Reviews written by Sara Perrera, Staff Reviewer

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. ...

Middle School and Other Disasters: Biggest Secret Ever is the latest installment in Wanda Coven's series that follows Heidi Heckleback and her friends while they attend Broomsfield Academy. Heidi becomes friends with a new girl named Isabella and learns a huge secret about her past...

Revolutionary Mary: The True Story of One Woman, The Declaration of Independence, and America's Fight for Freedom is a picture book biography that teaches readers the importance of Mary Katharine Goddard to colonial times. Mary's brother ran a printing press and enlisted the help...

What To Do If You Meet a Bear? : A Nature Survival Guide is an informative picture book that educates readers on how to handle encounters with various animals, such as bears and deer. What I Liked: The illustrations, which accompany the informative text, make...

Barrington Irving teamed up with author Chana Stiefel to tell the story of his life and his amazing accomplishment of being the youngest person and the first Black man to fly solo around the world. Barrington Irving was born in Jamaica but grew up in...

Pick the Lock is the first novel I have read by A.S. King, and I now understand the acclaim for her unique writing style. The best way I can describe this novel is "befuddling," but in the most captivating way. I could not put this book down. ...

The Outer Space Mystery Pizza Club: Elvis Is Missing is a fast-paced chapter book that takes readers on an adventure through outer space. When Elvis, the family dog, mysteriously vanishes, Mateo, his sister Valentina, best friend Booker, and teenage babysitter Jennica go to investigate. They go through a portal that...

Frankenstein Easy Classics adapted by Gemma Bader introduces elementary-aged readers to the literary masterpiece of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. I appreciate that the adaptation, while simplified, retains the core plot and themes of the story. The shorter chapters help maintain momentum and prevent the story...

Hello, I'm a Quokka is a nonfiction book in the Meet The Wild Things series. It is narrated by a Quokka, a unique marsupial species indigenous to Australia. The story teaches readers how a quokka lives and how our changing world affects them. In this book, readers will...

Cupcake Diaries: Emily’s Cupcake Magic! is a delightful new chapter book for young readers, perfect for fans of the original series! This series focuses on Emily the step-sister of Katie from the original books. When a flood forces the closure of Emily's school, she is relocated to a new school,...

Reading the book The Chinese New Year Helper brought me back to my childhood and how I wanted to help my family prepare for holiday celebrations. This delightful picture book is about a young girl named Jia who wants to help her family with the Chinese New Year celebration at...

The original Davenport book drew me with a story following two sisters and their friends as they navigated affluent black society in 1920s Chicago. It was more than just parties and romance. These young ladies were finding their place in the world and how they could follow their...

Every young adult needs to figure out their place in life, but for Lucie Hansen, it's doubly hard as she tries to understand where she comes from. Lucie has grown up in a loving family, but in some ways, she has felt like she didn't belong. Lucie's...

We all know the story of how Frankenstein was created, but author Rachel Delahaye's book When Frankie Made a Human gives us a twist on the story. Young Frankenstein lives with his scientist mother in Frankenstein Castle on the monster side of town. He goes to school with lots of...