The Way I Say I by Nancy Tandon
The Way I Say It is an old school feeling story with a modern take. The entire time I was reading I was thinking, “This is so 1980s!” I felt that while the issues being discussed in this book by Nancy Tandon, they were terribly tame by today’s standards. It almost felt like I had read this book back when I was between the ages of 8 and 12. Yet, dealing with a speech issue, brain injury and friendship woes is timeless at the same […]
Starboy: Inspired by the Life and Lyrics of David Bowie by Jami Gigot
Step back from the fact this picture book, Starboy: Inspired by the Life and Lyrics of David Bowie is based on the idea of Bowie’s childhood and not a true account of his life, and you will enjoy this story that tells us to dance to the stars and dance with the cosmos. It shows that you need to be yourself and to hear what other people cannot hear. And learn that we all need to listen to those stars and that cosmos. Jami Gigot […]
Click V03 Act by Kayla Miller
If you have not guessed graphic novels and I became friends a few years ago. And now I love trying all sorts of books. And when I found a copy of Click V03 Act, I was excited to give it a try. I figured it would be light and quick (it was) and I would be able to enjoy it without having to deal with “really deep” storylines. And it is a fun story about friendship with contemporary themes and tone. It is best for […]
I Go Quiet by David Ouimet
The other day I was talking to a coworker about a book he loved, I Go Quiet by David Ouimet. First, the author picture looks exactly how you would picture this author/illustrator. Not young, not old, and not conservative. The wild mane of hair and the twinkle in his eye made me realize that yes, he is the only person who could have written and illustrated this book. Second, it is hard to explain the book, but the cover gives you a lot of it. […]
Roxy the Unisaurus Rex Presents: Oh NO! The Talent Show by Eva Chen
In the mix of my 130 emails (I know, so few for most, but for me, that is an unbelievable amount!) I have an email from a rep of the bookstore. They send out a list of new books coming from a website we use to order and/or look at titles on. And occasionally there is a snippet or two/a page or three, that gives you a hint of what is to happen. However, they also sometimes have links to download or in the case […]
Jo Jo Makoons: The Use-to-Be Best Friend by Dawn Quigley
One of the most controversial questions you can ask about characters of a book is, “Why is your character X?” (Fill in the blank: gay, black, Muslim, etc.). But it is an important question. Why does you character have to be X? OR: Why do they have brown hair or green eyes? Why are they tall or short? Why are they male, female, or non-binary? Why are they an alien, a dog, a robot or a farting penguin? What does that piece of information do […]
