Geo Librarian

I thoroughly enjoyed reading both of these cleverly designed concept books. I look forward to reading them with my kindergarten students to see if they find them as amusing as I do. 10 CATS written & illustrated by Emily Gravett Boxer Books, 2022 ISBN: 978-1-914912-58-0 Source: Union Square Books for Review Ages 3-6 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover provided by publisher through Goodreads.com. REVIEW Using amusing illustrations of 10 mischievous kittens playing with cans of red, yellow, and blue paint. The story begins with 1 white cat (the mother) laying down to take a nap. Soon the kittens are playing with the cans of paint, which, naturally, come open. As the brief text describes the number of kittens such as "4 cats with patches", the illustrations show the mischief they get into while mother cat snoozes happily. Once the tubs of paint tip over, the mess the kittens make gets bigger and bigger until even sleeping mama can't avoid being involved....

WORST BROOMMATE EVER! Middle School and Other Disasters #1 written by Wanda Coven, illustrated by Anna Abramskaya Simon Spotlight, 2023 ISBN: 978-1-6659-2528-0 Source: publisher for review (Thanks!) Ages 9-12 Middle grade speculative (fantasy) All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover provided by publisher through Goodreads.com. REVIEW In this follow-up series to Heidi Heckelbeck by Wanda Coven, Heidi leaves to attend boarding school. This boarding school offers not only a regular education but a magical one as well. The school houses a secret school for witches that Heidi is excited to attend. She's also nervous though to leave her family and friends behind for a new place and new people. Heidi's excited to find a friend also attending the school. And the school itself sounds awesome. It's a place many young readers would love to attend with its own shopping area, a secret magic school, and fun activities. Things take a turn for the worse, however, when Heidi le...

LOST IN THE MOUNTAINS Survival Scout #1 written & illustrated by Maxwell Eaton III Roaring Brook Press, 2023 ISBN: 978-1-250-79046-0 Source: purchased Ages 8-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover provided by publisher through Goodreads.com. REVIEW Lost in the Mountains follows the adventures of a young girl named Scout as she works to survive in the mountains after she and her brother get lost.  Scout's brother while a supposed professional guide proves to be seriously incompetent providing lots of humor and eye-rolling moments mixed in with the serious instructional moments. Thankfully, Scout proves to be much more skilled in the mountains, with the help of the narrator and a clingy skunk ally.  The first of a new graphic novel series about surviving disasters is both entertaining and informative. A warning on the title page reminds young readers that none of the skills and techniques shown in the book should be tried without a responsible adult. After h...

THE GIRL IN WHITE written by Lindsay Currie Sourcebooks Young Readers, 2022 ISBN: 978-1-7282-3654-4 Source: ARC for review from publisher Ages 9-12 Middle grade horror/fantasy All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover provided by publisher through Goodreads.com. REVIEW The setting of The Girl in White jumped out at me from the very beginning.  When Mallory moved to Eastport with her family, she wasn't expecting to find a town obsessed with the macabre. For her, it feels like Halloween all year long.  The old sea fishing village turned tourist magnet uses stories and legends related to its past to attract visitors. Parades and creepy decorations dominate the month of October. Even her parents restaurant serves dishes focused on some of the scary legends her mother loves to tell to the customers. The town itself feels like a character in the story.  Mallory isn't thrilled about her new home; she didn't want to leave her friends and home in Chicago, especially for...

BATU AND THE SEARCH FOR THE GOLDEN CUP written by Zara Nauryzbai & Lily Kalaus translated by Shelley Fairweather-Vega Amazon Crossing Kids, 2023 ISBN: 978-1662507021 Source: Blue Slip Media Ages 9-12 Middle Grade fantasy/speculative fiction All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & other materials provided by publisher through Blue Slip Media. ABOUT THE BOOK A warrior’s power lies not in his weapons but in his heart. Batu is just an ordinary kid in present-day Almaty, worried about bullies, school, and his mom’s new baby…until the day he meets Aspara, the Golden Warrior. Aspara steps straight out of Batu’s notebook cover—and out of Kazakhstan’s past. Aspara has been waiting hundreds of years to be summoned to the human world and to finally get his chance to search for the Golden Cup, a magical talisman sent down from the heavens. When the Golden Cup was lost, Aspara watched as many of his friends and family were killed or disappeared. Craving adventure and a sense ...

  HANDS ON SCIENCE: MATTER written by Lola M. Schaefer, illustrated by Druscilla Santiago Charlesbridge, 2023 ISBN: 978-1-62354-243-6 Source: publisher for review Ages 4-8 Picture book nonfiction All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover provided by publisher through Goodreads.com. REVIEW This clever interactive picture book takes readers through a basic introduction to solids, liquids, and gases by having readers 'tap, shake, tilt, twirl, and push' as they read the book. 'Smashing' clay, 'squeezing' cherries, and 'blowing' bubbles involve young readers in 'changing' the matter while learning about matter. The concrete examples make the content easy to understand and the book very entertaining as well as informative. As the author & illustrator walk readers through the changing forms of matter, they also introduce the scientific method and the importance of asking questions. The back matter includes information about how the human ...

EVEN SUPERHEROES GET SCARED written by Shelly Becker, illustrated by Eda Laban Union Square Kids, 2022 ISBN: 978-1-4549-4342-6 Source: publisher for review Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover provided by publisher through Goodreads.com. REVIEW In this rhyming companion to Even Superheroes Have Bad Days  and Even Superheroes Make Mistakes , a group of superheroes wrestle with their fears. The theme of overcoming one's fears by facing them down bravely and moving forward despite them is a worthy one for sharing with children. As long as children also understand that deep-seated phobias and anxieties, as well as other mental health concerns, require more than just willpower to overcome. The story provides a fun way to open the door to discussions about fear vs. anxiety, what real courage and bravery is, and that it helps to have others around to provide support. Laban's illustrations are charming and perfect for young readers who are really into superhero...

ONLY A TRENZA AWAY: A Tale of Trust and Strength written by Nadine Fonseca, illustrated by Camila Carrosone Shadow Mountain, 2023 ISBN: 9781639930982 Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary are provided by the publisher through Deseretbook.com. ABOUT THE BOOK A little girl feels her father's love as he takes time to braid her hair each night and share imaginative bedtime stories. Every night, Xiomara's (zee-oh-MA-da) papa delicately braids her hair before bed. As he gently tugs and twists and tightens her hair, father and daughter embark on imaginative and fun adventures as he makes up stories about Xia and her trenzas, or "braids" in Spanish. In one story, her trenza becomes a sturdy twisted vine that she uses to bravely swing through the jungle. In another, her trenzas are jump ropes as she catches the beat to play double Dutch with the best players in the neighborhood. But Xia worries what she would do if Papa was not there to he...

  THE SEA OF TERROR Once Upon a Time #3 written by Stuart Gibbs, illustrated by Stacy Curtis Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2023 ISBN: 978-1-6659-1744-5 Source: publisher for review Ages 7-10 Early Middle Grade Fantasy (Speculative)/Humor All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover provided by publisher through Goodreads.com. REVIEW With his trademark humor, Gibbs sends readers on another adventure with young knights-in-training, Tim and Belinda (in disguise). With a style reminiscent of Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events , Tim narrates his misadventures while introducing readers to appropriate vocabulary words and amusing commentary. Despite the nonsensical nature of the tale, there are still important themes included such as friendship, loyalty, and courage. Tim struggles to do what he feels is right because he's afraid of being made fun of for being weak.  The knights he and Belinda travel with are rude and unwise and end up betraying Tim ...

  AMY WU AND THE RIBBON DANCE written by Kat Zhang, illustrated by Charlene Chia Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2023 ISBN: 9781665916721 Source: publisher for review (Thanks!) Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover provided by publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Kat Zhang loves traveling to places both real and fictional—the former have better souvenirs, but the latter allow for dragons, so it’s a tough choice. A writer of books for teens and children, she spends her free time scribbling poetry, taking photographs, and climbing atop things she shouldn’t. You can learn more about her at KatZhang.com.  ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR Charlene Chua draws many things, from baos to dragons, and everything in-between. When they are not drawing, they enjoy cooking, reading, and playing with their cats. Charlene grew up in Singapore, and now lives in Canada. Her favorite baos are  still  char siu baos, and her favorite...