Malala’s Magic Pencil by Malala Yousafzai, Illustrated by Kerascoët

5 stars A powerful and inspiring picture book recounting Malala Yousafzai’s activism for education for all. The illustrations perfectly match the tone of the author’s words. They show the hardships in the environment but also the beauty of change and the power of people coming together. The story itself gives some of the basic details…

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Emi Isn’t Scared of Monsters by Alina Tysoe

5 stars An absolutely adorable picture book from the creator of What’s Up, Beanie?: Acutely Relatable Comics. What a fun read. Perfect for reading aloud. Emi isn’t scared of monsters. In fact, she’s setting a trap to catch one. But when her beloved pup, Cookie, doesn’t follow the plan, her bravery is tested as she ventures…

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Outside, Inside by LeUyen Pham

5 stars An absolutely beautiful time capsule of a book that captures both heartwarming and heartbreaking moments of lockdowns, quarantines, and the spread of Covid-19. Pham’s artwork perfectly captures the happiness, stress, hope, sorrow, and frustration of the time. Through empty streets, flourishing wildlife, and homebound scenes, Pham shows some of the changes to the…

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Where Are You From? by Yamile Saied Méndez, Illustrated by Jaime Kim

5 stars A gorgeous picture book with a powerful message. When the people in her life question where she’s really from, a little girl starts to question whether she belongs. She asks her wise abuelo for an answer. In beautifully illustrated spreads, he answers perfectly, asserting her belonging while also teaching her about various aspects of her…

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My Zero-Waste Kitchen by Kate Turner

3 stars A nice intro with various tips for reducing food waste. This book covers quite a bit of ground in a short amount of time. Includes ideas on cooking with and regrowing from food scraps. Also includes some basic information on storage, meal planning, composting, and guidelines for judging freshness. Note, this is more…

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Séance Tea Party by Reimena Yee

5 stars A delightful ghost story centered around friendship and growing up. This book is absolutely beautiful! I loved every moment of it. It is sweet, relatable, gut-wrenching, and heartwarming all rolled into one gorgeous package. The artwork is fantastic. I really enjoyed the cozy art style and Yee perfectly captures the emotions of her…

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Muddy People: A Muslim Coming of Age by Sara El Sayed

3 stars Written as part of her Master of Fine Arts project, this book gives glimpses into El Sayed’s life, both from childhood to adolescents and into adulthood. The book tackles many topics including cancer, parental expectations and double standards, racism, bullying, divorce, friendship, religion, and moving to a different country. It deals largely with…

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A Sea Glass Journey: Ebb and Flow by Teri Hall

4 stars A beautiful book that provides information, inspiration, and beauty. Hall takes the reader through the world of sea glass, from how it’s formed, the impact of the elements, and search techniques, to the colors, shapes, and specific treasures to be found. She also includes information on what to do with pieces, complete with…

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Through the Woods by Emily Carroll

4 stars Delightfully creepy. Perfectly macabre. As with many macabre stories, while reading this I often found myself wanting more information, to know what happened after the end. But the unknown has a special place is each of these tales, which adds to their unsettling charm. Great artwork that wonderfully captures the tone of the…

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