Geo Librarian

  AGGIE AND THE GHOST written & illustrated by Matthew Forsythe A Paula Wiseman Book Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2025 ISBN: 978-1-5344-7820-6 Source: publisher for review (Thanks!) Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher for review. ABOUT THE BOOK From Matthew Forsythe, the creator of the acclaimed and beloved Pokko and the Drum, comes a surprising and pleasing picture book about rules. And sharing. And an epic game of tic-tac-toe. Aggie is very excited to live on her own—until she finds out her new house is haunted. But no fear, the situation is nothing that can’t be fixed with a carefully considered list of No haunting after dark. No stealing socks. No eating all the food. But the ghost doesn’t like playing by the rules and challenges Aggie to an epic game of tic-tac-toe—winner gets the house. REVIEW In this rather unusual book, Aggie moves into a house only to discover that the place is haunted b...

  BEANSPROUT written & illustrated by Sarah Lynne Reul Charlesbridge, 2025 978-1-62354-475-1 Source: publisher for review Ages 5-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK What happens when you do everything right, but it doesn’t work out? When classmates start having success with their seeds, one student's just won't sprout. A picture book about planting and growing, where grown-ups and kids can talk about disappointment, emotions, and second chances. It's seed-planting time in Ms. Greene's classroom! One of the kids has big predictions for their mystery seed and does everything just so to make sure it grows. But as all the other seeds start to sprout, theirs . . . doesn't. So they proclaim they'll never try to grow another seed again! But when they learn the leftover seeds will be thrown out, they start to think about second chances and enlists their classmates to hel...

  THE INTERPRETER words by Olivia Abtahi, pictures by Monica Arnaldo Kokila, 2025 ISBN: 978-0-593-62044-1 Source: purchased Ages 6-10 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK A sharp and heartfelt picture book about a young soccer-loving girl who’s an interpreter for her Spanish-speaking parents.Some kids have one to be a kid! Cecilia has two. When she isn't on the soccer field scoring goals, she's accompanying her parents to all kinds of grown-up places, like the DMV, the accountant's office, and the auto shop. She helps them translate from Spanish to English and from English to Spanish. It’s an important job, and it can even be fun. It’s also hard work. Sometimes Cecilia's second job is so much responsibility, it feels like she'll split in two! Is it time for Cecilia to blow her whistle and call for a time-out?Olivia Abtahi’s clever text and Monica Arnaldo’s charming illustra...

  THE FIRELIGHT APPRENTICE      written & illustrated by Bree Paulsen Quill Tree Books, 2024 ISBN: 978-0-06-326659-9 Source: 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 In a city powered by magic and still recovering from a bloody war, Ada is concerned about her younger sister Safi’s developing powers. She understands that Safi could learn how to control her magic under the apprenticeship of a king's magician. But with the memories of war still fresh, Ada is conflicted by this prospect—despite her knowing that she can’t keep Safi safely at home with the threat of deadly, power-thieving liches prowling the kingdom. When a traveling group of magicians comes to the city to perform, they immediately recognize Safi’s talents and offer to take her on as an apprentice. Safi is thrilled about her new adventure—even if that means leaving behind Ada and the...

  WHOA PANDA! written & illustrated by C.S. Jennings Nancy Paulsen Books, 2025 ISBN: 978-0-593-32478-3 Source: publisher for review Ages 3-6 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK From “Whoa!” to “Way to go!,” this is a humorous and heartwarming look at the importance of communicating personal boundaries. Panda gets excited when he sees a potential friend. So excited, he’s apt to put his cold, wet nose right in their face! Eeek! Whoa Panda! Fortunately Panda has a friend to help him navigate how close is too close. And before long, he is able to say “Way to go, Panda” instead of “Whoa Panda!” With irresistible art and a simple, encouraging text, this entertaining picture book is perfect for helping little ones become more self-aware of personal boundaries. REVIEW After waving at the narrator, Panda runs and hugs the 'narrator' (shown in the illustrations with a closeup of Panda's fac...

HELLO, I'M A TOUCAN Meet the Wild Things #5 written by Hayley Rocco, illustrated by John Rocco G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2025 ISBN: 978-0-593-85875-2 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 Meet the toucan in this clever, funny, and informative nonfiction picture book, part of a series that focuses on endangered species. Did you know a toucan's bill is four times the size of its head? But you might be surprised by how lightweight and strong it is. And did you know that toucans use their bills to keep cool when it's hot outside, by increasing blood flow from the rest of their body to maintain the perfect temperature? You can't get much cooler than that. But did you also know the toucan is endangered and needs our help? With humans chopping down rainforests and taking toucans from their homes to make them pets, these unique birds need our protecti...

PARTS OF US Kitty-Corn Club #2 written by Shannon Hale, illustrated by LeUyen Pham Abrams Appleseed, 2025 ISBN: 978-1-4197-6882-8 Source: publisher for review Ages 0-3 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK This original concept board book celebrates what makes our bodies unique—from head to toe and horn to tail. From the bestselling and award-winning Itty-Bitty Kitty-Corn creators, author Shannon Hale and illustrator LeUyen Pham All are welcome in the kitty-corn club! Whether you’re long-tailed or short-tailed, furry or feathered, taloned or tentacled, you are just right. From head to toe and horn to tail, join Kitty and Unicorn—alongside Gecko, Parakeet, and a new Octopus friend—as they demonstrate, with humor and creativity, the many ways our bodies may be different, unique, and amazing. Teeny-tiny mini-moo Kitty-corns will read with you Silly-willy hardy-hars Let’s all look at body parts REV...

  KAYA OF THE OCEAN by Gloria L. Huang Holiday House, 2025 ISBN: 9780823457885 Source: eARC from Beth Parker PR Ages 9-12 Middle grade fantasy/speculative fiction Book cover, author photo, and interview provided through Beth Parker PR. ABOUT THE BOOK On the surface, thirteen-year-old Kaya leads a charmed life. She lives in beautiful, beachy Lihiwai. She has ride-or-die best friends. She’s ultrasmart and killing it at school. She even works with a super-cute boy at her parents’ restaurant. But she also has anxiety—serious anxiety, the kind that makes you scratch and pick—and she’s always had bad luck around the ocean. It’s hard to enjoy Hawaiian beaches when you’ve almost drowned more than once. But as stranger and stranger things happen to Kaya around the sea, she realizes that—wanted or not—she has a special connection to it. Waves rise when she’s angry. Surf smooths when she’s calm. Fish come when she calls them. And when she learns the truth about her family and her divine ...

  FORTS written by Katie Venit, illustrated by Kendard Pak Viking, 2025 ISBN: 978-0-593-46615-5 Source: Penguin Random House for review Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK A lyrical ode to all the secret spaces in our world. The world is filled with forts. Tiny worlds within this world, safe as coat pockets. Everyone needs a room of their own. A place to hide and play, ponder and dream. Whether it’s a tree house in the backyard or a blanket fort inside, a fort is a magical place filled with imagination and wonder. Debut author Katie Venit and celebrated illustrator Kenard Pak have crafted a lyrical celebration of the secret spaces we hold so dear. Forts encourages readers to explore the world around them to find the perfect place where they belong. REVIEW In this poem about the importance of having our own space, the author highlights forts of all kinds. Inside, outside, tents or tre...

  ALL THE HULK FEELS A Mighty Marvel Comics Picture Book written & illustrated by Dan Santat Abrams Fanfare, 2025 ISBN: 978-1-4197-7613-7 Source: Abrams for review Ages 5-10 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK In this graphic novel picture book from Marvel and Caldecott Medal–winning author Dan Santat, Bruce Banner and the Incredible Hulk work together to wrangle their super-sized emotions. Sequential illustration panels combine with traditional picture book elements to create a dazzling new reading experience for budding Marvel fans—and a perfect introduction to comics for the youngest readers. When scientist Bruce Banner starts to feel his emotions getting out of hand, he transforms into his alter ego, the Incredible Hulk! Usually, Hulk is ready to use his anger to smash supervillains, but when everyday moments like pickles on a burger (yuck!) begin triggering Bruce’s transformation...

  TALKING ROCKS AND MINERALS: Fact-Packed Guide to Geology written by Paige Towler, illustrated by Matthew Carlson Grosset & Dunlap, 2025 ISBN: 978-0-593-89095-0 Source: Penguin Random House 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 For fans of Ricky, the Rock That Couldn’t Roll comes a delightful nonfiction picture book told from the perspective of rocks—offering a fun and informative view of geology, straight from the source. Let’s talk rocks. No, let’s let rocks talk! Pebble the Rock Reporter is ready to interview a whole host of rocks and minerals to get the scoop on the fundamentals of geology. Rocks and minerals have lots to tell us, and they are ready for their close-up! Explaining how different rocks and gemstones form from minerals, this quirky nonfiction picture book is full of fun facts and puns galore—a great gift for any young rock collector or rock lover...

  IRON MAN : SOMETHING STRANGE! A Mighty Marvel Team-Up #1 written by Dean Hale, illustrated Douglas Holgate Abrams Fanfare, 2025 ISBN: 978-1-4197-7459-1 Source: publisher for review! Ages 8-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK Iron Man must team up with Doctor Strange to outsmart an otherworldly force that threatens New York City in this new Mighty Marvel Team-Up series! There’s chaos at Avengers Tower! When the communications system goes down at the tower, technical genius and super hero Tony Stark, a.k.a. Iron Man, thinks there will be a quick and easy solution. But when Iron Man learns that the root of the problem is the arrival of the otherworldly creature Gargantos and it’s missing children that are loose across New York City, Iron Man quickly finds that he’s out of his depth. Luckily for him, mystical expert Doctor Strange arrives to team up with Iron Man and save the day! The tw...

RAY: How Light Works A Science Pals Book written & illustrated by Emily Kate Moon Dial Books for Young Readers, 2025 ISBN: 978-0-593-85798-4 Source: Penguin Young Readers 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 The Science Pals series introduces the dazzling Ray, revealing how light works—from the creator of An Adventure through the Water Cycle and All About Air Meet Ray. He's light! And he's been shining since time began. Wherever there's life on Earth, there's Ray, helping everything under the sun thrive. And Ray can really move—fast. Have you ever hurtled through space? Become a rainbow? Made food for plants? Ray has! With brilliant wit and sparkling one-liners, Ray introduces readers to a light show like no other. Filled with awe-inspiring artwork, funny asides, and a spotlight on kid-enticing facts, Ray invites us to bask in his warmth, as he illumina...

  POLECAT HAS A SUPERPOWER written by Jill Esbaum, illustrated by Bob Shea G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2025 ISBN: 978-0-593-69999-7 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 A factual (and funny) introduction to the polecat and its awesome, action-packed superpower, from the team that brought you Parrotfish Has a Superpower. The polecat has a super cool superpower you’d probably never guess. Why? Well, first, he’s usually only awake when the rest of us are sleeping! Second, he is NOT a baby skunk, despite what everyone says, so he can do more than spray his predators. And third, his superpower isn’t something he normally shows to friends. But today he’s happy to show you (and one nervous porcupine) what it is! After we get to know him of course. Will you be able to guess the superpower? Read this book to find out! REVIEW Polecat Has a Superpower  int...

ISLAND STORM written by Brian Floca, illustrated by Sydney Smith Neal Porter Books/Holiday House, 2025 ISBN: 978-0-8234-5647-5 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 In Caldecott Medalist Brian Floca and acclaimed illustrator Sydney Smith’s thrilling picture book, young readers will experience the sheer power of a violent thunderstorm and the calm of its aftermath. Can you tell when a storm is coming? Can you feel the wind coming and growing? Do you hear the branches bouncing together, hear the whispers of the wind through the leaves? Join in the journey as two siblings bear witness to the steady start, thrilling apex, and gentle end of this island storm. They’ll shelter soon, but first they want to feel it all. Sydney Smith is the winner of the Hans Christian Andersen Award, the highest international distinction given to authors and illustrators o...

  MAKING LIGHT BLOOM: Clara Driscoll and the Tiffany Lamps written by Sandra Nickel, illustrated by Julie Paschkis Peachtree, 2025 ISBN: 978-1-68263-609-1 Source: Blue Slip Media & publisher Ages  7-10 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK The untold story of Clara Driscoll, a nature lover with the mind of a creative innovator and the unsung genius who designed and engineered the iconic Tiffany lamp Drawing inspiration from her childhood gardens, Clara Driscoll created designs for Louis C. Tiffany's stained glass windows. Clara had such a flare for glass that Tiffany put her in charge of a special workroom, staffed with women—called the Tiffany Girls. But Clara wanted more. She wanted to create a three-dimensional work that would make light bloom. So she figured out how to engineer a lamp—how to shape and bend glass and light it so that her designs sprung to colorful, vivid life. T...

HURRICANE written and illustrated by Jason Chin Neal Porter Books, 2025 ISBN: 978-0-8234-5849-3 Source: purchased Ages 8 and up  Picture book nonfiction All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK Caldecott Medalist Jason Chin charts the thrilling saga of an island community’s brush with a category three hurricane, and the cutting-edge science that helps them prepare. It’s a beautiful day on Hatteras Island, North Carolina. But while all seems calm now, a hurricane is barreling across the Atlantic, and everyone is wondering when it will hit the U.S. coast. And where. Night and day, meteorologists use satellites to monitor the storm. Brave pilots fly directly into the tempest, dodging lightning bolts to gather crucial data. Back on the island, families board up windows, drag furniture upstairs, and stock survival kits to prepare for what may come. From its dramatic opening, Hurricane alternates be...

DON'T EAT THE CLEANERS! Tiny Fish with a Big Job written & illustrated by Susan Stockdale Source: Peachtree Publishing Ages 6-10 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK Even though they live underwater, ocean animals have to get clean, just like we do. But they get it done in a weird and wonderful way. Just like you have to take a bath and brush your teeth, fish also have basic hygiene practices they have to follow every day. But their approach to cleanliness doesn't just take place underwater—it involves a network of larger ocean animals washed by small fish and shrimp called cleaners at coral reef cleaning stations around the world. Cleaners remove pesky parasites from their customers in return for a tasty meal, serving up to 2000 customers a day. Sea turtles, manta rays, and even sharks line up for a scrubbing in the busy stations, just like at a car wash. Some customers return 100...

  ABLAZE: The Story of America's First Female Smokejumper written by Jessica Lawson, illustrated by Sarah Gonzales Viking, 2025 ISBN: 978-0-593-46365-9 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 Deanne loved being outdoors. With her family, she spent summers sailing the Salton Sea and backpacking the Sierra Nevada Mountains. As she grew older, her love of nature only grew. So when the heat rose each fire season and the blazes burned near and far, she noticed. Deanne knew she had to do her part in fighting the fires. She spent years on woodland crews, clearing brush and branches that could make the fire spread, and on hotshot crews where she fought faster fires and took bigger risks, spending weeks in one-hundred-degree heat working twenty-four-hour shifts. But what Deanne really wanted was to be a smokejumper, to jump from planes and parachute into dangerous...