Category Archives: Recommend

Wednesday Wilson Fixes All Your Problems by Bree Galbraith

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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.

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.

Out of a Jar

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by Deborah Marcero

Shows a bunny sitting on a jar in a forest.

This picture book discusses feelings and when Llewellyn the bunny experiences tough feelings he puts them aside in a jar and locks them away. This works well for him for a while until suddenly, he isn’t feeling much of anything at all. One day, the jars all break. See what happens to Llewellyn when his feelings all get loose. This book is a good addition to your S.E.L. library. Younger students will enjoy and understand what happens when one does not express their feelings and keep them inside. I would recommend this book for elementary school (k-3).

M is for Monster by: Talia Dutton

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Reviewed by OHS Student, Blaze

This graphic novel is a creative with an intriguing twist on a classic horror story (Frankenstein), a worthwhile read for anyone who enjoys graphic novels. Fiction, Magic, Science, Psychology, and Coming of Age are blended well in this story as the author delves deep into grief and its consequences.

Summary: Frances Ai has failed in her attempt to bring back her sisters soul, instead creating a new mind in her sisters body. This new being, M, struggles with the pressure placed on her as Frances tries to find any hint of the sister she lost.

I believe that the mechanics of magic within the story were altogether unnecessary, as they did not serve as more than occasional mentions and did not serve much purpose. The story would have been perfectly fine without mentions of magic.

The Thirteenth Hour

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Before the first chapter the author tells the reader that she wrote her first book when she was eleven and that if we want to, we will write a book also. This statement sets the tone for a book that lends itself very well to being a book that teachers will read aloud to their students and that some students will then choose to read for themselves.
The young Rosemary is given an intriguing golden watch accompanied by some precise but mysterious directions on a hospital visit to her sick Aunt Jo. Rosemary’s dreams, under the influence of the watch, become adventure reality as she tries to save her frenemy Jeremiah with the help of a new friend, Alejandro, and some helpful dream world friends.
Teachers are cautioned to read the book first as some images and scenarios may be troubling to some students.