by Shauntay Grant Illustrated by Letícia Moreno 5 stars A delightfully cozy story of a young girl’s visit to Nana’s house filled with good food, good music, and good conversation. Nicely written with straight-forward text. I love how the proverbs are worked into the story as the girl shares what she has learned at Nana’s…
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Illustrated by Luisa Uribe 5 stars A touching story of one girl’s journey from Mexico where she lived with her grandmother to New York to reunite with her parents and brother. There she learns a new language and gets used to her new home, making friends, attending school, and dreaming of the future. Nicely written….
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Illustrated by Abraham Matias 4 stars A stunning story of a woman’s journey through the nine levels of Mictlān with the guidance of her Xoloitzcuintle, Popo. Wonderfully written. Nana’s journey includes her own version of the nine levels of Mictlān, including a river, a path of obsidian, snow, and strong winds. Her trials are gentler…
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Narrated by Elizabeth Wiley 4 stars Lottie Jones spends her days gossiping at church bingo, cooking with her friends, and buying presents for her grandchildren. What she does not want is for her past as a serial killer to interfere with her new life. Though she hasn’t killed in years, a meeting with an investigative…
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5 stars Told with sympathy, understanding, and humor, the book walks through different aspects of a loved one dying. This was such a wonderful read. Was not expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. I especially love that it points out some of the confusing things people say to children (“She’s only sleeping.”,…
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by Laurel Snyder Illustrated by Dan Santat 3 stars Embark on a fairy tale adventure where you get to decide what happens next. Along the way, you’ll meet friends, foes, and the just plain weird. But beware and choose wisely. There are quite a few grisly endings. See how well you survive in a fairy…
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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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5 stars Delightfully eerie and splendidly spine-tingling. Welcome to the School of Screams where each student in Ms. Nomed’s class has to share an eerie tale. Enjoy five stories of thrills and chills, and a jaw-droppingly good ending. As soon as I got to the last page, I wanted to go back and read it…
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Illustrated by Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley 4 stars A sweet, gentle story of tradition, family, and ceremony. As Tatiana grows, her grandmother makes her different ribbon skirts to celebrate important events. Each skirt portrays meaning through the colors and symbols used. Sweet and lyrical. A touching story of quality time spent with grandparents, the accomplishments of women…
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