by Shari Swanson Illustrated by Renée Graef 5 stars An absolutely delightful book that recounts the story of Gertie and her ducklings. Whether you’ve never stepped foot in Milwaukee, are familiar with the story, or have just walked past the bronze duck statues on the Wisconsin Avenue bridge, this book offers interesting details and a…
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A Book about Finding Yourself, Understanding Others, and Respecting Everybody! by Andy Passchier 4 stars A helpful guide for understanding and discussing gender identity. Promotes acceptance, respect, and understanding. The book covers sex vs. gender, gender identity, the gender binary, gender expression, and difficulties related to gender such as coming out, mental health, and bullying….
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Illustrated by Ted Hammond 3.5 stars An interesting look at the Winchester Mystery House and Sarah Winchester more specifically. I’ll admit, before reading this I’d only heard the supernatural versions of the story. I appreciate that Berne took a fact-based approach and highlighted some of the reasons for the unique architecture. The book covers quite…
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Illustrated by Erica Salcedo 5 stars A hilarious and educational book. Follow the main character as she tries to escape the fungi in her life only to discover that it is everywhere. Told in rhythmic, rhyming text, the book goes through various types of fungi, from mushrooms to lichen to mold to yeast. Also discusses…
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by Carole Boston Weatherford Illustrated by Frank Morrison 4 stars A remarkable exploration of history as told through the modernized lyrics of the popular spiritual, “Standing in the Need of Prayer”. The book works in various events throughout history from the American slave trade to Emancipation to the Civil Rights Movement to the Black Lives…
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Art by Dare Coulter 5 stars Masterful. This book is hard-hitting, beautiful, powerful, hopeful, unabashed, and well-told. It acknowledges that the histories and realities of the past can be hard to face and difficult to discuss. But encourages us all to keep fighting for a better future. A story of hope and hardship, of remembering…
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by Chris Barton Illustrated by Chaaya Prabhat 5 stars A shiny new read to add some sparkle to your day. While I don’t personally care much for glitter, I found learning about it in this book fascinating. Great blend of information, engagement, and humor. The illustrations are gorgeous. They deliver on all the sparkliness sans…
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with consultant Marjorie Hogan, MD 2 stars I didn’t like this one as much as some of the other book in the series. This book covers “common” symptoms of ADHD, how it’s diagnosed, and how it’s managed. The content is simplified for a young audience. The information is fine, but it focuses exclusively on ADHD…
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Making Food Choices That Are Good for You, Others, and the Planet by Sophie Egan 4 stars A helpful resource guide to tackle common food-related questions. Egan dives into various aspects of trying to be a more conscious eater. She focuses on three considerations when making food decisions: Is it good for me? Is it…
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with consultant Marjorie Hogan, MD 3 stars An interesting non-fiction picture book about asthma. The book covers what causes asthma, testing for asthma, how it relates to allergies, and how they are treated. The content is simplified for a young audience. The book is formatted with short breakout sections with interesting information, charts, bolded terms…
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