Reviews written by Hannah Hudson, Staff Reviewer

SAME BUT DIFFERENT by twins Ryan Elizabeth Peete & RJ Peete is told in alternating narratives and loosely based on the twin’s real-life experiences of navigating life with autism. The book follows twins Callie and Charlie as they enter into their 16th year, but unlike past years of sharing everything...

This wonderfully creepy anthology of the Grimm Brother’s fairy tales, THE SINGING BONES is a perfect read-aloud addition to bedtime stories. Shaun Tan is known for his exquisite and often haunting illustrations, and THE SINGING BONES introduces the reader to a few unique mediums. Shaun Tan’s books have never been...

RONIT AND JAMIL is a novel in verse that tells the story of two young lovers on opposite sides of a war. In this emotional retelling of Romeo and Juliet, Ronit, an young Israeli girl, and Jamil, a Palestinian boy, both accompany their fathers into the clinics where they work...

What’s better than pirates? Dinosaur pirates! PIRASAURS! was such a delightful picture book. The second I began to read, I started singing the words in a sea-shanty type rhythm. The text is lyrical, which makes it easy to transition into a boisterous reading. Unlike some rhyming picture books, PIRASAURS is...

Placebo Junkies was a wild ride in book form! Audie lives her life as a human guinea pig for pharmaceutical drug trials. To say that it’s a roller coaster way of living would be an understatement. From one day to the next, Audie and her friends never know what pill...

In Patricia Reilly Giff’s new book, UNTILL I FIND JULIAN, Mateo’s older brother Julian leaves their small town in Mexico for North America and employment opportunities. When the letters and money stop, Mateo knows that something terrible has happened to his brother, so he sets off alone to cross the...

In this delightful picture book, Winnie learns about responsibility when it comes to taking care of her new pet monster. When all of her friends get monsters, Winnie convinces her dad to take her to the Monsterium to pick out a new pet. As a self-proclaimed “monster expert,” Winnie is...

A STORY FOR DESMOND is a bedtime story in graphic novel form. Desmond is fussing and his father begins to tell him a story of his grandmother and the things she left behind for Desmond to find as he grows older. The story takes Desmond to new lands and fun...

This book is packed with laughter, courage, and friendship from the first page until the last. Alice has just relocated to Sinkville, SC from her cloudy home in Seattle. Her dad has a new job at the local paper mill; her mom has locked herself away in her room, and...

Regency London? Check. Magic? Check. Adventures? Check. Cross-dressing girls? Check. I wasn’t sure what to expect from Garth Nix’s newest novel Newt’s Emerald, but I was thoroughly delighted throughout the entire story. Written as an...

Dan Yaccarino’s newest picture book, Billy and Goat at the State Fair, is a fun romp through the ins and outs of a state fair. The colorful illustrations and the maze-like layout make this book a great read-aloud for kids who are exploring colors and cognitive skills. In addition to...

Connect the Stars is just the book I was wishing for to pull me out of my reading slump: Interesting characters, compelling plot, high-risk scenarios, and plenty of teen agency. I couldn’t put this book down and I enjoyed every second of my time spent reading! ...

Confessions of an Imaginary Friend is humorous and delightful. I laughed my way through this book, and it’s no surprise why. Jacques Papier is a witty, compassionate protagonist who happens to be going through an existential crisis. Except that Jacques Papier doesn’t really exist. After discovering that he is, in...

The Sleeper and the Spindle is a picture book that is as illuminating as it is dark. Spinning the fairytales of Snow White and Sleeping Beauty, author Neil Gaiman and Illustrator Chris Riddell, combine the two lives into one hero’s, (or rather heroine’s) journey. As a...

There are not enough words, nor enough space, to tell you just how much I adored Julie Murphy’s Dumplin’. Not only is this book oozing with body positivity, it also oozes with originality, witty dialogue, and romance. This book is the whole package. When Willowdean Dickson...