Identified as a graphic novel chapter book, this book offers a hybrid reading experience for young readers.

Snail is happy in his rusty bucket home and doesn’t want to ever leave. When he’s dumped from the bucket, his friend ladybug encourages him to look for a new house. Together they explore the different parts of the yard looking for the perfect snail house. Along the way snail makes friends with a gopher and a rabbit too. After narrowly escaping a chicken who wants to eat him for lunch, he discovers the apple orchard is the perfect place to make his home.

A book that incorporates friendship and problem-solving in an adventure to find snail a new home.

Chestnut by Jennifer Li Shotz puts forth the tale of a family living on the financial edge and their daughter – Meg who wants to have a dog more than anything else in the world.

The Briggs Family Christmas Tree Farm is just entering their busiest time of the year as Meg has her twelfth birthday. Meg has been looking forward to this because Meg wants to show her brother, sister, and parents she is no longer the ‘little’ girl of the family. Now, she will be able to truly help daily at the yearly Christmas tree stand. On Meg’s way out to the tree stand, she discovers a hurt dog (Chestnut, a Plott hound, known for its tracking skills) entangled in the farm’s wire fencing. Meg rescues the dog, hides it in an old shed, then goes to work. Meg knows her parents do not want a dog.

Now the lying and the guilty feelings start for Meg. Meg has never lied to her parents before. She wants this dog so much. Surely, she will be able to find a way to support Chestnut so her parents will let her keep him. More lies, more guilt.

Meg’s parents finally discover Chestnut when he escapes from the shed and tracks Meg to the house. Meg’s tears are unending and her heartbreak all encompassing as her family takes Chestnut to the animal shelter.

Later that same day, the sheriff is called to the tree farm when it is discovered 150 trees have been chopped down from the very back lot of the farm. Feelings of financial ruin loom over the entire family.

Meg finds a way to temporarily retrieve Chestnut from the animal shelter with the help of her neighbors. Then, she and Chestnut track the thieves down. Along the way Meg falls through the snow covered ice into a pond. [Here is where my 10+ years, as an actively participating mother of three hiking Boy Scouts, has a problem with this story. From the time Meg falls into the pond until she is rescued by her parents, because of Chestnut’s tracking skills, hypothermia should have been so extreme, I feel, Meg would not have survived.]

Chestnut’s tracking skills saves Meg, the stolen Christmas trees, and the family from financial ruin.

Meg’s emotional roller coaster will ring true with intermediate readers.

If you have seen the Black Panther movie ( or maybe you have read the original comic books) , how could you forget Shuri, T’Challa’s (AKA the Black Panther) younger sister? Shuri wants to work in her laboratory, while her mother – Queen Ramonda would prefer 13 year old, Princess Shuri be fitted for formal wear and have her hair braided for T’Challa’s upcoming Challenge Day.

Princess Shuri struggles throughout the novel with you role in life as a princess, a young woman, gender equality, and a scientist. “…she will prove to Mother and T’Challa– to everyone, really– that she’s more than just some princess history will forget.” (70) Girl readers especially, hold on to your hats, this is going to be a bumpy ride.

When Shuri discovers Wakanda’s sacred heart-shaped herb that gives each new Black Panther his ( or someday perhaps her ) superior abilities is dying out at an alarming rate, Shuri concentrates her time researching the herb’s survival. Not get ready for Challenge Day. Then, Shuri discovers Wakanda is under threat of invasion. Shuri decides to secretly leave the palace with her Dora Milaje body guard in-training, K’Marah, to carry-out her royal duty to protect Wakana.

Get ready for more books in this series already in print.

I can not help but love the fact this book’s text is in purple ink, my favorite color. Also, the color of the heart-shaped herb, but I prefer my reason more.

Intermediate age students/readers are treated to a guided tour of the United Kingdom by a student their own age from London. They are shown the United Kingdom’s world and European location, food, schooling, a folk tale, famous landmarks, and a brief history of the United Kingdom among other things by this local student. A few English words which are different from those in the United States are included and add to the interest of Follow Me Around United Kingdom.

The child’s tour of United Kingdom format makes the factual information less intimidating than other books of its type.

Intermediate age students/readers are treated to a guided tour of France by two French students their own age. They are shown France’s world and European location, food, schooling, a folk tale, Paris, famous landmarks, and a brief history of France by these two French locals. The fact that a few French words, along with their pronunciation, are included adds to the interest of Follow Me Around France.

The child’s tour of France format makes the factual information less intimidating than other books of its type.

Here is the story of a stargazing young girl, Eridani, and the earth-gazing young boy, Acamar,(a constellation) who hold nightly conversations with each other until they both wish to be in each others’ place.

They are opposites: one is a girl while one is a boy, one is of day while one is of night, one is of earth while one is of space, and one wants the stars while one wants the sand.

Their wish comes true in the ironic way of tales. Eridani becomes a constellation and Acamar becomes a real boy and though they are still apart from each other, they are both happy to be in their new homes.

Gorgeous 10″ X 10″ illustrations of the night with the two characters one on earth and one in the sky. The white lines highlighting the constellation are amazing, especially because there are stars within the constellation that are not part of the lines. They might be freckles on the face or definition of the hair, but whatever those points of light are, the illustrator got it just right.

The Author’s Note tells of the constellation Eridanus and its brightest star Acamar.

Here and Now by Julia Denos is as simple or as complex as the person who is experiencing it. It is a mediation in word form, so says the Author’s Note.

“Right here, right now, you are reading this book. The book is in your lap, or in your hands, or in someone else’s… And the Earth is spinning in the middle of space. We don’t know why. But it is.”

Here and Now by Julia Denos takes the reader from very close up and intimate to very gigantic and all inclusive. Each page will be very thought provoking if the reader wants to take the time to make it so.

Bo states, ” ‘ I won’t let hate win.’ ” (316) Bo is the ‘boy’ in the title of The Boy, the Wolf, and the Stars by Shivaun Plozza. We meet Bo on the first page, along with the importance of the ‘wolf’ and the ‘stars’. I like, not having to read 80-90 % of the book to understand the title.

Set in a time of castles, kings, scribes, magic, angry villagers, haunted forests, Shadow Creatures ruled by a Shadow Witch, and riddles needing to be solved to save the day The Boy, the Wolf, and the Stars by Shivaun Plozza keeps the reader compelled to plunge ahead to eliminate the bad magic that is increasing daily.

Bo, an unlikely hero, is joined by two others. The three of them should all be sworn enemies due to their places of birth, but each of them cannot let harm come to an innocent. “Bo launched into his tale of Mads’s death, the giant wolf chasing him, and his guardian’s last words: for Bo to find and release the Stars.” (75)

Along the way Bo learns important life lessons: once enemies can become friends, all magic is not bad, it is ok to be angry but not ok to take anger out on other people, and it is not what is wrong with you but what is right with you that counts.

As Bo states, ” ‘ I won’t let hate win.’ “

In this sweet story, Ninita a rare pygmy marmoset was born not able to hear. Due to her disability, she was abandoned by her parents when she was just 3 weeks old. A rescue found her, brought her inside and became her new family. Now people kept her safe, groomed her fur, and fed her just like a family should. When she reached adulthood, Ninita was moved to a habitat and introduced to another pygmy marmoset, Mr. Big. Ninita may not be able to understand Mr. Big’s sounds, but she understand friendship – closeness, shared experiences, and affection.

Use when discussing disabilities, pygmy marmosets, or when studying animal sanctuaries and rescues.