Category: Uncategorized

August is just around the corner! My award season ends in just a few short months, and I’m already dreaming of the pleasure reading I’m going to do when it’s done! All five of these titles are at the top of that list! The Infinity Particle by Wendy Xu I LOVE Xu’s work–it’s so nuanced…

I love a good project and today I present to you my latest project: The Great Mara Rockliff Round-Up. It’s where I read (almost) every book written by Mara Rockliff. I say almost because she has a couple, earlier books I couldn’t get my hands on, but the bulk of her picture book biographies and…

This isn’t a brag blog. This is an accountability post. I don’t order, and especially don’t pre-order, that many books anymore, but when I do…I apparently don’t read them. Some of these are books I really am excited to read…eventually. All of them are books I am HOPING to read soon. Which one should I…

I remember this winning some big award…which led me to reading the first book in this series, and now that I’m reading them all, I’m unable to figure out why this came across my radar to begin with. Oh, to be libraries. It didn’t win a Geisel, like I thought. Maybe it won Mock Geisels…

Another picture book round up today, lots of Spring 2023 releases, including an array of books that I don’t really think are for kids, some beautiful illustrations, and some great depictions of nature. To Make by Danielle Davis and Mags DeRoma This gorgeously illustrated, but a little kitschy, picture book is absolutely more of an…

The year is halfway over, I’ve read so many books and yet not enough, and I am tired. I am achieving my goals, exhausting my bones, and shooooooo. June 2023 was a weird month, because I basically lost an entire week of reading with DAR’s Continental Congress. Oh, I did a lot of reading—but not…

Oh, we’re halfway there…and living on a prayer is generous. Living on a stack of TBR books and an unfinished to-do list. Here are five books I’m excited about releasing in July 2023! Have you placed your pre-orders or holds yet? Buzzing: A Graphic Novel by Samuel Sattin and Rye Hickman This graphic novel popped…

Another easy reader round-up: a few doozies this time. All stuff that I can see really appealing to emerging readers, but some to varying levels of success. Maxie Wiz and Her Dragon by Michelle Meadows, illustrated by Sawyer Cloud This is a cute, rhyming Level.1 easy reader that honestly feels a LOW one. “Hocus-Pocus, time…

Back again with another picture book round up–this time featuring some pop culture folks–including a folk artist, a singer, an author and…Madame Alexander. You Gotta Meet Mr. Pierce: The Storied Life of Folk Artist Elijah Pierce by Chiquita Mullins Lee and Carmella Van Vlett, illustrated by Jennifer Mack-Watkins What a great representation of an artist…

Another picture book round-up featuring some great diverse stories, including ones about Banned Books, Father-Son Juice Making, museum visits, grandparents, and more. The Great Banned Books Bake Sale by Aya Khalil, illustrated by Anait Semirdzhyan A sweet, if not perhaps too optimistic, take on the book banning, a young Egyptian girl in America helps organize…

Got developing readers who love graphic novels but maybe aren’t ready for really thick books? Pick up the I Can Read! Comics graphic easy readers, the level 1 “Fish and Wave” and “Fish and Sun” by Sergio Ruzzier, the creator behind Fox and Chick In Fish and Wave–which was a 2023 Geisel honor–a little pink…