If you want something light but fun this fall, you need to pick up Witch Please.  Halloween may be over, but anytime is a good time for a little magic.  Danica comes from a family of witches.  She lives with her cousin and they own a shop fixing electrical appliances.  They are the Fix-It Witches.  One day a baker walk into the shop for assistance, falls in instalove and decides this is the girl he is going to marry.  But Titus believes he is cursed. He is still a virgin, lives with his sister, and has absolutely no luck when it comes to love.  This was a fun romp and an easy read.  It takes place in small town Illinois, but close enough to the city that going to the airport isn’t all that much of a trial.  As someone who lives in Illinois, I have a few issues (like a discussion on seeing Holiday lights in East Peoria and Effingham in the same night (not likely)).  Over this was a great way to pass the time.  A light love story, with a known trope, but still a fun ride. 

 

George is worried and a bit afraid of the dark.  If only he had a friend to help him out. This book is George gathering their nighttime friends and finding out that everyone is afraid of something.  That with just a little help from friends, everything will be okay, if not downright fun.  This book was well done.  The story was interesting and engaging.  The watercolor type illustrations help elevate that nighttime dreaminess that puts the story over the top. 

 

Super simple board book. The story is nothing new, but in this book, it is all about the illustrations.  At first it make me think of Lois Ehlert for just the brightness of the illustrations. But they are their own, they are unique, and they are truly works of art. 

 

This book was so interesting.  It started off like a standard grandma books, full of facts and funny things, but when it gets into all the different cultures of grandmas is where this book really take off.  For each culture you get “where to spot them”, “who to great her”, Wisdom to pass on, and a useful phrase to pass on.  Plus the reader gets to learn about various customs like love spoons.  This was incredibly well done and informative. 

 

This book was so interesting.  It started off like a standard grandma books, full of facts and funny things, but when it gets into all the different cultures of grandmas is where this book really take off.  For each culture you get “where to spot them”, “who to great her”, Wisdom to pass on, and a useful phrase to pass on.  Plus the reader gets to learn about various customs like love spoons.  This was incredibly well done and informative. 

 

This book is well done, but don’t pick it up for story time, It’s more for chapter book readers.  Each chapter starts with a short story, and then ends with information about the animal in the story.  It has penguins, bears, artic foxes, etc.  It was well done and kids will be picking it off library shelves for years to come. 

 

Today is many things, but each day you are enough.  That is the main refrain of the story.  Today is for being sad.  Today is for being in the city.  But does everyone know they are enough?  This book felt very preachy, but for some kids the constant reminder is needed.  The illustrations are nice, and match the book really well, but overall I found this book a bit lackluster. 

 

If you are reading this book to just read it, this book is way too long.  However, the best part of this book is that it is a ”seek and find” book.  The end papers tell the reader what to look for and each page is so detailed, but such a fun chance to find all the images the artist swears are in the overall picture.  This book was fun when it was interactive, but boring when just read as a story. 

 

I was not expecting this book to be about making friends.  Isabelle is lonely and has no friends.  She is terribly shy and afraid to talk to others.  That is, until her aunt sends her a special button because she knows how proud Isabelle is of her treasures.  This button gives Isabelle confidence to speak up and make new friends.  It is well thought out and the lesson is not overly preachy.  The story is really nice, but what really makes this book are the illustrations.  They are a perfect match.  They are bright and colorful when they need to be. They give the book life, and make it seem real rather than just a story. 

 

I learned a lot about Marilyn that I didn’t already know which was nice.  However, this book glosses over most of her life.  It makes it feel like she was always happy-go-lucky.  There was nothing about her many marriages, or even her death.  And I think kids might get confused because they mention her first marriage and just say the guy left to work for the marines.  No more closure than that.  I liked this book, but it could have been done better.