4 stars An entertaining 80s/90s throwback with a fun Goosebumps-vibe for a YA audience. In 1987, Cori, Maz, and Sam are the best of friends. But after Sam goes missing, nothing is the same. Flash forward five years and Maz and Cori no longer see each other. That is until Sam comes back. Now they’ll…
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3 stars A visually stunning story about shyness, confidence, and the power of friends helping each other. Timmy loves performing in their room, but once they get in front of other people their shyness takes over in the form of a giant lion that roars their confidence away. With the help of their new friend,…
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by Dana K. White 3 stars A helpful little guide with easy-to-implement strategies. A nice process to try if the Marie Kondo way isn’t right for you. Nicely written. Some of the advice does get repetitive after a while. Includes helpful tips for those who get overwhelmed easily and have a hard time starting a…
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Illustrated by Sarah Rebar 3 stars Waffles and Mochi don’t see why wasting water is such a big deal so Steve the Mop assigns them to learn everything they can about water. With the help of Magicart, they learn about the important roles water plays in cooking, cleaning, drinking, and gardening. Adorable illustrations. A nice…
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Illustrated by Jimena S. Sarquiz 4 stars The merpeople of Ocea are going about their days when a strange pink object lands on their planet. The object turns out to be an alien spacecraft carrying… unicorns. I was pleasantly surprised by this one. A fun adventure with plenty of humor and action. Great brightly-colored artwork…
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Translated by Leighann Harvey 5 stars Absolute perfection. This is such a wonderful, wholesome series. This volume focuses on friendships growing apart, stereotypical assumptions and society’s conditions on acceptance, body image, and gender norms. I love how much Tomoko has developed and learned through her interactions with Hiroki as well as her coworkers. We also…
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4 stars A sweet rhyming tale about embracing who you are and accepting others’ true selves. The school dance is here and the narrator is excited to attend. But when they’re forced to choose between pink and blue, they don’t see where their purple shadow fits in. With a bit of encouragement, the students find…
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Illustrated by Juana Medina 4 stars An adorable rhyming story providing a kid-friendly introduction to the history of Pride and its continued relevance today. Loved the themes of family, acceptance, standing up to injustice, and being yourself. Adorable pictures. The rhymes are a little clunky in areas, but overall this was such a sweet read….
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Translated by Leighann Harvey 5 stars Another fantastic collection of comics. There are so many interesting interactions at play in this volume from secret crushes to coworkers, parents and siblings to friends. We see more dynamics between Hiroki and his father in this volume, which were well done. I loved how the family countered Akiyoshi’s…
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Illustrated by Xanthe Bouma 3 stars Handling middle school is a whole lot easier when Jess can hang out with best friend, Olivia, and play D&D. But now Olivia wants to bring in more players to their campaign and Jess has no interest in making new friends. A nice story overall. Can easily be read…
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