5 stars What a phenomenal read. Whether familiar with Mankiller’s work or not, this is a great starting point for young readers to learn more about her activism within the Cherokee Nation and beyond. Loved the emphasis on hard work, helping others, and persisting in following your dreams and achieving your goals. Even in its…
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4 stars A wonderful and fantastical journey through dark and light, kindness and maliciousness, familiar and strange, hopeful and bleak, all to find the way home. This beautiful wordless art book is packed with detail and imagination. A real treat to explore the imagined worlds, meet fascinating creatures, and find friends and foes. Definitely worth…
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5 stars A powerful and inspiring picture book recounting Malala Yousafzai’s activism for education for all. The illustrations perfectly match the tone of the author’s words. They show the hardships in the environment but also the beauty of change and the power of people coming together. The story itself gives some of the basic details…
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5 stars An absolutely adorable picture book from the creator of What’s Up, Beanie?: Acutely Relatable Comics. What a fun read. Perfect for reading aloud. Emi isn’t scared of monsters. In fact, she’s setting a trap to catch one. But when her beloved pup, Cookie, doesn’t follow the plan, her bravery is tested as she ventures…
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4 stars Loved this fresh spin on The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Featuring a science-driven Crane, a reluctant Van Tassel, and their prank-loving classmate, Croc, the trio must band together to navigate the legend of their small town. Nice humor and adventure with a bit of mystery tied in. There’s also a sweet romantic element without…
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5 stars For more bookish thoughts, see my blog: Craft-Cycle Being a seer sounds easy enough. But even seers can’t always predict where the future will take them. A wonderful romance about so much more than falling in love. Ray, a seer with insight to the present, has wanted to be a Council member since…
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5 stars An absolutely beautiful time capsule of a book that captures both heartwarming and heartbreaking moments of lockdowns, quarantines, and the spread of Covid-19. Pham’s artwork perfectly captures the happiness, stress, hope, sorrow, and frustration of the time. Through empty streets, flourishing wildlife, and homebound scenes, Pham shows some of the changes to the…
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3 stars A cute rendition of Usagi Yojimbo complete with Miyamoto Usagi in chibi form along with Chibi Tomoe and Chibi Gen. The three friends meet a dogu and help save the dogu village from the evil Salamander King. Nice story of friendship and helping others. Also includes some interactive and educational materials at the…
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2 stars Two things before we get into it: 1. I have not read Mary Downing Hahn’s original novel. 2. I’m reading this right after Wait Till Helen Comes: A Ghost Story Graphic Novel (which I really enjoyed) so I can’t help but compare them. A spooky story set in rural West Virginia, featuring a villainous conjurer,…
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4 stars Another fun collection from Prelutsky, complete with wonderful illustrations from James Stevenson. Filled with silly tales told with Prelutsky’s characteristic wit, wordplay, and flowing style. I especially enjoyed the visual poems such as the spiral formation of “I Am Stuck Inside a Seashell”, the fading text of “Hello and Good-Bye”, the back and forth…
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