12 Little Elves Save Christmas by Stephanie Campisi

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12 Little Elves Save Christmas is a fantastic rhyming holiday book about twelve elves who travel around the world saving Christmas. Each two-page spread has four rhyming lines that introduce a Christmas tradition from a different country that the elves help repair or make happen. It doesn’t teach a great deal about each tradition but instead offers a quick glimpse into one custom from each country. The back of the book includes additional information about every tradition featured, making it a great jumping-off point for learning more. The rhyme scheme is consistent and helps with the pronunciation of some unfamiliar words when reading aloud, and I can see kids picking out their favorite adorable elf and watching to see what they’re doing on each page. This is the perfect title for any classroom or home discussing “Christmas Around the World,” and I’m thrilled to be able to add this title to my library.

Bollywood Beat! by Anita Yasuda

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Bollywood Beat is a brightly illustrated story of two sisters preparing for a dance recital. It’s told through a series of onomatopoeias and two-word phrases that capture the motion and emotion of the busy celebration. Young readers will be drawn to the joyful illustrations, and this title is a great option for pre-readers, as the entirety of the story can be understood through the vibrant artwork. There are a few key words explained in the back, making this a great story for caregivers to read with younger children as well. This would be a hit with preschool and kindergarten-aged kids.

Forty the Fortune Teller by Drew Daywalt

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Fans of The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors rejoice! Drew Daywalt is back with another crowd-pleasingly strange epic journey. This one follows a discarded fortune teller and a partially eaten chip as they set off on a heroic quest. This book is an incredibly fun read-aloud (particularly if you enjoy doing voices), and I can attest to the joyful bafflement you’ll see on kids’ faces as some of the ridiculous fortunes come true. The illustrations feel reminiscent of Adam Rex’s in The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors, but Kevin Cornell brings his own style that makes this feel like a related yet unique story. This book will not only have kids cracking up, but it also offers a valuable lesson about courage and resilience. As a bonus, the endpapers include instructions for making your own fortune teller, so there’s a built-in activity to go along with this incredibly entertaining book.

Cities Through Time Book Series

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The Cities Through Time series offers a glimpse at key moments in different cities’ history. The text features in these books are perfect for beginning readers or for a teacher/caregiver looking to introduce features of nonfiction texts. Each book begins with three goals for the child as they read. The table of contents then clearly outlines the topics in the book, and each two-page spread features bright illustrations and a variety of labels, bolded words that can be found in the glossary, and even “Jimmy Says” features that allow the books’ guide, Blastoff Jimmy, to share facts or offer comprehension support throughout.

A timeline, glossary, and index, along with post-reading questions and ideas for where to learn more, round out the features of this series. This is a great introduction to timelines and key moments in history, though, of course, the length and target audience of these books leave gaps in discussions about colonialism and key events that might be difficult for young children to understand without more historical and cultural context. Still, this is an excellent series for young learners to learn a bit about history, geography, and a lot about nonfiction text features.

Pool Party by Amy Hevron

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Pool Party!

The fourth book in the Tiny Habitats series is every bit as adorable and informative as the previous three. Pool Party begins with rainfall in the rainforest collecting in the leaves of a bromeliad, creating a tiny pool of water. It follows the happenings in that small pool and the many creatures that make use of the habitat. The book traces the pool through the rainy season, into the dry season, and finally to the beginning of the next rainy season. The animals are adorably illustrated, and kids will love the speech bubbles filled with clever puns. They’ll also learn a great deal about the rainforest and the diversity of life there, with additional information about bromeliad pools included in the backmatter. This is a great title for any elementary library.

Benjamin Grows a Garden by Melanie Florence

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Benjamin Grows a Garden is the follow-up to Benjamin’s Thunderstorm, and it’s another beautifully crafted realistic fiction story by Melanie Florence. While the previous book followed Benjamin as he enjoyed a rainy day and thought about the Thunderbird, this story follows him as he plants, cares for, and eventually harvests fruits and vegetables from his garden. The book includes Cree words throughout, with a pronunciation guide in the back. Pichette’s illustrations are eye-catching and unique, and kids will be drawn to the bright colors and beautiful depictions of the natural world. It feels like a celebration of the garden and all it provided. This will be an excellent addition to any elementary library.

All Better Now by Neal Shusterman

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Reviewed by OHS Student, Ishaan A.

This compelling dystopian novel transforms a strange premise into a powerful exploration of what it means to be human. Ron and Mariel are swept into the struggle over Crown Royale, a virus that leaves survivors calm and compassionate, as powerful groups race to control or cure it across a changed America. All Better Now is a science fiction, dystopian novel with strong social implications and moral choices. The story uses a fast-paced plot, rising tension, and multiple characters to explore fear, power, and human behavior in a way that keeps the reader thinking. What I liked most about the book is the way Shusterman turns a strange premise into a thought-provoking story about human nature. The book’s high-stakes conflict and unsettling contrast between a seemingly better world and the danger lurking beneath it make it especially compelling. I disliked that many characters were introduced with the same weight, which made them harder to tell apart; this sometimes made the story feel less focused than it could have been. Readers who enjoy dystopian fiction, psychological thrillers, and stories with ethical dilemmas would likely like this book. They should read it because it offers a fast-moving plot, an original and unsettling conflict, and plenty of ideas to think and talk about afterward.

Book cover for Neal Shutsterman's novel: All Better Now. One bright yellow smiley-face emoji in the middle of blue frowny-faced ones.
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Last Kiss of Summer by Jessica M. Felleman

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Reviewed by OHS Student, Olivia M.

Sera Watkins was born with a heart condition that required a heart transplant. Arriving back at her family’s summer house in Cape Cod, she plans to perfect her art and avoid her former best friend, neighbor, and recipient of her old heart valves, Luke Tisdale. The complex relationships Felleman creates between the characters makes this teenage romance feel real and truly special. The way Sera is not defined by her illness is truly inspiring. The author’s writing style throughout the novel really allows for a wide range of emotions to be felt by the reader. The romance is sweet, but can also be intense at times. The variety of characters in this novel is amazing; they are relatable and complex. I felt like the depth of Luke’s character was not thoroughly conveyed through the small amount of chapters featuring his perspective. I thought it would’ve added to the story if we could hear more about his life and ideas. In the beginning, I thought some of the plot points in the book were somewhat predictable, but as I continued to read, more twists and surprises showed up making it an addictive read. I would recommend this book to someone who likes romance, deeper themes about life and death, and books that make you emotional. I think you should read this book because it shares the important lesson of making the most of the time you have and growing the relationships you have with others. Overall, this book was really great and I’m so glad I read it.

Book Cover for Jessica M. Felleman's novel: Last Kiss of Summer. Watercolor image of a seascape at sunset; the sun is in the shape of a heart.

I am Not Happy!

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Written by Caroline L. Perry & illustrated by Sydney Hanson

You may think you see a seemingly cheerful, smiling rodent. But, you would be wrong! The quokka, an Australian marsupial, is much more complex than that. And, the main character of the this delightful picture book does his best to show a (seemingly) grumpy frog that truth through a variety of examples. Dropped his ice cream? He may look happy. But, nope, definitely not. Someone stepped on his tail? Nope, he’s not happy even though he’s smiling. And, people don’t seem to understand that they shouldn’t wake him up for selfies. He’s nocturnal, for goodness sake! Fortunately, he finds a newspaper with an article stating that quokkas are not, in fact, the happiest animals. Now, he’s happy! But, the grumpy from? That frown is just the way he looks and it doesn’t mean he feels that way. Wait, didn’t we just read a story like that?

This wonderfully hilarious picture book introduces a rather misunderstood Australian animal in a way that makes learning fun. Accompanying illustrations are somewhat cartoon like and so good! The text is very accessible, with a sentence or two per page and there is a very informative author’s note at the end that describes the quokka in more detail, including its vulnerable status as a species and what we can do to help it, including leaving it alone and not bothering it for a selfie like in the story! This would be a great book to share when teaching about conservation and boundaries with human-animal interactions. Highly recommended.

Dante N. Ferno is Not a Loser

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By Brian Gordon

Dante Nimrod Inferno is your typical 6th grade demon – uncool, goofy and ready to to change his reputation in middle school. Bullied and laughed at ever since his pants fell down in the cafeteria, he plans a fresh start in a new school, where his elementary classmates combine with the kids from the school in Blisshaven. New school means new Dante, right? Not really, because the same yucky bullies are there and his old reputation is lingering. Virgil, a brainy new friend from Blisshaven, enters the story and becomes a rather unwitting ally in Virgils’ quest for greatness. The story ends with a huge school competition (kind of like middle school Jeopardy) in which the teams are in a nail-biting near tie for the win. Dante’s knowledge of comics saves the day for Virgil and him in and they win, becoming slightly more cool and ready for more adventures.

While young readers may not get the references to Dante’s Inferno, they will certainly understand the burps, farts, annoying siblings and schoolyard escapades in this book. And, they will really get into all the hilarious illustrations that are generously peppered throughout the story. Hand this book to those readers who enjoy Diary of a Wimpy Kid or Timmy Failure. They won’t be disappointed. Recommended.