Reviews written by Beth Rodgers, Staff Reviewer

‘The Official Friends The Television Series Coloring Book’ is an adorable addition to the library of anyone who loves coloring, let alone the show the book details. From quotes such as “They don’t know that we know they know we know” and “A moo point” to images that showcase each...

‘Aaron Slater, Illustrator,’ by Andrea Beaty, illustrated by David Roberts, tells the story of a young boy who sees images more than he knows how to write about them. His dyslexia keeps him from doing quite as well as he wants in school with his reading, and when his second...

‘Recipe for Disaster’ by Aimee Lucido is a heartwarming, deliciously enjoyable book about the beauty and trouble that come with family, food, and religion, to name but a few themes. When Hannah goes to Shira’s Bat Mitzvah, she intends to be happy for her best friend. Everything goes wrong, though,...

‘One True Loves’ by Elise Bryant weaves together a multitude of themes that become one beautiful story. While Lenore is graduating from high school, she doesn’t quite know what she wants to do with her life. She’s been accepted to college and is planning to travel to New York City...

‘The First Blade of Sweetgrass’ by Suzanne Greenlaw and Gabriel Frey, illustrations by Nancy Baker, tells the story of Musqon and her grandmother as they pick grass for basket making. Musqon must learn how to properly tell the various grasses apart, and her grandmother gives her tips and tricks to...

‘No Dinosaurs Allowed’ by Deborah Hunt, illustrated by Ashleigh Heyns, is a nice story about togetherness, kindness, and learning more about others. While lots of people are initially afraid of Teddy, a dinosaur, his friend Bobby, a little boy, is always there for him. They go places together, and Bobby...

‘Chasing the Stars’ by Melanie Hooyenga is a great sequel to ‘Chasing the Sun,’ the first in this series. Naomi is trying to get her bearings as she wraps her head around graduating from high school and getting a great offer for her podcast that has been doing really well,...

‘Pura’s Cuentos: How Pura Belpre Reshaped Libraries with Her Stories’ by Annette Bay Pimentel, illustrated by Magaly Morales, tells Pura’s story, and it is a beautiful one. After she moves to Harlem from Puerto Rico, she gets a job at the library, and she loves cuentos, or books, very much....

‘Feast Your Eyes on Food’ by Laura Gladwin, illustrated by Zoe Barker, is an encyclopedia that contains more than 1,000 delicious food items. The book starts out mentioning the five senses, and how tasting new flavors stimulates our other senses as well—touch, smell, sight, and hearing. There are short blurbs...

‘Earth is Big: A Book of Comparisons’ by Steve Tomecek, illustrated by Marcos Farina, makes the case for how the Earth has many similarities and differences that make it unique and special. The Earth is not only big, but small. It is not only old, but young. It is not...

‘Animal Encyclopedia,’ a National Geographic book, is a beautiful compilation of colorful, engaging photographs showcasing animals of all types, from mammals to birds, reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates, and fish. There are tons of interesting facts, including how a newly discovered creature called a Sorting Hat Spider got its name (due to...

‘Birds on Wishbone Street’ by Suzanne Del Rizzo is a beautifully illustrated book that shows how different people can live together and get along, all with the benefits of getting to know each other and what they have to offer. From speaking different languages to learning different aspects of others’...

‘When the World Turned Upside Down’ by K. Ibura asks the question that happened to be on everyone’s mind when the pandemic began: What do you do when the world shuts down? Just like the readers who are delving into this book, each of the characters has to learn to...

‘A Rebel in Auschwitz: The True Story of the Resistance Hero Who Fought the Nazis from Inside the Camp’ by Jack Fairweather deals with a terribly difficult and unsettling topic. Yet, it tells the story of the life of Witold Pilecki, a Polish underground operative. A brave man by any...

‘When Carrot Met Cookie’ by Erica S. Perl, illustrated by Jonathan Fenske, is an adorable story about an unlikely friendship, but one which endures. While Carrot and Cookie are good friends, some of their other friends and family don’t understand their interest in each other. It makes them question their...