Pashmina by Nidhi Chanani

4 stars A heartwarming and magical tale that explores family structures, fantasy versus reality, and self-discovery. Mystery, secrets, and magic combine to explore some of the complexities of growing up and coming into one’s self. The majority of the book is in black and white, which makes the full-color fantasy scenes even more magical. The…

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If My Body Could Speak by Blythe Baird

5 stars A stunning poetry collection. Baird tackles many hardships in her poems including eating disorders, sexual assault, rape culture, relationships and sexuality, and healing. One thing that really stuck out to me was how well organized this collection was. Each poem flowed so nicely into the next. The themes build as the book goes…

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Green Lantern: Legacy by Minh Lê, Illustrated by Andie Tong

4 stars A fast-paced adventure filled with action, mystery, family, and friendship. The next generation of superheroes for new readers and lifelong fans. There’s a great balance to the amount of action to growth and reflection in this book. The story moves along quickly but there is also plenty going on internally. Also, Tai’s relationship…

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Black Canary: Ignite by Meg Cabot, Illustrated by Cara McGee

3 stars A nice updated version of Black Canary suitable for young readers. Dinah Lance has to navigate the world of junior high complete with arguments with friends, that one bully who’s mean for no reason, and a principal that seems to be out to get her… as well as the strange happenings of things…

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Thunder Boy Jr. by Sherman Alexie, Illustrated by Yuyi Morales

3 stars A sweet story about the link between names and identity, and the love between a father and a son. Love the colorful illustrations. They tell a story of their own, strengthening the story and sometimes adding some humorous details. The words and illustrations blend together at times, making for a fun and engaging…

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Can I Touch Your Hair? Poems of Race, Mistakes, and Friendship by Irene Latham and Charles Waters, Illustrated by Sean Qualls and Selina Alko

4 stars A wonderful conversation starter for topics of race and understanding other’s perspectives. Latham and Waters use poetry to tell the story of Irene and Charles, fifth-graders based on their own childhood selves, who have to work on a poetry assignment together. Along the way, they learn about each other, how they are the…

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