Reviews written by Adrien Carter, Newsletter Manager and Staff Reviewer

Smudge looks like a regular dog, but he makes different sounds that aren’t typical of a dog. His human is curious about what language Smudge is using, so she goes to speak with the other animals to see if she can get any answers from them. His human goes through...

Serendipity can and does do it all; she’s class president, leads in the upcoming school play, and is the star of her school’s basketball team. In addition to all of this, she has the best luck and wins everything, like random radio raffles. This is how she encounters ZamZam, something...

Clara and her family have to leave everything behind as they begin a long walk. Sometimes they talk and joke with the other families along the journey, but other times they have to hide and keep silent to stay safe. Clara visits each of her new friends to learn about...

Pumpkin and Beetle are vampire cats, who are just like other cats, but they sleep during the day, eat red foods only, and go to school at night. Pumpkin and Beetle have just discovered that everyone in their town, Hallowsville, is reading the latest Frightfuls comic but they don’t have...

Jonah wakes up and decides he really doesn’t want to go to school; he would rather go to Day Care like his little sister, Lena. Jonah quickly finds that this isn’t as fun as he thought it would be; there are crying babies all around him, and they keep taking...

Little red chicken is on winter vacation now, and she has promised to be on her best behavior, so Papa is taking her to see The Nutcracker. She’s so excited about this, therefore her Papa is worried that she’s going to get carried away during the show. Get ready to...

Diego Fuego is a young dragon who lives with his family in Tierra del Fuego, which is on the southernmost tip of South America. While all the other dragons can roar fire, Diego is allergic to smoke and can’t create any flames. Diego’s allergies just cause him to constantly be...

This book is full of information about the various microbes that inhabit the earth. We are introduced to microbes that are important to various habitats and ecosystems, including our body, and how microbes are helping the planet. What I Liked: This book is written...

Detective Cluehound and Sergeant Squirrel jump into action when someone grabs the Christmas tree and runs off while they are busy decorating the neighborhood for the upcoming holiday. Santa is consistently one step ahead of them until he finally makes his escape using his reindeer. Cluehound and Squirrel think they...

Salmon Run follows a Pacific coho salmon along her journey from the freshwater rivers of Washington State to the Pacific Ocean, and back again to give birth and start the cycle all over again. This Pacific coho salmon goes through five life stages throughout this story, from egg to alevin,...

Kit is finally old enough to ride in his Grandpa’s truck, so they are going to join him in digging wells for the community. Kit’s grandpa can feel the weather in his bones and dances with water; he sways and spins, looking for a spot to dig a hole into...

Two kids are having a sleepover at their Gramma and Grampa’s creepy new house. Their neighbors have been talking about a ghost living in that house, but the kids insist that they aren’t scared. Well, they weren’t scared until now in the dead of night, strange sounds and smells are...

There’s a new kid at school, and it's your job to introduce them to the school and show them around. You have to make sure that you sound excited and show them the best spots, like the bathroom, and an emergency meet-up space. Make sure you share someone you know,...

Amma is the word for mother in Malayalam, which is the word that the main character uses for her Indian-American mom. Angelina, the child’s friend, calls her mother Mamá, as that is the term for mother in Mexico City, where she is from. The child then goes on to share...

A mother explains her illness and the changes that her body is undergoing to her child. She offers comfort, guidance, and explanation as she reassures her daughter that no matter what life has in store for them, their love for each other will always stay strong. ...