Reviews written by Beth Rodgers, Staff Reviewer

‘The Fog Catcher’s Daughter’ by Marianne McShane, illustrated by Alan Marks, puts readers into an Irish setting and punctuates it with an original story about a young girl who takes matters into her own hands in order to save her father. Eily and her father...

‘I Cannot Draw a Horse’ by Charise Mericle Harper is reminiscent of ‘Harold and the Purple Crayon’ in that the story was about drawing items to help serve a purpose and lead the characters to the next scene in the story. The unseen narrator...

‘How to Be the Best Third Wheel’ by Loridee De Villa throws a wrench into main character Lara’s plans when her three best friends—Kiera, Jasmine, and Carol—all start senior year with boyfriends, while Lara has been in the Philippines visiting family and is boyfriend-less. Add to the trouble that her...

‘Wait—and See’ by Helen Frost and Rick Lieder is full of amazing photographs of praying mantises. Nature is always something to marvel at, and this book goes along with that theme, sharing images of this insect and telling a short, but engaging tale about it. The praying mantis itself is...

‘Ultimate Book of the Future’ by Stephanie Warren Drimmer, a National Geographic Kids book, is a beautiful journey through a wide variety of questions and topics. Could a robot become president? Could humans teleport? Could robots become smarter than people? Could humans live forever? Could Jurassic Park come true? These...

‘A Mouse Tail on Mackinac Island’ by Summer Porter, illustrated by Maggie Chambers, does a nice job of capturing the beauty and flavor of Mackinac Island, a summer destination in northern Michigan that is home to some, but vacation spot to many. When Father and Mother Mouse and their children—Max,...

‘The Last Summer’ by Cait Marie has all the signs of a predictable sweet romance, and even though this is true, there is also quite a twist thrown in that is not necessarily expected. While Lila and Gavin have known each other since they were born only three days apart,...

‘Children of the World’ by Nicola Edwards, illustrated by Andrea Stegmaier, is a great book for children and adults alike to learn about children and their lives. The book shares about children at home, from their kitchens, to their sicknesses, to families and talk of bedtime, to how they live...

‘A Party on Planet Purple,’ adapted by May Nakamura, from the ‘Donkey Hodie’ television series, a Fred Rogers production, follows Purple Panda and Donkey Hodie as they embark on a trip to visit Planet Purple, where Purple Panda’s mother lives. The story is cute, and...

‘Crab & Snail: The Invisible Whale’ by Beth Ferry, illustrated by Jared Chapman, is an adorable story in cartoon form about Crab, Snail, and a host of friends they meet while on the beach. It’s important to know, though, that Crab and Snail are BBF—Best Beach Friends. Their facial expressions...

‘Game Changer’ by Abbi Glines combines heartache with the beauty of finding love where you least expected it. Despite Asa Griffith’s difficult family life, he has an end goal—to get out of Lawton, Alabama as fast as he can to escape his abusive father. The trouble is that he wants...

‘Meant To Be’ by Jo Knowles captures the insecurities of being a kid who just wants to do the right thing, but somehow keeps messing up and feeling guilty that things aren’t turning out quite right. While it’s never easy to be a pre-teen, teenager, or even an adult, Ivy...

‘Alias Anna: A True Story of Outwitting the Nazis’ by Greg Dawson and Susan Hood is a captivating nonfiction story in verse about Zhanna, alias Anna, and her sister, Frina, as they struggle to escape the Holocaust and the Nazis who always pose an obstacle to their freedom. ...

‘Layla, the Last Black Unicorn’ by Tiffany Haddish, co-written by Jerdine Nolen, and illustrated by Jessica Gibson, is an endearing story about the power of being true to oneself and realizing one’s own worth despite any hardships that may get in the way of achieving one’s own sense of peace....

‘Book Buddies: Marco Polo Brave Explorer’ by Cynthia Lord, illustrated by Stephanie Graegin, tells the story of Marco Polo, a retired Christmas ornament with dreams of being a great explorer. The problem is that he’s very tiny, and when it is decided that he will no longer be an ornament,...