Reviews written by Karen Yingling, Staff Reviewer

In this lyrical, heart print book, we meet Malcolm, the youngest child of Hmong refugees. In the first part of the book, we hear from the adults in his life as they describe moments where Malcolm deeply affected their lives. His mother, father, and three much older siblings discuss not...

By 1939, Atlas Wade and his father have scaled a number of mountains, since his father is a map maker who has inherited wealth. Since Atlas' mother died three years ago, Atlas accompanies his father on many of their expeditions. The newest one is a climb of Mt. Everest, something...

Immie and Jack have been friends and neighbors for years, and have a great time hanging out, watching movies the other person hates, and supporting each other at school. As they start high school, however, things start to change. For one thing, Immie finally is insistent that her mother tell...

Pavlo's mother has some great ideas for their day together, but Pavlo is in a bad mood, and nothing sounds good. Everything at the park sounds like too much. Swimming is too wet. Going to the movies isn't appealing because Pavlo would have to sit still, and he's feeling too...

A little girl catches Santa putting a candy cane on a table in her room, and has a LOT of questions for him. Has he read her letter? Has he wiped his shoes? Can she ride in his sleigh? Since Santa is magically understanding and doesn't have to worry about...

Eve has a comfortable home with her parents and two brothers, and plenty of STUFF, but she doesn't have a PictureFace Lizzy. This doll is a sort of starter cell phone that has proprietary filters, games, and videos that all of Eve's friends have access to because they often have...

A cold, snowy snap in Acorn Village's weather causes the animal inhabitants to settle in for a cozy day. Dad Rabbit shops for ingredients for a vegetable stew, and comes home to Pop Rabbit making breakfast. The rabbit children get dressed in comfy clothes. The beavers stack up firewood, the...

A little girl tells her mother the ten things that she loves best about her, describing each one. She loves the comfort of her mother's hugs, and the encouragement her mother gives her to try new things. Her mother teaches her things and does things with her, but is also...

After Kwame enters the Nkonyaa School in Rise of the Green Flame, he has to deal with two powerful calabashes being stolen by another student, Fifi. This causes many problems. In this book, only he can save the world from falling apart. He must get to the mountain and stop...

After their adventures in Wildfire Rescue, Jaden and Leela Jackson are off to Texas to help with a hurricane. Their parents, a famous doctor and well-known photojournalist, go to disasters in the US to help out in their well-stocked RV. Jaden and Leela both have their own emergency packs, and...

Jaden Jackson and his older sister Leela love traveling with their parents so that they can help out in areas of the US that are experiencing disasters. Their father, Lamar, is an award-winning doctor, and their mother, Jaya, is a famous journalist. The family travels in an RV with their...

Four children live in a large apartment block in the city, and one of them tells the sad story of a stray dog that keeps them company. They call the dog Elki, and she is a very good companion, eating ice cream with them, playing games, and generally hanging out...

In the early 1920s, Charlene Cuffey is living in Virginia with her parents and her Nana Kofi, whose traumatic journey to the US in 1860 is detailed in The Door of No Return. Nana frequently tells her stories of his life in Africa, and he has a suitcase packed so...

Big Bear and Little Fish are back in a new adventure! Little Fish is usually the one to suggest fun activities for the friends to do, like climbing trees, riding summer sleds to get carrot muffins, sploshing in puddles, and making a blanket fort. When Fish suggests that Bear come...

Do you love hiking? Do you want to share the joy of that experience with young children? This is the book to pick up. Following a family of four as they hit the trails, this book gives a good overview of how to prepare for hikes and to stay safe...