Drawn Onward by Daniel Nayeri

Illustrated by Matt Rockefeller 5 stars Stunning. Absolutely stunning. Told entirely as a palindrome, this lushly-illustrated fantasy tale follows a young boy grieving the loss of his mother. In his anger and grief, he sets out on an adventure to seek the answer to a crucial question, learning an important lesson along the way. A…

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Marley’s Pride by Joëlle Retener

Illustrated by DeAnn Wiley 5 stars An adorable story highlighting that there is no right or wrong way to celebrate Pride. Marley’s grandparent Zaza is getting ready for the Pride celebration where they will receive an award. Marley wants to be there with them, but the crowds and noise make them nervous. With the support…

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A Song for Nolan by Rushie Ellenwood

Illustrated by Sally Chen 3 stars Nolan is excited to attend a friend’s birthday party at the roller rink. They pick out the perfect outfit and are ready for the festivities. But when the DJ announces “boys skate” and “girls skate”, Nolan doesn’t feel they belong. Based on a true story, this book is nice…

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Challah for Shabbat Tonight by Sara Holly Ackerman

Illustrated by Alona Millgram 5 stars In this delightful rhyming and rhythmic story, join the narrator and her grandmother as they bake challah for the Shabbat. Well-written and engaging. Told through catchy rhymes, the book goes through each step of making challah, from mixing together the ingredients and waiting for the dough to rise to…

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Stacey Speaks Up by Stacey Abrams

Illustrated by Kitt Thomas 5 stars Another powerful story from Abrams. After witnessing a classmate have to give his tray back when he can’t pay for lunch at school, Stacey decides to do something about it with the help of her friends and family. Even though public speaking makes Stacey uncomfortable, she knows using her…

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Dragon Dreams by Roni Schotter

Illustrated by Khoa Le 3 stars A visually-stunning story promoting peace and kindness, especially between feuding siblings. Using second person narration, the story follows two sisters who, after a day of fighting, share a dream of dragons. The artwork is absolutely stunning. I really enjoyed seeing all the different dragons. Definitely a good fit for…

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Love without Bounds: An IntersectionAllies Book about Families

by Drs. Chelsea Johnson, LaToya Council, and Carolyn Choi Illustrated by Ashley Seil Smith 4 stars A wonderful exploration of some of the different ways people can be part of a family told through rhyming narration. Each page spread introduces readers to a new family who represents different concepts. The book shows different types of…

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Monster Hands by Karen Kane and Jonaz McMillan

Illustrated by Dion MBD 4 stars An adorable story of bravery, friendship, and helping others. Milo thinks there is a monster under his bed. He asks his best friend across the street for help. Luckily, Mel knows just what to do. Together, Milo and Mel use shadows to scare the monster away. Nicely written. A…

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My Little Pony: Around Equestria!

3 stars Includes: A nice collection of My Little Pony adventures, some based on episodes of the show and some new tales. They all center around the Mane 6 and the Cutie Mark Crusaders. The stories based on episodes do a good job of presenting the events from the show. They are paired with shots…

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