Amber Brown Is Not a Crayon: The Graphic Novel

Adapted and illustrated by Victoria Ying Based on Amber Brown Is Not a Crayon by Paula Danziger 3 stars I really enjoyed this series as a kid and it was fun to revisit this story in graphic format. The illustrations are great. Ying’s character designs are wonderful and the art really captures their movements and…

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Being Home by Traci Sorell

Illustrated by Michaela Goade 3 stars A lovely story of family, community, and home. A young Cherokee girl and her family are excited to move out of the city to the Cherokee Nation reservation. There they connect with family, nature, and the rhythm of their ancestral home. It is so refreshing to see a positive…

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Roll Call (Dungeon Club #1) by Molly Knox Ostertag

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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The Beast of Bray Road: Tailing Wisconsin’s Werewolf

3 stars An interesting examination of sightings related to the Beast of Bray Road, the history of werewolves and other creatures in the Midwest, and possible explanations for the slew of sightings. The author provides various stories told to her throughout the years. She explores the possibility of the unexplained with an open mind and…

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When Moon Blooms by Aida Salazar

Illustrated by Caribay M. Benavides 3 stars A beautiful exploration of the phases on the moon and the connection between nature and the body. Told in English with Spanish words interwoven throughout the text, the story tells of a mother passing down cultural wisdom to her child. Beautiful artwork and poetic text. A lovely read….

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Sue & Tai-chan, Vol. 1 by Konami Kanata

Translated by Melissa Tanaka 3 stars An adorable collection of adventures featuring a senior cat and a rambunctious kitten. Sue is enjoying her peace and quiet when her human comes home with the news they will be watching a kitten for a while. The new arrival is full of energy, always curious, and keeps Sue…

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See You on the Other Side by Rachel Montez Minor

Illustrated by Mariyah Rahman 3 stars A sweet, lyrical book about remembering those you’ve lost and their continuing love. Nice rhymes. The text works well for talking about belief in an afterlife and different ways to connect to loved ones after they’re gone such as writing letters to them or singing their favorite songs. The…

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Bicycles: Love Poems by Nikki Giovanni

3 stars A nice collection of poems centered around love. Giovanni travels the highs and lows of love in its various forms: romantic love, familial love, love for your heritage, love for your community. It celebrates the beautiful moments and gives voice to the painfulness of loss and what could have been. Humor, heart, and…

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