The Boy Who Tried to Shrink His Name by Sandhya Parappukkaran

Illustrated by Michelle Pereira 4 stars A sweet picture book about practice, confidence, identity, and friendship. Zimdalamashkermishkada is starting a new school and is worried about his long name. He tries to shrink it down to make it easier for his classmates and teacher to say. But through practice and repetition, a new friend helps…

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Repeat After Me: Big Things to Say Every Day

by Jazmyn Simon and Dulé Hill Illustrated by Shamar Knight-Justice 5 stars Short and sweet review because this book has me smiling so big. A stunning picture book filled with positive affirmations to repeat every day. Each spread contains a daily affirmation along with a poem that expands on it. The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous….

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The Queen of Kindergarten by Derrick Barnes

Illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton 5 stars A sweet companion book to The King of Kindergarten. MJ’s mom gives her a tiara to wear on the first day of school and tells her how to be a good queen. This includes brightening up the room, being caring and kind, and helping others. MJ does just that, making…

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The Good Hair Day by Christian Trimmer

Illustrated by J Yang 4 stars Such a sweet story. What Noah wants more than anything is long hair. But he isn’t sure if he can ask for it. Most of the boys and men in his life have short hair. Will he get the courage to ask to grow out his hair in time…

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Hoop Dancer Determination (Jake Maddox Sports Stories)

by Stacy Wells Illustrated by Jesus Aburto 3 stars Nice story overall. Tobias loves hoop dancing, but is self-conscious about what his peers will think. Will he face his fears and showcase his skills at the talent show? A nice way to learn about some of the basics of hoop dancing. Tobias must deal with…

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Wei Skates On by Nathan Chen

Illustrated by Lorraine Nam 5 stars A fantastic story about accepting your mistakes, working hard, and finding joy in doing what you love. A nice message that winning isn’t everything. The story doesn’t deny that winning feels good. But the emphasis is on doing what you love, trying your best, and making yourself proud. The…

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enemies (Berrybrook Middle School #4) by Svetlana Chmakova

4 stars When her sister, Letty, teases Felicity about never finishing her projects, Felicity sets out to win the Pitch the Future competition. To do so, she must team up with her friend and come up with a great idea to change the world. But along the way, she has to face disagreements of ideas,…

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Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol

4 stars Another winner from Brosgol! In this part-memoir graphic novel, Brosgol tackles her time at Russian summer camp, complete with mean tent-mates, horrific outhouses (aka the Hollywood), new friends, run-ins with wild animals, camp competitions, reluctantly getting caught up in drama, and the desire to belong. Brosgol doesn’t shy away from some of the…

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