The Flower Garden by Renée Kurilla

3 stars A magical adventure with subtle themes of empathy and listening to friends, and the benefits of bees. Anna convinces her hesitant friend, Tess, to help her plant flowers so the bees will have food. They fall asleep waiting for the flowers to grow and wake to find they’ve been shrunk. Together, they embark…

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She Persisted: Wangari Maathai

by Eucabeth Odhiambo Illustrated by Gillian Flint 5 stars Another fantastic She Persisted book. This one recounts the life and work of Wangari Maathai, an environmentalist and activist who founded the Green Belt Movement. The book describes Maathai’s life growing up in Kenya, her inspirations and influences, her continuing education, her work helping her community,…

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Alphabedtime by Susanna Leonard Hill

Illustrated by Betsy Snyder 5 stars An absolutely adorable book. It’s fun rhyme scheme makes it perfect for reading aloud. Follow the Alphababies as they get ready for bed. From the toothbrush line to bath time to snuggling into their jammies, join the 26 children in their bedtime routine. I loved all the details packed…

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Girl on Fire by Alicia Keys

Cowritten by Andrew Weiner Illustrated by Brittney Williams 3 stars This action-packed graphic novel introduces a new superhero, Lolo, who develops psychokinetic powers, sparked when her brother is attacked by police. A wonderful look at family dynamics. After her mother left, Lolo and her brother have been raised by their father. I loved the representation…

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Powwow Day by Traci Sorell

Illustrated by Madelyn Goodnight 4 stars A delightful picture book centered on hope, community, and recovery. River is excited for powwow day. But still recovering from an unnamed illness, she is too tired to join in the dancing. Finding strength in the drum beat and the remembering the meaning of the dances, River feels the…

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The Heartstopper Yearbook by Alice Oseman

4 stars While I love the Heartstopper series, I wasn’t sure a companion art book would live up to it content-wise. I’m so glad I was wrong. I enjoyed this more than I initially thought I would. The book contains profiles of the characters, family trees, mini-comics, and themed artwork for different holidays and seasons….

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Mimi and the Cutie Catastrophe (Mimi #1)

by Shauna J. Grant A fun, wholesome story featuring Mimi and her magical plushie, Penelope. When everyone calls Mimi cute, she starts to worry that she’s just cute. She wants to be more than that. She tries on different personas, but nothing feels quite right. With the help of her friends, she learns that she is so…

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Diwali in My New Home by Shachi Kaushik

Illustrated by Aishwarya Tandon 4 stars A sweet story about celebrating a favorite holiday in a new place. Priyah loves Diwali. In India, she celebrated with family and friends, watched the fireworks, and enjoyed the colorful decorations. But when her family moves to a new place, it seems people don’t know what Diwali is. Together,…

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Realm of the Blue Mist (The Rema Chronicles #1)

by Amy Kim Kibuishi 5 stars A fantastic journey packed with action and adventure. Join Tabby as she follows a blue-haired stranger into a magical world, searches for a mysterious ghost, and learns there may be more to her father’s death than she initially thought. This was an awesome adventure. Loved the world-building. Kibuishi explores…

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