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MIDDLE GRADE FICTION REVIEW : The Case of the Pilfered Pearls by Margi Preus & Jenyi Wu

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  THE CASE OF THE PILFERED PEARLS The Shrew Detective #1 written by Margi Preus, illustrated Junyi Wu Amulet Books, 2026 ISBN: 978-1-4197-7802-5 Source: publisher for review (Thanks!) Ages 8-11 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK Wind in the Willows meets Enola Holmes in this exciting, young middle grade mystery series from Newbery Honor–winning author Margi Preus and with art from Junyi Wu Something that is difficult or impossible to understand. With a curious mind and a vast vocabulary (thanks to her wallpaper—pages of a discarded human dictionary), tiny Minerva Shrew would love nothing more than to solve the Big Mysteries of Life and the Universe. Instead, in The Case of the Pilfered Pearls, she’s called upon to help her cousin Tenacity solve a mystery in the most dangerous of a human house. When a string of pearls goes missing, the human owner is sure a “dreadful rodent” has pilfered ...
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PICTURE BOOK REVIEW : The Dino Door by Josh Funk & Renee Kurilla

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  THE DINO DOOR written by Josh Funk, illustrated by Renee Kurilla Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2026 ISBN: 978-1-6659-5783-0 Source: publisher for review (Thanks!) Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK Where the Wild Things Are gets a charming dinosaur twist in this whimsical rhyming picture book with adorable and vibrant art about a boy who discovers a magical door to the land of dinosaurs! Do you dare to see what’s behind the Dino Door? Dinosaur. Dino…door? Dino more! When a secret door appears in a small child’s messy, toy-strewn room just when they need it most, they discover a world full of real-life dinosaur friends! But what happens when it’s time to go back home? With clever wordplay and engaging, child-friendly art, beloved author Josh Funk and New York Times bestselling artist Renee Kurilla invite readers to a world full of wonder, humor, friendship, and,...
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WILD & WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY : Just One Oak by Maria Gianferrari & Diana Sudyka

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JUST ONE OAK What a Single Tree Can Be written by Maria Gianferrari, illustrated by Diana Sudyka Beach Lane Books, 2026 ISBN: 978-1-6659-6104-2 Source: publisher for review (Thanks!) Nonfiction Ages 4-8  All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK Explore an oak tree, from its leafy crown to its roots underground, and learn all the amazing ways it supports the animals, plants, and habitat where it lives in this surprising and enlightening nonfiction picture book companion to the award-winning Fungi Grow. An oak tree is so much more than meets the eye. From tiny fungi to mighty mammals, this amazing tree contains a whole world. For insects and birds, the oak’s leaves, branches, and bark are a home. For bears and squirrels, the thousands of acorns the oak produces are a nutritious superfood. Owls, deer, foxes, and many more creatures are drawn to the rich and healthy environment an oak creates. Bec...
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PICTURE BOOK REVIEW & AUTHOR INTERVIEW : Little Ghost's Summerween by Maggie Edkins Willis

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  LITTLE GHOST'S SUMMERWEEN written & illustrated by Maggie Edkins Willis Beach Lane Books, 2026 ISBN;978-1-6659-8514-7 Source: publisher for review (Thanks!) Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher. ABOUT THE BOOK Little Ghost tries to pick the perfect party theme for his summer birthday in this charming picture book companion to Little Ghost Makes a Friend by bestselling author-illustrator Maggie Edkins Willis. Little Ghost loves parties, but he’s only ever had the Halloween kind! After attending his first ever birthday party, Little Ghost decides to throw one of his own. His good friend Anya says his party should celebrate Little Ghost and what he likes most. That’s easy—Little Ghost loves Halloween with all its bats, black cats, candy corn, and pumpkins. There’s just one it’s summertime. And Halloween and summer just don’t mix…or do they? REVIEW Little Ghost wants to have a birthday party, but his favorite things...
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PICTURE BOOK NONFICTION : The True Ugly Duckling by Sandra Nickel & Calvin Nicholls

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  THE TRUE UGLY DUCKLING: How Hans Christian Andersen Became a Swan written by Sandra Nickel, illustrated by Calvin Nicholls Levine Querido, 2026 ISBN: 978-1-64614-576-8 Source: Blue Slip Media & publisher for review (Thanks!) Ages 6-10 Biography All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher for review. ABOUT THE BOOK Picture book biography of one of the most iconic storytellers of all time, Hans Christian Andersen, illustrated by papercut artist Calvin Nicholls He brought to life stories and characters that millions have A one-legged tin soldier who yearned for love. A poor little match girl. A mermaid who gave up her voice for a prince. But who was Hans Christian Andersen? He was a “strange child.” An ugly duckling. Even his mother said so. He didn’t seem to think like, or look like, anyone around him. But while his tender heart was bruised by ridicule, it responded by driving an unstoppable urge to create, to entertain. If he co...
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WILD & WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY : How to Hatch by Sara Holly Ackerman & Galia Bernstein

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  HOW TO HATCH:  A Goslings Guide to Breaking Free written by Sara Holly Ackerman, illustrated by Galia Bernstein Alfred A. Knopf, 2026 ISBN: 978-0-593-81106-1 Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK Discover how a gosling hatches into the world, step by step, in this irresistibly cute and funny nonfiction picture book. Is it getting stuffy in there? Has your yolk dwindled to a smidge? Is the beak in your wingpit cramping your style? Gosling, it’s time to . . . HATCH! With humorous, spare text that reads as an instructional "how to", this story is a delight to read aloud and walks children through every step of the hatching process--with a surprise ending that all readers will enjoy. Includes bonus facts on gosling hatching and growth, as well as an author's note from the author, an experienced preschool and elementary teacher who has hatched many goslings herself in the cl...
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PICTURE BOOK REVIEW : The Octopus by Guojing

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  THE OCTOPUS written & illustrated by Guojing two lions, 2026 ISBN: 978-1662521508 Source: publicist for review (Thanks!) Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK Join a little girl as she discovers the hidden world of her new octopus friend in this stunning wordless picture book by critically acclaimed author-illustrator Guojing. A little girl goes to the beach with her mother, never expecting the day full of magic and wonder that is ahead of her. When she scoops up a tiny octopus in her small, clear container, and they see each other eye to eye, there’s a spark between them! But a little octopus cannot be happy for long in a container. So the girl sets out to discover what the octopus needs. And that’s when something truly magical happens! Soon, the little girl is on an underwater adventure with her new octopus friend, where she discovers the joy and beauty of the octopus’s wor...
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MIDDLE GRADE FICTION REVIEW & INTERVIEW : Relic of Thieves (Underwild #2) by Shana Targosz

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  RELIC OF THIEVES The Underwild #2 written by Shana Targosz Aladdin, 2026 ISBN: 978-1-6659-5766-3 Source : ARC from publisher for review Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK An ordinary girl’s longing to return to the way things were sets off a chain of events that lands her and her best friend in the Underwild in this second book in the New York Times bestselling middle grade fantasy series The Underwild—perfect for fans of Greenwild and Rick Riordan. The best ways Anya knows how to cope with the struggles life throws her way is to keep her head down, stay invisible, and stick close to her best friend, Lizzie. Lizzie has been Anya’s rock since second grade. Together, they pretend the world away. But when Lizzie moves out of state, Anya is left adrift and desperately lonely. One day, Anya follows a strange girl home from school and is shocked to see her go into the home of the w...
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PICTURE BOOK REVIEW : Barbed Wire Between Us by Mia Wenjen & Violeta Engarnacion

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  BARBED WIRE BETWEEN US written by Mia Wenjen, illustrated by Violeta Encarnacion Red Comet Press, 2026 ISBN: 978-1-63655-192-0 Source: author for review (Thanks!) Ages 6-10 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK A powerful reverso poem about two girls separated by barbed wire and 80 years of history Barbed Wire Between Us is a powerful reverso poem that tells two deeply resonant stories across time. It begins with a Japanese American girl sent to an internment camp in Oklahoma during World War II. Read in reverse, it reveals the journey of a Latina girl detained in the very same camp decades later, during the U.S. policy of migrant family separation. Harrowing and emotionally charged, this poetic narrative compels us to confront a haunting question: What have we truly learned in the past 80 years about how we treat the most vulnerable among us? With haunting symmetry and striking parallels, Ba...
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WILD & WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY : Who Hid the Stars? by Valentina Gottardi, Maciej Michno, and Danio Miserocchi

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  WHO HID THE STARS? How Light Pollution Changes Our World written by Valentina Gottardi, Maciej Michno, and Danio Miserocchi illustrated by Valentina Gottardi translated by Sylvia Notini Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2026 ISBN: 978-0-8028-5651-7 Source: publisher for review Ages 6-10 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK A richly illustrated picture book exploring light pollution and its surprising impact on nature and wildlife. When streetlights outshine the stars, what does that mean for plants, animals, and us? This absorbing nonfiction picture book investigates artificial light and its unexpected impact on our planet. Who Hid the Stars? explores fascinating topics including: How artificial light developed throughout history—from fire to LEDs How city lights interrupt bird migration patterns How streetlights gather insects—and their predators How turtles struggle to hatch without da...
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