This book was not what I was expecting.  A little bird with a broken wing can not fly south for the winter and must find shelter. But most of the trees don’t want to help, until the bird finds the evergreens.  Apparently this is an indigenous tale that explains why some trees lose their leaves.  I like that the book gives a bit of history of the tale, but I find it odd, it does not list an author in the pages.  I wonder if that is because the tale is being told by a non-indigenous person?  I like this story, but think it would be better if it was told and illustrated like the indigenous story it says it is. 

 

This is a beginning biography of Einstein.  One thing in this book I have not read in others were all the tests he had to take to get into school after not finishing high school.  This book is nice but it is trying too hard to be Little People Big World  or I am.  It even tries to use the same story formula and layout.  And I am sorry but this story is just a pale comparison to the bigger, more established series.

 

 The littlest fairies are sometimes the grumpiest.  They don’t want to help others or do chores.  But they better watch out or the goblin will get them.  This book is okay, some kids are going to love it.  I think the 180 between grumpy and happy was a bit expected and too fast. There was no fear, or no real lesson.  Overall I like the book, I just don’t love it. 

 

I have been a longtime fan of Anne, probably because I too am an Anne with an e (middle name) while all my cousins with the family middle name don’t have that e. I’ve read the books, seen all the old movies (recently learned there were some newer ones), binged the Netflix series, and even read and watched every episode/book of the spinoff series Avonlee.  I even dated a Gilbert Blythe look alike.  So yeah, I’m a fan.  I was excited to see a retelling since all my friends are Austinites. I finally had a chance to say , seeeeeeeee my favorite story is important enough for retellings too.  

And this story does not disappoint.  I can tell the author is a fan.  The story has moved Green Gables to Long island, made it a winery, and starts with Anne in the last year of grad school for her Masters in Teaching.  Gilbert has been away in California, but has moved closer to family as his father has fallen ill. Most readers remember Anne before adulthood, so at the beginning of this book seems a little late to the game, but through various flashbacks we get the story of young Anne and younger Gilbert and the love that wouldn’t die.  The only thing I really miss from her younger story that is not retold here, is breaking the slate over Gilbert's head.  He totally deserved it.  But what the author uses to fill in those gaps like the beach scene and the kiss at the wrong time fit perfectly with the original story I loved so much.  

There were so many things to like about this book.  There were also a few ehhhh things.  For example, I didn’t not care for the sex scenes.  There are only two, but the author aimed for steamy and instead came out sounding like a sex scene written by a man.  And here’s the thing ... they are not needed.  The original books never had sex scenes.  This book could have alluded to happy fun times, and left the details out and it would have been just fine.  I did like what they did with the character Marilla, and their eventual escape to Prince Edward Island.  I also really enjoyed how they brought Anne and Gilbert together at the end.  

Overall, this was a really fun read that I think fans of Anne will enjoy, but I think people who never read the Anne books will enjoy it as well.  It’s a light comedic romance that just puts a smile on the reader's face.

 

 I have always loved the brooding John Constantine. DC kids is bringing readers a young Constantine who prefers to be called Kid.  He still talks with demons, and gets into bits of trouble. Some trouble is so bad he gets sent to an American boarding school where he tries to hide his magic and abilities, but it doesn’t work as trouble seeks him out.  This was a fun graphic novel for upper elementary and middle school.  It has a bit of humor without being as dark as many adults remember Constantine being.  It has something for everyone. I could see this book becoming a big series and then a TV series. 

 As a little girl I spent many hours building things with my dad, so this book just felt nostalgic.  I loved it.  It’s about a little girl who helps her dad build a shed, and how the project is passed onto the next generation.  The illustrations are soft and match the story perfectly. 

 For the most part I have been enjoying the new books about DC and Marvel characters, but I find this title a little lacking.  Willow Zimmerman is just a girl trying to stay safe in Down Side Gotham City.  Her mom has cancer, and her mom’s old college friend has come back around after years of absence.  His name is E. Nigma.  Poison Ivy and Killer Croc also have important roles.  I find this one a little bit more far fetched then most.  After an incident with Killer Croc, Willow has the capabilities of a dog and gives herself the superhero name of Whistle.  How this makes an effective superhero, I am not quite sure.  Plus, the major disaster that has to be stopped in this book is the “greening” of buildings. Basically causing plants to grow all over it.  I don’t see what is so wrong with this.  There are just too many holes in this story.  I am not a big fan of art either.  It seems more 80s style than modern graphic novels. 

 This was a nice little rhyming book and none of the letters were really stretched to make them fit the theme which I liked.  I also like that they kept a cadence and saved more complicated definitions for the back glossary. 

 Kids ask lots of questions.  Young Bowhead is no exception.  He asks various things, and no matter the answer the grandfather gives, it always comes back to the love for his grandchild.  The story was lovely and the illustrations devine, and I think many will like this book.  I also really like that traditional Inuktitut words are used in the story. 

 This was not at all what I was expecting from a middle grade graphic novel.  A space crew has an emergency and only 2 survive but they are fierce rivals.  The book explores their competitiveness and their wills to survive.  Beware, this book has a realistic ending, not a happy one.  I loved the artwork and while I did not have a full color galley, based just on the cover, I bet the color added to the artwork will help make the story memorable and long lasting.