Ghoul by Kasey Iris
After finishing my online reader copy of Ghoul by Kasey Iris (sent to me via an email from the publisher; due May 2026) I was not sure if I liked it or not. I know I didn’t dislike it, but I’m not sure how much I liked it. And, in this case, that is not a bad thing. This is a thoughtful and interesting story on grief, family and pain. Each character is dealing with secrets, heartache, and lack of understanding. The characters are seemingly […]
La bondad brilla en la oscuridad / Kindness Glows in the Dark (Spanish and English Edition) by Gama Valle and Mrinali Álvarez Astacio
While food insecurity is not a new subject, it is not one that is always talked about, especially in a picture book form or is not always accessible to all readers or listeners. The story La bondad brilla en la oscuridad / Kindness Glows in the Dark (Spanish and English Edition) by Gama Valle and Mrinali Álvarez Astacio (Illustrator) introduces this concept to a younger audience, but the extras at the end allow it to grow with the reader. The format, the place the story […]
Rubble: The Hidden Letters of the Warsaw Ghetto by Elisa Boxer and Oksana Drachkovska
The book Under the Rubble: The Hidden Letters of the Warsaw Ghetto by Elisa Boxer and illustrator Oksana Drachkovska did not give me a warm and happy feeling. It gave me a cold and sad feeling. The theme is obvious by the title as we know what the Warsaw Ghetto was. Now, one would think that this is not a book for kids, and it is not for the very young or frankly overly sensitive. But when you know your child (or classroom) is ready, […]
Luz Goes Green V01 Luz Sees the Light by Claudia Dávila
Luz Goes Green V02 Luz Makes a Splash by Claudia Dávila
Unknowingly I read the Luz Goes Green series backwards. Or I read Luz Makes a Splash (Luz Goes Green, 2) by Claudia Davila before Luz Sees the Light (book one). That did not take away from the fact that I loved this book. Honestly this is probably the closest five I have read in awhile. Sure, there was one small bump, but that is forgivable. That bump was because the online reader I was reading didn’t have a lot of color. I would have loved […]
Halloween Tree by Susan Montanari
When I first saw the title Halloween Tree I thought the cover was not matching what I was thinking. What I was thinking about was Ray Bradbury’s novel of the same name. But then I wondered if it was possible to adapt it to a picture book format? Especially with such a cute cover? Yes, it is possible, but the real question is should it be adapted. Well, thankfully (I guess) it was not that Halloween Tree but its own unique story. Susan Montanari’s Halloween […]
The Power of Ritual: How to Create Meaning and Connection in Everything You Do by Casper ter Kuile
That’s what this book is all about–taking things we do every day and layering meaning and ritual onto them, even experiences as ordinary as reading or eating–by thinking of them as spiritual practices. ― Casper ter Kuile, The Power of Ritual: How to Create Meaning and Connection in Everything You Do As a control freak and a lover of routine, I appreciate and find calm in performing my daily rituals: making my coffee, showering with my favorite tunes playing, checking and culling my collections in […]
