Reviews written by Kristie Lowry, Promotions Manager

THE UNEXPECTED LIFE OF OLIVER CROMWELL PITTS by Avi is a wonderful book--as one has come to expect from the author. The year is 1724 and Oliver Cromwell Pitts, a twelve-year-old boy who looks far younger than his years, wakes up to find his home flooded and...

WATERS OF SALT AND SIN is Alisha Klapheke’s first book in her Uncommon World series. It is high fantasy, and the world Klapheke gives the reader is one to rival some of the best in that genre. And the cover—well, the cover is absolutely gorgeous. In WATERS...

PLANT THE TINY GARDEN’s simple illustrations and text allow readers to fully immerse themselves in the interactive aspect of the book. As you flip the pages, you do everything needed to make flowers grow: plant the seeds by pushing them into the ground, wiggle your fingers to make it rain,...

RUNAWAY BOOGER is a story of—you guessed it—an out-of-control booger. Brother, Sister, and Dad are left home to fend for themselves, and upon leaving Mom reminds them that they shouldn’t pick their noses, and they shouldn’t play ball in the house. Mom is barely out the door before noses are...

KAI TO THE RESCUE features a little green and white pumper truck, Kai, who moves into a station house with three large red and white fire trucks. Each truck has their job, but Captain Chuck, the hook-and-ladder truck—belittles Kai and treats him as a nuisance rather than part of the...

NOT QUITE BLACK AND WHITE is an adorable picture book that teaches colors with an engaging rhyme and wonderful illustrations. Every page features an animal in black and white—and they each have an item of clothing or an accessory in a non-black-or-white color. The pictures are...

THE SUMMER OF BAD IDEAS features insecure and dorky Edith (who would rather be called Edie) and her very cool cousin, Rae. The two pre-teens meet when their families descend on Pinne, Florida to sort Edie and Rae’s grandmother’s stuff after her death. Petunia, the grandmother, was eccentric and something...

Bruce the bear is mother to four geese, and although he’s not all that happy about the situation (because Bruce is grumpy about most things), he tries to do his best as a mom—which means he migrates south with his goslings for the winter. As a result Bruce gives up...

Enzo (dog) and Zoe (human) are both gearing up for Halloween in Garth Stein’s ENZO’S VERY SCARY HALLOWEEN. The story starts with Denny (Zoe’s dad) introducing Enzo to the idea that Halloween might be a little frightening, and for the remainder of the book, Enzo tries to reconcile what he’s...

With his debut picture book, MARLO, Christopher Browne has created an experience to be enjoyed by parents and children alike. Marlo is a dog who must take a bath. Although we understand that Marlo isn’t pleased by the prospect, s/he enters into the tub with a degree of resignation—and...

In LET'S GET LOST by Adi Alsaid, Leila is on a road trip to see the Northern Lights, and along the way, she comes across four other teens at crossroads in their lives. Hudson and Leila have an instant connection, and she arrives the day before the most important interview...

NORTH OF HAPPY begins with an adventure. Carlos and Felix Portillo are brothers who are marching through Mexico City on a quest for the perfect taco. Carlos is a high school senior, and he’ll be following the expected life path of graduation, internship, college, and family business as laid out...

In FAMILY GAME NIGHT AND OTHER CATASTROPHES by Mary E. Lambert, summer break has finally arrived, and life should be much more relaxed for middle schooler Annabelle Balog. She has a group of great friends, and a cute boy is starting to notice her and may even be gearing up...

Using collage for the pictures, Carin Berger’s bedtime story, GOOD NIGHT! GOOD NIGHT! Is a sweet story of the bedtime routine—with some silliness thrown in to keep things interesting. Using repetition, Berger leads readers through the bedtime ritual with Mother Rabbit and her three little ones. Mother plays along as...

“Here’s the thing with dreams, Henri. If you don’t chase them, they always get away.” So says Toad to his friend, Henri. Henri is a caterpillar who dreams of flying, and some of his friends tell him that he’s crazy, but Henri is determined. As Henri...