Thursday, March 28, 2024

 MARCH CAME IN LIKE A LAMB

 And it will go out while I'm in Alaska, looking for Northern Lights - or "chasing the Lady A" as they say. So this installment of "What I Read This Month" is a few days early.There were a lot of great picture books this month. How Dinosaurs Went Extinct by Ame Dyckman was hilarious. My Baba's Garden by Jordan Scott was beautifully illustrated and poignant. And Simon and the Better Bone by Corey R. Tabor is a lovely spin on an Aesop fable. In non-fiction picture books, both The Deep: Wild Life at the Ocean's Darkest Depths by Lindsey Leigh and Battle of the Butts: The Science Behind Animal Behinds by Jocelyn Rish are impressive, gross, and educational! In other words - kids will love them. And learn things! The new Watership Down graphic novel does a wonderful job of recreating Adams' classic. If you enjoy Enola Holmes, then I highly recommend The Moonwind Mystery series! Mika Moonwind is an orphan living in Stockholm in 1880. Just like Enola, she has a knack for solving mysteries and getting herself into trouble! Originally published in Sweden, two of the four have been translated - The Night Raven and The Queen of Thieves.

Simon and the Better Bone by Corey R. Tabor  The Welcome Home by Amy June Bates  The Truth About Dragons by Julie Leung Escargot and the Search for Spring by Dashka Slater I'm Sticking with You--and the Chicken Too! by Smriti Prasadam-Halls One Sweet Song by Jyoti Rajan Gopal Only by Airlie Anderson Saving Delicia by Laura Gehl  The Dress in the Window by Robert Tregoning Ra Pu Zel and the Stinky Tofu by Ying Chang Compestine Sir Cumference and the 100 PerCent Goose Chase by Cindy Neuschwander Are We There Yet? by Sven Völker 

 Brave Little Bear by Steve Small Harold the Iceberg Melts Down by Lisa Wyzlic Oh, Olive! by Lian Cho  Baker Makers by Kim    Smith Weslandia by Paul Fleischman The Cat, the Owl and the Fresh Fish by Nadine Robert Nana in the Country by Lauren Castillo  The Spark in You by Andrea Pippins  Treehouse Town by Gideon Sterer

The Deep! by Lindsey Leigh Battle of the Butts by Jocelyn Rish Bridges by Marc Majewski Keep On! by Deborah Hopkinson To See Clearly by Evan Turk Schomburg by Carole Boston Weatherford  What's Inside a Caterpillar Cocoon? by Rachel Ignotofsky 

Eerie Tales from the School of Screams by Graham  Annable

The Queen of Thieves by Johan Rundberg

Shuna's Journey by Hayao Miyazaki

The Great British Bump-Off by John Allison    

Friday, March 1, 2024

DO YOU KNOW WHAT A TARDIGRADE IS? 

aka WHAT I READ IN FEBRUARY

The book I learned the most from this month? The Three Little Tardigrades by Sandra Fay. It was a fun spin on the Three Little Pigs. There's a new Mo Willems - Are You Big? and a republished Maurice Sendak - Ten Little Rabbits. Both worth reading, I think. 

My favorite books this month are graphic novels. Lights is the third in the series Sheets by Brenna Thummler. Marjorie Glatt's mom is dead and her dad is overwhelmed with grief which leaves Marjorie to take care of her little brother and their family laundromat. Imagine her surprise when she discovers a group of ghosts living in the laundromat and helping make the clothes clean and bright. One of the young ghosts is Wendell and he and Marjorie become best friends. Lights explores the mystery of how Wendell died along with Marjorie's journey to make and maintain friendships in 8th grade. The whole series is lovely though they are dark since they deal with death, suicidal thoughts, grief, and bullying. Definitely a middle grade/YA series. For younger kids, Batcat: The Ghostly Guest and Wizkit: An Adventure Overdue are loads of fun to read. The artwork is great; also the message of loving yourself for who you are. Plus a lot of library love in Wizkit!

If you have a child interested in art, be sure to look for This Book Will Make You an Artist by Ruth Millington. Lots of projects to keep you busy! And I also really enjoyed Smoke Gets In Your Eyes and Other Lessons from the Crematory which is a memoir of sorts. Definitely not for the squeamish but I learned a lot and enjoyed Caitlin Doughty's humor.

Any favorite February reads out there?

The Three Little Tardigrades by Sandra Fay Pearl by Olivier Dunrea Mine! by Candace Fleming No Fair! by Jacob Grant  Ten Little Rabbits by Maurice Sendak Boop! by Bea Birdsong One Shoe Two Shoes by Caryl Hart  A Letter for Bob by Kim  Rogers Are You Big? by Mo Willems  The Three Little Mittens by Linda Bailey Eyes That Weave the World's Wonders by Joanna Ho Snail in Space by Rachel Bright The Search for the Giant Arctic Jellyfish by Chloe Savage Papá's Magical Water-Jug Clock by Jesus Trejo  Like So by Ruth Forman Otto The Ornament by Troy Cummings  Tumble by Adriana Hernández Bergstrom Sal Boat by Thyra Heder Willow and Bunny by Anitra Rowe Schulte Nesting Dolls by Vanessa Brantley-Newton  The Teeny-Weeny Unicorn by Shawn Harris Cranky by Phúc Trần Lucky Duck by Greg Pizzoli Today by Gabi Snyder Just_one_more_sleep  

 Friends Are Fun by Steve Henry  The Cozy Home by Ame Dyckman

    Lights by Brenna Thummler  Wizkit by Tanya J. Scott 

 Fry Guys by Eric Geron Go-Go Guys by Rowboat Watkins

As Night Falls by Donna Jo Napoli  Rock, Rosetta, Rock! Roll, Rosetta, Roll! by Tonya Bolden  Mary's Idea by Chris Raschka The Courage of the Little Hummingbird by Leah  Henderson  365 by Miranda  Paul  This Book Will Make You An Artist by Ruth Millington  Friends Beyond Measure by Lalena Fisher  More than Words by Roz Maclean

The Guardian Test by Christina Soontornvat How to Stay Invisible by Maggie C. Rudd Bea and the New Deal Horse by L.M. Elliott Instructions by Neil Gaiman 

  Smoke Gets in Your Eyes & Other Lessons from the Crematory by Caitlin Doughty Murder by Degrees by Ritu Mukerji