I Am Not Starfire by Mariko Tamaki

Illustrated by Yoshi Yoshitani 3 stars A fun spin on the Titans. Nice mix of daily life and superhero escapades. Works well for those who are at least vaguely aware of the DC characters and are accepting of changes to the universe. The story follows Mandy, who sees herself as the opposite of her mother,…

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The Seven Chinese Brothers by Margaret Mahy

Illustrated by Jean and Mou-sien Tseng 4 stars A beautiful reimagining of the Han tale of The Seven Brothers. This serves as a nice alternative to The Five Chinese Brothers with detailed illustrations and a full color pallet. In this version, the seven brothers learn that Emperor Ch’in Shih Huang is making people work day and night…

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Mimi and the Boo-Hoo Blahs (Mimi #2)

by Shauna J. Grant 4 stars Another adorable, sweet adventure with Mimi and Penelope. In this one, Mimi wakes up with the Blahs. Her pigtails won’t sit right, she doesn’t want her favorite breakfast, she can’t fully enjoy fun things, and she just feels blah. But with the help of her friends, Mimi can overcome…

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Woke: A Young Poet’s Call to Justice

by Mahogany L. Browne with Elizabeth Acevedo and Olivia Gatwood Illustrated by Theodore Taylor III Forward by Jason Reynolds 5 stars A phenomenal collection of poetry focused on race, identity, equality, and justice. The book blends elements of history, resistance, injustice, and anti-racism. It also explains various concepts such as privilege, intersectionality, and stereotypes. Each…

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Alone by Megan E. Freeman

2.5 stars I am usually a huge fan of novels-in-verse so I was really excited to read this one. Maddie lives a relatively normal life. But when a state-wide evacuation takes place during a secret sleepover, Maddie finds herself alone. Can she figure out how to survive? Is anyone coming back for her? The premise…

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She Persisted: Wangari Maathai

by Eucabeth Odhiambo Illustrated by Gillian Flint 5 stars Another fantastic She Persisted book. This one recounts the life and work of Wangari Maathai, an environmentalist and activist who founded the Green Belt Movement. The book describes Maathai’s life growing up in Kenya, her inspirations and influences, her continuing education, her work helping her community,…

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Alphabedtime by Susanna Leonard Hill

Illustrated by Betsy Snyder 5 stars An absolutely adorable book. It’s fun rhyme scheme makes it perfect for reading aloud. Follow the Alphababies as they get ready for bed. From the toothbrush line to bath time to snuggling into their jammies, join the 26 children in their bedtime routine. I loved all the details packed…

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Sleepy Sheepy by Lucy Ruth Cummins

Illustrated by Pete Oswald 4 stars Such a cute picture book. Perfect for read-alouds. Simply put, Sleepy Sheepy does not want to do to bed. He does everything he can to put off bedtime until finally he has to admit he’s a little bit sleepy. Parents can definitely relate to Ma Sheepy and Pa Sheepy…

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Don’t Throw It, Grow It!

68 Windowsill Plants from Kitchen Scraps by Deborah Peterson and Millicent Selsam 2 stars An okay read on how to grow your own plants from the items you buy at the grocery store. I’ll admit, I didn’t look at this too hard before getting into it, so I didn’t realize it mainly focuses on growing…

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