This list of books are fun titles that I am unable to write a full review of. Therefore, I am giving highlights of one graphic novel and three picture books.
After you say, “a fun story of friends and summer camp” you have pretty much said it all about Click V02 Camp by Kayla Miller. I should add it is a graphic novel with the cover giving you pretty much all you need to know about the illustrations. They are colorful and funny. There is a diverse cast and the are at camp. I could also add that while there is a little excitement and a few “dramatic moments” occur, there is nothing edgy about the book at all. This is a book about being friends, speaking up for yourself and doing the right thing, even if it means that a friend might not like the results. Ages 8 to 12 (middle reader graphic novel)
One Wish: Fatima Al-Fihri and the World’s Oldest University introduced me to a historical figure I had never heard of. The idea of a woman starting the oldest university still in existence was mind blowing! M.O. Yuksel opened my eyes to a world I never knew and now am interested in exploring a little more. This introduction to Fatima Al-Fihri, is a great compilation of a woman who changed things in ways many may truly never know. The amazing art of Mariam Quraishi complements the text perfectly with strong colors and maximum details. The art explodes on pages allowing the country, people, and landscape to be characters as well. Even though Fatima Al-Fihri would become a refugee, her story is presented in a hopeful manner.
Invasion of the Unicorns has Bubble07 as a secret agent from another world. They perfectly resembled our Earth stuffed toys, allowing them to blend in for their mission of deciding if Earth should be invaded. However, even though Earth has some odd things (show-and-tell) and Earth Dogs (please do not bury the alien unicorn in the ground), but overall Earth seems cool. After all, there are bedtime stories and hugs. (Hugs are good.) David Biedrzycki has a cute story that is for ages 3-4 to about 7-8. The illustrations are as the cover shows with fluffy, colorful, cute, cuddy, and sweet. The details are what’s needed to get across the adventures of one little unicorn that decides Earth might be pretty darn fun for all.
The turtle cover of The Last Straw drew me in. But it is not about the turtle (not really) but about the garbage we leave behind. There are busy pages filled with details and text by Zoe Matthiessen. They tell us about how the trash damages and the harmful effects. The story is told from the point of view of a plastic straw who without question is not happy about this mess. At the end, Matthiessen tells us that the plastic we use is terribly bad. In fact, even the straw wishes they were the last one ever. This part of the book gets a bit preachy, but overall, the story is a helpful reminder of what we need to do to help our planet.