Illustrated by Shelly Hehenberger 3 stars A great holiday read. Kayla loves Kwanzaa, but this year a snowstorm stops her brother from coming home for the holiday. The celebration feels different without Khari, but Kayla finds ways to celebrate with her family even when they can’t be together. The book goes through this different days…
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4 stars Such a cool concept which worked beautifully in this format. A fascinating look at connection, possession, and trying to live up to other’s expectations. In a bout of frustrated, Flo throws away her ice skates. Doing so creates a powerful junkwraith, set of attacking her memories. To break the curse, Flo ventures into…
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Illustrated by Charlene Chua 3 stars A lovely rhyming picture book highlighting the different ways of celebrating Diwali. In the story, the family prepares and celebrates by hanging mango leaf buntings, creating rangoli, singing hymns, telling stories, feasting, and joining together with their community. The artwork is stunning. Beautiful use of color. It really captures…
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Illustrated by Shane W. Evans 4 stars A sweet picture book celebrating Kwanzaa. Li’l Rabbit’s Granna is sick and his family is too busy taking care of her to put together their Karamu feast. Li’l Rabbit sets out to find a special Zawadi for her and ends up making an extra special Kwanzaa for them…
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3 stars A whirlwind adventure starring an elf kid, a wizard-in-training, a rock troll, an impulsive leader, and a flatulent pig-dog-thing. The Quest Kids set out to rescue a town, but may have bitten off more than they can chew. Along the way, they must face a golden-pants-wearing dragon, an invisible forest, acid swamps, a…
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by Jen Campbell, Illustrated by Adam de Souza 5 stars A delightfully dark collection of tales spanning the globe. From Korea and Japan to Norway and Ireland to Nigeria and South Africa. A nice selection, all with a gruesome or spooky leaning. I especially enjoyed that Campbell’s selection highlighted many brave, creative, clever, and quick…
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Illustrated by Jamie Green 5 stars Delightfully lyrical and beautifully illustrated, this captivating picture book takes the reader on a journey through the world of mushrooms. The book is simple but each page in a work of art. A perfect introduction for those fascinated by mushrooms. The text describes the look, scent, and behavior of…
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4 stars An interesting look at the initial outbreak of Covid in Wuhan through the eyes of a thirteen-year-old. Mei loves cooking, improving her skill through an online cooking game. But when the pandemic spreads, Mei faces being separated from her family, a city-wide shutdown, food shortages, neighbors turning on each other, and those around…
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by Suma Subramaniam, Illustrated by Shreya Gupta 5 stars A stunning picture book following the life of M.S. Subbulakshmi. Subbulakshmi loves to sing and wants to share her magnificent voice with others, but girls are barred from singing at public performances in India. That doesn’t stop her. With the support of her mother, she keeps…
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Illustrated by Nidhi Chanani 4 stars A sweet story of one girl’s victory of goodness and light. Binny is tasked with sharing her favorite holiday with her class, Diwali. Plans are set, jalebis and pedas are made, but when it comes time to present, Binny doesn’t know what to say. Remembering the the guiding lights…
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