Llama Llama Graduation Day by Anna Dewdney is a heartwarming story about celebrating an important milestone. As the school year ends, Llama Llama is excited to graduate but also nervous about saying goodbye to his teacher and friends. With support from his family and classmates, he learns that change can be scary, but it can also lead to new adventures. This sweet book is perfect for young readers who are getting ready for their own graduation or other big changes. Consider adding this to your collection of Llama Llama stories.
Napesni and Renegade – the two names given a young bison calf transported with 6 other bison from South Dakota to Minnesota as part of a multi-tribal partnership to nurture bison as a traditional food source. The story is based on a real calf who escaped an enclosure when a storm hit the first night at his new Minnesota home. The calf earned his name Renegade for his ability to avoid capture. Just before hunting season was to begin, Renegade calmly entered the enclosure to join his mother. The themes of Native tribal stewardship and ecological repair by native species are clear in this animal story.
Author Marcie Rendon also wrote Stitches of Tradition and Powwow Summer as well as a number of titles for adults. Illustrator Sam Zimmerman draws on Anishinaabe traditions and ancestral connections in his art.
Another wonderful book by Jan Brett. This one is about Ari and her person Theo go on a Christmas Eve walk through the forest only to get lost. Fortunately, the sweater that Ari is wearing gets caught on a tree and unravels. This is the way Theo gets back to town.
This book, like all others by this author has incredible illustrations that show another story on the sides of the main story images. I would recommend this book as a great way to refresh your Jan Brett collection. It is a sweet story about a boy and his dog and the adventure they take together.
This non-fiction book at the 2-4 grade level is well written with current and very detailed information about the planets in our solar system. This title well defines more advanced words so there is clear understanding for younger readers. It also “fun facts” that make the reading more appealing.
I would recommend this book for elementary libraries that are in need of books in this content area as it is clear, concise, and current.
This book is a part of a series of standalone books. The novel, Playing for Keeps, by Lee Heart, is an excellent read for students entering or attending middle school. The story follows Aaliyah, a girl in middle school, who develops unreciprocated feelings for her best friend. As she navigates the ups and downs of tween life, she discovers the importance of maintaining strong relationships and the journey of self discovery. Although the book is intended for a middle school audience, it is still an exceptional comfort read for those at a higher reading level. The novel is an excellent addition to the growing Spotlight Sprinkles series.
The Last Ember is the first book of a series, and begins when twelve year old Eva accidentally becomes the owner of the last aerimander egg, placing her at the center of a dangerous conflict. Alongside Dusty, a young thief tasked with stealing the egg, Eva must navigate corruption, betrayal, and long buried secrets while protecting the last aerimander. The novel explores friendship and trust, highlighted through Eva and Dusty working together despite their different backgrounds and personalities. Additionally, it unpacks fear and prejudice, as the kingdom’s treatment of aerimanders was driven mainly by fear rather than understanding.
The story is a thrilling tale of how loyalty, friendship, and trust can combat evil and betrayal. I thought the world building in this book was fantastic, but it left me wanting more depth from the plot. There were many chapters that felt askew from the overall narrative, but it did have a lot of action, which I appreciated. Also, this book felt written for an audience older than middle school because of its vocabulary and flow of the story. The villain in the story, Eoin, is portrayed as purely sadistic, and mentions of kidnappers and murderer’s guilds could make it slightly inappropriate for a younger audience.
Readers who enjoyed dragon books like Wings of Fire by Tui T. Sutherland or fantasy readers who enjoy books like Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger might like reading this book, although it is a bit more mature.
Chloe Gong’s newest novel delves into a dystopian and not-so-distant future where the physical planet has been decimated by global sea rise and deadly epidemics.I found the concept of a virtual world that is mainly occupied by the rich and a physical, gritty real world that is occupied by the poor, to be fascinating and ultimately believable (even though this is a fantasy read). The story involves two girls, one from each world, getting pulled into special ops for warring virtual nations in different planes of reality. Gong races back and forth between the storylines and planes of reality, and while it is full of riveting action and epic twists and turns, it can get confusing. I think this is a book to read on a rainy weekend, from start to finish. Otherwise, if you’re like me and reading in installments, you’ll likely have to go back several chapters to follow the frenetically-paced thread. I do think Coldwire has potential for an epic cinematic experience if it’s ever adapted for the big screen. I rate it a 4 out of 5 stars.
The autobiography tells the story of Ida B. Wells’s life as a fearless Black journalist, educator, and civil rights activist who fought against racism and lynching in the United States. She was born into slavery in Mississippi and became a teacher, she later became a newspaper writer who exposed racial violence and injustice. After the lynching of three Black businessmen in Memphis, she elevate a powerful anti-lynching campaign, risking her life to speak the truth. The book highlights her courage, investigative journalism, advocacy for women’s rights, and lifelong crusade for equality and justice. This was a very readable non-fiction – informative and flowed well. If you’re looking for a good, diverse biography, this is recommended.
The book includes a book written by Ida B. Wells in 1892, Southern Horrors Lynch Laws in all its phases. This was included after the book written about her by Erica Armstrong Dunbar & Candace Buford and adds to the page count, but more importantly, to the authenticity of getting to hear from Miss Wells herself.
Reviewed by parent volunteer, Esperanza B.-D. for Komachin Middle School Library
A combo book with a graphic novel spread throughout showing one school year and 6 middle school students. Three become very addicted to their phones and all the features that become time sucks. The other 3 either have old flip phones or phones without apps. You see a contrasting year where the ones NOT addicted to their phones actually get better at friendships, activities and life. The 3 addicted become more & more lonely and isolated until they make some changes by the following summer. The sections of the fictional story are separated by lots of non-fiction graphic information about the dangers of becoming addicted to technology and the benefits of finding balance. I was blown away by the chart on page 71 about how much of your life you ”lose” based on how many hours a day you get sucked into screentime. Just 4 hours a day of “time-suck” on a screen is as much as 2 whole months of your life. Yikes! The book is for teens, but it sure made me reflective of my own use. The book is filled with suggestions of how to make choices that enhance one’s life, instead of wasting it in a false sense of reality. I liked the bio. blurbs of older teens who reflected on their younger selves use of technology and how they use it now. It helps readers understand what real friendship, real freedom, and real fun looks like vs. the imitation that is often used in a manipulative way online. I read this wondering if it would feel too “preachy” or super anti-tech, but it didn’t really feel that way. It was empowering to the “rebels” who were able to make different choices with their tech so they could still be authentic in their day-to-day interactions.This felt like an important book for middle school students to pick up and read. I think the graphic-novel feel to it will help pull students in. Hopefully the message will resonate with them and empower them to make choices to better themselves. The book includes 4 specific steps a reader can take to become a rebel, notes and sources, a Learn more section, and an index at the end of the book.
Eugenia Wang, who loves art, decides to draw a comic, although her mom doesn’t want her to. However, whenever Eugenia sleeps, or even looks at the comic, she has a mysterious dream about a fire in her house. Her best friend, Keisha, decides to help her understand her dream. Eugenia’s birthday, which is on April 4, is an unlucky number. Will she be able to figure out what her dream is telling her? This book is perfect for someone who loves comedy and mystery. The art style adds so much to it, as well as the smaller details of the plot, which adds a more relatable scenario. The comedy details made me smile, and the mystery parts made me think. The use of comedy adds so much to the characters and plot. People will feel that they can relate more to the characters with the moments of comedy because it uses things that most people do in everyday life. I liked the book a lot, since I like mystery and comedy. Some of my friends, who also like similar genres would like it since they have a good sense of humor and like to figure things out, either in books or even real life. Overall, this book is very entertaining. I’d give it a 4 out of 5 stars. (I dropped a star just because it wasn’t my usual type, not because I didn’t like it.)
Reviewed by Lily I., 8th grader at Komachin Middle School
