Areli Is a Dreamer: A True Story by Areli Morales

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….

Read More

Stonewall: A Building. An Uprising. A Revolution. by Rob Sanders

Illustrated by Jamey Christoph Following the lead of multiple reviewers before me, I will not be giving this book a star review. I am thrilled a book like this exists, showcasing the importance of the Stonewall Uprising, but even for a picture book it feels sadly incomplete. I enjoyed the idea of the book being…

Read More

The Girl Who Figured It Out: The Inspiring True Story of Wheelchair Athlete Minda Dentler Becoming an Ironman World Champion

by Minda Dentler Illustrated by Stephanie Dehennin 5 stars A fantastically told story of Dentler’s journey to becoming the first female wheelchair athlete to complete the Ironman World Championship. The book follows major events in Dentler’s life including her childhood in India, contracting polio, being adopted and living in America, pushing herself to do things…

Read More

Empanadas for Everyone by Jackie Azúa Kramer

Illustrated by Lenny Wen 3 stars A delicious story of community, family, and generosity. Every Saturday, Carina visits Tia Mimi’s to make empanadas. But this week, Tia Mimi is volunteering at the food center, which leaves Carina to collect all the ingredients herself. Along the way, she finds that her diverse neighbors all have their…

Read More

Girl on Fire by Alicia Keys

Cowritten by Andrew Weiner Illustrated by Brittney Williams 3 stars This action-packed graphic novel introduces a new superhero, Lolo, who develops psychokinetic powers, sparked when her brother is attacked by police. A wonderful look at family dynamics. After her mother left, Lolo and her brother have been raised by their father. I loved the representation…

Read More

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

5 stars A fantastic autobiographical novel-in-verse that beautifully showcases Woodson’s voice. Set in the 1960s and 1970s, Woodson shares stories from her life living in Ohio, South Carolina, and New York. Woodson tackles so many themes in this book. From family upheaval to moving to a new place, experiencing death of family members to standing…

Read More

The Vanderbeekers and the Hidden Garden (The Vanderbeekers #2) by Karina Yan Glaser, Narrated by Robin Miles

5 stars A fantastic follow-up to the first book. Wonderfully written with unforgettable characters. Same charm as the first book with additional characters (along with old favorites), new adventures, and new problems to solve. In this one, the Vanderbeekers forge new friendships, reunite with established friends, make some unexpected discoveries, and band together to beautify…

Read More