Avatar: The Last Airbender: My Cabbages!

By Rebecca Gyllenhaal and Jessica Yang Illustrated by Bonnie Pang Based on the animated series by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko 5 stars Absolutely hilarious. Follow Aang and his friends’ journey to defeat the Fire Lord from the perspective of Merchant Cai, the cabbage merchant. Cai dreams of selling his cabbages throughout the Earth…

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Feeling Boo by Alex Boniello and April Lavalle

Illustrated by Olivia Chin Mueller 3 stars A sweet story about friendship, sadness, and listening to others. Ollie has the boos and his best friend, Ellie, will do whatever it takes to chase those sad feelings away. But sometimes we have to slow down and just sit with our sadness in the company of good…

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My Little Pony/Transformers: The Magic of Cybertron

by James Asmus, Ian Flynn, Sam Maggs, and Tony Fleecs Illustrated by  Jack Lawrence, Casey W. Coller, Priscilla Tramontano, Trish Forstner, and Lauren Perry 5 stars Absolutely hilarious. I love this mashup! More adventures with the Mane Six, the Autobots, and the Decepticons along with the Young Six and more pony friends. This time King…

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My Little Pony/Transformers: Friendship in Disguise

by James Asmus, Ian Flynn, and Sam Maggs Illustrated by Tony Fleecs, Jack Lawrence, Sara Pitre-Durocher, Casey W. Coller, and Priscilla Tramontano 5 stars I was intrigued by this mashup, but honestly wasn’t expecting to like it. I was pleasantly surprised. Humor and adventure collide as the Transformers find themselves in Equestria. Follow the Autobots…

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Nearer My Freedom: The Interesting Life of Olaudah Equiano by Himself

by Monica Edinger and Lesley Younge 5 stars A biography in verse using found poetry from Olaudah Equiano’s own autobiography. I absolutely adored this format. Fantastically constructed. The found verse format was done in a way that made the text and narrative more accessible to a modern reader without losing the original intent. Throughout the…

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The Art of Wish by Stephen Rebello and Kimmer Baughman

4 stars An extraordinary, beautiful look at the creation of the movie, Wish. This book was especially interesting because it highlighted the celebration of 100 years of Walt Disney Animation Studios and how everyone involved in its creation pulled inspiration from Disney’s legacy. The book goes through various elements of creating the artwork for the…

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Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam

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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Bhangra Baby by Kabir Sehgal & Surishtha Sehgal

Illustrated by Ani Bushry 4 stars A vibrant picture book told in catchy rhymes and an infectious beat. Bhangra Baby wants to join in the fun of the Punjabi folk dance. With the help of his family and friends, he learns the moves and spends the night dancing and celebrating. Bold, colorful illustrations. An adorable…

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Eyes That Weave the World’s Wonders by Joanna Ho with Liz Kleinrock

Illustrated by Dung Ho 5 stars Another lush, heartwarming, gorgeous read from Joanna Ho and Dung Ho. Through poetic text, the narrator describes how her eyes are different from her adoptive family’s and how their loves connects them. It explores the narrator’s relationship with her adoptive father and mother, and her curiosity about her birth…

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