Bloom by Delilah S. Dawson

4 stars Beautiful and gruesome. The horror romance I didn’t know I was looking for. It somehow manages to perfectly balance cozy and unsettling. One of those reads you just can’t look away from. Perfectly paced, it draws you in no matter how much you want to look away. I loved the way Dawson planted…

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Magnificent Homespun Brown: A Celebration by Samara Cole Doyon

Illustrated by Kaylani Juanita 5 stars Absolutely gorgeous. A beautiful celebration of heritage, family, nature, and the self. Told through accessible, poetic language, Doyon paints beautiful images of memories and little moments of celebration and joy, from watching a river to tasting a caramel apple, jumping in leaf piles to the marvel of a family…

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Awe-samosas! by Marzieh Abbas

Illustrated by Bhagya Madanasinghe 5 stars Adorable, heartfelt, and delicious! Noor wants to have a samosa party with her friends, but keeps running into problems along the way. With reminders of her Dadijaan’s advice, she pushes through and puts her own unique spin on a family recipe. Such a sweet story. Great themes of perseverance,…

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Tree. Table. Book. by Lois Lowry (Audiobook)

Narrated by Hope Newhouse 5 stars A tree, a table, and a book. Three little tales have the unexpected power of connecting the past to the present in a whole new way. Absolutely beautiful. Sophie W. is 11 years old. Sophie G. is 88. Despite their age gap, they are best friends. When the elder…

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Loading Penguin Hugs: Heartwarming Comics from Chibird by Jacqueline Chen

4 stars An absolutely adorable collection of feel-good comics told with warmth, positivity, and humor. Cute artwork featuring various animals including a motivational penguin, some positivity bunnies, and a supportive hedgehog. At the back is an index broken out by theme (positivity, self-esteem, bad day). This was a nice detail and works well for finding…

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I Feel Awful, Thanks by Lara Pickle

5 stars All Joana’s dreams are coming true. She’s secured her dream job as a potions maker in London. She makes friends, finds an apartment, and explores romantic pursuits. Everything should be perfect. But something feels off. She’s tired all the time and constantly plagued with doubt. She pushes down her emotions as best she…

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The Beast of Bray Road: Tailing Wisconsin’s Werewolf

3 stars An interesting examination of sightings related to the Beast of Bray Road, the history of werewolves and other creatures in the Midwest, and possible explanations for the slew of sightings. The author provides various stories told to her throughout the years. She explores the possibility of the unexplained with an open mind and…

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When Moon Blooms by Aida Salazar

Illustrated by Caribay M. Benavides 3 stars A beautiful exploration of the phases on the moon and the connection between nature and the body. Told in English with Spanish words interwoven throughout the text, the story tells of a mother passing down cultural wisdom to her child. Beautiful artwork and poetic text. A lovely read….

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Magic Like That by Samara Cole Doyon

Illustrated by Geneva Bowers 5 stars A gorgeous, lush celebration of Black hair and self-confidence. Told through lyrical narration, a young girl shares some of her favorite hairstyles as she waits for her mother to reveal her latest creation. I loved the different facets expressed through different hair styles, from whimsical to majestic, mischievous to…

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