Geo Librarian

I AM ABLE TO SHINE by Korey Watari, illustrated by Mike Wu Two Lions, 2022 ISBN: 978-1542031530 Source: Blue Slip Media  Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & illustrations provided by Blue Slip Media. Book summary available at goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK An affirmative, empowering story about embracing your identity and finding your voice, inspired in part by debut author Korey Watari’s experiences growing up Asian American, and illustrated by her husband, Mike Wu, Pixar artist and creator of the Ellie series. I am beautiful. I belong here. What I do matters. I am able to shine. Each night Keiko whispers to her crane, “I wish to change the world.” She is kind, and she has big dreams. But at times she feels invisible; she knows some people misjudge her. Keiko is also loved, so she perseveres and stands strong. Over time, her confidence grows, she shares more of herself, and she helps lift up others—and eventually lead them. She understands that no ma...

BE THANKFUL FOR TREES by Harriet Ziefert & Brian Fitzgerald Red Comet Press, 2022 ISBN: 978-1-63655-020-6 Source: Blue Slip Media for review Ages 6-10 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary obtained from goodreads.com & the publisher. ABOUT THE BOOK What gives you a seat, a floor for your feet? A place you can sit with your family to eat? The pum-pum of a drum, a guitar’s twangy strum . . . Tree wood makes music zing, ping, and hum. Using lilting, rhyming couplets, this book explores the many items that are made from trees. But it doesn’t stop there! Kids will also learn about the many uses of live trees – and the environmental danger to trees posed by forest fires, floods, and deforestation. Kids are encouraged to be kind, not only to one another, but to the environment as well. Kids will view their backyards and parks in a whole new light after going on an arboreal eco-tour in this gorgeous paean to trees. This book is printed on responsibly source...

LIGHT THE SKY, FIREFLY! by Sheri Mabry Bestor, illustrated by Jonny Lambert Sleeping Bear Press, 2022 ISBN: 978-1-53411-115-8 Source: publisher for review Ages 6 and up All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary obtained from goodreads.com & publisher. ABOUT THE BOOK Fireflies (or lightning bugs) are some the world's most fascinating--and illuminating!--insects. And one many children can find right in their backyards! With a simple story, perfect for read-a-louds, and colorful illustrations, this scientific look at a firefly's life-cycle will captivate little entomologists. Informative sidebars are included that let children learn even more about these amazing insects.  REVIEW This stunning nonfiction picture book presents readers with the life cycle of a firefly.  Beginning with the laying of eggs under a moist leaf, the book takes readers through the egg, larval, pupa, and adult stages. The  text is wonderful, great for reading aloud, especia...

SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT TREES    by Toni Yuly Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2022 ISBN: 978-1-5344-8915-8 Source: publisher for review (Thanks!) ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary from goodreads.com & publisher. ABOUT THE BOOK An utterly charming picture book that celebrates a child’s sense of curiosity about the world with playful yet thoughtful questions about trees—perfect for fans of Julie Fogliano and Ruth Krauss. Do tiny trees dream of being big? Do the tallest trees get lonely? What part is the heart of a tree? Follow along as a lively little girl explores the natural world, asking questions big and small. Filled with wonder and joy, Some Questions About Trees is a celebration of how children see the world.  REVIEW A little girl takes the time to look at and appreciate the trees around her.  As she does so, she asks questions such as, "Where do trees live?" and What part is the heart of a tree?" It's the illustratio...

OUR UNIVERSE : EARTH by Marion Dane Bauer, illustrated by John Wallace Simon Spotlight, 2021 ISBN: 978-1-5344-8649-2 Source: publisher for review Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary obtained from goodreads.com and publisher. ABOUT THE BOOK Learn all about planet Earth in the third book in this nonfiction Level 1 Ready-to-Read series about the universe that’s perfect for kids who love science and space! Our home planet is a lucky one. It’s unlike any other planet in space! Earth gives us life and protects us. Readers will discover fun facts about Earth in this Level 1 Ready-to-Read! REVIEW This book presents young readers with a solid introduction to Earth.  Beginning with Earth's location in the solar system, Bauer moves on to giving readers a brief description of the rotation and revolution of the earth which leads to years and seasons.  The formation of the earth's crust and the rise of the ocean are covered in the next couple of sprea...

STARFISH by Lisa Fipps Nancy Paulsen Books: Penguin Young Readers, 2021 ISBN: 978-1-9848-1450-0 Source: purchased Ages 10 and up All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover and summary provided by goodreads.com and publisher. ABOUT THE BOOK Ellie is tired of being fat-shamed and does something about it in this debut novel-in-verse. Ever since Ellie wore a whale swimsuit and made a big splash at her fifth birthday party, she’s been bullied about her weight. To cope, she tries to live by the Fat Girl Rules–like “no making waves,” “avoid eating in public,” and “don’t move so fast that your body jiggles.” And she’s found her safe space–her swimming pool–where she feels weightless in a fat-obsessed world. In the water, she can stretch herself out like a starfish and take up all the room she wants. It’s also where she can get away from her pushy mom, who thinks criticizing Ellie’s weight will motivate her to diet. Fortunately, Ellie has allies in her dad, her therapist, and her new ...

BEFORE THE WORLD WAKES by Estelle Laure, illustrated by Paola Zakimi Two Lions, 2022 ISBN: 978-1542028837 Source: publisher/Blue Slip Media Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book information, cover, and illustrations provided by Blue Slip Media. ABOUT THE BOOK A joyous celebration of the sights and sounds of daybreak and that special feeling a brother and sister have when they get to experience it together. When everything is still gentle and quiet-ish and the stars say good morning at the same time they say good night, a brother and sister venture outside. They marvel at the dance of the snails and the birdsong that surrounds them. And then they join in, reveling in the early morning—and their time together before the rest of the world wakes. With lyrical language and beautiful art, this book captures the magic of daybreak, the importance of small moments, and the special bond between siblings. ABOUT THE AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR Estelle Laure is the author of six young adu...

SPEAK UP, SPEAK OUT! The Extraordinary Life of "Fighting Shirley Chisholm" by Tonya Bolden, Foreword by Stacey Abrams National Geographic, 2022 ISBN: 978-1-4263-7237-7 Source: Media Masters Publicity for review (Thanks!) Ages 10 and up All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book summary & book cover obtained from Goodreads.com & publisher. ABOUT THE BOOK From award-winning author Tonya Bolden comes a biography of the first Black woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and the first Black woman to run for president with a major political party: Shirley Chisholm. Before there was Barack Obama, before there was Kamala Harris, there was Fighting Shirley Chisholm. A daughter of Barbadian immigrants, Chisholm developed her political chops in Brooklyn in the 1950s and went on to become the first Black woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. This “pepper pot,” as she was known, was not afraid to speak up for what she thought was right. While fighting...

WORSER Jennifer Ziegler Margaret Ferguson Books/Holiday House, 2022 ISBN: 978-0-8234-4956-9 Source: purchased Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book summary & book cover obtained from Goodreads.com & publisher. ABOUT THE BOOK William Wyatt Orser, a socially awkward middle schooler, is a wordsmith who, much to his annoyance, acquired the ironically ungrammatical nickname of "Worser so long ago that few people at school know to call him anything else. Worser grew up with his mom, a professor of rhetoric and an introvert just like him, in a comfortable routine that involved reading aloud in the evenings, criticizing the grammar of others, ignoring the shabby mess of their house, and suffering the bare minimum of social interactions with others. But recently all that has changed. His mom had a stroke that left her nonverbal, and his Aunt Iris has moved in with her cats, art projects, loud music, and even louder clothes. Home for Worser is no longer a refuge f...