Geo Librarian

THE DAY THE CRAYONS MADE FRIENDS written by Drew Daywalt & Oliver Jeffers Philomel, 2025 ISBN: 979-8-217-04039-1 Source: purchased Ages 6-9 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK Duncan’s crayons just can’t seem to stay put! After convincing one group of crayons to go back to work after they wanted to quit and rescuing another group who got lost in the most inconvenient places, Duncan’s crayons have disappeared once more. But this time they’ve gone out into his room to make friends. From Red Crayon who fulfills his dream of driving a firetruck, to Blue Crayon, who meets a fashion doll desperately in need of a head, to fan favorite Esteban, who is off to tame a teddy bear (or as he would call it, a wild beast), each crayon has an exciting story to share about the new objects they’ve met and the new adventures they’ve had. REVIEW What a delightful addition to an already popular series. Duncan...

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...

  POETRY COMICS words and pictures by Grant Snider Chronicle Books, 2024 ISBN: 978-1-7972-1965-3 Source: purchased Ages 9 and up All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK From the cloud-gazing hours of early spring to the lost bicycles of late autumn, Grant Snider’s brilliantly illustrated Poetry Comics will take you climbing, floating, swimming, and tumbling through all the year’s ups, downs, and in-betweens. He proves that absolutely everything, momentous or minuscule, is worthy of attention, whether snail shells, building blocks, the lamented late bus, or the rare joy of unscuffed shoes. These poems explore everything you never thought to write a poem about, and they’re so fun to read you’ll want to write one yourself. Not to worry, there’s a poem for that, too! FOR COMIC BOOK These poems for kids are brightly illustrated in graphic novel-style panels, adding a delightful new element to appr...

  HELLO, I'M AN AXOLOTL by Hayley & John Rocco G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2025 ISBN: 978-0-593-61821-9 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 Meet the axolotl in this clever, funny, and informative nonfiction picture book, part of a series that focuses on endangered species. “Wild, fun, and truly eye-opening, Meet the Wild Things gets us up close and personal with some of the world's most amazing creatures. With this series, Hayley and John Rocco are doing more than entertaining our kids—they’re inspiring them to care about the future of our planet.” —Brad Meltzer, bestselling author of the Ordinary People Change the World series Did you know that axolotls have a superpower? They can regrow lost limbs, tails, and even parts of their hearts and brains! And they sparkle! That's because they have special cells in their bodies that reflect light lik...

  LONDON CALLING City Spies #6 by James Ponti Aladdin, 2025 ISBN: 978-1-6659-3250-9 Source: publisher for review Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover, book summary, author photo, and interview provided by the publisher. ABOUT THE BOOK In this sixth installment in the New York Times bestselling series from Edgar Award winner James Ponti, the young group of spies stage a rescue in Rome in another international adventure perfect for fans of Spy School and Charlie Thorne. Cairo, the newest member of the City Spies, takes the lead when his sister disappears in Istanbul. Determined to save the family of one of their own, the team risks discovery as their search leads them to Rome. Meanwhile, there’s been intel that seems to threaten the royal wedding about to take place in Westminster, bringing the team back to the UK on an official case for MI6. With so much security all over the city, it’s harder than ever for the City Spies to go unnoticed. Will their skills ...

THE PRINCESS IN BLACK AND THE KITTY CATASTROPHE written by Shannon Hale & Dean Hale, illustrated by LeUyen Pham Candlewick Press, 2024 ISBN: 978-1-5362-3409-1 Source: publisher for review (Thanks!) Ages 6-10 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK The Princess in Black may know how to handle all kinds of monsters, but a kitten set on destruction? Me-OW! Duchess Wigtower had heard that pets are fun, but all her kitten has gotten her is nine lives' worth of problems. Eeeeek! It’s time for someone else to deal with this catastrophe. Princess Magnolia is thrilled when a kitten lands on her doorstep, but just as she’s about to play with Plumpkins (or should it be Hugmaster Floof?) the monster alarm goes off. When Princess Magnolia returns to her castle, her furry companion has carved up the wallpaper! In fact, each time Princess Magnolia leaves to help the Goat Avenger fight a very grouchy mon...

  SNOWMEN'S TWELVE NIGHTS OF CHRISTMAS written by Carolyn Buehner, illustrated by Mark Buehner Dial Books for Young Readers, 2023 ISBN: 978-0-593-62472-2 Source: purchased Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK A classic Christmas carol told with a hilarious Snowmen twist, from the New York Times bestselling creators Caralyn and Mark Buehner The Twelve Days of Christmas has never been funnier or more chaotic as an energetic dog chases an elf, peeking penguins, scolding squirrels, and many more snowmen and creatures up a tree. With a pitch-perfect and jaunty rhyme and illustrations chockful of fun details, this cumulative book from New York Times bestselling husband-and-wife team Caralyn and Mark Buehner begs to be read (and sung!) aloud over and over again. REVIEW The Buehner's have created yet another delightful snowmen story. This time readers get to see snow penguins, snow rabbit...

  THE PRINCESS IN BLACK AND THE PRINCE IN PINK The Princess in Black #10 by Shannon Hale & Dean Hale, illustrated by LeUyen Pham Candlewick Press, 2023 ISBN: 978-1-5362-0978-5 Source: purchased Ages 7-10 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover provided by publisher through Goodreads.com. REVIEW The Princess in Black teams up with a new friend when she runs into a problem that her superhero self can't solve. Princess Magnolia arrives at the Flower Festival ready to set up for the upcoming ball.  But a visit from an angry emu leaves her decorations in tatters.  A knight forces the emu out but the damage has been done. Luckily, the Prince in Pink shows up to help Princess Magnolia get ready for the ball in time.  And all the royals come together with their various alter egos to face the emu and her ostrich cohorts when they show up at the ball. When a series gets to the tenth book it can be difficult to find new and fresh stories to tell, but the Hales ...

ICEBERG by Jennifer A. Nielsen Scholastic Press, 2023 ISBN: 978-1-338-79502-8 Source: purchased Ages 9-12 Middle grade historical fiction All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover provided by publisher through Goodreads.com. REVIEW Blending historical details with a compelling story makes writing historical fiction a unique challenge. You need enough details to put the reader into the time and place so they can understand what's happening, but you don't want so much detail that readers get bogged down or lose interest. Jennifer Nielsen's newest historical fiction story takes on a well-known, popular topic and interweaves a fresh, intriguing story with it.   Hazel Rothbury stows away on the Titanic after discovering she doesn't have enough money to buy a ticket the way she planned. Full of questions, Hazel hopes to be a journalist one day, but as she is traveling to the US to work in a factory to support her family, her dream seems impossible.  But with the he...

Wild & Wonderful Wednesday is a celebration of the amazing natural world, a chance to highlight some of the amazing nonfiction books available for children.  These two books are by some of my favorite children's nonfiction book creators.  These authors & illustrators have consistently produced high quality, amazing books.  I have yet to read anything by them that isn't remarkable and informative.  It's wonderful to see such beautiful books being produced. POLAR BEAR by Candace Fleming, illustrated by Eric Rohmann Neal Porter Books, 2022 ISBN: 9780823449163 Source: purchased Ages 8-12 Picture book nonfiction All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover provided by publisher through Goodreads.com. Beginning with the return of spring in the Arctic, Polar Bear follows a mama polar bear and her two cubs as they leave their den. With beautiful free verse, Fleming takes readers on a journey through a summer on the ice as the mother bear teaches her cubs abou...

PEPPA PIG AND THE CHRISTMAS SURPRISE created by Mark Baker and Neville Astley Candlewick Entertainment, 2022 ISBN: 978-1-5362-2810-6 Source: publisher for review Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK Join Peppa Pig and her family for a high-flying Christmas—and a special surprise—when Grandpa Pig receives a drone from Santa. It’s Christmas morning, and Santa has left presents under the tree for everyone. But no one is more delighted than Grandpa Pig, whose gift is something he’s always wanted: a drone! Everyone rushes outside to try it out, and Peppa and George love watching where it flies. But when its battery runs low, the drone is supposed to fly home. Where is that? Could it be . . . the North Pole? As Peppa and George watch and wait, they spot friends having wintry fun while Grandpa’s gift flies farther and farther away. What kind of Christmas surprise will it take for him to get it b...

These two beautiful novels-in-verse have a lot in common.  Both have black male protagonists who love music and play the guitar.  Both boys have fathers who have health problems.  Both books are written by BIPOC female authors who are known for their poetic abilities.  The books have their differences as well, Garvey faces isolation during the pandemic while ZJ has his family and his 'boys' to help and support him. BEFORE THE EVER AFTER by Jacqueline Woodson Nancy Paulsen Books, 2020 ISBN: 978099545436 Source: school library Middle grade realistic/contemporary fiction/novel-in-verse Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Jacqueline Woodson's novel-in-verse explores how a family moves forward when their glory days have passed and the cost of professional sports on Black bodies. For as long as ZJ can remember, his dad has been everyone's hero. As a charming, talented pro football star, he's as beloved to the neighborhood kids he plays with ...

ODDER by Katherine Applegate Fewer and Friends, 2022 ISBN: 978-1-250-14742-4 Source: purchased Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK Now a #1 New York Times bestseller! A touching and lyrical tale about a remarkable sea otter, from Newbery Medalist Katherine Applegate, author of Wishtree. Meet Odder, the Queen of Play: Nobody has her moves. She doesn’t just swim to the bottom, she dive-bombs. She doesn’t just somersault, she triple-doughnuts. She doesn’t just ride the waves, she makes them. Odder spends her days off the coast of central California, practicing her underwater acrobatics and spinning the quirky stories for which she’s known. She’s a fearless daredevil, curious to a fault. But when Odder comes face-to-face with a hungry great white shark, her life takes a dramatic turn, one that will challenge everything she believes about herself—and about the humans who hope to save her. In...

  THE GREAT CAPER CAPER Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast #5 by Josh Funk, illustrated by Brendan Kearney Union Square & Co., 2022 ISBN: 9781454943631   Source : eBook for review from author Ages: 6-10 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book summary & cover provided by publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast are back in a Las Veggies heist for the ages! Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast awake one morning to near-darkness. Who could possibly have stolen the fridge light? And what if the fridge is—gasp—dark all the time? Not to worry; Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast are on the case! Along with their friends, they assemble blueprints, collect supplies, and investigate. Will they bring the fridge back to its bright self, or will they have to live in semi-darkness . . . forever? REVIEW Josh Funk's continuing Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast series returns with another winning tale of friendship and adventure.  ...

PERFECTLY PEGASUS by Jessie Sima Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2022 ISBN: 978-1-6659-2133-6 Source: publisher 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 lonely pegasus looks for the perfect friend in this sweet and adorable picture book companion to the bestselling Not Quite Narwhal! Nimbus has always lived among the clouds. She’s a pegasus, after all, and the sky is where she belongs. She is one of a kind. And when she wants a friend, all she has to do is look up—and talk to the stars. Only...they don’t really talk back. The clouds don’t, either. And sometimes, being the only pegasus can be a little...lonely? So she decides to find a fallen star to make a wish on—and wishes for friends who are just like her. Along the way she meets a Unicorn named Kelp, and a host of other creatures...who might just open her eyes to something other than what’s up in the sky.  R...