Princess Unlimited by Jacob Sager Weinstein

Illustrated by Raissa Figueroa 3 stars A fun twist of an adventure story with humor, kindness, and bravery all its own. Princess Susan is worried about her kingdom’s dragon problem, but her parents are too concerned with buying sparkles and frills to do much about it. The enterprising princess takes matters into her own hands…

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Song in the City by Daniel Bernstrom

Illustrated by Jenin Mohammed 5 stars A beautiful story of stopping to appreciate the world around you, sharing experiences, and changing perspectives. Told through rhythmic text, the book tells the story of Emmalene and Grandma Jean’s journey to church. On the way, Emmalene listens to the song of the city, but Grandma Jean doesn’t have…

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Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Promise, Part 2

by Gene Luen Yang Illustrated by Gurihiru 3 stars Continues the story established in Part 1. I checked out the first two books from the library together and didn’t realize there was a third book, so I was thinking this would wrap up more quickly. Still, this one offers a nice break from the major…

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Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Promise, Part 1

by Gene Luen Yang Illustrated by Gurihiru 3 stars This graphic novel spin-off picks up where the show left off. Aang and Katara are getting all cutesy, giving Sokka major “oogies”. Toph has started a school for metalbending. And Zuko has become the new Fire Lord, establishing the Harmony Restoration Movement to remove Fire Nation…

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Care Bears: Unlock the Magic by Matthew Erman & Nadia Shammas

Illustrated by Agnes Garbowska 3 stars A cute spin-off of the 2019 show. I actually didn’t know about the show before reading this and have since watched a few episodes. The graphic novel seems pretty true to the characters and setting. The artwork is super cute. Really fun visuals. On the wordy side, but the…

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The Queen of Chess: How Judit Polgár Changed the Game

by Laurie Wallmark Illustrated by Stevie Lewis 4 stars A wonderful celebration of Judit Polgár that covers her journey to become the youngest grandmaster at the time. Well-told. The story focuses on the first 15 years of Polgár’s life. Wallmark nicely captures the tension of chess matches and the excitement of victory. Provides a nice…

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I’m Kinda Chubby and I’m Your Hero Vol. 1 by Nore

Translated by Philip Reuben 4 stars This is such a sweet story. Ponjirou is a stage actor hoping to make it big. His confidence grows when he receives fan gifts from a fancy patisserie. Konnosuke is a dedicated pastry chef who wants to be the best. He has a hard time opening up about his…

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The Enchantress Returns (The Land of Stories #2) (Audiobook)

by Chris Colfer 3 stars Another fun dive into the Land of Stories. Alex and Conner are back in the real world after their first adventure in their father’s homeland. This comes with its own ups and downs, including a new dog, getting used to school again, and their mother’s changing relationship with her coworker,…

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My New Life as a Cat Vol. 1 by Konomi Wagata

Translated by Molly Rabbitt 3 stars After a near-death experience, Nao wakes up… as a cat. His human body is in a coma and he has no idea how he wound up in his new form. While he tries to figure it out, he’s taken in by a high school classmate, Chika, and renamed Nyao….

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We Are a Song by Lorian Tu

4 stars A touching tale of all the individual pieces that come together to make a family. Arturo and Emilyn visit their family members to pick up supplies for a party. Along the way, they cherish the different elements of their Chinese and Cuban heritage and find inspiration for a poem. Such a sweet story….

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