Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy by Rey Terciero

Illustrated by Bre Indigo 4 stars A fun modern retelling of Little Women. I am always drawn to Jo as a character and this one was no exception. Join the Marches, a blended family living in New York, as they take on life’s battles. The sisters deal with missing their father during his deployment, their…

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The Deep & Dark Blue by Niki Smith

3 stars When the Solstice Blessing turns into a violent political coup, twins Grayson and Hawke must flee their home. They find refuge in the Communion of Blue where girls and women learn to spin the threads of reality. While Hawke (now Hanna) feels stifled and wants nothing more than to avenge the family and…

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Is This a Cry for Help? by Emily Austin

2.5 stars After taking a leave of absence for her mental health, Darcy returns to her job as a public librarian. The last thing she needs is more difficulties, but she’ll have to deal with aggressive journalists, creepy emails, book bans, and protesters. Okay read. I expected to enjoy this more than I did. I…

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Banned Together: Our Fight for Readers’ Rights [Audiobook]

Edited by Ashley Hope Pérez Illustrated by Debbie Fong Contributors: Ashley Hope Pérez, Maia Kobabe, Robin Stevenson, Nikki Grimes, Elana K. Aronld, Bill Konigsberg, Brendan Kiely, MariNaomi, Traci Sorell, Isabel Quintero, Trung Le Nguyen, Kyle Lukoff, Debbie Fong, Padma Venkatraman, Kelly Jensen, and Ellen Hopkins 3 stars A nice collection of pieces from a variety…

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Blades of Furry, Vol. 1 by Emily Erdos & Deya Muniz

4 stars Absolutely adorable. So. Much. Blushing. Follow the world of battle skating where figure skating and martial arts collide. Rookie Emile is trying to make a name for himself as a skater. Things are looking good for him until he’s matched up against his skating idol, Radu. When Emile discovers Radu’s secret, things really…

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Muted, Vol. 1 by Miranda Mundt

3 stars After her demon-summoning ritual takes a dramatic turn, Camille Severin is left in her childhood home to hone her skills for her next attempt at the ritual. But slowly Camille begins to uncover her family’s secrets and realizes everything is not as she’d always believed. Magic, mystery, and secrets dwell in the Louisiana…

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Garlic and the Vampire (Garlic #1) by Bree Paulsen

5 stars I honestly had no idea what to expect going into this, but I absolutely loved it. All the stars for this one! The last thing the anxious Garlic wants is adventure. She is content hanging out with her friend Carrot and tending to her garden. But when a vampire arrives at a nearby…

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A Rainbow In Your Cloud by Amina Mucciolo

Illustrated by Elle Pierre 3 stars A sweet book about being true to yourself. Everyone has a rainbow inside them made up of everything that makes them who they are. The story encourages readers to let that rainbow shine. Adorable illustrations packed with bright colors and cuteness. Nicely written. Wonderful messages about being yourself, talking…

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Love of the Half-Eaten Peach by Lee Wing

Illustrated by Jieting Chen 5 stars A stunning fictionalized depiction of the story of Yuan, Duke Ling of Wei, and Mi Zi Xia. This gorgeous story showcases their love in China in 500 B.C.E. Yuan is told he must strive to be perfect in his rule. But since nothing is perfect, how can he possible…

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