First Night Howlergarten by Benson Shum
Sadly, I must start my review with a bit of bad news. Sorry folks, but August 2023 is when First Night Howlergarten will be out. However, I want to plug it now as it is FREAKING ADORALBE. And in the meantime, I will be keeping an eye out for more Benson Shum titles. This picture book has two things that I liked about it (a character who is not “over the top” and a slightly unique ending), but the whole package is enjoyable. We are […]
All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Why did I wait so long to read these two? This isn’t just a question of Book Club procrastination; this is a “what was I thinking?” moment! I had heard good things about both, I was enraged as ever when they (and others) showed up on lists of challenged and banned books, and they were both available on scribd! Also- why did I treat these books like homework? “oh man, I have to read these before I can move on to other things”- at the […]
Lola Out Loud: Inspired by the Childhood of Activist Dolores Huerta by Jennifer Torres
How many stories are there about a girl named Lola? No, really, how many? It just seems like a lot, and usually, they are not the nicest gals (after all What Lola Wants, Lola Gets is not a song about giving things away). Well, in Lola Out Loud: Inspired by the Childhood of Activist Dolores Huerta having Lola getting what she wants is not necessarily a bad thing. Because what she wants is to have justice. Jennifer Torres takes a little girl who helps her […]
The Yellow Ao Dai by Hanh Bui
I was thinking that The Yellow Ao Dai was going to be super sappy. The cover is cute and sweet looking, and the main character is a young child. The subject felt as if it was going to be a “feel good tale.” And it is but all that, but it is more, too. It is a feel-good story, but there is some meat with those potatoes. We follow a young Vietnamese girl excited to share part of her culture with her class, but her […]
M.O.M.: Mother of Madness, Volume 1 by Emilia Clarke and Marguerite Bennett
I am glad that I did not realize who Emilia Clarke is before I read this book. If you have been under a rock (like I obviously have) she is an actress from Game of Thrones (at least I have heard of that). The why of that is I am a snob when it comes to celebrity books (not completely convinced of quality to be blunt). Even with a psychedelic cover that made me a bit stomach upset, I am glad I gave this graphic […]
Monster Friends by Katei Vandorn
Monster Friends by Katei Vandorn is a cute story that is clever, and slightly new. However, for the adult it is a familiar story of hiding from your fears. Ages six to young 10 will flip out over the humor and the sweet story. If you know the book Crabapple Trouble, also by Vandorn, there might be a surprise or two for you! And while it is not overly colorful, but it is brightly created. It fits the mood of that section of story. And with minimal […]
