Reviews written by Beth Rodgers, Staff Reviewer

‘The Cool Code; by Deirdre Langeland, illustrated by Sarah Mai, is a graphic novel that does a nice job capturing not only the angst of being a teenager, but the desire to find a way out of that angst. For her whole life, main character Zoey has been homeschooled, but...

‘Surely Surely Marisol Rainey’ by Erin Entrada Kelly follows Marisol and her best friend, Jada, as they try to navigate the perils of elementary school gym. The fact that they have to play kickball is not something Marisol wants to remember, but lo and behold, her gym teacher is dedicating...

‘My First Guide to Weather’ by Camilla de la Bedoyere, illustrated by Cinyee Chiu, delves into all aspects of the weather, including, but not limited to, how weather is defined, changes in weather, weather around the world, extreme conditions, and a handy glossary at the end of the book. ...

‘Snoopy’s Book of Joy’ by Patty Michaels, based on the work of Charles M. Schulz, and illustrated by Scott Jeralds, is an adorably illustrated board book replete with the Peanuts characters. From Snoopy and Charlie Brown’s hug on the opening page of the book, to Snoopy’s adventures with Woodstock, to...

‘This Book Is Not a Present’ by Max Greenfield, illustrated by Mike Lowery, is a funny story, perfect for readers who love silliness, in the vein of ‘The Book with No Pictures’ by B.J. Novak. The narrator of the book is adamant and wants readers to know that despite the...

‘A Very Mercy Christmas’ by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Chris Van Dusen, tells the story of Stella Endicott. All she wants is to spread joy through Christmas carols, but no one wants to sing with her. She’s the only one who seems to have the spontaneous urge to take part...

‘Mendel’s Hanukkah Mess Up’ by Chana and Larry Stiefel, illustrated by Daphna Awadish, tells the story of a boy named Mendel who can’t seem to get anything right when it comes to celebrating his favorite holiday—Hanukkah. He loves the food, the gifts, the candles, and the miracle of the oil...

‘The Zee Files: All That Glitters’ by Tina Wells is a nice, easygoing follow-up to the first book in the series. Zee is still unsure of her standing at her new school, as well as with one of her oldest friends, Jasper, and the boy she likes, Archie. As the...

‘Room and Board’ by Miriam Parker contains a nice mixture of the past and the present. When Gillian moves from New York to California after a scandal rocks her publicity career, she finds herself back on her old stomping grounds. Becoming a dorm mother at her former prep school was...

‘Shoshi’s Shabbat’ by Caryn Yacowitz, illustrated by Kevin Hawkes, is a kind tale with a relevant moral. Shoshi is a young ox who works in the fields with her farmer, Simon. Due to Simon being Jewish, he rests on the seventh day, his Sabbath. Every Saturday, he takes the day...

‘Our Day of the Dead Celebration’ by Ana Aranda tells of this interesting holiday and how families celebrate it. With favorite dishes to cook, stories to be told, poems to be written, and family to be visited, there is something for everyone to enjoy. ...

‘Our Little Mushroom’ by Emily Arnold McCully tells the story of Franz Schubert and his friends. It tells about his childhood and how his father didn’t foresee his future in music, even though Franz really wanted that to be his career. The story is a testament to the power of...

‘Super Strange Story Starters,’ created by illustrator Mark Penta and writer T.M. Murphy, brings more than 20 story starters to readers who are interested in engaging with their writing and exploring new avenues and ideas that will stand out. From stories about magic to others that will reveal what is...

‘The Happiest Lion Cub’ by Oleksandr Shatokhin, translated by Zenia Tompkins, tells the story of a lion cub who only wishes to make music, not be king. He tries to convince of his father of this, his truest wish, but his father won’t hear of it. How could his son...

‘If the World Were 100 Animals: A Visual Guide to Earth’s Amazing Creatures’ by Miranda Smith, illustrated by Aaron Cushley, takes readers on an interesting, eye-catching journey through the animal kingdom. Readers can look at the book straight on for many pages, but other pages allow the book to be...