Reviews written by Karen Yingling, Staff Reviewer

Luke, who lives in a town in Ireland, is dealing with the disintegrating finances of his family, which leads to problems for him, like having no internet for schoolwork, forcing him to hunker down in the family bathroom and use his neighbor's connection. When his friend Finn shows up at...

There are all sorts of situations where people wear protective gear, and this book lays out a variety of them with panache. Helmets protect people's heads, headphones protect ears, and goggles protect the eyes. There are also gloves and masks to protect people, as well as brightly colored vests to...

Black Bear would like to have a friend, so he goes out into the forest to try to find one. He meets Brown Bear, who is, coincidentally, trying to find a friend as well! The two decide to work together to find a friend, and search all over, to no...

Charlie's Papa Joe has an hourglass, and he tells her he likes to remember that days are made up of small precious moments, just like the grains of sand. When Charlie is hungry, she asks if they can go to a restaurant, but instead, Papa Joe takes his time making...

Jenny Chow has always struggled with using chopsticks, even though her family has a tradition of having a contest to see who can use them best in challenges picking up different foods and items. With her cousin Victor's birthday approaching, and another contest on the horizon, she throws herself into...

A young girl looks at the city gardens around her and uses the plants to remind herself of important things in her life. The sunny day Lillie's remind her to feel joy, and the willow tree branches are like her hair, so remind her to love herself. Yellow lion's-ears encourage...

It's summer, so Frank and Joe are hanging out in Bayport, with their friend Chet. They Chet's sister Iola walking dogs, Lucy selling tapioca lemonade, and local bullies Adam, Seth, and Tony terrorizing the area with their skateboarding. The Hardys are excited about the new splash pad, and arrive early...

Ava is a very 2020's kind of gal; she's impetuous, fearless, and often acts without thinking. Her family reacts productively to her most of the time, and keeps her worst impulses in check. It's interesting to compare characters from the history of early chapter books; Haywood's 1930s era Betsy would...

Mindy'a father gets a call from Korea that his own father has passed away. After a hasty consultation with his wife, Julie, they tell Mindy that the family will be traveling back to attend the grandfather's funeral and celebrate Chuseok with the extended family. Mindy has good memories of her...

Mindy and her friend Sally are interested in trying out for the community play, and they ask their friend Lindsey to try out as well. Since it is a production of Cinderella, all three girls would like the starring role, so go into tryouts knowing that some of them will...

Bo's humans are getting in the noisy, scary car and heading to the Beach! The cats give Bo a little overview of what to expect from the outing, and Bo finds that with a cozy bed in the car and frequent treats, it's not a bad trip. The shoreline is...

Chelsea doesn't really want to leave California and spend the summer in Michigan at her grandmother's cabin by the lake, because her grandmother has passed away. Her older sisters are crazy about boys, and Chelsea is too sad to do much but read. This changes when she goes in to...

A young boy spends the day with his father, walking to the park to eat their sack lunch. Since the boy is so small, everyone on the street towers above him. At one point, he asks to go "up high", and his father lifts him onto his shoulders, holding on...

Born in 1930, Vigdís Finnbogadóttir was raised in Reykjavík, Iceland. She loved nature, and had many varied interests. After World War II, when she was 19, she went to study in France, and loved the French culture. Upon her return home to Iceland, she held a variety of jobs, including...

In the summer of 1994, a year after The First Magnificent Summer, Victoria is staying at home with her mother, older brother Jack, and younger sister Maggie because her father has declined having them visit him and his new family. Her mother struggles financially, but owns her own home. Victoria's...