Freeze by Chris Priestley

3.5 stars Delightfully creepy. Sure to send a shiver down your spine. Maya’s class is given the task of writing winter-themed creepy stories. Seems simple enough. But then some seriously strange things start to happen. And Maya can’t shake that there’s something off about the new girl in her class. Are Maya and her friends…

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A Lonely Broadcast (A Lonely Broadcast #1) by Kel Byron

3 stars A delightfully eerie concept. After hitting rock bottom, Evelyn McKinnon takes a job as a radio host in her childhood hometown. Seems simple enough. But she soon learns there is more to 104.6 FM than she originally thought. Along with her cohost Daniel, she must navigate the mysterious forest, warn the town of…

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Cursed Crusaders (Ponyville Mysteries #5) by Penumbra Quill

4 stars The mysteries and building but the Cutie Mark Crusaders are on the case. Join Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle as they work to protect their new friends, the mysterious Livewood, and all of Ponyville. But no matter what they do, everything seems to go wrong around them. Could they be cursed? And…

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Kwame Crashes the Underworld (Kwame Powell #1) by Craig Kofi Farmer

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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That Blue Sky Feeling, Vol. 3 by Okura

Illustrated by Coma Hashii Translated by Jocelyne Allen 3.5 stars I have really loved this series, but I’m conflicted on the last volume. There are so many wonderful characters in this series and I have really enjoyed getting to know them and watching them grow. The ending was so sweet. I love how things wrap…

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Bluey: Trains (A Bluey Chapter Book)

Illustrated by Rafferty Amor 3 stars Watch the Heeler family’s games come to life in this new chapter book series. Join Bluey and her family in a game of Trains (adapted from the Season 2 episode “Trains”). Dr. Glenda (Bingo) takes the train everyday to drop off her daughter at day care and go to…

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The Secret of the Jade Bangle (The Nguyen Kids #1) by Linda Trinh

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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Nour’s Secret Library by Wafa’ Tarnowska

Illustrated by Vali Mintzi 5 stars A beautiful story of hope and light in dark times and the power of books. When war reaches their home in Damascus, cousins Nour and Amir band together to create a secret library. Together with their friends and neighbors, they collect books from abandoned homes and bombed buildings to…

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Shark Girl by Kate Beaton

3 stars An odd little story with nice age-appropriate messaging about ethical fishing practices. The story follows Shark Girl who, after witnessing human irresponsibility and greedy fishing practices, decides to take revenge by starting a mutiny. A nice blend of humor and an examination of human nature. Showcases both the good and the bad of…

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