Spicy Spicy Hot! by Lenny Wen

4 stars A beautiful story of love, family, and the connection between food and culture. Lintang is excited to meet her grandmother for the first time and try the sambal that everyone loves. But when Lintang gets a taste, she finds it’s too spicy. She wants to connect with her family and her Indonesian heritage,…

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Baker Makers by Kim Smith

5 stars A sweet story about battling perfectionism and showing it’s okay to not be good at something right away. I love the emphasis on being creative while still being realistic about your skills. It was great to see Naveen create something wonderful out of what he thought was a disaster. Loved the bright, colorful…

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Gladys the Magic Chicken by Adam Rubin

Illustrated by Adam Rex 4 stars Hilarious. Join Gladys on an unexpected adventure as she journeys over land and sea where she may or may not be granting wishes wherever she goes. A silly, fun adventure with plenty of jokes to engage the adults. The artwork is engaging and has great movement. The text is…

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Sharks: A Mighty Bite-y History by Miriam Forster

Illustrated by Gordy Wright 4 stars A fascinating read filled with interesting facts, gorgeous art, and a passion for science. I love that the book forces on the history of sharks. It was so cool to learn about the different extinction events and how shark-like animals have changed over time. This goes beyond your basic…

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The Pirate and the Porcelain Girl by Emily Riesbeck

Illustrated by NJ Barna 4 stars A hopeless romantic with literal porcelain skin. A disgraced orc pirate who can’t control her anger. A secret society bent on bringing back the absent gods. There is so much at play here. Quick pace. Dynamic artwork. Plenty of action and adventure. A bit of romance. Definitely a fun…

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Love Is My Favorite Color by Nina Laden

Illustrated by Melissa Castrillon 4 stars Sweet, poetic text with magnificent, fantastical artwork. The narration is lovely. The narrator speaks of love, gratitude, sharing, hope, knowledge, and equality, showing the importance of each. A beautiful representation of incorporating each into one’s daily life and worldview. I really love Castrillon’s art style. The illustrations follow the…

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Juno Valentine and the Magical Shoes by Eva Chen (Juno Valentine #1)

Illustrated by Derek Desierto 3 stars While looking for her favorite shoes, Juno is transported into a magical consortium featuring the shoes of famous women. She tries on the shoes of Frida Kahlo, Sally Ride, Misty Copeland among others, until finally finding the perfect fit, taking inspiration from her magical journey. Loved the concept. Great…

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Ghost Roast by Shawnelle Gibbs and Shawneé Gibbs

Illustrated by Emily Cannon 3 stars An interesting blend of history and the paranormal with plenty of mystery and secrets. Chelsea has worked hard to shake her past as the “Ghost Girl”. She’s got new, popular friends at her fancy, new school and everything is going just fine. Until she’s forced to work at Ghost…

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