What a great and unique look at car culture from the southern states.  Car culture is just like any other culture.  It varies by location.  This book was a great way to introduce the “low and slow” car culture and used a really fun adventure as a way to do it.  The illustrations were so unique, I loved the inclusion of Spanish words and sayings.  It felt authentic and not pushed.  Plus the back matter where the author gives a very brief history of low riders and ideas that went into this book is just the icing on the cake.  I cannot wait for book 2 to come out. 

 Evie is the assistance to the San Franscio famous superhero Aveda Jupiter.  She feels it’s the perfect job for her.  Aveda (Annie) is her best friend, and she knows how to handle Aveda’s diva tendencies.  However, when a superhero needs to recover from a sprained ankle, but still appear to be a superhero, she will call on her best friend to take her place.  Now Evie is moving from behind the scenes to front and center and it is not the life she wanted.   But it may be just the life she needs.  This book was a lot of fun.  The cast of characters are crazy and mostly believable.  Some situations seem too easy, but it’s the snark and adventure that really make this read enjoyable.  It has a bit of steam, but not spice, and a cute romance that is not the main point of the book.  Book number two just got moved up my TBR. 

 Garlic is just one of many vegetable that were given sentient life to help the witch run her garden.  All of them are a bit anxious, and Garlic is constantly running late.  She has a tendency to bump Celery or their table, and while it is an accident it does not endear Garlic to Celery.  One day while in the garden the veggies see smoke coming from the castle in the distance, and they all worry that vampires have come to their town and will destroy everyone.  Celery pushes for Garlic to be the one to confront the vampire.  After all, she would be the “safest”.  Unlike Celery, Garlic is willing to take on the challenge.  They are scared, and worried, but they will do anything to make sure everyone else stays safe.  I absolutely loved this book.  It was so much fun. It has the perfect lessons about judging people by their appearance, or by the history of their ancestors.  Great read and great illustrations.  I want more please. 

I ended up liking this more than I thought.  These two Quokkas (think Australian rat maybe) meet Santa.  But after a hit and run with beach creatures, the presents go flying. The two Quokkas help Santa reload his sleigh and off they go.  But they missed some presents, and no matter what these little Quokkas’ do, they cannot catch up, so they decide to deliver the presents themselves.  They do not want any little kid to go without their present from Santa.  This book was so much fun.  Between the fur balls taking the scooter and the Bullies that try to stop them, oh, and let’s not forget the “trade” or shinny things.  This book was a riot.  The audio was only 90 minutes and a great way to pass the time while wrapping presents. 

 

Holiday Hallmark movies are great.  They are cheesy, but in a loveable way that just screams Christmas.  Well, now they do it in books, and while they feel mostly like a Hallmark movie, in book format, this book in particular felt long and drawn out.  It could have ended three hours before it did.  Overall it was a nice holiday listen, but that is about it.  Danni is a social media influencer who takes a break in December to go see a pregnant friend in Juneau, Alaska.  There she meets the quiet and reserved police chief Declan and romance insures.  That’s all you really need to know.  The rest is typical Hallmark story telling.  – POC author and characters. 

This is a sadly sweet tale of a foster child named Paloma. She has been a troubled foster child, who is being placed with their 15th family.  This is her last chance before a group home.  For 4 years nothing happens, but quiet loneliness with her foster mom. Her foster mom just wants her to not only make friends, but have someone what to be her friend.  It finally happens when a girl who takes the name of a turtle, creates a girl gang for misfits.  This story was very interesting.  It is quiet and has a bit of strength not normally felt in many graphic novels.  I have a feeling this series will delve into the life of each of the girls one by one, and this was a great first read. 

 

I really wanted to like this. I love the illustrations and all the color.  But I hate the main character. Evelyn, is just a little girl, all of 7 years old.  She was abandoned at birth because her purple hair is the sign of a witch.  She was raised by nuns, and you would think she might be sweet and nice, but no, she’s a little snot.  She is always playing pranks on the nuns and just is a terror.  They send her off to apprentice which has its own complications.  There is a trigger warning for suicide.  It’s at the beginning of the book, and is what helps create Evelyn in the first place.  Over all this book is not for me.  Someone will like it, but please, while this looks like a kids book, don’t hand it to a kid. 

 

This picture book biography is extremely well done.  It is a story most adults know.  What makes this one different is that the author made sure that Mike Collins got as much credit as Buzz Aldrin and Neal Armstrong.  This book is better than other picture book biographies because at the end of the story, instead of regurgitating the story in biographical information, this book expands on it, mentioning the space race, those who came before Apollo 11, and all the other people who helped make the mission a success.  This book is the real success and I can’t wait to see what subject the author tackles next. 

 

Enchanting, completely enchanting.  Fanfan the stuffed elephant is missing.  What Noah doesn’t know is that Fanfan and all the other favorite toys make a very serious trek once a year.  They head off to meet Santa and tell him what their children want for Christmas.  After all who knows a child best, their best toy.  The illustrations are soft and make the perfect setting for this book that you want to curl up with under a blanket with a little one.  It’s a great Christmas story for any time of year.  

 

I enjoyed this book, but the series is feeling formulaic.  What makes it worse is at the end of the story there is a mini biography and time line with real picture.  I like this part, but I wish it was used to expand on the information in the story, instead of just retell it.