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PICTURE BOOK REVIEW: Saturday Morning at the Shop by Keenan Jones & Ken Daley

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  SATURDAY MORNING AT THE 'SHOP written by Keenan Jones, illustrated by Ken Daley Beach Lane Books, 2025 ISBN: 978-1-6659-4080-1 Source: publisher for review Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK Spend Saturday morning at the barbershop in this upbeat picture book celebration of the spaces and places that bring communities together. It’s Saturday morning. We hop in the car. Mom’s heading to work, and I’m geeked to go spend the day at the ’shop! The barbershop is a sound booth, an art gallery, a playground, a classroom, and so much more. It’s a place for artistry and comradery and, most importantly, community. Come spend the day feeling all the style and wisdom and joy at the ’shop! REVIEW Having never been to one, this joy-filled look into the workings of a black barbershop opened my eyes. The young boy at the heart of the story doesn't just get his hair cut, oh, no, he has an ...

FANTASTIC FRIDAY: SCRAM: Society of Creatures Real and Magical by Rory Lacey

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SCRAM Society of Creatures Real and Magical written and illustrated by Rory Lucey First Second, 2024 ISBN:   9781250851956 Source: purchased eBook Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK Rockhurst is your average suburban town. It has everything you'd happy families, fun shops…and magical creatures! In the hopes of learning more about the local cryptids, three friends, Jenny, Emiko, and Brian, start the Society of Creatures Real and Magical―S.C.R.A.M.! Their first order of business? To meet a troll! As they venture into the unknown, our heroes learn valuable lessons about friendship, perseverance, and the importance of keeping a fish head in an old boot. REVIEW One of the funniest books I've read in quite a while, S.C.R.A.M. finds Jenny, Emiko, and Brian on the hunt to find a real life troll. Using the information found in an old book in the library, the three friends start followin...

PICTURE BOOK REVIEW: Lily's Dream by Bea Jackson

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LILY'S DREAM A Fairy Friendship written and illustrated by Bea Jackson Aladdin, 2025 ISBN: 9781665941174 Source: publisher for review Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK A flightless fairy befriends a human girl and discovers her magic in this enchanting picture book from the New York Times bestselling illustrator of Parker Looks Up. Lily is a young fairy determined to learn to fly just like the others who soar on shimmering, jeweled-colored wings, but she’s worried her own colorless wings will never lift her off the ground. Then she meets a young girl named Willow who helps her not only discover her special magic, but the truly magical gift of friendship. REVIEW Young fairy fans are bound to be thrilled with this adorable tale of a young fairy learning to fly. Jackson's gorgeous illustrations make this story of friendship and persistence stand out. The cover alone is likely ...

CYBILS GRAPHIC NOVEL NOMINEE: Call Me Iggy by Jorge Aguirre & Rafael Rosado

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CALL ME IGGY written by Jorge Aguirre, art by Rafael Rosado, color by John Novak First Second, 2024 ISBN: 978-1-250-20415-8 Source: purchased Ages 14 and up All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK Ignacio "Iggy" Garcia is an Ohio-born Colombian American teen living his best life. After bumping into Marisol (and her coffee) at school, Iggy's world is spun around. But Marisol as too much going on to be bothered with the likes of Iggy. She has school, work, family, and the uphill battle of getting her legal papers. As Iggy stresses over how to get Marisol to like him, his grandfather comes to the rescue. The thing is, not only is his abuelito dead, but he also gives terrible love advice. The worst. And so, with his ghost abuelito's meddling, Iggy's life begins to unravel as he sets off on a journey of self-discovery. Call me Iggy tells the story of Iggy searching for his place ...

Four great poetic winter picture books to inspire young readers and writers!

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  WINTER LIGHT written & illustrated by Aaron Becker Candlewick Studio, 2024 ISBN: 978-1-5362-3646-0 Source: publisher for review Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. REVIEW In a poetic ode to the importance of light during wintertime, Becker uses cut outs with jewellike backgrounds to to highlight the soft light that can offer comfort during a season that seems so dark and cold (depending on where you live). The book needs to be read with available natural sunlight to be fully appreciated. This is a book that adults especially can appreciate the beauty of and would be fun to discuss one on one with a child. It's especially fascinating the way the colors blend, lightening and darkening as the pages get turned. A book full of wonder and comfort perfect for sharing during a season where natural light can be greatly missed. COLD written by Tim McCanna, illustrated by Ramona Kaulitzki Simon & Schuster Boo...

CHRISTMAS PICTURE BOOK REVIEWS: Santa Post by Emma Yarlett & Letters from the North Pole by Annie Atkins

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SANTA POST written & illustrated by Emma Yarlett Kane Miller, 2020 ISBN: 978-1-68464-196-3 Source: purchased Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK An irresistible festive follow-up from award-winning author-illustrator Emma Yarlett, with hilarious letters and parcels to open. Santa receives post from children all over the world. But when Amy sends him a letter, he just can't work out what she wants as her gift. Will Santa manage to find Amy the right present in time for Christmas Eve? This joyous story sparkles with Emma Yarlett’s vibrant illustrations and quirky humor. REVIEW As a fan of novelty books with movable parts, Christmas stories, and Emma Yarlett, I was thrilled to find this book. Amy sends a letter to Santa but it's been singed and Santa can't read what Amy wants for Christmas. As it is Christmas Eve and he is tremendously busy, he seeks help finding the per...

CYBILS GRAPHIC NOVEL NOMINEE: Jupiter Nettle and the Seven Schools of Magic by Sangu Bandanna & Pablo Ballesteros

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  JUPITER NETTLE AND THE SEVEN SCHOOLS OF MAGIC written by Sangu Bandanna, illustrated by Pablo Ballesteros Viking, 2024 ISBN: 978-0-593-46449-6 Source: purchased Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK When you've dreamed of getting into the Seven Schools of Magic your whole life, what do you do when it turns out to be the worst thing ever? This heartwarming graphic novel adventure is perfect for fans of Harry Potter, The Okay Witch, and City of Dragons! For all of her twelve years, Jupiter Nettle has wanted to attend one of the Seven Schools of Magic. When she finally gets the call to take the entrance exam, she shocks everyone with her magic skills . . . but not in the way she'd hoped. Failing spectacularly in one test after another, Jupiter goes home dejected and confused. What will she do now? That night, Jupiter gets an unexpected visitor and, amazingly, another chance at ...

CYBILS GRAPHIC NOVEL NOMINEE (MG): Lost at Windy River by Trina Rathgeber, Alina Pete, & Jillian Dolan

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LOST AT WINDY RIVER: A TRUE STORY OF SURVIVAL written by Trina Rathgeber, illustrated by Alina Pete, colored by Jillian Dolan Orca Book Publishers, 2024 ISBN: 978-1-4598-3226-8 Source: publisher for Cybils consideration Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK It takes courage and bravery to survive in the barrens. In 1944, thirteen-year-old Ilse Schweder got lost in a snowstorm while checking her family's trapline in northern Canada. This is the harrowing story of how a young Indigenous girl defies the odds and endures nine days alone in the unforgiving barrens. Ilse faces many challenges, including freezing temperatures, wild animals, snow blindness and frostbite. With no food or supplies, she relies on Traditional Indigenous Knowledge passed down from her family. Ilse uses her connection to the land and animals, wilderness skills and resilience to find her way home. This powerful ...

CYBILS GRAPHIC NOVEL NOMINEE (YA): The Harrowing by Kristen Kiesling & Rye Hickman

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  THE HARROWING: A GRAPHIC NOVEL written by Kristen Kiesling, illustrated by Rye Hickman Harry N. Abrams, 2024 ISBN:   9781419760846 Source: eBook from the public library through Sora Ages 14 and up All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK In this YA graphic novel, a psychic teen hunts potential killers until she discovers the boy she loves is her next target Rowan Sterling should be worrying about normal teenage things like attending college and whether her best friend, Lucas, is maybe more than a friend. . . . Instead, she’s having terrifying visions of blood and violence. As the premonitions increase in number and intensity, Rowan seeks her father’s help, but instead finds herself drugged, kidnapped, and sent to a mysterious facility called Rosewood. It isn’t long before Rowan discovers Rosewood isn’t a boarding school or an it’s a training center for teens with special abilities who are known as Harrows. Harrows can view the actions of would-be murderers be...

CYBILS GRAPHIC NOVEL NOMINEE (YA): The Deep Dark by Molly Knox Ostertag

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THE DEEP DARK written and illustrated by Molly Knox Ostertag Graphix, 2024 ISBN: 978-1-338-84000-1 Source: public library Ages 14 and up All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover and summary provided by publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK From Molly Knox Ostertag, writer-illustrator, comes a darkly beautiful story of identity, family, love, loss, and magic. Everyone has secrets. Mags’s has teeth. Magdalena Herrera is about to graduate high school, but she already feels like an adult with serious responsibilities: caring for her ailing grandmother; working a part-time job; clandestine make outs with a girl who has a boyfriend. And then there’s her secret, which pulls her into the basement each night, drains her of energy, and leaves her bleeding. A secret that could hurt and even kill if it ever got out -- like it did once before. So Mags keeps her head down, isolated in her small desert community. That is, until her childhood friend Nessa comes back to town, brin...