It’s Diwali! By Kabir Sehgal and Surishtha Sehgal

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This counting book teaches you about the Indian holiday of Diwali through simple text and vibrant illustrations. Archaea Sreenivasan’s illustrations really pull you in and show you the joy of this holiday, which is about light triumphing over dark.

Each page counts up two and then adds an event, food, or tradition that has to do with celebrating Diwali. This is a perfect book to read to preschoolers and kindergarteners who will enjoy counting to ten forwards and back, but it also includes sidebars defining each tradition, food, or event which could appeal to older kids as well.

This book is a beautiful addition to any library – full of light, representing the holiday so well.

Book cover

If Your Babysitter is a Bruja by Ana Siqueira

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I received this book in English and in Spanish – I am not fluent in Spanish, but with the background I do have and the English book next to me, I read through the text.

Cover of book Cuando to ninera es una bruja
Book Cover

This is an adorable bedtime story to read around Halloween. I loved how the English version of the story includes Spanish words, and lets the reader translate through context.

If you like the type of books that follow a patterns, have repetition of syntax – then you’ll love this book. This book begins each new funny, witchy activity in the same style of the title, “If your babysitter is a bruja….” At first the little girl is seemingly running away from her babysitter, the bruja, trying to escape before she can cast a witchy spell. But, slowly, along with the little girl, you realize they’re both having a good time, going down slides, flying through the night, and being tossed in a vat of crocodiles, I mean a bath.

The illustrations by Irene Freitas are fantastic, colorful, fun and full of adventure. Each time I read the story, I found something new to look at and notice.

¡Ay, Caramba! You’ll enjoy this book!

Pages from inside If your babysitter is a bruja
Pages from inside the book

Wednesday Wilson Fixes All Your Problems by Bree Galbraith

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Click for more information on this title

Wednesday Wilson’s morning is not off to a good start. Her mom made egg pizza for breakfast again, she spilled her brother’s orange juice all over his family tree project, her favorite marble hit the principal in the head and her brother locked himself in the bathroom at school. To get her brother to come out of the bathroom, Wednesday’s classmate, Emmett, says he needs a worry stone. And this leads Wednesday to her next business adventure: selling her marble collection to students to solve their problems. This short chapter book is book two in the Wednesday Wilson series, but you can read it without feeling like you are missing too much from the first book.

Chickadee: Criminal Mastermind

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Written by Monica Silvie Illustrated by Elina Ellis

What a fun book about a bird who feels he is a rebel compared to the rest of his nest mates. His mom and dad teach all of them to never leave the forest and don’t go near the houses. All summer and fall our little “rapscallion” is staying safe in the forest but when winter comes along he is cold and heads to the houses to become the “thief” that he is. This is a humorous book that discusses how we can help birds that do not migrate in the winter by leaving food out for them in our yards and neighborhoods. There is a three pager at the end of the book discussing facts about the Black-Capped Chickadee. There are also online resources and book recommendations.

You Should Meet Yayoi Kusama

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This leveled book is at the top of the Ready-to-Read difficulty level with longer, more complex sentences; wider, more challenging vocabulary; and up to a paragraph of text on a page. It includes a table of contents, two one-page bios of other famous women artists, a list of areas of study involving art, information about Japan, and a quiz about the text.

The text does a great job of conveying a straightforward summary of the life of Yayoi Kusama highlighting her struggles over the course of her long life, and how she eventually became regarded as a celebrity with her exhibitions selling out instantly. The theme focuses on how dedication and belief in yourself can lead to dreams coming true.

As Kusama is famous for her extensive use of polka dots in her art, the illustrations have polka dots on many pages. The bright palette of her artwork is reflected in the illustrations.

This book could be an inspiration to young girls who want to pursue an art career.

A Bird Will Soar

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A Bird Will Soar by Alison Green Myers is a tender read about Axel, a bird-loving autistic boy who loves to figure things out. Between all the varieties of birds, the mysterious relationship between his parents, and the disappearance of his dad, Alex has a lot to figure out. I like how birds were symbolically and metaphorically part of the setting, the plot, and the characters. The author was clever to include Axel’s special quirks without making it a big deal. While Alex is a middle school student, some of the themes and symbolic overtones will appeal to high schoolers.

How Not to Fall in Love

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How Not to Fall in Love by Jacqueline Firkins is a quick read and romance. Harper, the cynical protagonist, is healing from last summer’s heartbreak, and Harper frequently witnesses demanding bridezillas in her mother’s wedding bridal gown shop. Harper must confront her more recent romantic past, as well as issues with her mother and Harper’s early childhood. Harper’s childhood friend and neighbor, Theo, is there to support her and challenge her, but ultimately, Harper thinks she can teach Theo how not to fall in love. It was a bit predictable for the reader, but with just enough uncertainty to keep the pages turning. Overall, I like how Harper must reconcile her definition of love.

School of Phantoms

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This book is a solid addition to the current craze for scary books for younger children. Former elementary art teacher Kory Merritt does a great job of tapping into some of our deepest fears and weaving them into the plot and his illustrations. Let’s review. The fear of disappearing and no one noticing you are gone (not even your parents)? Check! Your fear of that creepy house on the edge of town that just doesn’t seem right? Check! The fear of scary looking snowmen getting closer whenever you aren’t watching? Check! Unidentifiable, weird creatures coming out of the walls? Check! A dark basement full of alienesque creatures? Check! 

The format is a true hybrid, seamlessly going back and forth between sections with a half page of text with one large picture to a graphic novel. In lesser hands this style can be distracting, but Merrit uses it to build energy and suspense as well as signal moves between different locations and plot lines. The main character Kat is using her phone to film a documentary on the strange goings on in their small town. The result has a Blair Witch Project meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer vibe.

The characters feel like real people and are relatable. From the distracted school principal to the cool science teacher to the janitor who seems a bit out there, each person adds a layer to the story. If you pay close attention to the janitor’s dialog, you will recognize nods to some films like The Princess Bride. 

The strongest part is the illustrations. From the students gathered in the cafeteria to an all out otherworldly invasion, the pictures are powerful. They are what keep you turning pages. The story however goes deeper than what you might expect. This could be a great way to engage reluctant readers of novels to dig deeper and learn about plot devices, character development, or satisfying endings,to name a few. Merritt cleverly builds his narrative across the entire story. While there is a resolution at the end, you also realize the story is not over yet. You are wondering about what will happen next.

This is the second of three books planned for the series. I hope Kory Merritt continues to offer kids great adventures.

Forty Winks: a bedtime adventure

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The rhyming verse and adorable yet silly illustrations celebrate the nightly childhood rituals of bedtime, by seeing them through the lense of a family of mice. When there are 38 little ones to be settled, the feeding and bathing and brushing and dressing and reading and drinks take a while. The rhymes are fun and the illustrations are full of personality, and the topic is so familiar. I can see kids wanting to read it again and again.

Poopsie Gets Lost

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I really like this one, and can see it being great as an interactive read-aloud. The illustrations a fun and full of personality, and the text is written as an interaction between the narrator, who is giving some very bad advice, and the main character, Poopsie, an adorable and pampered house cat living a rather sedate life. That is until our narrater dares her to venture out into the world, where she tangles with snakes and crocodiles and tigers. When put to the challenge, Poopsie shows she’s got some real spunk, but in the end chooses to return to her to the safety and simplicity of home, turning her back on the pushy narrator who got her into that mess.