CATCHING EMOTIONS by Artun Bekar Middle Grade Fantasy 92 pages ages 8 to 12 Willy, a very rational boy, is forced to grapple with his unpredictable emotions on an adventure with a classmate. On a journey through a nearby forbidden forest, he discovers nine primary emotions that put him in hazardous situations, then help […]
Millionaires for the Month by Stacy McAnulty
Published by Random House Books for Young Readers Summary: When Felix and Benji find a wallet belonging to billionaire Laura Friendly, they return it–after first “borrowing” $20.00 to buy themselves hot dogs and ice cream. As a reward/punishment, Ms. Friendly offers the boys $10 million. But there’s a catch: first they have to spend $5,368,709.12 […]
Don’t Judge Me by Lisa Schroeder
Published by Scholastic Press (Released November 10) Summary: When Hazel finds an abandoned pet tortoise, she discovers that the two of them are alike in some ways. Both want to hide when they are scared, and Hazel finds herself feeling anxious about almost every aspect of middle school. She’s shy and wants nothing more than […]
Love Is Powerful by Heather Dean Brewer, illustrated by LeUyen Pham
Published by Candlewick Summary: Mari and her mother get out crayons and poster board to make signs: “Be Kind”, “Love Is Powerful”. From their apartment, they can see crowds gathering in the streets. Mom explains that they are sending a message to the world. “How will the whole world hear?” asks Mari. “They’ll hear because […]
Review: Ten Sleepy Sheep
Ten Sleepy Sheep is an adorable board book set on a farm in the Australian bush. Gently counting animals who are ready for bed down from ten sheep to one snuggly, sleepy joey, this new book from Renée Treml is as sweet as they come. Each spread features a group of gorgeous, very sleepy animals […]
Review: 1,001 Creatures
1,001 CREATURES by Laura Merz and Alino Jarvinen Translated by Emily Jeremiah Merkat Press Yonder Picture Book Non-Fiction/ Zoology 64 pages ages 4 to 8 From the dung-beetle to the blue whale, no creature is too humble or huge for Finnish author and illustrator duo Laura Merz and Aino Järvinen in 1,001 Creatures, a […]
Review: Piper Picks the Perfect Pet
Piper’s dilemma is which pet to choose. So many types of dogs: ones that prance, others that dance, one that is flouncy or another that’s bouncy. Or perhaps a cat? A tabby? A Persian? A Manx or Siamese? One that sleeps all day long, or the kind that are poetry in motion. What about other […]
Peter’s War: A Boy’s True Story of Survival in World War II Europe
Published by Holiday House Summary: Peter was born to a wealthy family in Berlin, German in 1930. All that changed when Hitler rose to power, and his Jewish family had to escape, first to Belgium, and then to France. In the summer of 1942, Peter’s parents sent him to summer camp. While he was there, […]
Review: Challenger Deep
Caden Bosch lives a double life – seemingly a normal adolescent boy, quirky, smart and fun, living in suburbia, juggling the demands of friends, schoolwork and leisure. Yet he is simultaneously working as the artist in residence on board a ship with the mission to explore the deepest part of the ocean, the Challenger Deep […]
Review: I’m A Hero Too
2020 has been challenging and emotional. And for our kids, it’s been frustrating and confusing. Life changed in ways it had never changed before. We had to stop doing a lot of the things we loved to do. There are so many new rules we have to follow. In I’m a Hero Too, we step […]
Review: Puffin Little Scientist: The Solar System
The Puffin Little book series makes facts and figures super fun and super accessible for kids. Little Scientist: The Solar System takes kids on a space adventure. It introduces kids to key space concepts, like orbits, gravity and atmospheres, and dives into everything you need to know about the planets in our solar system, including […]
Review: The Austen Girls
The Austen Girls is a fictional story featuring real life people, written into a plot inspired by the times. Writer and presenter, Lucy Worsley (you might have seen her on TV), is the Chief Curator at Britain’s Historic Royal Palaces and has many historical facts and experiences to draw upon. In The Austen Girls, she’s […]
The Campaign by Leila Sales, illustrated by Kim Balacuit
Published by Harry N. Abrams Summary: Maddie Polansky’s pretty sure seventh grade will suck, with art class offering the only bright spot on an otherwise dismal daily schedule. So when she hears that unopposed mayoral candidate Lucinda Burghart is planning to cut the school’s arts funding, she feels desperate enough to try to do something […]
Letters from Bear by Gauthier David, illustrated by Marie Caudry
Published by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers Summary: Bear is sad that his friend Bird has migrated south for the winter. He plans to write her a letter each day, but by day two, he’s decided to travel to be with her. Each letter describes a different adventure, with an illustration to go with it. […]
Review: We Love You, Magoo
Dogs are practically human, aren’t they? Magoo seems to think so. Magoo is a dog, and he’s a crazy, loveable hound. Unfortunately for Magoo, much as he’d like to do the things his humans do (like eating eggs for breakfast), there always seems to be a canine alternative. No chewing the toys for Magoo. He […]