5 Stars

At 11 years old, Lora Xi is terrified of growing up. However, she is not afraid of Alexa, the house ghost she summoned and befriended. The two embark on a spirited journey to figure out who they are and who they want to be. A quaint, candid and emotional read, Yee has crafted a story that feels like a loving embrace with a side of finger sandwiches. Because what’s a tea party without them?

-Hannah
Posted 3/23/2023

5 Stars

Charlie and his best friend Bunny love antics like the messy creativity during arts and craft time and the slurp-tacular taste of a buttered noodle lunch. But not all lessons are easy to learn in a friendship, like not waiting your turn to talk could lead to a time-out. Can the duo put in the work and learn how to be there for one another? Check out this wholesome picture book where lessons are most importantly rooted in love.

-Hannah
Posted 3/20/2023

5 Stars

Are you ready to embrace the warm, fuzzy feelings of these forest creatures’ hugs? With illustrations that are reminiscent of gorgeous, geometric watercolor collages, this book invites you in for a big bear hug… and also a moose, a duck, a skunk and others! The message is a reminder that the best inner circle to be part of is made from limbs of those who love you.

-Hannah
Posted 2/6/2023

4 Stars

All aboard the goodnight train! This lively, rhyming lullaby will have readers jubilantly put on their jammies and chugga chugga choose to crawl under the covers. Along the way, train passengers are introduced to nocturnal animals and cities that do often sleep, like Dreamland. Count on sheep and this sweet story to bring snoozers straight to ZZZ.

-Hannah
Posted 1/23/2023

5 Stars

Howlers and tamarins and pygmy marmosets, oh my! With bright, kooky illustrations and a rhyme scheme to split your sides like a banana peel with laughter, this book is a perfect addition to a bedtime routine… if you’re not bothered by monkey business.

-Hannah
Posted 1/13/2023

5 Stars

Class is in session, and it’s music to these mini maestros’ ears. But not all the kids are eager to explore music-making; others enjoy class by actively listening. With a repeated message that the best time to make music is when you find your own, unique rhythm, this book is instrumental in introducing the ways we can move to music and how music moves us as well.

-Hannah
Posted 1/5/2023

5 Stars

What kid hasn’t pleaded with their parents for a cute and cuddly canine companion before? Dogs are lovable in their wacky antics and traits, from digging and drooling to barking and tooting. This book, in its strikingly simple color and rhyme scheme, is a tail-wagging good time.

-Hannah
Posted 12/9/2022

5 Stars

Fish, the brave friend, loves to gather exciting tales to regale his friend, Snail. But when Fish implies that Snail is a snore who never looks beyond his watery comfort zone, the pair decides to sever ties. Can the two overcome their differences? This picture book is packed to the gills with a message that friendship can challenge us and bring about positive growth.

-Hannah
Posted 11/27/2022

5 Stars

It’s time to celebrate all the fall festivities– big and small– that this season has to offer! From sipping apple cider to trick-or-treating, there is something for everyone to love. Exuberant rhyming and colors that leap off the page like kids into a leaf pile make this the perfect autumnal read.

-Hannah
Posted 11/20/2022

5 Stars

7th grader Hazel Hill doesn’t have any friends, and she’s okay with that—she’s too focused on winning the speech competition because she lost to her nemesis Ella Quinn last year after mispronouncing “hyperbole” as “hyper-bowl.” But when the popular boy Tyler Harris starts harassing Ella Quinn online and no one believes her, Hazel has to put aside her pride and help Ella Quinn take Tyler down. Maggie Horne’s middle-grade debut novel is a powerful book about friendship, standing up for your friends, and doing the right thing– even when the odds are stacked against you. Hazel also identifies as a lesbian, which is great representation in a middle-grade novel. The book provides an important message to girls everywhere that sexual harassment is not okay and that they are not alone. Horne’s novel is sure to empower girls who read it to not only stick up for themselves, but to stand up for those who can’t.

-Michelle J.
Posted 11/10/2022