The Worry Balloon by Mónica Mancillas

Illustrated by Betty C. Tang 4 stars The first day of school has arrived, but with it comes Isla’s worries. With her Mami by her side, Isla practices mindfulness, visualization, and positive thinking to battle her anxiety and blow the worry balloon away. Beautiful illustrations. Nice visual representations of how Isla’s feelings influence how she…

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Silver Linings by Fiona Woodcock

4 stars A heartwarming story of looking on the bright side. Pip has a tendency to see the negative in a situation. But Parker is always there to reframe it. When Parker makes a mistake, it’s Pip’s turn to show him the silver lining. Beautiful illustrations. Loved the soft color palette. A sweet reminder of…

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Pearl of the Sea

by Anthony Silverston, Raffaella Delle Donne, and Willem Samuel 4 stars A heartwarming story of friendship, family, forgiveness, and moving forward. With the looming threat of not making rent and having to move away from the sea, Pearl gives in to the temptation of illegal abalone poaching. But during her dives, she makes a strange…

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Strange Planet (Strange Planet #1) by Nathan W Pyle

4 stars A hilarious collection of comics about seeing the oddities of human life through the eyes of aliens. The book covers a variety of topics, from sports to school to friendship to daily customs. Such a very fun read. Includes many previously-shared comics as well as brand new ones. A great way to add…

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Gender Identity for Kids

A Book about Finding Yourself, Understanding Others, and Respecting Everybody! by Andy Passchier 4 stars A helpful guide for understanding and discussing gender identity. Promotes acceptance, respect, and understanding. The book covers sex vs. gender, gender identity, the gender binary, gender expression, and difficulties related to gender such as coming out, mental health, and bullying….

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Ms. Koizumi Loves Ramen Noodles, Vol. 1 by Naru Narumi

4 stars A fun, gentle read, especially for ramen lovers. An interesting way to learn about different kinds of ramen and its components (sauce, broth, noodles, toppings etc.). Definitely recommend for those who like Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Vol. 1 but what something with less fan service. Fun characters, wonderful art style. I really enjoyed this…

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The Art of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind: Watercolor Impressions

by Hayao Miyazaki 4 stars A beautiful collection of artwork from the manga, film, and conception of Nausicaa. It showcases various elements that inspired the story and its evolution along with comments from Miyazaki. These often describe the context or struggles in creating the piece. Some of them were quite relatable and slightly humorous as…

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The Good Hair Day by Christian Trimmer

Illustrated by J Yang 4 stars Such a sweet story. What Noah wants more than anything is long hair. But he isn’t sure if he can ask for it. Most of the boys and men in his life have short hair. Will he get the courage to ask to grow out his hair in time…

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