Personal rating of 4 out of 5 stars
by Laura Obuobi Illustrated by Olivia Duchess 4 stars An absolutely stunning picture book biography of Michaela Mabinty DePrince. The story follows DePrince’s life from her time at an orphanage in Sierra Leone, her adoption and moving to the US, her passion for ballet growing up, and her success as a ballerina. It also explores…
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4 stars A conversational book about how to be more inclusive and how our differences can bring us closer. Together Ashton Mota and Rebekah Bruesehoff discuss what inclusion means and different ways to be inclusive. While they emphasize their experiences as trans youth, they also use examples such as moving to a new place, coming…
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by Sarai Gonzalez and Monica Brown Illustrated by Christine Almeda 4 stars A nice, upbeat chapter book about working together, helping others, and what it means to be awesome. When she learns her grandparents will have to move from their home, Sarai Gonzalez uses her skills in baking, dance, and problem-solving to help them. I…
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Illustrated by Coma Hashii Translated by Jocelyne Allen 4 stars Noshiro and Sanada’s friendship continues to grow, but their relationships with others complicate things. In this volume, Ayumi reveals her own feelings and we meet Makoto who develops a huge crush on Noshiro. Now Noshiro and Sanada must reflect on what they want for themselves…
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4 stars I have been enjoying slowly making my way through Oliver’s collections. While I absolutely adore her nature poetry, I was pleasantly surprised by this collection’s themes of love and relationships. Wonderfully crafted, these short poems leave the reader with a wonderful sense of calm. A sweet collection celebrating the joys of love and…
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Translated by Kathryn Henzler 4 stars What happens to a powerful sorceress after she defeats the Demon King? Referred to as the Witch From the Forest of No Return, Jeanne mostly keeps to herself in her home inside a tree. One day, she summons a guardian beast… who turns out to be a cat from…
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Translated by Minna Lin 4 stars I really enjoyed the first volume and the second one did not disappoint. Adorable, humorous slice-of-life moments between mysterious monster cats and the humans in their lives. See what’s happening with some of the cats from the first volume, and meet new monster cats including a gnome, a banshee,…
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by Drs. Chelsea Johnson, LaToya Council, and Carolyn Choi Illustrated by Ashley Seil Smith 4 stars A wonderful exploration of some of the different ways people can be part of a family told through rhyming narration. Each page spread introduces readers to a new family who represents different concepts. The book shows different types of…
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Illustrated by Dion MBD 4 stars An adorable story of bravery, friendship, and helping others. Milo thinks there is a monster under his bed. He asks his best friend across the street for help. Luckily, Mel knows just what to do. Together, Milo and Mel use shadows to scare the monster away. Nicely written. A…
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Illustrated by Ashley Belote 4 stars Another adorable story featuring Victoria Franken, her dog Igor, and her best slime friend Goop. It’s Valentine’s Day and Victoria realizes she has a lot of friends but Goop only has her. She does what she does best, experiments(!), to make a new friend for Goop. A great book…
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