Posts

#MMGM: It Found Us by Lindsay Currie

Image
IT FOUND US by Lindsay Currie Sourcebooks Young Readers, 2023 ISBN:978-1728259499 Source: eARC from publisher through Netgalley. Middle grade Horror (Fantasy/Speculative fiction) Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover provided by publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK From the author of Scritch Scratch and The Girl in White comes a new spooky mystery about a girl detective who must decode a series of ominous clues tied to a century-old tragedy to find a missing teenager before it’s too late… Twelve-year-old Hazel Woods has always had an unusual knack for sleuthing. Some may call it snooping, but all she really wants is to solve mysteries around town. So, when she not-so-accidentally overhears her brother Den planning to sneak into the cemetery at night for an epic game of hide-and-seek, she decides to secretly tag along. This seems like the perfect opportunity to investigate the claims that the cemetery is haunted. But the moment the game ends, Hazel re
Post a Comment
Read more

WILD & WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY: The Book of Turtles by Sy Montgomery & Matt Patterson

Image
  THE BOOK OF TURTLES written by Sy Montgomery, illustrated by Matt Patterson Clarion Books, 2023 ISBN: 978-0-35-845807-4 Ages 8-12 Picture book nonfiction All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & book summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK From National Book Award finalist and New York Times bestseller Sy Montgomery comes an ode to one of the most diverse, fascinating, and beloved species on the planet: turtles. With dazzling illustrations and emotionally engaging, fact-filled text, this picture book will speak to the wisdom these long-lived animals can lend. Everyone loves turtles. And no wonder: long-lived, unhurried, and ancient, these shelled reptiles are fascinating. Turtles are also endlessly surprising. There are turtles with soft shells, turtles with googly eyes, turtles with necks longer than their bodies, and turtles whose shells glow in the dark! And each turtle, of each of the more than 300 kinds, is an individual. You'
Post a Comment
Read more

PICTURE BOOK REVIEW: The Together Tree by Aisha Saeed, illustrated by LeUyen Pham

Image
THE TOGETHER TREE by Aisha Saeed, illustrated by LeUyen Pham Salaam Reads, 2023 ISBN: 978-1-5344-6296-0 Source: publisher for review (Thanks!) Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK All Are Welcome meets Be Kind in this poignant and accessible picture book about the power every bystander—no matter how small—has to extend kindness and stand up in the face of intolerance. At his new school, quiet Rumi feels small and unwelcome, and a few kids bully him for being different and wearing bright shoes. He finds refuge beneath the old willow tree by the playground and builds his own world of hope and dreams of belonging. One day, when Rumi is made a target again, one of his classmates bravely steps in to defend him. It’s in that moment of solidarity Rumi’s class finally realizes that under the shade of the willow tree, all are welcome, and they create a space they can all play in—together. REVIEW T
Post a Comment
Read more

PICTURE BOOK REVIEW: Memo and the Unexpected Gift by Fonda Ozlem Seran and Ezgi Keles

Image
MEMO AND THE UNEXPECTED GIFT by Funda Ozlem Sedan and Ezgi Keles illustrated by Ezgi Keles Amazon Crossing Kids, 2023 ISBN: 978-1662512926 Source: Blue Slip Media Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & illustrations provided by Blue Slip Media.  Book summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK There’s something unusual about the kitten Memo finds in his yard. Memo lives in a small cottage with his grandmother. But his grandma can’t see very well anymore, and she falls asleep all the time. Memo starts to feel a bit lonely…until the night he discovers a stray kitten. The boy and cat become fast friends. But as the cat grows and grows (and grows), Memo realizes that this kitten may not be a cat at all. And it most definitely doesn’t belong in a cottage! Memo needs to make a plan so that his friend can get home safely. What will become of his big, furry friend? REVIEW--SPOILERS AHEAD Memo and the Unexpected Gift  tells the sweet stor
Post a Comment
Read more

PICTURE BOOK REVIEW: The Light Within You by Namita Moolani Mehra, illustrated by Kamala Nair

Image
THE LIGHT WITHIN YOU written by Namita Moolani Mehra, illustrated by Kamala Nair Two Lions, 2023 ISBN: 978-1542039123 Source: Blue Slip Media/publisher Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & other materials provided by Blue Slip Media & the publisher. ABOUT THE BOOK A celebration of family love and the light we share with the world. Diya is excited to be going to India for Diwali, the Festival of Lights. That means she’ll get to spend time with Nani, her beloved grandma, who she hasn’t seen since her family moved from India. Now India is 7,850 miles away… Once Diya arrives in India, she immediately feels at home with Nani. Together they go shopping at the bazaar and prepare for the festival. As Diya and Nani celebrate Diwali together, Diya’s heart soars. But all too soon, her trip will come to an end. Is there a way for Diya to take some of the light and magic of Diwali with her when she leaves? ABOUT THE AUTHOR & ILLUSTRATOR Namita Moolani Mehra i
Post a Comment
Read more

AUTHOR & ILLUSTRATOR GUEST POST: KIN: Rooted in Hope by Carole Boston Weatherford, art by Jeffery Boston Weatherford

Image
KIN: ROOTED IN HOPE written by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Jeffery Boston Weatherford Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2023 ISBN: 978-1-6659-1362-1 Source: publisher for review Ages 12 and up Middle grade memoir All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover, illustrations, & audio provided by the author. ABOUT THE BOOK A powerful portrait of a Black family tree shaped by enslavement and freedom, rendered in searing poems by acclaimed author Carole Boston Weatherford and stunning art by her son Jeffery Boston Weatherford. I call their names: Abram Alice Amey Arianna Antiqua I call their names: Isaac Jake James Jenny Jim Every last one, property of the Lloyds, the state’s preeminent enslavers. Every last one, with a mind of their own and a story that ain’t yet been told. Till now. Carole and Jeffery Boston Weatherford’s ancestors are among the founders of Maryland. Their family history there extends more than three hundred years, but as with the genealogical sea
Post a Comment
Read more

PICTURE BOOK REVIEW & AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Elves are the Worst! by Alex Willan

Image
ELVES ARE THE WORST! by Alex Willan Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2023 ISBN: 978-1-6659-2179-4 Ages 4-8 Picture book humor/holiday All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & author interview provided by publisher. ABOUT THE AUTHOR If it was ALEX WILLAN, and not Gilbert the Goblin, who was in charge of writing the stories, he’d make a book called Anchovies are the Worst!. Alex is the author-illustrator of Unicorns are the Worst!, Dragons are the Worst!, Yetis are the Worst!, and the Jasper & Ollie series, as well as the illustrator of Got Your Nose, written by Alan Katz. Alex lives in Chicago with his dog, Harley, who is the absolute best. Visit him online at AlexWillan.com . REVIEW In this fourth book in the ...Are the Worst series by Alex Willan, Gilbert is once again complaining about another creature. This time it's 'hardworking and so perfect' elves. Gilbert sets out to prove that he works just as hard and just as perfectly as elves d
Post a Comment
Read more