Hoop Dancer Determination (Jake Maddox Sports Stories)

by Stacy Wells Illustrated by Jesus Aburto 3 stars Nice story overall. Tobias loves hoop dancing, but is self-conscious about what his peers will think. Will he face his fears and showcase his skills at the talent show? A nice way to learn about some of the basics of hoop dancing. Tobias must deal with…

Read More

Sir Ladybug (Sir Ladybug #1) by Corey R. Tabor

4 stars An adorable adventure of new friendships, open communication, compromise, helping others, and doing what scares you. Sir Ladybug and his herald, Pell, and squire, Sterling, are called upon to help a caterpillar in distress. But will a hungry chickadee be the end of our heroes? Fun humor with plenty of puns and jokes….

Read More

The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich by Deya Muniz

5 stars Warning: this book comes with all the feels and will make you seriously crave a grilled cheese sandwich every time you pick it up. I’ve read so many great books this year, but this one is my absolute favorite so far! A delightful blend of humor, cheese puns, general quirkiness, and romance. Such…

Read More

Invisible Differences: A Story of Asperger’s, Adulting, and Living a Life in Full Color

Story by Julie Dachez Illustrated by Mademoiselle Caroline In collaboration with Fabienne Vaslet Translated by Edward Gauvin 4 stars This graphic memoir follows Marguerite through her daily life, showing her routines and interactions. No matter how hard she tries, Marguerite doesn’t feel like she quite fits. When she’s diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, suddenly everything comes…

Read More

Stacey’s Remarkable Books by Stacey Abrams

Illustrated by Kitt Thomas 5 stars Such a sweet story. It explores themes of a love of books and reading, making new friends, celebrating differences, and not being afraid to try new things, even if you aren’t good at them right away. When Stacey meets Julie, they dream of reading every story in the library…

Read More

Little Witch Academia Vol. 1

by Yoh Yoshinari Art by Keisuke Sato 3 stars A nice blend of events from the anime along with original mini-stories. Great for those who want more after watching the show. I especially loved the character design section at the end. It delivers on all the personalities from the show. Nice art style. Fun humor….

Read More

Bigfoot Baby! by Elias Barks

Illustrated by Meg Hunt 4 stars Spend the day with Bigfoot Baby as they visit friends and explore their forest home. A sweet, rhyming book with adorable illustrations. This chunky board book includes 6 thick, sturdy flaps for readers to discover what’s hidden in the forest. Sweet and whimsical. Great for bedtime. Goodreads

Read More

The Guardian Test (Legends of Lotus Island #1)

by Christina Soontornvat Illustrated by Kevin Hong 4 stars Given the short length of this book, I wasn’t sure how developed it would be. My worries were unfounded because Soontornvat has done it again. This is a to-the-point story with beautiful world building, great characters, and fantastic messages. Plum is content living with her grandparents…

Read More

Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston (Sir Callie #1)

by Esme Symes-Smith 2.5 stars I’m really conflicted about this one. I went into it excited to read an epic fantasy about a non-binary child who dreams of being a knight in a world that enforces a strict gender binary of girls using magic and boys training to fight, going up against an unknown evil…

Read More

Speak Up! by Rebecca Burgess

5 stars What a great read. I loved this book! It tackles so many great issues (misunderstandings with parents, fights with friends, bullying, sensory sensitivities) along with an entertaining plotline about secret internet fame. Burgess provides a great example of a parent trying to look out for their child and doing what others tell them…

Read More