MARCH/APRIL

Spring is flitting by! I am combining March and April. Reading has been sporadic for a lot of reasons over the past couple of months. Home by Matt de la Peña; illustrated by Loren Long is delightful. And Every Monday Mabel by Jashar Awan will delight children (and parents!) who celebrate the arrival of the trash truck each week. And I was able to read an advanced digital copy of the new Narwhal and Jelly - A Waffle Lot of Love. Very cute and publishing in December, 2025. I am a huge fan of the Moonwind Mystery series by Johan Rundberg. The Lost Ones is the third book in this upper middle grade series which is set in 1880s Stockholm. Mika is a spunky twelve year old orphan who assists Detective Hoff with solving rather dark crimes. On the lighter side of things, I discovered a new cozy mystery series set in the small English village of Toot Hansell. What sets the Beaufort Scales series apart is that the local crime solving ladies are assisted in their efforts by a group of dragons! Check out the first book, Baking Bad.

              

Publishing 12/25

   

      

 FEBRUARY

In honor of Black History month, I'm highlighting several picture books I read this month. The Doll Test: Choosing Equality by Carole Boston Weatherford is a must read. It highlights the harm segregation brings to everyone involved. Home in a Lunchbox by Cherry Mo is just a delightful book that highlights the difficult experience of fitting into a new school when you don't know English, the comfort of familiar foods packed in your lunchbox, and the bridge they can create to make new friends. And please find a copy of To See an Owl by Matthew Cordell. It's a delightful read. Almost Underwear by Jonathan Roth is a great non-fiction read about a bolt of cloth that should have been made into underwear but was used to cover the wings of the Wright Flyer instead. And went on to have even greater adventures! Who knew being a cloth rectangle could be so exciting?! I was lucky to receive a digital ARC of Louis Sachar's first novel for adults. The Magician of Tiger Castle was a great read! Look for it in August.