Reviews written by Beth Rodgers, Staff Reviewer

“Birth of the Bicycle: A Bumpy History of the Bicycle in America” by Sarah Nelson, illustrated by Iacopo Bruno, shares the beginnings of bicycles, from those without pedals to the way bikes look today. It was not a simple process to create the bike as it is currently known. There...

“From Pyramids to Palaces: Architecture Around the World” by Tom Velcovsky and Jiri Bartunek, illustrated by Marie Kraus, takes readers on a journey through time and place, starting with an introduction that encourages readers to think about buildings as they currently know them and then look back into past buildings...

“Why on This Night? A Passover Haggadah for Family Celebration” by Rahel Musleah, illustrated by Louise August, is the recipient of a Sydney Taylor Notable Book Award through the Association of Jewish Libraries. This beautifully illustrated Haggadah, used for the Jewish Passover seder, is perfect for young people and their...

“Stand Up!” by Tori Sharp is a graphic novel about two best friends, Clay and Kyle, who start their own podcast. They both want to try something new and find something they’re good at, and this middle grade novel does a nice job of giving these characters just that. ...

“Dashed” by Amanda Quain takes readers into a world of romance, travel, and family dynamics. When Margaret Dashwood heads off on a cruise for the summer with her sister, Elinor, and Elinor’s husband, she looks forward to spending time with the two of them and enjoying her final summer before...

“The Light from My Menorah: Celebrating Holidays Around the World” by Robin Heald and Andrea Blinick is a beautifully illustrated tale about how the light from a Chanukah menorah lights up the night, travels through space, and sweeps across the desert and other parts of the world. There are many...

“Shakespeare’s First Folio—All the Plays: A Children’s Edition,” illustrated by Emily Sutton, is a beautifully illustrated, bound collection of Shakespeare’s plays. Fourteen comedies, ten histories, and twelve tragedies make up the pages of this splendidly engaging foray into the realm of Shakespeare. The book does...

“My Antarctica: True Adventures in the Land of Mummified Seals, Space Robots, and So Much More” by G. Neri, illustrated by Corban Wilkin, takes readers on a journey to a place not traveled so often, but a place that piques readers’ curiosity just the same. Any child who dreams of...

“The Spaceman” by Randy Cecil allows an alien to explore a new and different land. What he learns as he ventures into the unknown is that not everything is what you expect it to be, and that there is so much to make of what is right in front of...

“All About Flags” by Robin Jacobs, illustrated by Ben Javens, shares information about not only flags of different countries, but also about flags for different purposes, such as naval flags, flags used to identify groups of people, and more. Readers learn that there are unusual flags out there, including square...

“The Earth Book” by Hannah Alice incorporates see-through pages to help readers uncover loads of information about the Earth. Starting with the not-so-simple question, “What is the Earth?” the book delves into atmosphere and weather, animal life, human life, land features, and much more to show readers the intricacies of...

“Home Construction” by Anne Blanchard, illustrated by Didier Balicevic, is an Ultimate Spotlight book, showcasing interactive flaps, pull-tabs, and other interesting options for understanding construction work and how it all comes about. From preparing the building site to beginning the build, installing the interior, landscaping, and more, there are clear,...

“The New Girl” by Cassandra Calin is a graphic novel chronicling the life of Lia, a young girl who has recently moved across the world form Romania to Canada. Not only is the change difficult due to Lia truly missing the only home she’s ever known, her grandparents, etc.,...

“Paint by Sticker Kids: Rainforest Animals” allows for interactive creations. Artists are able to make ten sticker paintings that are already on sturdy card stock. The stickers in the back of the book and the pages with the images themselves can tear out to make it easy to complete the...

“Singing with Elephants” by Margarita Engle is a novel in verse that chronicles the friendship that grows between a young girl and a poet. This friendship brings them closer together through a sense of hope and discovery that allows them to find peace and comfort in their lives. ...