Reviews written by Sara Perrera, Staff Reviewer

The Grumpy Ghost Upstairs is a stunning picture book by Mamiko Shiotani. We meet a ghost who enjoys his solitary existence living in the attic. All of this changes when a curious little girl stumbles upon his home. Our grump ghost tries many tactics to scare her...

Having enjoyed Vera Brosgol's graphic novels, I jumped at the chance to read her latest novel, Return to Sender. It's a truly captivating and imaginative story that blends magical elements with realistic and relevant topics such as immigration, socioeconomics, and grief. The story centers around...

Hello, I'm a Toucan by Hayley Rocco is a delightful non-fiction children's book! It does a fantastic job of introducing young readers to the fascinating world of toucans and the rainforest habitat they live in. Much like the other books in the Meet...

Allie Millington's Once For Yes is a heartfelt middle-grade novel that will captivate readers with its truly unique storyline. The book is mainly told from two distinct perspectives. The first is eleven-year-old Prue, who lives with her family in an old apartment building named The Odenburgh. The second, and perhaps...

Marching Band is a delightful picture book by Kael Tudor where readers can go on quite the adventure as the marching band parades through some very imaginative scenarios. What I Liked: From the very first page young readers are engaged in the story...

Jaqueline Davies's popular novel The Lemonade Wars has been adapted into a graphic novel illustrated by Karen De La Vega. This adaptation stays true to the story while adding visual graphics that will appeal to both existing fans of the book and new readers. ...

Have you ever had a day that was just overwhelming? In Bilal's Bad Day, a picture book by Neelum Khan, the main character Bilal is struggling with a day where everything seems to be bothering him. As Bilal's day continues to get worse he uses some learning techniques to...

Alfred Blooms is a beautifully illustrated picture book by Carrie Kruck with a touching story. Alfred and Lulu live on the same street, but they have very different homes. Lulu's house boasts a vibrant garden filled with friends and laughter, while Alfred's garden, despite all his efforts, doesn't bloom. When...

Racing the Clouds is a heartfelt middle-grade novel written by Sydney Dunlap. The story follows 13-year-old Sage, who has moved to Virginia with her father after a tragic event related to her mother. Sage is invited to Ohio to visit her maternal grandparents, whom she has never met. She hopes...

Amy Christine Parker's You're Dead to Me is a fast-paced and addicting young adult thriller, reminiscent of Gossip Girl. The story centers on Ruby Toller, a high school senior, who finds herself in a dangerous situation. She's outed as the person behind ReputationKiller, an anonymous social media gossip account...

Jon Schu has quickly become one of my favorite authors, so I jumped at the chance to review his latest book Ruthie Rose's Big Idea. This charming picture book follows Ruthie Rose who wakes up with a "big, bright, beautiful idea" and sets out to share it with her...

Wanda Coven returns with the fourth installment in her delightful 'Middle School Disasters' series, and this time, Heidi Heckelbeck's 'Weirdest Weekend Ever!' lives up to its name in the most entertaining way possible. Broomsfield Academy is special because it has two kinds of students: regular...

Happy & Sad & Everything True is a middle-grade novel that captures the struggles of growing up and fitting in at school. The story focuses on Dee, a sixth-grader who spends more and more time hiding out in the bathroom to avoid uncomfortable situations, like teachers' questions or seeing her...

The Great Zoo Hullabaloo!, written by Mark Carthew is an engaging children's picture book that follows zookeepers Jess and Jack as they try to solve the mystery of why all the zoo animals disappeared. What I Liked: The rhyming in this book is...

Smelly Peggy is a humorous picture book by Helen Stephens that captures what it's like to have a dog that is lovable and naughty all at once. Peggy is a rescue dog who is always getting into scrapes that sometimes leave her a bit smelly. ...