Did you know that a whale can live to around 90+ years old, but that its life is only the beginning of its impact on the ecosystem?  

This is a beautifully illustrated informational picture book that tells the story of what happens to the ecosystem after a blue whale dies. 

One of my favorite aspects of this book is how well the text and illustrations partner to tell the story.  Caldecott Medalist Jason Chin supports the brilliant text with detailed and eye-catching illustrations. Lynn Brunelle offers bite-sized chunks of information to keep readers wanting more. For example, when Brunelle is explaining the various organisms that benefit from the whale fall, Chin partners the text with illustrations of those organisms to further understand how everything is connected. 

The backmatter is filled with even more facts about blue whales, ecosystems, and the four phases of whale fall. 

Sometimes I felt like I got lost in the characters and thus got lost in the plot. Still as silly read with cat shapeshifters. 

A nice addition to middle-grade graphic novels. The artwork is unique, and the story is informative and likely relatable for younger readers. 

I do wish some of the plot was built out a bit more, including the resolution at the end. 

Without picking things apart, this was a good zombie book. I feel those describing it as The Last of Us meets Warms Bodies were exactly right. 

I do really wish the pacing was better on this book, though. I think that would have helped me enjoy the details of this story much more. The ending grabbed my attention, but the first half to three quarters felt a little off. 

Absolutely lovely! I am living in my Cozy Fantasy Era and this book brought me everything I needed. 

I move to say that we all need Tea Monks in our lives. And a 7-foot robot friend who is looking to explore the world with us. 

This is my first Becky Chambers book, and I cannot wait to read more of their work!

A beautiful and uniquely illustrated picture book about the inventor of the Rubki's Cube. Written in short phrases with nice breaks, this book lends itself to being a great read-aloud. One of my favorite features is the way the art style changes as we learn more about how Erno came up with the idea for the Rubik's Cube. At one point, Erno's head becomes a cube as the text tells how much he was thinking about the puzzle.

Back matter supplies readers with more information about the Rubik's cube and its creator. 

Sydney Langford hit it out of the park with their debut novel, The Loudest Silence!

This is a YA realistic fiction with duel POV for readers who love robust and diverse casts of characters, messy friendships, platonic love, and High School Musical.

16-year-old Casey has dreamed of becoming a professional singer. The universe had other plans for her, though - sudden, permanent, and profound hearing loss. Casey and her family are set to move across the country, and now she not only has to navigate starting at a new high school but she is also faced with learning to navigate the world as a Deaf-Hard of Hearing person.

Hayden, the new soccer team captain, is expected to follow in the footsteps of the three-generation fútbol legends in his family, including his older brother. Hayden is hiding a big secret, though. He wants to quit soccer to pursue his dreams of performing on Broadway. What is stopping him from sharing this with others? His Generalized Anxiety Disorder.

Both Casey and Hayden are determined to hide who they truly are, even from those closest to them. After their paths cross at school, however, they begin to bond over a shared love for music and, though maybe reluctantly at first (at least for Casey), learn how to support and encourage each other.

The Loudest Silence is a new and unique YA contemporary story that brings together themes of grief, friendship, found family, and self-discovery. I absolutely adored this novel! From cover to cover, it carries readers through an emotional roller coaster of messy teens trying to find themselves in the world. 

The cast of characters is just delightful, too! Readers get to see so many of them open up throughout the book, and the friendships that formed into found family truly warmed my heart. 

While I am reading this book from an adult reader's lens, I know it will be one that many teen readers will see themselves in with its diverse cast of characters, strong conversations about difficult topics, and big dreams.  

This is a strong informational book about genes, DNA, and genetic engineering. Though there is a lot of text on each page, the illustrations, questions, and connection between each section make it an engaging book for readers. 

I love that there are questions for the readers to solve mixed in with the information text, allowing readers to apply what they have just learned. There are many strong graphics to support the text, as well. 

The back matter is fun, encouraging readers to conduct their own experiments and sharing the answers to the questions asked earlier in the book. 

A beautifully queer science fiction graphic novel that celebrates its characters and challenges what society wants us to be. 

The characters are beautifully diverse and have strong and hopeful conversations. The found family was like a warm hug and the intricate and unique art style helped to bring everything together. 

An amazingly queer science fiction graphic novel that celebrates its characters and challenges what society wants and expects us to be. I adored this graphic novel and want everyone to know about it! The characters are beautifully diverse and have strong and hopeful conversations together. There are so many important conversations about identity that happen within the pages of this book, and the authors handle them beautifully by using insightful and thoughtful dialogue with compassionate illustrations. The found family was like a warm hug and the intricate and unique art style helped to bring everything together.