by Tami Lewis Brown and Debbie Loren Dunn Illustrated by Frenci Sanna 4 stars A fascinating exploration of scientific experimentation, color, and history. Purple was once the color of royalty, a shade only the rich could afford. But through persistence and experimentation, William Henry Perkin found a way to bring purple to everyone. The book…
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by Suzanne Slade Illustrated by Cozbi A. Cabrera 4 stars A wonderful children’s biography of Gwendolyn Brooks and her lifelong love of poetry. The story spans from Brooks’ childhood to winning the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1950. The book focuses on Brooks’ love of writing and her publishing career, as well as touching on…
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by James Rallison 4 stars A collection of humorous tales about growing up and figuring out life. From sibling dynamics to science fairs, pet problems to the woes of job hunting, the collection offers hilarious stories with tongue in cheek advice. This was a fun read. I enjoyed the mix of comics and prose. I’ll…
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by Leslie Schrock 4 stars A helpful beginner’s guide to the different stages of pregnancy. This book covers so much ground from fertility to birth plans, things to buy to life with a newborn. This is a completely new topic for me so I found this book very helpful as an overview of what to…
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3 stars An interesting combination of memoir, self-help, call to action, and handbook for creating change in the world. Lee shares memories from her life and inspires readers to create change in their daily lives through kindness, understanding, and leading by example. Lee explores her experiences with racism, her work to make Juneteenth a federal…
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3 stars A beautiful collection of poems that incorporate storytelling, song, and reflection into stunning free verse. The poems explore themes of death, grief, birth, nature, creation, culture, dreams, lore, memory, and family. Each poem is followed by a blurb from Harjo that provides information on the context, inspiration, and/or reflection on the poem, which…
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by Joy Harjo Foreword by Sandra Cisneros 3 stars Spanning the first 50 years of her poetry publications, Joy Harjo shares some of her most well-known and influential poems in one collection. The selections cover many events in Harjo’s life, from romantic relationships to the death of her mother, 9/11 to the COVID-19 pandemic. Each…
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by Kyle Prue 5 stars This was hilarious and so much fun to read. Through humor the book challenges and undermines masculinity and calls into question why the biggest insult to men is being compared to women. Some of my favorites were the ones that use reverse psychology to get a man to do something…
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by Lydia Corry 3 stars Through simple narration and stunning artwork, Corry explores the life and adventures of Emily Dickinson. Along with her trusty canine companion, Dickinson explores the outdoor world, traveling through meadows and pastures, a grove of woods, a leafy forest, and a stream. Readers take a peek into Dickinson’s family life, friendships,…
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by Shelia P. Moses Illustrated by Gillian Flint 5 stars Follow the journey of Opal Lee from a young girl living in segregated Texas to a passionate volunteer and activist. The book provides information about Lee’s childhood, education, career, volunteerism, and her activism to make Juneteenth recognized as a federal holiday. Nicely told. I really…
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