5 stars From the poetic team that brought us, Can I Touch Your Hair? Poems of Race, Mistakes, and Friendship comes a powerful novel-in-verse that tells the story of the last American slave ship. Waters and Latham give voice to the survivors of the journey on the Clotilda, the enslavers who put them on that journey, and even…
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Edited by Steve Berman Featuring stories from James H. Moran, John Linwood Grant, Jonathan Harper, M. Yuan-Innes, John T. Fuller, Charles Payseur, B. J. Fry, Alysha MacDonald, Mark Ward, Evey Brett, Rob Rosen, and Ann Zeddies 3 stars Definitely a population that has been underrepresented in fairy tales, Burly Tales gives hefty gay men their…
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by Alex Boersma and Nick Pyenson Illustrated by Alex Boersma 5 stars A captivating journey that shows how one whale, and the world, can change over the course of 200 years. Boersma and Pyenson beautifully capture a portion of a bowhead whale’s life, from learning from her mother, avoiding whalers, and raising her own calves,…
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Illustrated by Vashti Harrison 4 stars A stunning picture book about two siblings preparing for Holi. The story goes through the basics of how they prepare for the holiday, including making colorful powders. Then they gather with their neighbors, friends, and family, and the fun begins. Beautiful illustrations that bring the story to life. Nice…
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3 stars Based on the novel by James Howe and Deborah Howe A fun graphic novel adaptation of the spooky classic. The book sticks closely to the original tale, complete with Chester, the wannabe vampire slayer, Harold, the trusty narrator with conflicting interests, and Bunnicula, the mysterious new addition to the family. As with the…
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3 stars A fun exploration of some of America’s paranormal and true crime locations. This is a perfect reference guide for both fans of the podcast as well as anyone looking for an odd road trip exploring ghosts, murders, and general creepiness. I’ll admit, going into this I knew nothing about the podcast. I didn’t…
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5 stars Adapted from Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi‘s Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You A fantastic adaptation of Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You for a younger audience. This is such a great series to adapt for different age groups and the kids and teens version have both been amazing. One aspect that is especially fun about the…
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5 stars A heartfelt book recounting Omar Mohamed’s experiences growing up in Dadaab, a refugee camp in Kenya. The book goes through Mohamed’s daily life and long-term struggles including taking care of his brother, arguments with friends, trying to get an education in the camp, learning English, coping with food shortages, fighting for resettlement in…
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4 stars A delightful read with some truly heartwarming moments. This book does a great job of blending the simple with the complex. There’s the obvious appeal of magic, dragons, and other mystical creatures, but it also pulls in some more mature themes and emotions including loss, guilt, and shame. This is a well-rounded read…
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3 stars An interesting twist on mermaid legends featuring a full-building aquarium, a motherly octopus, and a young mermaid with a mysterious past. This one was a bit difficult to get into at first. It follows an unnamed mermaid, referred to only as “Fish Girl”, who teases guests with glimpses of herself at the aquarium…
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