Valenslime by Joy Keller

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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My Little Pony: Kenbucky Roller Derby

by Casey Gilly and Amy Chase Illustrated by Natalie Haines and Kate Sherron 4 stars A fun standalone adventure featuring ponified roller derby and the Make Your Mark cast. Sunny dreams of joining a roller derby team, but after being rejected by the Sandy Shore Slammers, a team that is mean, unhelpful, and overly competitive,…

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Into the Goblin Market by Vikki VanSickle

Illustrated by Jensine Eckwall 5 stars Lyrical, magical, and a powerful homage to sisterhood. A captivating read inspired by Christina Rossetti’s poem, “Goblin Market”. Rather than adapting or retelling Rossetti’s lengthy original, VanSickle’s version introduces a new set of sisters, Millie and Mina, and a fantastical market filled with tempting treats, eerie songs, and enticing…

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Beanie the Bansheenie by Eoin Colfer

Illustrated by Steve McCarthy 5 stars The sweetest book about banshees that I have ever read. Bansheenies (baby banshees) typically bond with the first person they see, allowing them to learn when that person will die. Through happenstance, Beanie’s story is not quite so straightforward. Instead of simply telling her human, Rose, when her death…

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The Book of Bill by Alex Hirsch

5 stars Strike a deal with Bill and dive in to learn secrets never yet revealed. A sinister book that brings you face-to-face with the elusive Bill after the events of Weirdmageddon. This book really delivers. It’s everything you’d expect from Bill. Creepiness, humor, mystery. Hilarious and nightmare-inducing. The Gravity Falls finale left us all…

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Moomin: The Complete Tove Jansson Comic Strip, Vol. 3 by Tove Jansson

4 stars Delightful as always. Join the Moomin family in this volume where adventure takes the lead as they adapt to life in the jungle, encounter visitors from Mars, become lighthouse keepers, and more. Wonderfully odd stories and charming artwork filled with humor. The third collection of comics includes “Moomin Falls in Love”, “Moominvalley Turns…

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Lucy Lancaster Has a Secret by Willow Coven

Illustrated by Priscilla Burris 5 stars Lucy lives a normal life. She hangs out with her best friends, Heidi and Bruce, goes to school, and puts up with rude classmates. But something strange is going on. Every time Lucy hiccups, odd things start happening. Are her hiccups the cause or is it all just a…

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Simone by Viet Thanh Nguyen

Illustrated by Minnie Phan 5 stars A remarkable story of bravery, hope, and working toward a better future. Set during the 2020 California wildfires, the story follows Simone as she and her mother evacuate. Though Simone is scared, her mother helps calm her by recounting her own evacuation during a flood in Viet Nam. Using…

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My Little Pony: Spirit of the Forest by Ted Anderson

Illustrated by Brenda Hickey 4 stars After noticing an abundance of litter on their latest camping trip in the White Tail Woods, the Cutie Mark Crusaders team up with an unexpected ally to help preserve the forest. A fun mystery turned pursuit of environmental justice with a little cryptid-style storyline woven throughout. I loved seeing…

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