This was horrifically fun.  :).  So horror for kids can go all sorts of right and all sorts of wrong.  There may be some parents who find that this is to “bloody” for their kids, but the story is very well done and I love the graphics.  Everyone in town knows there is something off about the Franklin family, and the woods they live in.  This story has such heart and such charm for something that would be classified as horror.  I do think the ending is a little short and too quickly wrapped up, but kids wanting horror can not go wrong with this book.  My nephew is 11 and I would fully let him read it. 

 This fun read is about young Beanie who time travels to meet adult Beanie and ask how life is.  We progress through a series of comics of Beanie as a child, Beanie as a Teen, and Beanie as an adult.  The author/artist did a great job linking the various comic panels together to tell one story.  It was lots of fun, darling, and a quick happy read. 

This story told in two time periods.  Current Time Caroline Parcewell has recently found out her husband was having an emotional affair.  She takes their anniversary trip to England solo, to decide what she wants to do about life now.  On a chance mudlarking adventure she finds a glass jar with a bear engraving.  As someone who used to study history, she is intrigued and starts digging for answers.

At the end of the 1700s, down a dark black alley, and hidden behind a wall is an apothecary that specializes in teaching bad husbands a lesson.  Many times that lesson ends in death.  When Nella was young her mother ran the shop that was known as a place of healing.  But Nella was burnt, and burnt bad, and sees the work she does as a salve to her own emotional healing, and to others as well.

But death is a funny thing.  Eventually, it becomes suspicious.  A twelve year old girl named Eliza Fanning is both a danger, a savior, and a problem.  

This book is an emotional roller coaster.  It’s not really this reader's type of book.  There were many times I just wanted it to end, but it felt like it was dragging on.  I felt many of the events at the end were not surprising, but expected.  The stories between time points were okay, and was done well with switching between Eliza, Nelle, and Caroline's points of views.  There is a bit of magic talk, along with medicine, and crazy events.  Overall I thought it was a good book.  It will be read in book clubs for years to come.  I can see it being a high check out title at my library.  But for this reader, it was just ho hum.  But I do thank the publisher for the book, the bag, and the audio book.  I can see why so much umph was put behind the marketing for this book. 

 I am not usually a fan of books that are character studies, but this one is and I was thoroughly intrigued.  We follow the author/artist as he works summer in the paper mill between studying to be an artist.  The lesson on how paper mills work was really cool, but following Guy as he wades through life as the young person figuring out what it’s all about is compelling.  Try not turning the pages one you start.  The entire book is black and white with spots of a yellow or orange color and it creates a perfect setting for this story.  This book was a translation so it marks off some reading challenges for me which is good. 

 Volume two picked up right where volume one left off.  But it goes downhill from there. Volume one was pretty straightforward.  This book has so many serves and curves it is sometimes hard to keep track of all that is happening.  Our main character becomes a Demon Slayer, is sent on assignment, and carries his sister on his back.  She is now awake again.  This is a little all over the palace.  The author seemed to spend more time on the attack and the battles than on the story and things are lost. Hopefully book 3 puts things to right. 

 It took three volumes to get me interested and volume to confuse me all again.  At least this time I am enjoying the confusion.  We find out how long Red Riding Hood has been in the land of fairy tales, meet some new characters, and find out that even adults are susceptible.  Overall a good book, but I hope I don’t have to wait a year for book 5. 

 Mommies work is a look at various ways mom’s work.  It was written to explain why some moms go off to work and some stay home.  It’s not a bad read.  I am not impressed with the illustrations. They are nice, but there is very little diversity.  In some of the “group shots” there is BIPOC diversity, but all the moms are tall and thin and usually dressed in heels or ballet flats.  I was just not impressed.  It’s not bad, but not a book I would add to a library collection. 

 Ahh.  This story was really fun.  A pair of geese hatch a pug puppy, and the puppy named John just wants to be a beautiful swan.  But he will learn that it is always best to be yourself.  The word play is quite fun and would be a laugh riot at storytime.  The illustrations seem dated and amateurish, but they work. 

 Many try to recreate the joy found in the book Press Here.  There have been many imitators, and this is one of them.  The book asks the reader to do various things to help cheer up a crank Cocoa.  This dog has a grump complex and it will take all readers to bring on the happy.  A fun story for the holidays or even anytime. 

 The author mixes story and lesson and comedy so well.  There are laughs aplenty and lots of talk of underwear, but in the end, wolf is as helpful as ever.