Reviews written by Beth Rodgers, Staff Reviewer

'Rabbit & Possum' by Dana Wulfekotte is a sweet story about two friends who are having a rough day, but end up making the most of it. When Possum is scared by a "monster" in the bushes, he rushes up a tree. While Rabbit scrambles to find a way to...

'If the S in Moose Comes Loose' by Peter Hermann, illustrated by Matthew Cordell, is a fun and adventurous story about a moose whose letters break apart, making it impossible for him to be who he is, while his cow friend hurries around trying to put him back together again....

'Rebel with a Cupcake' by Anna Mainwaring deals with a vast array of themes, mostly stemming from self-esteem issues that the main character - Jesobel, or Jess for short - encounters. It doesn't do much to stroke her ego that her mother is a former model and her sister, Cat,...

'Smart Cookie' by Elly Swartz was a predictable, yet cozy feeling story about growing up and all of the troubles that go along with it. Main character Frankie is a friendly and sweet girl, alternately longing to set her father up so she can once more have a "complete" family,...

'The 11:11 Wish' by Kim Tomsic basks in the power of the unthinkable, yet totally imaginable. Every young person (and adult, for that matter) has moments when they wish that things could go their way, even if just for a little while, to make the universe seem right and in...

'Without You' by Yesenia Vargas had many sweet moments. It told of a relationship between Ariana and Lucas, as well as of the friendship between Ariana and her best friend, Mayra, as well as Ariana's brother, Jimmy. These four main characters spent a lot of time together, and their parents...

'Alicia and the Light Bulb People in Star Factory 13' by Barbara Roman, illustrated by Vladimir Cebu, is a sweet and heartwarming story about the beauty of getting to know how ideas shape our lives. When Alicia is magically transported from a department store to Star Factory 13, she begins...

'The Boyfriend Agreement' by Seven Steps is definitely a hard one to put down! With a mix of romance, intrigue, and even some violent streaks mixed in, this novel is chock full of page-turning goodness. The author also uses plenty of Disney parallels that keep readers thinking and lends a...

'Peterrific' by Victoria Kann is all about the joys of imagination and lessons learned as a result. When Peter starts building a tower out of his toy blocks, he realizes that he wants to make it bigger and better than ever before. So he takes it upon himself to draw...

'Switched at Birthday' by Natalie Standiford is a cute fantasy story about the power of empathy. Main characters Lavender and Scarlet are polar opposites. While Lavender tries very hard to stay on the sidelines and live life according to no one's rules but her own, Scarlet is Little Miss Popular,...

'Smoot: A Rebellious Shadow' by Michelle Cuevas and illustrated by Sydney Smith is a story about how sometimes it is worthwhile to stray outside of what you ordinarily know and take for granted and see what life is like "outside the lines" instead of staying perfectly inside them in every...

'Amy the Red Panda is Writing the Best Story in the World' by Colleen AF Venable, illustrated by Ruth Chan, revolves around Amy and her best friend Mervin, a sloth, and the story they are starting to write together. However, when Amy begins telling the story, she finds unwanted opinions...

'Here, There, Everywhere' by Julia Durango and Tyler Terrones is a creative and enjoyable read about a spectrum of ideas, from friendship to family dynamics, finding inspiration in unlikely places to first loves. Main character Zeus finds himself stuck in small town Buffalo Falls after having lived in Chicago for...

'Stray' by Joni Johnson has an interesting premise. When Lila finds out that her father is about to kick her out of the house on the eve of her last day of high school, she isn't quite sure how to react. Despite her father's lack of care of sensitivity toward...

'The Digger and the Flower' by Joseph Kuefler shows the power of goodness when everything else seems to be overtaking what one knows and loves. While the other construction equipment works hard to create buildings and other components of the city skyline, Digger comes upon a flower....