Tajín and the Twelve Thunders: A Pre‑Columbian Myth by Magaly Morales illustrator Magaly Morales from Abrams Books for Young Readers A mischievous boy tricks the 12 thunder gods in order to create the first hurricanes in Magaly Morales’s debut author-illustrated picture book, a retelling of a Mexican folktale Tajín is a fun-loving child full of energy and mischief. … Continue reading Tajín and the Twelve Thunders
Category: Starred Reviews
Rogue Elephant: The Republicans from the Party of Business to the Party of Chaos
Rogue Elephant: The Republicans from the Party of Business to the Party of Chaos by Paul Heideman from Verso Books How the establishment lost control of the Republican Party: a compelling new history that traces the radicalization of the party over the past fifty years, showing that its subordination to Donald Trump was not an anomaly but the culmination … Continue reading Rogue Elephant: The Republicans from the Party of Business to the Party of Chaos
The One and Only Rumi
The One and Only Rumi by Rabiah York illustrator Maneli Manouchehri from Nancy Paulsen Books (Penguin Random House) The inspiring story of Rumi’s journey from a young refugee to a renowned poet shows how his childhood helped shape his poetry. Young Muhammad adores his home, and he loves waking up each day to the sound of … Continue reading The One and Only Rumi
The Girl Who Figured It Out
The Girl Who Figured It Out: The Inspiring True Story of Wheelchair Athlete Minda Dentler Becoming an Ironman World Champion by Minda Dentler illustrator Stephanie Dehennin from Sourcebooks Explore The uplifting true story of Minda Dentler, the first female wheelchair athlete to complete the Ironman World Championship triathlon. Minda Dentler made history when she became the first … Continue reading The Girl Who Figured It Out
The Courage of the Little Hummingbird
The Courage of the Little Hummingbird by Leah Henderson illustrator Magaly Morales from Abrams Books for Young Readers A freshly retold animal fable about heroism, hope, and community, from award-winning creators Leah Henderson and Magaly Morales Across oceans, lands, and skies In whispers, shouts, and in many different languages the story of the little hummingbird … Continue reading The Courage of the Little Hummingbird
Global Warning
Global Warning by Steven B. Frank from Clarion Books A group of 12-year-old friends concerned about climate change proposes a new way to save the earth: amending the U.S. Constitution. Their project propels these activists on an amazing journey across America—and all the way to Norway—with plenty of outside-the-box hijinks and civil disobedience, as they … Continue reading Global Warning
Tenacious Beasts
Tenacious Beasts: Wildlife Recoveries That Change How We Think about Animals by Christopher J. Preston from MIT Press An inspiring look at wildlife species that are defying the odds and teaching important lessons about how to share a planet. The news about wildlife is dire—more than 900 species have been wiped off the planet since industrialization. Against … Continue reading Tenacious Beasts
Black Boy, Black Boy
Black Boy, Black Boy by Ali Biko Sulaiman Kamanda and Jorge Angelo Redmond illustrator Ken Daley from Sourcebooks eXplore Inspire Black boys to imagine all the great things they can do while celebrating remarkable moments from Black history! Dear boy, Black boy, I believe in you so. Let's start your story―ready, set, go. From athlete … Continue reading Black Boy, Black Boy
Pura’s Cuentos: How Pura Belpré Reshaped Libraries with Her Stories
Pura’s Cuentos: How Pura Belpré Reshaped Libraries with Her Stories by Annette Bay Pimentel illustrator Magaly Morales from Abrams Books for Young Readers A lyrical, vibrant tribute to the amazing life and legacy of Pura Belpré, a lauded storyteller, librarian, and pioneer of bilingual storytimes. Pura’s abuela always has a cuento to share. She crows ¡Qui-qui-ri-quí! for Señor … Continue reading Pura’s Cuentos: How Pura Belpré Reshaped Libraries with Her Stories
Families Grow
Families Grow by Dan Saks illustrator Brooke Smart from Rise x Penguin Workshop A rhyming, light-hearted celebration of the different ways a family can grow. A wish began your journey And now that you are here Our family has grown with love With love for you, my dear. This warm appreciation of love invites the youngest … Continue reading Families Grow
Papa, Daddy, and Riley
Papa, Daddy, and Riley by Seamus Kirst illustrator Devon Holzwarth from Magination Press Riley is Papa’s princess and Daddy’s dragon. She loves her two fathers! When Riley’s classmate asks her which dad is her real one, Riley is confused. She doesn’t want to have to pick one or the other. Families are made of love in this heartwarming story that … Continue reading Papa, Daddy, and Riley
How the Internet Happened
How the Internet Happened: From Netscape to the iPhone by Brian McCullough from Liveright / Norton Tech-guru Brian McCullough delivers a rollicking history of the internet, why it exploded, and how it changed everything. The internet was never intended for you, opines Brian McCullough in this lively narrative of an era that utterly transformed everything we … Continue reading How the Internet Happened
Samantha Spinner and the Super-Secret Plans
Samantha Spinner and the Super-Secret Plans by Russell Ginns from Delacorte / Random House Get ready for round-the-world adventure with Sam Spinner and her brother Nipper in the first book in a new hilarious, puzzle-packed series filled with super-secret messages! Perfect for fans of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library and classics like Holes. This is the first title in … Continue reading Samantha Spinner and the Super-Secret Plans
Mango Delight
Mango Delight by Cas Hyman illustrator Frank Morrison from Sterling What happens when your BFF becomes your EFF . . . EX-Friend-Forever? When seventh-grader Mango Delight Fuller accidentally breaks her BFF Brooklyn’s new cell phone, her life falls apart. She loses her friends and her spot on the track team, and even costs her father his job as … Continue reading Mango Delight
Lucky Jim
Lucky Jim by James Hart, foreword by Carl Bernstein from Cleis Press Lucky Jim is Jim Hart’s memoir, the story of how he survived a violent childhood home, found incredible words inside him, created a love that was both so right and so wrong, and finally found the strength to be his true self. Jim is a master at … Continue reading Lucky Jim
Armstrong & Charlie
Armstrong & Charlie by Steven B. Frank from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Charlie isn’t looking forward to sixth grade. If he starts sixth grade, chances are he’ll finish it. And when he does, he’ll grow older than the brother he recently lost. Armstrong isn’t looking forward to sixth grade, either. When his parents sign him up for Opportunity Busing to a … Continue reading Armstrong & Charlie