Geo Librarian

  A WAFFLE LOT OF LOVE written & illustrated by Ben Clanton Tundra Books, 2025 ISBN: 978-1-77488-453-9 Source: purchased Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK In this hilarious 10th book, Narwhal's PALentine's Day celebrations for Jelly go a little overboard! Includes bonus fun facts! Dive into three new stories with best buds Narwhal and Jelly! It's PALentine's Day and Jelly gives Narwhal a whaley nice card — but now Narwhal has no idea what to give him! One card isn't nearly enough, and soon Narwhal is flooding Jelly with gifts galore: waffles, a book about Jelly, more waffles, a song about Jelly . . . MORE waffles! Jelly is grateful, but would prefer the present of Narwhal's presence more than all of Narwhal's over-the-top displays of friendship. Can Narwhal realize what true friendship means before they go off the deep end trying to please their pal?...

FOREVER FRIENDS Drag and Rex #1 written by Susan Lubner, illustrated by Blythe Russo Pixel & Ink, 2023 ISBN: 978-1-64595-115-5 Source: purchased Ages 6-10 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. REVIEW Drag (a dragon) and Rex (a T-rex) are roommates and best friends. As in many such early reader series, the book consists of three stories about the two friends and their adventures. Each story is divided into three short chapters. The two friends are, as one would expect, quite different but those differences make the stories feel fresh and the relationship more realistic. The delightful illustrations highlight the characters and the action and break up the text nicely. The first story follows Rex's efforts to make breakfast followed by making a cake for his friend Lilly Pop. Drag attempts to help but causes problems when he can't resist his appetite. The second story finds Drag and Rex playing in the snow. But mis...

MERCY WATSON IS MISSING! Tales of Deckawoo Drive #7 written by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Chris Van Duden Candlewick Press, 2023 ISBN: 978-1-5362-1023-1 Source: publisher 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 Every favorite character from Kate DiCamillo’s New York Times best-selling Mercy Watson books makes an appearance in this extended, riotously funny series crescendo. When Mercy Watson the pig goes missing, all of Deckawoo Drive is in an uproar. The Watsons are inconsolable, and the local police, fire, and animal control departments are no help whatsoever. Bossy neighbor Eugenia Lincoln is not quite as sad as she might be, but thankfully her sister, Baby Lincoln, has the idea to hire a private investigator. Granted, Percival Smidgely, PI, may be more bumbler than gumshoe, but his pigeon, Polly, is there to point the way. Meanwhile, Frank and Stella Endicott an...

TOO SMALL TOLA AND THE THREE FINE GIRLS by Atinute, illustrated by Onyinye Iwo Candlewick Press, 2022 ISBN: 978-1-5362-2517-4 Source: publisher for review Ages 6-9 Realistic fiction (global fiction) All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover provided by publisher through Goodreads.com. REVIEW Too Small Tola lives with her Grandmommy, her sister, Moji, and her brother, Dapo, in a rundown apartment in Lagos, Nigeria. She loves to go to school and has an affinity for math. The book is divided into three chapters.  In each chapter, Tola deals with a different challenge.  In Tola Saves the Day , Grandmommy's precious earrings get lost when Moji and Dapo mess around instead of helping Tola clean the rice. Tola's small size proves to be a boon when one of the earrings proves to be especially illusive. In the second story, Tola Takes Control , Grandmommy gets malaria and Tola and Dapo must sell ground nuts in her place, but Dapo isn't much help as he prefers to hang out w...

CRIMSON TWILL, WITCH IN THE CITY by Kallie George, illustrated by Birgitta Sif Candlewick Press, 2022 ISBN: 9781536214635 Source: ARC from publisher for review Ages 7-9 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover provided by publisher through Goodreads.com. REVIEW Crimson Twill's unusual preferences help her stand out in the witch world.  She loves polka dots, she giggles rather than cackling, and skips rather than slinking, and dreams sweet dreams rather than nightmares.  A visit to Broomingdale's, a mall in the city, highlights her differences as she looks for a way to spend her gold coins. Her efforts lead her to visit several different floors where she looks at pets, brooms, and hats.  She picks up a lost puppy on the pet floor and spends the rest of her time looking for its owner.  She meets another young witch with colorful tastes while looking at hats before ending up at the fashion show where she finds the owner of the puppy.  She doesn't find s...

AVEN GREEN MUSIC MACHINE by Dusti Bowling, illustrated by Gina Perry Union Square Kids, 2022 ISBN: 978-1-4549-4222-1 Source: purchased Ages 6-10 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by publisher through Goodreads.com. REVIEW Aven Green decides to enter the school talent show.  She wants to play an instrument and expects to be an expert quite quickly.  When the reality of learning to play a keyboard turns out to be quite different, Aven's confidence starts to drop.  Things get even worse after a friend hurts her feelings by calling her music "bad noise".  After trying a number of other instruments, Aven throws in the towel and quits. In an effort to encourage her not to give up, her parents take her on a road trip to see a musician perform on a guitar.  The musician, like her, has no arms.  Thanks to a talk with the musician and a gift from her grandmother, Aven finds the courage to perform at the talent show after all....

LEAVE IT TO PLUM! by Matt Phelan Greenwillow Books, 2022 ISBN:     978-0-06-307916-8 Source: purchased Ages 6-10 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by publisher through goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK When a small mammal with an oversized ego tries to take over the zoo, just leave it to the big-hearted peacock Plum to save the day! From award-winning author Matt Phelan, the creator of Knights vs. Dinosaurs and its two sequels, Leave It to Plum! is a highly illustrated young middle grade novel perfect for reluctant readers and animal lovers everywhere. Young Plum is one of the peacock ambassadors for the Athensville Zoo. Every day the peacocks are allowed to wander freely among the zoo's visitors, delighting and guiding kids and grown-ups alike. The peacocks are very proud of their responsibility; none so much as kind, curious Plum. But Itch the ningbing--a type of very small marsupial--doesn't understand why those birdbrains should get so...

  FRANKLIN ENDICOTT AND THE THIRD KEY by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Chris Van Dusen Candlewick Press, 2021 ISBN: 978-1-5362-0181-9 Source: publisher for review Ages 6-9 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Frank Endicott is a worrier. He worries about lions, submarines, black holes, leprosy, and armadillos. He lists his worries alphabetically in a notebook and suffers vivid nightmares that even a certain neighborhood pig can't dispatch. When he accompanies Eugenia Lincoln on an errand to duplicate a key at her favorite dark and dusty thrift shop, Frank earns fresh cause for alarm. Odd Buddy Lamp, the shop's proprietor, has sent them home with the original key and its copy. Can Frank come to terms with the mystery without buckling under his mounting dread? REVIEW Like so many people today, Franklin is a worrier.  In fact, he has so many worries that he keeps track of them in a notebook with all the appropriate details.  But after stashing the notebo...

  DEAR BEAST by Dori Hillestad Butler, illustrated by Kevan Atteberry Holiday House, 2020 ISBN: 978--8234-4843-2 Source: purchased Ages 6-9 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK A jealous cat really, really , REALLY wants to drive away his young owner's new dog in this playful illustrated chapter book from a two-time Geisel Honor winner. Simon has taken care of his owner, Andy, for many years. He's a good cat. Clean, responsible, and loyal. What more could a boy want? Even when Andy's dad moves out, Simon is certain that Andy doesn't need another pet. So why would Andy's dad adopt a DOG?! To make matters worse, the animal is a rude, rowdy troublemaker. Simon's job is clear: the beast has got to go. He decides to write him a letter. Strongly worded, of course. But when the dog's response sets off an unexpected correspondence, Simon realizes the beast may be here to stay. Can he make room for another ...

SYDNEY & TAYLOR  Explore the Whole Wide World by Jacqueline Davies, illustrated by Deborah Hocking Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2021 ISBN: 978-0-358-10631-9 Source: purchased Ages 6-9 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK   Best-selling author Jacqueline Davies tells the story of two unlikely friends: Sydney and Taylor, a skunk and a hedgehog who strike out to discover the great unknown, despite how afraid they are of it. Charming full-color illustrations and a laugh-out-loud story make this chapter book perfect for fans of the Mercy Watson and Owl Diaries series. Sydney is a skunk and Taylor is a hedgehog, but no matter how odd the pairing may seem, their friendship comes naturally. They live happily in their cozy burrow . . . until the day Taylor gets his Big Idea to go see the Whole Wide World. From mountains taller than a hundred hedgehogs, valleys wider than a thousand skunks, to the dangers that lie in the human world, Sydney an...

SURF'S UP! Moby Shinobi and Toby Too! #1 by Luke Flowers Scholastic, 2020 ISBN: 978-1-338-54752-8 Source: purchased Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Moby Shinobi and his dog Toby are excited for a day at the beach! Moby tries to use his ninja skills to build a huge sand castle, catch some fish, and save a leaking sailboat... but each try ends in a mess! What if Moby isn't right for the job? But with some help from Toby, he discovers that teamwork makes every job easier! With easy-to-read rhyming text and full-color artwork throughout, this early reader series is sure to be a hit with beginning readers! REVIEW Having read a couple of the early reader Moby Shinobi books, I was looking forward to reading this longer chapter book story about Moby.  And while the book is cute enough, I didn't love it.  Moby heads to the beach with his dog, Toby.  In the first chapter, they pack the supplies they think they'll nee...

THE PRINCESS IN BLACK AND THE BATHTIME BATTLE by Shannon Hale & Dean Hale, illustrated by LeUyen Pham Candlewick Press, 2019 ISBN: 978-1-5362-0221-2 Source: purchased Ages 6-10 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK The Princess in Black is in a very stinky situation. A foul cloud is plaguing the goat pasture, and it smells worse than a pile of dirty diapers or a trash can on a hot summer day. But every time the Princess in Black and her friend the Goat Avenger manage to get rid of the odor, they accidentally blow it to another kingdom! Other masked heroes and their trusty companions show up to help, but how do you battle a stench when your ninja moves fail? Fans with a nose for slapstick will be tickled to see the six stalwart friends join their wits to take on an impossibly beastly stink. REVIEW I always look forward to new books in my favorite series.  And the Princess in Black is definitely one of my favorite series.  Wit...

SCIENCE FAIR CRISIS Secret Hero Society #4 by Derek Fridolfs, Pamela Lovas, and Shane Clester Scholastic, 2019 ISBN: 978-1-338-52850-3 Source: book fair Ages 9-12 Graphic novel All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Clark Kent (Superman), Bruce Wayne (Batman), and Diana Prince (Wonder Woman) are starting a new school year at Justice Prep. This semester, everyone is focusing on their science projects: Principal James Gordon announced that the winner of the upcoming science fair gets an all-inclusive trip to the new S.T.A.R. Laboratories space facility. Who wouldn't want to win a trip to outer space? All the kids want to try their best to win. As the fair draws closer, the students receive a text message from a mysterious, untraceable number saying: "if you help me, I can help YOU win the science fair!" Just who is behind this mystery number, and what do they have to do with the science fair? It's up to Clark, Diana, and Bruce...

SPARKLY NEW FRIENDS Unicorn and Yeti #1 Heather Ayris Burnell, illustrated by Hazel Quintanilla An Acorn Book Scholastic, 2019 ISBN: 9781338329032 (eBook) Source: purchased Ages 3-6 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK This series is part of Scholastic's early reader line, Acorn, aimed at children who are learning to read. With easy-to-read text, a short-story format, plenty of humor, and full-color artwork on every page, these books will boost reading confidence and fluency. Acorn books plant a love of reading and help readers grow! Unicorn has a horn and can do magic. Yeti is big and furry and cannot do magic. Yeti likes snowball fights. Unicorn does not like snowball fights. But Unicorn and Yeti both love sparkly things, magic rainbows, and -- most of all -- being best friends! These laugh-out-loud stories with full-color artwork and easy-to-read text throughout are perfect for new readers! REVIEW Unicorns are really popular...

KING & KAYLA AND THE CASE OF THE LOST TOOTH written by Dori Hillestad Butler, illustrated by Nancy Meyers Peachtree Publishing, 2018 ISBN: 978-1-56145-880-6 Source: ARC from publisher for review Ages 4-8 Early chapter mystery All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Kayla places her tooth in a Tooth Fairy pillow, but it disappears before the Tooth Fairy has a chance to visit--can her dog King help Kayla find the missing tooth? REVIEW When Kayla can't find the tooth she lost, King helps her search for it.  As with the other books in this series, King tells the story and shares information with the reader that Kayla doesn't know.  This is kind of fun for the reader who now knows more than one of the main characters.  It's fun to then take the information and try to solve the mystery.  The book also teaches basic problem/mystery solving in addition to providing a fun story.  Even though King solves the mysteries with Ka...

THE PRINCESS IN BLACK AND THE SCIENCE FAIR SCARE by Shannon Hale & Dean Hale, illustrated by LeUyen Pham Candlewick Press, 2018 ISBN: 978-0-7636-8827-1 Source: purchased Ages 6-8 Early chapter book All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK It’s mayhem at the science fair! A squishy goo monster is a challenge for the Princess in Black — but luckily some science-loving princesses are on hand to help. Princess Magnolia is excited. Excited and nervous. She’s going to the Interkingdom Science Fair today to present her poster about seeds and plants, and when she arrives, she sees that her friends are there too! Princess Honeysuckle made a mole habitat, Princess Sneezewort has built a blanket fort, and Tommy Wigtower has a talking volcano that’s saying “EAAAAT!” Wait, what? A surprise goo monster makes this a job for the Princess in Black, and the Princess in Blankets is on the scene to lend a hand. But will two masked heroes be enough to save the scie...