Happy #middlegrademarch. Just saw this and had to share. It‘s soooooo middle grade.

Yesterday, Illinois Passed HB 2789 - the Right to Read Bill. This bill helps curb book banning, by saying any library that participates in this activity will not be eligible for state funding. There are only small pockets in Illinois with problems like Florida, Missouri, and Indiana, but we don't want those problems to grow, so the state is being proactive. The bill still has to go before the sent where it is expected to pass, and the governor

Hello @dieareader - just wanted to let you know that it seems you are commenting on things, and I can not see them. I just didn't want you to think I was ignoring you. Everytime I hit a comment that seems placed by you, my page goes blank.

I am sorry about that.

Okay, I think I‘m done with March and I have the first book read and a second book almost done. 😀

#bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks

I‘m late as usual but here is my #bookspinbingo for February.

@TheAromaofBooks

3.5 ⭐ This is book 3 in Jerri Craft‘s book about the Riverdale Academy Day school. Book one won a Newberry. book 2 was a Class Act, and book 3 is semi-boring. It has taken this reader over three months to finish this middle grade graphic novel. The beginning of it reads very much like the first book does where Jordan once again is feeling nervous and anxious. Only this time changing schools is picking the right high school.

I get that this book is supposed to be the dark side of the police force, particularly homicide in 1988 in Baltimore. It starts with a dead guy in the street and all the homicide cops talking above him and it‘s very reminiscent of an 80s style cop show or movie. It‘s just dark and every other word is F this, F that, calling people hoes, making fun of trans street walkers. While I know this is realistic to 1988, I don‘t have to read it or enjoy it

4 ⭐I‘ve seen this book for a few years but not been interested in an reading it. In graphic novel format, I‘m glad I did. This starts out with us by telling us the story of how the atom bomb came to be. It goes over Oppenheimer ‘s life and other scientists, as well as how the secrets were given to the Soviets. This was much more digestible than the full book. Tt was not only educational, but it was also interesting and kept the pages turning.

3 ⭐If you read a Pusheen book, then you read them all. They‘re basic illustrations that you would find in all the Pusheen merchandise. It‘s cute, but it‘s quite redundant when you read it one page after another. Tt works much better as a daily thing. Overall, I like this but only for pushing enthusiast.

3 ⭐ This graphic novel takes the idea of the classic Beowulf and turns it on its head. It‘s children who like to play and be loud going up against the grouchy neighbor man, Mr. Grendel. What makes this book unique is that it keeps the vocalization of the classic epic. It‘s very‘ very‘ very wordy. The words trip all over themselves. On reading it feels like a troubadour of old, trying to get the audience‘s attention.

1 ⭐ This was about a man trying to become a film Director. The illustrations have a 70s feel to them which is when I believe this takes place, but right off the bat in the margins of the page you have porn illustrations. Then you have the characters in the bathroom having this conversation and just it was an immediate turn off for me. I have no desire to turn any more pages to read anything more of this book than the first page.

4 ⭐This was a very cute beginning reading, graphic novel. Pluto rocket is an alien who has come to earth find all the good things. They are on a secret mission and the first being they meet is Joe Pidge, who is a pigeon. Joe Pidge makes it his duty to show Pluto rocket all the best things there are, become best friends and have a fun adventure. Perfect for those moving from picture books into chapter books.

4 ⭐ This is a very sweet and happy graphic novel. Wisteria is a new sprite to town and where she moved the gardens are already beautiful and lovely. There are nothing for sprites to do. Out exploring her new home, she finds the yard next-door that needs help. She also meets a gardener with a nice smile who doesn‘t quite know how to garden. She helps bring the garden to life with only the magic that sprites can do, and ends up making new friends.

4 ⭐This was a lovely and interesting story about a boy who worried about monsoon rains washing away the ground, and the animals that live there. He‘s India‘s Johnny Appleseed, because he started planting trees. But he didn‘t plant one type of tree he planted different types of trees to help maintain the sandbars and the land as well as unintentionally growing a habitat for many diverse animals.

3⭐ I think in this book, a banana is a metaphor for a cell phone. A little girl who loves her dad because he hangs out with her, plays with her, and it‘s her everything. Until one day they get a banana. This banana starts off being a fun little thing, but then takes dad away from everything else until the little girl decides to eat the banana and take her dad back. This story is just weird. I think it could be fun for storytime

4 ⭐In this book badger meets another badger and they get a little funny feeling in their stomach. The badger who likes the red berries is not only very fond of berries but is very complementary to blue badger. Blue badger must seek out advice from his friend owl and makes a wonderful new companion to red badger. However, they both need to be reminded to not eat all the berries. this is adorable. it just makes you all warm and fuzzy,

4 ⭐ This is a simple board book meant to illustrate simple concepts. In general, this would just be another of the same thing that comes out every year. However, the illustrations are so much fun. I would hang almost any of them on my wall. My personal favorite is the wet cat and the far pigeon, but the elephants are kind of cool too. This would be a book I‘d gladly get for my little niece to chew on and eventually one day read and understand.

4 ⭐ This is a continuation of the same wonderful board book series. Simple concept in this case shapes, animals to go with them, and amazing graphics that will have kids reaching for these board books over and over and over again.

4.5 ⭐ This book is so much fun! There‘s a monster looking for a new monster friend. They don‘t see any monsters they just see humans, but do you have it in you to be a monster? This book will help you find out. This book would be so much fun to read in a story time group. The kids would get active, they get a laugh and have a great time. So, whether reading it for bedtime or reading it to a class or any other group.

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐5 ⭐
Five star read. This book needs to be read aloud to truly love. The cadence and the pattern to the story are just as important as the story itself and I love that this is not a typical cadence. We have a student who is trying to find out what the blue Bagoo is. The rumor around town is it‘s big and hairy. It‘s nasty it‘s mean. But sometimes a rumor is just a rumor and people or baggees are not the horrible thing they‘ve been made

4 ⭐ This is a historically band picture book. This book is a product of 1958 and when it first came out, it pissed people off. This simple book is of a black rabbit and a white rabbit that like to play together. The black rabbit has small bouts of depression when they feel sad. But the white rabbits is always able to play with them and make them happy again. It turns out that the black rabbit wishes they could be with the white rabbit forever and

3 ⭐ Briar Cliff prep is a historically black boarding school. It‘s a prep school that leads out to HBCUs. For our main character, she has looked forward to her time at Briarcliff all her life. It‘s a family tradition and she‘s going to meet her sister there. Her sister is on her last year and is ready to graduate. But not everything is fun and exciting at Briarcliff. You see her sister is in an abusive relationship. Avielle watches her sister,

4 ⭐ There is nothing wrong with being a nerd unless, if you‘re introverted and keep to yourself and are quiet and meek. Then you‘re invisible. But some people they really come alive at ComiCon. That‘s the case with our main character. She has a ComiCon character she‘s completely invented for herself, which is a Victorian steampunk ask character named Rel. As Rel she can do anything and be anyone. She has the confidence to leave an illustration

4 ⭐ This book was a little slow, but that‘s very reminiscent of the title it‘s based off of. This book is a retelling of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde except it‘s Gabriel, who is a young black man who goes to medical school in London and his dear friend, Henry. Henry is Henry Jekyll, the son of Dr. Jekyll. These two meet at medical school and become involved. They write romantic letters back-and-forth to each other over the summer and considering

3 ⭐ This book is entirely too long. The rhyme and the cadence are nice, but it seems like this boat is rolling across the Atlantic instead of rolling across the lake. What saves the story are the illustrations of the animals both child and parent. They are soft and cuddly and make you want to pet them. For me the book doesn‘t work but for some families it well.

4 ⭐ This beautifully illustrated book is a little odd. Little rabbit is awake in the day and little owl awake at night. One full moon the two meet and become fast friends. Later on, they witnessed a shooting star, and both make a wish to be able to play together with each other more, and they are granted the shadow of the other animal. This ensures that they have a playmate until the next full moon.

3.5 ⭐This book is about Marjorie the snail, and she just wants some time alone. However, she can‘t be alone when there‘s always a trail leading everybody to her. At times, she gets annoyed and frustrated because she needs her quiet time. Help from her friend Bernard will allow her to find the best of both worlds. Overall, I like the story and I get the concept and know children who will take this to heart.

4 ⭐ This is set up as a board book and it has a line per page of two things, usually a flower and an animal helping each other. Then that page asks a question. It waits until the very end to give you the answers. It tells you about ladybugs and bats and hummingbirds, and all the animals that were in the book. I thought it was a little odd at first, but it all comes together quite well.

2.5 ⭐ It‘s really hard to read a choose your own adventure, style book when there are no choices to be made or when the pages say turned UTK. I am assuming TK means to come or later because there are no pages called TK. in all honesty, this story has it interesting parts but it‘s more absurdist than interesting. Some kids belong to something called the climate club but live in a futuristic world where there are bicycles in homes and

4.5 ⭐ I have read other Julie Murphy books and they did not prepare me for this one. This is about a porn star who tries to make it on standard side of acting and a former a bad boy boy bander trying to clean up his image. Both of them head to this Holiday movie set intent on keeping their secret, and to start something new. But of course, when they both have to be on their best behavior and fight their natural tendencies, those natural tendencies

4 ⭐ This series is just a lot of fun. This beginning chapter book series introduces kids to the various gods and heroes of Olympus. It does it in such a way as to make them understandable and make it comedic. Demon whose full name is Pandemonium as is the son of Pan and it is his job to heal the various animals of Mount Olympus. This time it‘s a dragon that has a bit of a tummy problem and literally stinks up the entire mountain.

4 ⭐ Volume five picks up where we left off in book 3 but also starts with a new story. Erica is on her own in a new town. We meet Gabby a girl whose family has just been bloody ripped apart. She is a gal with sass and attitude who likes to break every rule she can. And she‘s not happy that she‘s not getting her way after everyone has died. Erica now has a tail of her own who is there to assassinate her.

5 ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ I finally get the background I have been wanting. Volume four takes us back in time where we find Erica and the first monster she ever encountered. We find her mentor who welcomes her into the society as well as all the missing information we have needed about the society. It‘s inner workings, the masks, the colors, all of it. Out of all the books in the series, this one went by the fastest.

4.5 ⭐ Volume three marks the ending of this current fight. The monsters die but more questions still abound. Saint George sent a team to not help per se, more to take over and annihilate the town so no one can talk about the monsters. Erica slaughter is not going to let that happen. She is going to do the job she came to do in the way she means to do it. And Tommy is going to sacrifice himself so that the rest of the town can live.

4 ⭐ I had to check that I hadn‘t accidently picked up book one all over again as it starts similarly. Some boys daring themselves to go into the woods. Next there‘s blood. This does pick up directly after book one. There are monster babies, and they need to die. More children around town will die if they‘re not captured. Most of this book was back-and-forth about the organization sending help to Erica, (help she didn‘t want) and saving more lives.

3 ⭐ I have two feelings about this book. Our main character, Charlie Rose is deaf. She was born that way and it will never change. She goes to a traditional school and speaks signed English instead of American Sign Language. I do not know the difference. I would be interested in knowing if the author is death as well. The story revolves around Charlie Rose being made fun of in the library when people can‘t communicate with her because Rose

4 ⭐ I love the Moolah books. The art just makes the reading that much better. These are simple stories to help kids understand and do yoga. Unlike other books of this type, you want to read this story not just get an education from it. The stories themselves are funny and adding the yoga into it works and doesn‘t seem like something that‘s being thrown at the reader as a lesson. Plus, the illustrations are so bright and colorful

2.5 In this book Gretchen has a little accident when she throws up her pizza and the thought of eating pizza next week makes her anxious. This book gives her a way to deal with it through a fun little acronym, and then practice using that acronym. I wish they‘d found it some other way to do anxiety than around lunch. The lesson in here is attainable and would be usable both in schools and libraries. I just overall not a fan of this book.

4 ⭐ This is a wonderful, true story about a man who rescued an oil laden penguin. This penguin became São Paulo‘s friend for the next seven years. This true story is written to help people understand more about penguins but also about the damage caused by humans to the penguin population. The story is sweet and well done.

4 ⭐This is a storytelling math so it gets into how to put a puzzle together, such as looking for straight edges and matching colors, etc. The illustrations are lovely and the story while a bit much for who it‘s intended, it does work. I think what makes this book stand out among the series is that it mixes in Portuguese words, and in the back tells you what the dialect of Brazilian Portuguese they‘re speaking, which happens to be San Paulo.

4 ⭐ When I saw the title La Bamba, I thought the 80s tune. It‘s not, but I don‘t care. I do not recognize the song that this is or this comes from and I think that made it so much better with the two different languages since most the time you have something that‘s very well known in English being transcribed into Spanish and this time it‘s the other way around. This book is just another great addition to the series that you should check out

4 ⭐The reason that I like these board books are because they‘re bilingual. So, even if you don‘t read or know Spanish, you have the story told in both languages at the same time. This helps kids learn and recognize these other languages. This is just part of the series that I continue to love book after book.

⭐4 This is a fun book about being yourself. Lu is a beaver. They‘ve grown up in a family where beavers do what beavers do. They gather sticks, they cut wood, they build dams. But secretly Lu wants to be an artist. They want to write stories and paint paintings and build things but they‘re a beaver and beavers don‘t do that. Their friends work hard to convince Lu that they can be anything.

4 ⭐ This picture book biography is different than most picture book biographies about author Ashe. This book made sure to tell the story of his younger brother Johnny as well. If it wasn‘t for Johnny‘s sacrifice and willingness to do more time in Vietnam, Arthur may never have had a chance to win the U.S. Open. The story lovingly looks at both men and their belief in each other, and in breaking the barriers that they needed to break.

Hey @mabell and @Avanders - you both will be receiving a package today, or tomorrow. This is the first of 3 packages. This will be the book from your wish list. Then later this month you will each receive my Pre-order for February, which is a YA title that takes place in two time periods. It has a black main protagonist by a black author. It's the pre-order I made for myself for February. And a 3rdpackage will be mailed tomorrow or Monday at

4⭐ I went into this thinking it was a picture book and it‘s not. It‘s a short graphic novel about a boy and his grandmother. His grandmother is a Jew who immigrated from America and her memory isn‘t always what it should be. These two spend the day going around New York City collecting things they will need for dinner, but a lot of the stores and things have disappeared. The reader sees many flashbacks of grandmother‘s life and her adventures and

3 ⭐ I really wanted to like this book. This book is about a student who is not happy that it‘s picture day. They wear their hat all the time. She uses this hat to because she has a face full of freckles. They feel different from their classmates and the last thing they want is to have their picture taken. Her classmates take her in hand, and they come up with a perfect idea to get the perfect picture day.

3 ⭐This is a so-called interactive children‘s picture book where the reader is given instructions to do with the book that creates the action on the next page. Press Here was the best, and now the standard which I measure these books against. While the illustrations are lovely and top-notch, the story is a bit long and the instructions don‘t seem to be as playful as the standard bearer.

2 ⭐This book is supposed to be about processing loss and I‘m not sure I get it.This character has a balloon. They have fabulous adventures, but the character knows that eventually the balloon will go away. We follow along the adventures until one day, the balloon is handed off to another character, as if instead of saying goodbye, it‘s saying it‘s time to move on \ I don‘t think it gets the point they‘re trying to make.

4 ⭐ This was quite a lovely read. The story rhymes and it takes you through a journey of all the things a child could be when they grow up. I don‘t mean things like a fireman or a doctor but things like kind be a thinker be a traveler. It was lovely and lyrical, and the illustrations have this soft, so realistic quality that is just enjoyable to turn every page.