Specs by Van G. Garrett

Illustrated by Reggie Brown 3 stars A sweet book celebrating the uniqueness and style of wearing glasses. Join Brea as she looks for the perfect pair of glasses to reflect her individuality, personality, and spec-tacularness. Nicely written with great rhythm. Adorable and fun illustrations. A great way to get kids excited about picking new glasses…

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Isabella Nagg and the Pot of Basil by Oliver Darkshire

4 stars Humorous, fantastical, and filled with magic. Isabella Nagg lives a normal, boring life on a little farm, cooking, cleaning, and (barley) tolerating her husband. But when Mr. Nagg brings home a stollen spell book, Isabella’s life becomes anything but ordinary. With the help of a catlike companion, Isabella navigates the magical world while…

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Seven Ghosts by Chris Priestley

4 stars Embark on a tour of Grimstone Hall and learn of the ghosts who reside there in this wonderfully creepy collection of ghost stories. The finalists of a ghost story writing competition visit the most haunted house in England where all the ghosts are children. But Jake can’t shake the feeling that there is…

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It Rhymes With Takei by George Takei

Adapted by Steven Scott & Justin Eisinger Illustrated by Harmony Becker 4 stars A great graphic autobiography that explores Takei’s acting career, education, political involvement, friendships, family, sexuality, and activism. Nicely written. This book takes on a lot of material and does not disappoint. A wonderful focus on activism and the joy of living as…

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Why Waste Food? by Andrew F. Smith

3 stars Serves as a nice overview of food-related waste. The book goes through the food production system, pointing out various waste problems along the way. This includes waste at the farm, in manufacturing, in supermarkets and stores, in restaurants, and at home as well as food packaging waste. Presented in an easy-to-understand format, the…

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Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell

5 stars Romance and gore collide in this surprisingly sweet story that encourages you to slay the real monsters in your life. How do I put into words what this book is about? Shesheshen is a shapeshifter content living away from the human world with her bear companion, eating anyone who disturbs her. But after…

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A Kids Book About Immigration by MJ Calderon

5 stars A fantastic introduction to the topic of immigration. Wonderfully written. Includes information about why people may immigrate, some of the challenges they face, and a bit about the immigration application process. Also points out the harmfulness of using dehumanizing language to describe people. Promotes kindness, understanding, and listening to others when they tell…

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A Kids Book About Being in Foster Care by Seth Brauer

4 stars A nice introduction to what it means to be in foster care. The book is mostly directed to those who are not in foster care, encouraging them to not make assumptions, listen, and be mindful about the questions they ask. The book goes through what foster care is, the emotions someone may feel…

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The Girl from the Other Side: Siúil, A Rún, Vol. 11

by Nagabe Translated by Adrienne Beck 5 stars A bittersweet ending to a beautiful series. After learning how he was cursed and where Shiva came from, Teacher grapples with a difficult decision: keep his soul and retain his memories or give it up in the hope of reuniting with Shiva. This was such a satisfying…

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