This is based on a true story of Mozart and his pet bird.  Turns out this bird was a regular, common starling. But this bird could carry a tune and Mozart fell in love with it and it fell in love with Mozart. The story is simple and one I think that kids would appreciate. The artwork I like, but at times it’s a little odd. I do love how the author plays with color. Overall this is a nice read and a nice story of Mozart but not one that’s truly memorable. 

 

If you want a good historical story, one that tells the truth and makes you cry you need to read this book. This follows a little girl and her mom who takeoff their stars of David and learn a new game with the rosary. And while it’s always treated as a game it is actually a device to save lives. This little girl was hidden in a convent with other children so that way she could survive the Holocaust. It sucks that the story has to exist however it’s an important story, one that needs to be shared. At the end of the book there is the usual stuff discussion questions etc. Also included is a story about a school in Tennessee that was trying to visualize 6 million deaths by collecting paper clips.  Tt became a large project and it’s now an actual historical site with stories from real survivors of the Holocaust.   This book is fantastic but I hate that it has to exist. 

 

I love the illustrations in this book the watercolor effect the simple drawings are fantastic. We have a little gray I think it’s a cloud and they are being called cute and they really do not like it. In  a bit of a  snit they and went off and someone else who is mistaken for something they’re not says hey it’s OK to say something to people talking to you in ways you don’t like,  just like I did. At first I was a little curious where this book was going but in the end it becomes a great message that’s easy for kids to learn and understand. The illustrations also help hit all points of the message perfectly. 

 The rhyming pattern in Me and My Mama is near perfect. This story is a fun little ditty that kids will be read over and over again. I love the illustrations, especially that it shows various black families because in picture books it’s either multicultural or all white kids or animals.  I love to see that representation and I think this is a fabulous book for story time and library collection. 

Lee is a child in a wheelchair and with his friends they are getting ready for the Renaissance Festival. They want to have the best costumes but really can’t decide what they want to do. As they’re making their costumes Lee gets frustrated because things that might be used to make his costume interfere with his hands or with his chair or with his mobility in total. But a little thought, a little ingenuity, and a little bit of a time out help the team come up with a perfect costume for each member no matter their ability. They all have fun and even win the contest. This is a great story for showing inclusion, however I find the illustrations feel a little old fashion, like something out of the 80s. Overall it’s not a bad book. 

 

This was a fun graphic novel for the elementary school set. The moon has a giant bite taken out of it by alien rats that have escaped. There’s only one solution send a cat. The number of times this cat tries to eat pizza as their first meal is daunting. Yes they finally do get their pizza but lots of crazy things have to happen in between. We have a talking toenail clipping robot, a moon queen, and a whole bunch of other things. The adventure reads like a younger version of lord of the rings and in fact the rings is even mentioned later in the book. Part of the story remind me of the Never Ending Story. Other parts are just laugh out loud. Kids of all ages will find this a fun comedic adventure to keep them flipping through all 323 pages. 

 

What an absolutely fantastic read. This book is about a girl and her father moving to a new town so he can get a better job and make their life better. We follow Bree as she navigates a new middle school in tropical Florida and finds out that it’s about time she learns to swim. However, Bree thinks that she’s too old to learn how to swim, and that Black people don’t swim. She gets a history lesson in why that stereotype exists from somebody in their apartment complex who herself was a state champion swimmer. This starts Bree’s adventure to joining the swim team and finding out that you can do anything you put your mind. She also realizes it doesn’t matter if you’re rich or poor, black or white, anybody can swim, anybody can have fun in the water, and anybody can go to state finals. 

 

I am thoroughly entranced and swimming in the world building.  Here human women lay eggs, and the wolves change gender every moon cycle until on their 18th birthday. They set their gender with an egg from the humans.  Intrigued yet? The Child of the wolf king wants to set as a girl, but her father needs her to set as a boy to take over ruling the kingdom.  She set off with her boyfriend, a human, to make her own life, or to at least wait out her 18th birthday and make the choice for herself.  Meanwhile in the land of humans, egg laying goes on, but if you do something against one of their laws, they kill you, then bring you back as a type of zombie called Immortui.  They make great pack beasts, but die if they get to far from the swamp.  This book was way too short.  It just wet my whistle of a grand adventure.  For some reason it gives me vibes of Jim Hensen with Dark Crystal and Labyrinth, but that could just be the enormous bugs everyone rides.  I want more of this story, and I really want this turned into a cartoon that I can watch.  It could be the Last Unicorn of this generation. 

 

This book was so silly and so much fun.  I know there are a few of these books, and I have never wanted to read them before.  However, in Ohio, a teacher or principle was fired for reading one of these books aloud to the school during assembly.  So I had to read it.  This book was so much fun. Is it potty humor, absolutely?  But that is what makes it approachable.  There is no reason these books should be banned.  They should be celebrated for helping kids want to read! 

 

This book was really interesting and informative.  It starts by talking about animals who cannot live their lives without humans and our roads interfering with their patterns of survival.  Then it goes on to talk about the various real projects across the world that help mitigate these roads and highways.  I also love at the end when they show real pictures of existing solutions.  All around this book was a joy to read, and I think kids will find it fascinating.