Illustrated by Bhagya Madanasinghe 5 stars Adorable, heartfelt, and delicious! Noor wants to have a samosa party with her friends, but keeps running into problems along the way. With reminders of her Dadijaan’s advice, she pushes through and puts her own unique spin on a family recipe. Such a sweet story. Great themes of perseverance,…
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5 stars A modern-day Monster with a story all its own. Told through powerful verse and emotive visuals, this is the story of Amal Shahid, a teenage artist and poet sent to prison for a crime he did not commit. I love Zoboi’s writing and this one did not disappoint. Packed with raw emotion, this book is…
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5 stars A sweet story about battling perfectionism and showing it’s okay to not be good at something right away. I love the emphasis on being creative while still being realistic about your skills. It was great to see Naveen create something wonderful out of what he thought was a disaster. Loved the bright, colorful…
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by Kwame Alexander and Deanna Nikaido Illustrated by Melissa Sweet 3 stars A wonderful exploration of the creative process by finding inspiration around you, questioning the world, and uncovering the words within you. The artwork is so dynamic and fun. Engaging collages featuring circular and natural imagery that pair wonderfully with the text. A breathtaking…
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by Aya Khalil Illustrated by Rashin Kheiriyeh 4 stars A delightfully sweet story filled with love, tradition, ingenuity, and genericity. Zain is excited to share his family’s ka’ak with his classmates. Together with his mother and grandmother, he prepares the treats, learning about their history and adding his own spin to tradition. The illustrations are…
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4 stars A beautifully-crafted tale of the power of sharing stories. Chanani’s book celebrates creativity, imagination, inspiration, and the wisdom passed down through stories. It basks in the potential of words and lets their stories blossom and unfold. The main character both learns from the past and looks into the future to create her own…
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Illustrated by David Roberts 4 stars A wonderfully whimsical, silly, sweet story. I reread this recently for this first time in years and enjoyed it just as much as the first time. Smooth, rhythmic narration with engaging rhymes and wonderful messages about perseverance, failure, and doing your best. Nice examples of creative thinking, problems solving,…
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