Uncle Bobby’s Wedding by Sarah S. Brannen

Illustrated by Lucia Soto 5 stars A delightfully sweet story of a young girl and her favorite uncle. When Uncle Bobby’s announces he’s getting married, Chloe isn’t so sure. She wants him to keep having fun with her. But as she spends more time with him and his fiancé, Jamie, she sees that having two…

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Kenzie Kickstarts a Team (The Derby Daredevils #1)

by Kit Rosewater Illustrated by Sophie Escabasse 4 stars A fast-paced story of leadership, making room for new friends, and sharing a love of roller derby. Best friends Kenzie and Shelly (a.k.a. Kenzilla and Bomb Shell) long to play roller derby but they’re too young. That is, until a new Junior Derby League starts up….

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Jacob’s New Dress by Sarah and Ian Hoffman

Illustrated by Chris Case 5 stars A sweet story about being yourself. Jacob enjoys wearing the dress from the dress-up corner at school and the way his Halloween witch costume swirls around him. Now he wants to wear a real dress to school. His classmate tells him that boys don’t wear dresses and his parents…

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Ali and the Sea Stars by Ali Stroker

Illustrated by Gillian Reid 5 stars A sweet story of creativity, collaboration, perseverance, and creative problem solving. Ali loves performing. With a little inspiration, she decides to put on a show with her friends and family at the beach. But when a big storm rolls in and washes away the sets, the cast will have…

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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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In Our Mothers’ House by Patricia Polacco

4 stars A heartfelt story of a family’s love shared in a big house filled with memories. Told by the eldest daughter, the story follows the children from adoption to adulthood, depicting moments from dance parties to grandparent visits, new pets to Halloween adventures, tea parties to block parties. Such an adorable story. It was…

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Sparkle Boy by Lesléa Newman

Illustrated by Maria Mola 5 stars Absolutely adorable. A wonderful story with sweet illustrations. Jessie loves all things sparkly, but when her brother Casey shows an interest in them as well, she doesn’t think he’s allowed. He’s a boy after all. Her family supports Casey’s interest and helps him put together shimmery attire. When confronted…

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Go with the Flow (Go with the Flow #1)

by Lily Williams and Karen Schneemann Illustrated by Lily Williams 5 stars A fantastic story of friendship, activism, and the fight for period equity. I loved this story and its characters from the very first page. When Sasha gets her first period at school, it feels like the end of the world. Until she meets…

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CeeCee: Underground Railroad Cinderella by Shana Keller

Illustrated by Laura Freeman 5 stars A wonderful book blending history, fairy tales, and biblical stories. Much like Cinderella, CeeCee is mistreated and disrespected. As an enslaved girl in the household, she is ordered around, isn’t allowed to learn, and is locked away in the attic whenever she is caught looking at books. The only…

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Crank (Crank #1) by Ellen Hopkins

3 stars Kristina has lived most of her life trying to be perfect. But during a visit with her father, a new side of Kristina come out: Bree. Bree is everything Kristina is not; confident, bold, flirtatious, and unafraid to try to new things. With nothing else to do and the appeal of getting close…

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