Memory Jars by Vera Brosgol

4 stars A sweet story that takes an unexpected turn. Freda doesn’t want to lose her favorite things. So she keeps them unused, preserved in jars. The story takes on a fantastic twist as she collect everything from rainbows to the moon to her favorite people. But as she navigates the darker, quieter world, she…

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Wishtree by Katherine Applegate

4 stars A heartfelt tale of friendship, community, and a bit of wonder. Red the wishtree has a lot to offer: shade, homes for animals, and a place for wishes. But perhaps their most important contribution is one not directly evident. Through their story, they promote acceptance, understanding, and sympathy. A sweet tale about different…

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Trigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbances by Neil Gaiman

3 stars An interesting collection of short stories from Gaiman. His work is often hit or miss for me. I either really love it or it’s just alright. This collection was much the same. The majority of these stories were previously published elsewhere or in another format (“Black Dog” the only exception). So if you’re…

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Cat’s Café A Comics Collection by Maxx Tarpley

5 stars SO. WHOLESOME! I absolutely loved this comics collection. A perfect book to have on hand when you need a pick-me-up or a reason to smile. I’ll admit, I’m slightly obsessed with this series. I started reading it on Webtoon and follow Tarpley on all the social media platforms. Whenever a new comic comes…

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Tidesong by Wendy Xu

4 stars A gorgeous book to immerse yourself in. Beautiful artwork, a captivating story, and wonderful lessons and messages. Reminiscent of Kay O’Neill‘s The Tea Dragon Society. Gentle fantasy with fantastic artwork. This book is so much more than pretty pictures and Xu accomplishes a lot with a relatively simple story. Sophie’s insecurity is easy to relate…

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The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nyguyen

5 stars Jaw-droppingly beautiful. A stunning, heartwarming story about family, love, and acceptance. This book was a pleasure to read. As soon as I finished, I wanted to pick it back up and do it all over again. I find when I really love a book, my review tends to be short. This is one…

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The Arrival by Shaun Tan

5 stars An absolute treasure. This is a phenomenal book. This wordless graphic novel tells the tale of a man immigrating to a strange new place and working to create a life for his family there. The fantastic world Tan creates allows all migrant stories to come together. It isn’t a story about immigrating to…

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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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