Candy is an elementary school librarian in Shelton, WA at the school where she was a student (so many years ago!). Her library is unique in that she brings her background and love of biology to her students in many ways. Not only does she have an awesome selection of science books; she also has a beaver, bobcat and mink sitting on her shelves and a variety of jarred specimens for her students to study. When she's not in the library, she is taking care of her baby trees on her tree farm and hanging out with her family and many pets. * 2025 WA Library Association School Librarian of the Year
A young boy wakes up to a snowy landscape and decides to build “THE BEST SNOWMAN EVER!” He mulls over the steps to the perfect snowman and about daydreams about the result, so perfect that it will be a dream come true! Well, sometimes the outcome isn’t as perfect as planned. But, this little boy is undaunted. He creates his “BEST SNOWMAN YET!” And, it is.
Bright, bold colors in simple illustrations help tell a story that is full of fun, exuberance and heart. Text is spare, yet moves the story along and readers will enjoy the onomatopoeia along the way. Add this to your collection. It will become a classic!
It’s a special day in Ember City! Young dragons will learn what their “Spark” (special power) is at the Spark Day Ceremony. Among them are Li, Runa and Drake, who are three best friends. At the Ceremony, they see the beautiful disco ball that was created by dragons on the very first Spark Day. During the party after receiving their Sparks, Drake and another dragon, Fizz, get into a bit of tussle and break the special disco ball, ending the Spark Day festivities. Each of the young dragons tries to fix the broken disco ball with disastrous results. Suddenly, Drake remembers something that the mayor said, “Our Sparks shine their brightest when we use them to help one another”. They follow this advice and not only fix the broken disco ball but make it more special, alight with rainbow colors. They had learned a valuable lesson and saved Spark Day!
Brightly colored cartoon-like illustrations in a graphic novel/early chapter book style make this a nice introduction to the genre for young readers. It is not text-heavy and there is a lot of white space on the pages, which makes it even more accessible. The story moves along and the dragons are fun and a little silly. Kids will love it!
While on a trip to the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., Forsythe Fitzgerald, known to his family and friends as Fort, watches as his father is snatched and pulled underground by a long clawed monster hand. Desperate to rescue his father, he is stopped by a voice in his head telling him to run. Six months later, a depressed Fort is invited to attend a special school to help him overcome the mysterious loss of his father. The school is out in the middle of no where, looks like an army camp and is heavily guarded by armed soldiers. Fort meets other students and instructors and learns that the school is not an ordinary one but one in which to learn magic to defend against the beings that control the monster hands that took his father. He also learns that several different types of magic books have been unearthed and only people no older than Fort can learn and work magic. Fort wants to learn “destructive” magic to get revenge for the taking of his father. Instead he is assigned to learn “healing” magic and has only three days to learn three spells to catch up with the other students or be sent home! The other students took months to learn just one spell and adults can’t learn any, so how can he possibly learn three in three days? He gets help from an unexpected source…the voice he heard in his head so many months before. This mysterious voice enables Fort not only to learn his three spells but also to master several advanced ones as well. His sudden possession of arcane spells earns him the begrudging respect and the animosity of some of the more accomplished students as somehow their skills are transferred into Fort. With the help of his new allies, he begins to search for the source of this strange voice despite foot dragging by some of them. Eventually his friends and he uncover the source not only of his mysterious voice but also to whom the books of magic originally belonged and why they want them back. Without revealing any spoilers, Fort discovers the true magic power of healing and that cooperation with others is the real strength of leadership. Does he rescue his father and thwart the aliens controlling the monster hands? Well, those answers and other adventures are in the sequels to The Revenge Of Magic. You’ll just have to read those to find out.
All Lia wants is make it into the International Magic School with her friend, Joon. Her overprotective parents, who work mundane desk jobs for the magical organization, won’t let her do anything and she can’t figure out why. In an act of rebellion, Lia attends the party of the popular girl from school and ends up revealing her family’s location (by breaking an ancient protection spell) to the evil diviner spirit, Gaya, who kidnaps her parents and demands a ransom. Lia’s parents manage to get a message to her during the kidnapping and she and Joon are magically transported to Korea. There, they discover Lia’s true lineage as they and Lia’s grandmother desperately fight to save her parents and destroy Gaya before she returns Korea to a vastly different time hundreds of years before.
This book brings together Korean mythology, magic, modern day technology and typical tween feelings in a wonderfully rich, exciting story. Lia is a twelve year old that is feeling a little (ok, a lot) hemmed in by her parents and sets off a chain of events that will change her life (and possibly the world) when she sneaks out to a swim party at the popular girl’s house. This act of rebellion leads to a fast-paced fantasy adventure that will cause you some sleepless nights, because you just can’t put it down. Hand this book to those students that love Rick Riordan’s books. They will thank you!
written by Laura Gehl and illustrated by Fred Blunt
Cat, Dog and Pig approach the snow in a variety of ways and all enjoy the cold, white stuff by the end. This bright and cheery story is perfect for the brand new reader. The repeated text and short length (less than 100 words), makes this book very accessible for young students. The colorful line drawn illustrations complement the story and move it along. The notes to parents/guardians at the beginning of the book are quite helpful. This is a solid choice for new readers, who will cheer on the characters and cheer for themselves after reading a book!
Willow LOVES her magic. It is what makes her a witch and she uses it for absolutely everything. After using it at a soccer game and getting a ton of goals, her (mummy) teacher takes away her wand and tells her she’ll get it back at the end of the day. Willow is devastated! How can she function without her wand? Yet, she manages very well and understands that there is magic inside her in the form of her own abilities- she doesn’t have to use a wand for everything!
Bright illustrations and friendly looking monsters add to a simple story about valuing yourself without all the extra ‘stuff’. The message is sweet and, with discussion, is a good lesson for all.
Bug really wants his friend, Trilobite, to try his snack. But, Trilobite ONLY eats noodles. In the end, Trilobite is willing to take a nibble and eats the whole thing. Fortunately, she has LOTS of noodles to share.
This easy reader is written in the same way as “Elephant & Piggie” and uses speech bubbles to convey the story. Colors are bright and there is a lot of white space on the page. The characters’ emotions are clearly shown in their expressions and the book is simple enough for early readers. This book should fly off the shelves as another option for those kids that love Mo Willems’ books and easy graphic novels. Highly recommended.
This is the incredible story of the life of Tom Crean, an explorer in the Antarctic during the ‘golden age’ of exploration in that area. He was part of three expeditions to the Antarctic, two with Robert Scott and one with Ernest Shackleton. His first trips were with Captain Scott – one on the Discovery to set up camps and later on the Terra Nova, Scott’s final ill-fated voyage. This expedition was a race to the South Pole which ended with Scott and two men dying and Tom saving the lives of two others by hiking thirty five miles back to base camp for help. Tom joined Ernest Shackleton on his exploration of Antarctica aboard the Endurance, which was crushed by ice and sank, leaving the crew stranded. They hunkered down on Elephant Island and Shackleton chose five men (including Tom) to accompany him in a small lifeboat to South Georgia Island where there was a whaling station. This island was over 800 miles away through strong seas and winds. But, they had not choice. They made it to the island and Shackleton, Tom and one other man hiked over the mountains to the whaling station. Because of their bravery, ALL the sailors from the Endurance were rescued. Tom then spent several years in the Navy and retired to Ireland. He was a quiet and humble man, who was a brave hero.
An afterward gives more details along with a timeline and additional resources. A map on the front endpapers and illustrations of Antarctic animals on the back endpapers add to the wealth of information.
This book is a true gem. While the focus of many books are on the leaders of these expeditions, Scott and Shackleton, there were truly brave men that accomplished great things alongside them. Tom’s story needs to be shared and Jennifer Thermes has created a beautiful piece that will enthrall the readers. Told in present tense and illustrated in colored pencil and watercolor, this book needs to be on library shelves everywhere. Interestingly, I shared this book with a Falkland Islander and folks there are very well aware of Tom Crean’s story and he felt that the book was a good representation of his life.
Felice, a twelve year old Mexican American girl, is being raised by her Uncle Clem since her mother and younger brothers drowned so many years earlier. As a result of her traumatic experience, she is extremely afraid of water and this fear holds her back in so many ways. One day, she discovers that her mother is the infamous La Llorona, a mythical creature that lives in the river and drowns anyone she can lure there. Believing that she can meet her mother, bring her some peace and overcome her own fears, Felice travels to Tres Leches, the border town where the tragedy occurred. Along with the mayor and two new friends, who also happen to be the offspring of monsters, Felice overcomes her fears and helps her mother accept her loss thus freeing the town from its curse.
This story weaves Mexican folktales and culture into a modern day fantasy piece that moves along quickly. The characters are well-written and quirky and the end is touching and magical. Recommended for those collections where a fantasy is appreciated.
written by Nicholas Solis; Illustrated by Luisa Uribe
Two cousins live on either side of the Mexico-U.S border and share what they love about their homes as well as their enjoyment of their cousin’s town. Each two page spread shares a unique aspect of their towns in both English and Spanish. They share about their houses, schools, markets, holidays and time together in both towns. This sweet story ends with the cousins and their families crossing the border, a bridge over a river, with guards on both sides and both kids expressing the wish that visits could be easier. They stand overlooking the river and share that both towns feel like home.
This story is great on many levels. The lovely illustrations, which offer details of life on both sides of the border, are perfect for some compare and contrast discussions. The English and Spanish is simple enough for language learners and read alouds. And, students will notice the joy that these two cousins experience no matter what town they are in together.
