Category Archives: Reviewer’s Library Type

Zuni and the Memory Jar

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Zuni and the Memory Jar by Aisha Saeed

Written By Aisha Saeed. Illustrated by Neha Rawat

Zuni’s family decides to keep a jar full of memories this year. Throughout the story, Zuni watches as her family members shine in different ways, each adding a memento of their special moment to the family’s memory jar. While Zuni hasn’t yet found her moment, her family gently reassures her that her time will come. The ending, when Zuni finally adds her own memory, delivers a sweet and unexpectedly powerful message.

The concept of a family memory jar, and the tradition of sipping tea while reflecting on a year’s worth of special moments, is likely to inspire many families to start their own version. Zuni’s journey is also a lovely example for young readers: she never shows envy toward others’ successes, but instead finds her own way to create memories. It’s a great reminder of the joy in both shared and personal milestones and would be a great story to share with young readers.

When You Love a Book

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When You Love a Book by Kaz Windness

Written by Kaz Windness. Illustrated by Heather Brockman Lee.

When You Love a Book is a sweet, rhyming ode to the joy of reading. It opens by introducing the idea of a book as a friend, then moves into playful references to beloved picture books, like “A book is a cookie you give to a mouse.” The text continues in simple, heartfelt language to express the power of things like seeing yourself in stories, and it ends with today’s book-loving kid passing their love of reading on to the next generation.

The illustrations are whimsical and modern, with book pages transforming into things like cityscapes, trains, and even a library carpet. I especially enjoyed the nods to familiar picture books, and I think kids will have fun spotting the references and naming the stories they recognize. I plan to read this to my kindergarten and first grade students at the beginning of the year to celebrate our shared love of books.

Poo Pile on the Prairie

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Poo Pile on the Prairie

By Amy Hevron

Amy Hevron follows up her two previous Tiny Habitats books with a fascinating look at the life that flourishes around bison poo on the prairie. The story begins in spring, as dung beetles and flies discover the fresh pile, and continues through the seasons, ending in winter when the last of the nutrients return to the soil to feed the grasses. When a baby bison bounds by the following spring, we are reminded that this natural cycle has repeated for generations, and it will continue as long as bison roam the prairie.

While the book centers on excrement, it steers clear of potty humor and instead highlights the animal species and natural processes connected to this vital part of prairie life. Hevron’s illustrations are adorable, and bring an element of cuteness sure to hook many young readers. The back of the book includes additional facts about bison, along with a lovely illustration featuring all the species introduced in the story. I’m thrilled to add this to my nonfiction collection and can easily see both teachers and students reaching for this title.

Dancing in the Storm

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by Amie Darnell Specht and Shannon Hitchcock

Kate’s life is full of friends, family, Girl Scouts and gymnastics. She is a very active and positive 12 year old when she finds out that she has Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (FOP), a rare genetic disorder that causes bone to form in places in the body is shouldn’t. She now finds herself no longer able to do her favorite sport. Her parents are found in tears and removing things in the home that may harm her without talking about it. Her friends are awkward around her and her Girl Scouts leader no longer wants her to come into her home because of liability and the possibility of being sued if she is injured. How will Kate navigate this new chapter in her life? How will her friends and family accept her new limitations and continue to love and care for her? How can she be her normal self when “normal” no longer seems possible?

This chapter book is based on the author’s own experiences with FOP and is a heartfelt, open and uplifting story of finding one’s self through adversity. I would recommend this book for elementary and middle school libraries.

Sloth and Squirrel on Vacation

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By Cathy Ballou Mealey and Kelly Collier

Once again we see these close friends working together in this sequel to “Sloth and Squirrel in a Pickle”. In this book they decide that they have had so much success with their pickle stand that they can take a vacation. While wanting to spend time together doing the same things once again, they find that they are separated. Squirrel does many activities but realizes that they just want to spend time with their friend Sloth. When they return, Sloth is gone. Sloth has gone out searching for their friend Squirrel!

This is another wonderful picture book about friendship, adventure, differences, acceptance and just the happiness of being together. I would strongly recommend purchasing this beautifully illustrated picture book for elementary school libraries.

Lunar New Year

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Written by Margaret McNamara and Wendi Gu. Illustrated by Mike Gordon

This beginning reader is a wonderful introduction story about how one family celebrates the Lunar New Year. Eigen’s mom comes to school to help him celebrate his favorite holiday with his class. She brings his favorite holiday treats and talks with the teacher and class about the holiday and what it means to Eigen’s family.

This simply written leveled book is great for younger readers who are interested in holidays and culture. I would strongly recommend this purchase.

PAWS: Hazel Has Her Hands Full

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By Michelle Assarasakorn and Nathan Fairbairn

The PAWS crew is back again in this fourth book in the series. Hazel has a condition called Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) and uses a wheelchair. This does not stop her from being an active member of the dog walking club. When summer comes along and her friends are leaving for camp, going to visit family and going on vacation, Hazel decides to take on two cats that need to be taken care of in the neighborhood on her own. Will all go smoothly or will things go badly when she chooses to not tell her mom that she is not being supported by others in the group.

While this is book four in the series, this graphic novel could also be considered a stand alone. There is a great deal of back story given on Hazel including how she was treated at her past school, what her condition is and how it has progressed and her connection with the PAWS group. This title also has some fun content as the end including: how to draw a dog and the names of parts of a wheelchair. The graphic novel series as a whole is a great addition to any library. It shows wonderful examples of teamwork, determination, creativity and friendship. I would strongly recommend this series for any elementary or middle school library.

Hooray for She, He, Ze, and They!

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Hooray for She, He, Ze, and They!

Written by Lindz Amer. Illustrated by Kip Alizadeh.

Hooray for She, He, Ze, and They! celebrates the many different ways people can feel like themselves. It introduces a variety of pronouns that someone might use, but rather than diving into detailed explanations of each, it keeps the focus on the joy of finding a pronoun that feels right. The story highlights how meaningful and respectful it is when someone uses the correct pronoun for you.

This book is a great introduction for younger kids to what pronouns are and why they matter. There’s a thoughtful “Dear Grown-ups” section at the end where the author shares their personal story, which I think both kids and adults will find valuable. Kip Alizadeh’s colorful, joyful illustrations of children throughout make the book feel like a true celebration. It would be a wonderful addition to any school or home library.

See Marcus Grow

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See Marcus Grow by Marcus Bridgewater

Written by Marcus Bridgewater. Illustrated by Reggie Brown.

See Marcus Grow is a heartfelt ode to both the garden and a beloved grandmother. In this book, Marcus Bridgewater (known in real life as Garden Marcus) shares what it was like for young Marcus to learn about gardening from his garden expert grandmother. She lovingly compares the needs of a garden to the needs of a young boy, and she teaches Marcus the importance of patience, care, and respect for all living things.

Reggie Brown’s vibrant, colorful illustrations add warmth and energy to each page, perfectly complementing the story. You can truly feel the author’s deep love for the garden, his grandmother, and the natural world woven throughout every part of the book.

The Notorious Virtues

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If you love magic, romance, thrill and adventure, The Notorious Virtues is for you. The heir to a country with great wealth and prestige, Nora will discover that her mother’s death wasn’t accidental. Counsins August and Lotte also have bloodlines to the throne and reasons for wanting it. To determine the future leader, a battle of magic ensues. Alwyn Hamilton alternates between each girls’ points of view and readers should become very familiar with each character as the tension builds. The depth of detail in the magic itself could be its selling point but cliffhanger chapter endings will propel readers quickly. Even after 497 pages, waiting for the sequel will be hard for many. Recommended for all libraries.