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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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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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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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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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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Translated by Stephen Kohler 5 stars A breathtaking read full of mystery, magic, and secrets. Coco has always been fascinated by magic. When she discovers the secret to casting spells, she tries to teach herself. But her attempts result in a devastating mistake. To set things right, she becomes a witch’s apprentice and dives headfirst…
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by Vicky Woodgate 4 stars Join feline explorer, Mimi, on a journey through the forests of the world. In this book, you’ll discover what makes a forest, types of forests and habitats within them, and the many ways forests and trees benefit humans, other plants, animals, and the planet. The book includes maps, biographies, timelines,…
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Illustrated by Kaley McCabe 5 stars A hilarious early reader perfect for those looking for spooky stories with more humor than scares. Features three zombie-themed fairy tales: “Little Red Zombie”, “Hansel and Gretel Zombie”, and “Three Little Zombies”, perfect for zombie bedtime stories. Cute, spooky artwork featuring eyeballs, brains, and fairy tale characters fed with…
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Translated by Tetsuichiro Miyaki 3 stars A fun manga with plenty of humor. I enjoyed watching the show so thought I’d give the manga a try. In the first volume, we’re introduced to Nate, shown how he meets his yokai butler, Whisper, and how he befriends various yokai including the ever-popular Jibanyan. As with the…
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Written by Jason Reynolds Art by Danica Novgorodoff 5 stars I loved Reynolds’ original novel-in-verse and was a little nervous about this graphic adaptation. But it really delivered. Reynolds’ words and messages shine through accompanied by Novgorodoff’s haunting artwork and stunning visuals. The watercolors perfectly capture the essence of Reynolds’ words. Absolutely stunning. A fantastic…
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