4 ⭐This graphic novel merges monsters and hockey. We have a minor league enforcer and his teenage daughter who just wants her dad to make it to the big time. Her dad making the big time means she can stop moving and get a chance at the WPHL herself. But she found out her dad‘s got a funny little hobby called monster hunting. And that it runs in the family and that she is more special than she could ever have imagined.

2 ⭐Just like the first book of hiking this book is too long. Not only does it talk about different types of camping and where you go. It also gives sentences about real campsites. Too much in this type of book at one time.

2 ⭐This book is massively too long for a board book. I don‘t even find it interesting and entertaining. The idea behind it is to get a kid ready for a hike by naming supplies and everything else but its book tries to do too much at once.

4 ⭐This book is fun. Its rhymes are contagious. The cadence is great and has a nice break where there needs to be, plus, that break is repetitive, so it makes sense. The illustrations are bright and colorful and are sure to grab any kids‘ attention.

2 ⭐This book is a DNF at 97 pages. Two cute boys in boarding school like each other, but one is very uptight and the other is more lackadaisical and fun loving. There‘s a section about consent. That is kind of nice. Nice is the wrong word but when you see it, you would get it. However, 97 pages felt like 300 pages. It felt like this was never ending and I have no desire to read the next 196 pages.

4 ⭐ This story of fencing and family is one that I‘ll have you in your feels. It‘s a story out there for girls that don‘t have the Gilmore Girls type of relationship with their mom. Its also about learning that not all friendships last forever but the best you can do is be you and try new things. This book was real and heartfelt and there will be girls out there that need this book, and it will be there lifeline durring middle school.

4 ⭐ This is a look at a year and the lights that are seen in the night. Anything from headlights to porch lights to even the glow of the eyes of animals at night. What really sets this book apart is the illustrations. They‘re colorful, but they‘re also soft and nostalgic and have a dreamlike quality that is perfect to read right before bed.

4 ⭐This is a book for all those children out there with anything considered a disability. It‘s a book to let them know that they‘re not alone that they are special and unique just the way they are and that there is community for them. The illustrator did a fantastic job including multiple variations of so-called disabilities, medical equipment, etc. Overall, this book was fantastic and a perfect addition to any Library collection.

4.5 ⭐I thoroughly enjoyed this book. There‘s still this idea that Library should be quiet and a stereotype that Librarians shush. But in modern times a quiet library is usually a dead library. Libraries need activity and people to thrive. They need open discussions and chances to learn new things. This book celebrates a modern library and it‘s about time more books about libraries made this the new stereotype.

3 ⭐ This book follows the Tanaka family for a year. It‘s generic. Each set of pages there‘s something for the reader to do either image to find, something to count, etc. The illustrations are lovely, but overall as a story this book is quite long. This is one of those books where I see parents skipping pages to get kids to go to sleep faster.

4 ⭐This is a new beginning chapter series. It‘s full of puns and magic. Our main character and her mom run a bakery and while our main character is learning magic she also has to do the daily deliveries. This book is exactly what one expects from the title and from the cover. It‘s cute. It‘s fun. There will be those who like it and want the next one.

3 ⭐This is an early chapter book about Esme and her deciding to make a new friend of Wendall. Wendall is part of a Badger troop. Wendell is trying to sell their last box of cookies. Esme can‘t be a badger so she decides to make her own troop instead. Through the people in her building, she makes costumes and patches and a motto, etc. Through this her friendship with Wendall bloomed. It‘s a tad long for my taste, but I do like the illustrations.

4.5 ⭐This book is adorable. It‘s about a ghost who instead of being a sheet is a quilt. It makes him move slower, makes them heavier, but it also makes them much cozier to the little girl that picks them up. There‘s another book in this series and I‘m looking forward to it. And the artwork while not completely black and white uses color sparingly so that way our quilt stands out. This book was a top read from first page to last.

3 ⭐Such a lovely book of poetry about water. The poems are interesting and would be a nice introduction to the various concepts of poetry. As a non-poetry person, I think the illustrations are better than the poetry, but that is just me. I think kids will like it much more than I do.

3 ⭐ This is the beginning chapter book series. The stories are fine. The illustrations are fine. Kids are going to like it. I don‘t think it has a lot of staying power because it‘s a tad boring. But it‘s great practice for kids learning to read.

4 ⭐ This book was fun. It would be great to read at story time. The repetitive funny sounding words will have kids laughing. This was written by a child decades ago and the parents are putting it out for their new grandchild. I love the illustrations. They are well done and go well with the book.

3 ⭐ Our main character is the only tall person in a family of little people. The book is how they always felt different because at home they were the oddball. But it‘s those oddities that made them grow into being who they are today. Overall, the book is interesting and gives a little bit of insight in living in a little family. The illustrations feel either amateur or AI or a mix of both.

2 ⭐This is vanity publishing. This is the story of Mario spending his day with his baby cousin Gia, and not being able to do what he wants or plan his birthday party. The ending is typical and expected. The illustrations are something. I can‘t put my finger on why but I am not a fan of them. They almost feel amateur. Like someone who is still studying to be an illustrator instead of someone who is an illustrator.

3 ⭐ This book is very long. It is the story of the Gaines kids‘ trials and tribulations in building a garden. The lesson is never give up and to try new things. Just because you failed once doesn‘t mean you will only fail. You only fail if you don‘t try. The book is fine. There‘s nothing wrong with it. The illustrations are also fine. But it‘s not one I think would get checked out frequently, especially by people who don‘t recognize the name.

4 ⭐ This book sounds exactly like Jimmy Kimmel. I could see him using this book as his monologue for a night and it would be 100% believable. I think kids would laugh and get a kick out of it being performed. I also think that all the proceeds going to Children‘s Hospital is a fantastic thing. Jimmy did do his own illustrations and while they work with this book, they only work for this book.

3.5⭐This says that you may be a princess but to get stuff done, you need to wear pants. That sometimes skirts get in the way and that the job is more important than the fashion. The book rhymes decently. However, the cadence has many places where it switches and or faults. Do I think this is the best book that will be talked about for 20 years? Most likely not. But was it a good effort

4⭐This book is by Kevin Jonas and his wife Danielle. Kevin Jonas is known as 1/3 of the Jonas Brothers band. It‘s about teaching the daughter to play guitar, and the daughter getting upstage on the first time to perform for an audience. This book is sweet. It‘s fun and the illustrator did a great job with the bright visuals. I think the story sticks to what Kevin Jonas and his wife know and it feels like something they would tell their daughters.

4 ⭐I sure do enjoy these books. Book 2 in the Olympus series is not as spicy as book one but there‘s still enough spice to make any spice reader happy. This time we follow Psyche and Eros through a wedding and into marriage that is literally life and death. I love both the characters and the world that Robert has created. I didn‘t hold and savor this book like I did the first one because I needed to get to the happily ever after.

4 ⭐ This audiobook was lots of fun. This book is a cozy romance with a little spice. Really little spice. The archduke runs away from home because he‘s been held captive, and things aren‘t going well. His uncle has been running his country so he decides to seek the help of the queen in the neighboring kingdom and hopefully maybe take back his rule. However, when he‘s mistaken for a dark wizard, he thinks what a better place to hide then with

3.5 ⭐A kid turned me onto this book with his Letter about Literature. When you start a letter with “My mom ‘s dead, but not by a serial killer”, you know something interesting is going on. This kid was talking about the book 14 Ways to Die in which our main character decides to participate in a social media show. She has one purpose: to find her mother ‘s killer. Her mother was the first victim of a serial killer that has not been

Loc'd her Story

5 ⭐
This is Zara‘s story about her locs. Our society needs more of this. Traditional hairstyles should be loved and not considered weird or inappropriate or against dress code. Locks are a normal thing in life and they should be normalized in children‘s books. This book was lovely.

3 ⭐ This is a board book lesson that food doesn‘t come from a grocery store but actually grows from the ground. It looks particularly at asparagus, tomatoes, strawberries, and corn. This book is pretty typical, but I do like the illustration. It‘s paper collage and it works really well for the subject.

2 ⭐ The ending of this book makes it worth it. However, the first half is so long and drawn out. The author could have shortened this quite a bit. Especially because the ending and the beginning, do not match . It feels like two different books. There is a good story in here somewhere. I just don‘t think the author has found it yet.

2 ⭐ Won the cover is horrible. Two the illustrations are nice. This book feels like it wants to ape Shel Silverstein. There are mostly very long, rhyming poems. Except because the cadence and the rhyming is not silky smooth they feel twice as long as they are. It also while the stories are aiming to be fun and entertaining, they feel depressive and sad. . This author does not do a bad job, but I do think they need more practice.

2 ⭐ Why does this book move so slowly? This book was a DNF. Each page is flooded with words. And unfortunately, the story isn‘t entertaining enough to keep me flipping pages.

Loc'd His Story by Stephanie Yates

This is the story of Jaden and his locks. How they make him feel, how he lives his life, and how others think of him. I love this book. And I love the artwork. In a time when we see young men having to cut their locs to play sports or by other archaic rules for men‘s hair, especially black men‘s hair I‘m excited to see a story that not only praises but normalizes locs. I thought this story was lovely.

2 ⭐ This feels like two books smashed into one. Most of the first half is an introduction to different animal characters on their way to school. There is a distinct format and pacing to the first half of the book. Even the artwork is distinct. The pages are mainly white. The character is a sketch and color. However, the last pages are full color. In end all the critters are in the classroom adding and mixing together. Everything about this f

2 ⭐ Little fly wants to go to space. They aren‘t the best student, but they always try and one day accidentally get their wish. This book was nice. It wasn‘t spectacular. It feels amateurish. Like a story a student would write as they are honing their craft. There is a reader for this book. It just doesn‘t happen to be me.

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐5 ⭐
Five stars. This author reimagined Humpty Dumpty in such a creative way. We meet Humpty, friends Jack and Jill, Little Miss Moffett, etc. And he has a great fall, but he doesn‘t crack. The way the author integrates the other nursery rhyme characters and changes up the story works so well. Plus the illustrations are sublime. They are a perfect match to this fun fall book.

2.5 ⭐ I‘m a little surprised because normally I love this author‘s books. This is about Angie and everything they can do in their various types of shoes. The story tries to rhyme and it tries to have a cadence. Notice the word tries. I don‘t know if it‘s the word choices or the various type sets that make this hard to read. I like the idea and lesson n this book and the artwork, but overall this would not be a book I would put in my library.

4 ⭐ t‘s great to see books about women inventors. Most women‘s inventions especially 100 years ago were often credited to men. In this, we had a woman who was tired of spending hours at the sink and tired of her dishes, chipping, and scratching. Through trials and tribulation, she came up with a machine, patented it, and made sure that hotels. schools, etc. could have a faster way to do dishwashing.

4 ⭐ This is a fun grade school book. It teaches the basics of how algorithms and computers work. It uses the idea of explaining it to a parent to make it fun. This book does a fantastic job of teaching the beginning of coding and how to think like a computer. The illustrations are bright and colorful and go well with the book. Spiro is known for her science books for kids of all ages and this is another great book in a great series.

4 ⭐ It should surprise no one that Dolly Parton can write an amazing children‘s book. This book is about a dog wanting to make music and finding their way in Nashville. But some other dogs are bullies and it‘s up to Billy to help save the dayIt was written by Dolly and you can tell. She is amazing and so is everything she puts her hands on.

#Celebrityauthor

3 ⭐ This book is well done. It‘s a nice read. The sad part is I think it‘s mostly autobiographical. Tori Spelling was raised by one of the richest men in media and had everything she could want but nothing she did want. I have unfortunately watched things happen in her life due to media that while this book is lovely it makes me incredibly sad for her.

4 ⭐ The Corduroy books were in good hands with Viola Davis. You can tell a little difference between the original creator and Viola Davis, but she gets to the heart of this beloved character. Altogether the book works the illustrations are fantastic and it‘s all very nostalgic. The story is a little long for my taste, but it mixes in with the Corduroy of old.

#Celebrityauthor

4.5 ⭐ My own little Desi and I had lots of fun with this. Between reading and talking about the characters and blowing the bad thoughts away this book just works. And even better for a celebrity picture book this sounds like Eva Mendez and sounds like a book kids would want to read more than once.

#Celebrityauthor

4 ⭐ This was a lovely book. It gets my three-year-old nieces‘ approval. The story is a little bit long, but a good storyteller could find the right places to shorten it as they‘re reading it. The message is great. The illustrations are fun and altogether this just works. And it even sounds like Perez Hilton.

#Celebrityauthor

4 ⭐ This is a simple biography of Rube Goldberg for kids and adults alike. Goldberg was known mostly for his cartoons and fantastic machines used to do the simplest things. Goldberg went from being a person to being a verb and now kids and college students alike in compete to build Goldberg machines. This is both in honor of his memory, but also to kick a brain into high gear. This book is illustrated by someone

4 ⭐ This book is adorable. Growing families can be hard especially when growing families isn‘t new kids but new grandparents due to new relationships. In this book, our main character gets a new puppy. She already has a Grandma and a Noni and does not like the idea of someone coming in and taking their place. But with time and a little help, they learned that love is love, and family is family, no matter where it comes from. This book is adorable.

3 ⭐ This book was fun. It‘s a game of animals playing hide and seek and how old they blend into their environment. There‘s nothing not to like about this book. The story works the artwork great. Altogether it is a book kids will enjoy.

3 ⭐ This Illinois raised 2025 is a fine book. It is more poetry than book and the author is a poet. It talks about how when you put love out into the world, it is shared among others and touches everything you say and do and how that is a good thing. The book is OK it‘s not something I would frequently read but it‘s not bad. The illustrations are lovely in a traditional way.

4 ⭐ I love the message of this book. About being a warrior and defending your rights. I love how the children get involved. The illustrations go well and help bring the points of the story come across quite well. The only downfall for me is how everything goes back to God. And I understand with who this author is, so that that makes perfect sense. I do wish there was a version of this book or a book like this that got the same points

4 ⭐ A lovely book about a girl who loves to dance. Her mother grants her wish and tales her to dance school. There she feels out of step and wilted. But a special pair of shoes will help her re-find confidence in herself. She had the ability the entire time she just had to be reminded to be herself and do what she loves. This is a sweet book. The illustrations are lovely. The illustrator is Diane Good. I‘m not sure if that‘s the fancy Nancy

3 ⭐ This is a typical picture book. It is Illinois reads 2025. The illustrations are standard fair but the story rhymes nicely and moves quickly. While, this is a fun book. I do not think it will be a 20 years on the shelf book.

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐5 ⭐
This picture book is about standing up for others and wanting to change the world. How when you can‘t use your voice find other ways to do it until you can find your voice. This book is well written the illustrations are amazing and this is an altogether five star read. I will be picking up other books by Stacy Abrams .

#Celebrityauthor