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.

           

        

        

    

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?