Curveball by Pablo Cartaya
We know the story of Curveball it is a “It is more fun to play the game than to be played by the game.” But Pablo Cartaya has a few curveballs tossed in as well. We follow a young girl who loves competition and sports, especially baseball. Or does she? Or is her mother trying to live vicariously through her, pushing her to be the best as she couldn’t be? And to keep the family tradition alive so that she can have the opportunities her mother […]
Two Friends, One Dog, and a Very Unusual Week by Sarah L. Thomson
If you are looking for a book that is Pippi Longstocking for the modern age, Two Friends, One Dog, and a Very Unusual Week by Sarah L. Thomson is the book you are looking for. If you like that clueless, tornado of a child character, you will love this early chapter book. Best for ages 8 to 10, it could work as a read aloud as well. The chapters are shorter, with a few, cute, simple illustrations (by Vin Vegel) to highlight plot points, allowing […]
Some Moms by Fifi Abu
Some Dads by Fifi Abu
I had a few minutes before bed the other night and had a need for a quick read, so I picked up two goofy, lovable picture books by Fifi Abu. Find an image of Abu, as they look everything like a Fifi, but nothing like what I expected (which is fantastic, as the author is half the fun of a book for me). And if you found that image on the book, well, read the book(s)! As well as the author burb. Spoiler: as a […]
Hands by Torrey Maldonado
Garvey in the Dark by Nikki Grimes
I needed a short read or two. I found two, while terribly short looking, books that also felt like they would have some “meat” to them. And those books were Hands by Torrey Maldonado and Garvey in the Dark by Nikki Grimes. I was familiar with Grimes, as they are the author of Garvey’s Choice and others I enjoyed reading. But Maldonado was new. Hands looked like it would be a boxing book. And it is, somewhat. But really what the book is about are […]
Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang
I was hesitant to start Lunar New Year Love Story for a few reasons: I am not a romance reader; I thought the use of Leuyen Pham as the illustrator was an odd choice; and as I like Gene Luen Yang, would I build this book up too much and it would not live up to my hype? Well, I am still not a romance reader and the arc was not how I run my romance life, but it was fun and heartwarming. (Granted if […]
Fae and the Moon by Franco Aureliani, Catherine Satrun and Sarah Starun
What is the point of reading? For fun? To learn? Or to pass the time? Maybe all those layers and more. And Fae and the Moon has a few layers too. Granted, it might not be a seven-layer cake, but it has two or three. Franco Aureliani, Catherine Satrun and Sarah Starun came together to make a cute story about the idea of female empowerment, friendship, family and self understanding. The illustrations are simple, but cute and even the scary parts are lovely in the […]
