The Skull: A Tyrolean Folktale by Jon Klassen

4 stars Delightfully spooky. An unexpectedly sweet story featuring an old house in the woods, a skull, and a brave girl looking for a place to stay. After running away from home, Otilla comes across a house whose sole occupant is a kindly skull. Little does she know, the skull has a secret and that…

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Rumaysa: A Fairytale by Radiya Hafiza

Illustrated by Rhaida El Touny 3 stars A fun new twist on the classic fairy tales Rapunzel, Cinderella, and Sleepy Beauty. Told through interconnected stories, the book follows Rumaysa who is locked away in a tower where a witch makes her spin straw into gold. I really enjoyed the endings in this book. The heroines…

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A Stroke of the Pen: The Lost Stories by Terry Pratchett

4 stars Perfectly Pratchett. A fantastic collection of fantasy and sci-fi stories featuring ghosts, dragons, wizards, talking animals, and time travelers. What a fun read. Its history is as interesting as the stories themselves. Loved diving into this collection of recently discovered stories, the majority originally published under the pseudonym Patrick Kearns. The collection features…

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Snow White with the Red Hair, Vol. 1

by Sorata Akiduki Translated by Caleb Cook 3 stars A sweet book with a loose basis around the story of Snow White. I’ve watched the first season of the anime and wanted to give the manga a try. Shirayuki is well-known for her rare red hair, but when it gains her some unwanted attention, she…

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Athena the Brain (Goddess Girls Graphic Novels #1)

Created by Joan Holub & Suzanne Williams Adapted by David Camptiti Illustrated by Eduardo Garcia 2 stars Athena has just found out some shocking news. She’s the daughter of Zeus and now she’s being summoned to Mount Olympus Academy. She’ll meet new friends (and enemies), create some exciting inventions, and try to get the hang…

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In a Glass Grimmly (A Tale Dark & Grimm #2) by Adam Gidwitz

5 stars Another amazing book in the series. This one tells of cousins Jack and Jill as they go in search of a long-lost treasure. The adventures are all new, so you can read this one without having read the first one, though the first one is also amazing and I highly recommend it. Fantastically…

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Fairest of all (Whatever After #1) by Sarah Mlynowski

2 stars The mirror in the basement is not all it seems. After knocking on the mirror three times, Abby and her brother, Jonah, are transported into a fairy tale realm. While trying to help a young girl, they realize they’ve changed the ending of her story. Now they must set things right and find…

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Shuna’s Journey by Hayao Miyazaki

Translated by Alex Dudok de Wit 3 stars A standalone tale loosely based on the Tibetan folktale, “The Prince Who Turned into a Dog”. This book is all Miyazaki. Stunning settings, a strong woman with agency and determination, fascinating creatures, rich backgrounds, and intentional ambiguity. Slow-paced story that puts more emphasis on the visuals than…

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Bea Wolf by Zach Weinersmith

Illustrated by Boulet 2 stars A unique retelling of Beowulf in graphic novel format. I expected to like this more than I did. I love retellings, especially when they give women and girls more active roles. I’ll admit, I did judge this by the cover. I loved the art style and color and assumed it…

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Frankenslime by Joy Keller

Illustrated by Ashley Belote 4 stars A fun story about experimentation, creativity, and new friends. Victoria Franken loves slime. She’s known for her creative recipes. But has her latest recipe gone too far? A delightful spin on the story of Frankenstein. While it is silly and fun, it also works in some scientific elements in…

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