s” point of view. Such…
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Illustrated by Luisa Uribe 3 stars A sweet story about the music and song behind every name. After the first day of school, a little girl refuses to go back. No one can say her name, including her teacher. As they walk home, her mother shows her the song in every name and that she…
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by F. Isabel Campoy and Theresa Howell Illustrated by Rafael López 5 stars Absolutely gorgeous. A spectacular picture books inspired by the real-life Urban Art Trail in San Diego. An art-loving child does her best to bring color to her neighbors by sharing her art. But it isn’t until she teams up with a muralist…
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Illustrated by Kadir Nelson 3.5 stars An engaging read with sweet themes of confidence and not being afraid to be different. Sassy dreams of dancing on stage, but she’s taller than all the other girls in her ballet class and none of the boys can lift her. She feels different because of her height, long…
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4 stars A heartwarming story about a little house finding her place. There once was a little house on a hill in the country. From her perch she watched day become night and night become day. She watched the seasons change and the world go by. But over time, the world around her changed. There…
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Illustrated by Lena Anderson Translated by Joan Sandin 3 stars A nice way for young readers to learn about Monet and his artwork through a fictionalized account of Linnea who travels to Paris with her neighbor, Mr. Bloom, to visit Monet’s home and garden. An interesting blend of nonfiction and fictional elements. It covers information…
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5 stars A fantastic book about book bans and using your voice to speak up for what you believe in. “It wasn’t just good books that shouldn’t be hidden away. It was all books. Any books. It didn’t matter what they were about, or whether I liked them, or Mrs. Spencer liked them, or the…
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3 stars A weird gothic tale of inheritance, revenge, and greed with a mix of mystery and romance. Zeb arrives at his relative’s manor only to discover he’s been tricked into a strange competition against his estranged (married) brother, Bram, and deviant cousin, Hawley, to woo his cousin, Jessamine, in order to inherit the property….
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5 stars An adorable little story about making new friends and being brave enough to be yourself. Little Ghost and his mother have been haunting their home for hundreds of years, but in all that time Little Ghost hasn’t made a single friend. He’s nervous he’ll scare everyone away. But when a new family moves…
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Illustrated by Oliver Jeffers 4 stars The crayons in Duncan’s crayon box raise their concerns in a series of letters in this imaginative epistolary adventure. A fun story with plenty of humor and a wonderful ending that encourages creativity and thinking outside the (crayon) box. Includes nice themes of voicing your concerns, listening to others,…
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