This book is pure awesomeness.  The princesses and the Dinos have a book war.  Who does this story belong to?  The illustrations are really what make this book.  The wording is just bubble speech passing volleys back and forth a sometimes invincible wall.  But sometimes taking time to look and see what the other is actually doing will make all the difference to see that they can coexist.  Lots of fun for all readers, just some advice, change the cover.

This book was interesting but hard to describe.  Eric is a foreign exchange student who comes to live with a family for a short while.  The family does what they can to make him feel welcome and give him a memorable experience.  But they are not sure they are successful. Even after he is gone, all they know is “it’s a culture thing”.  I like this book, but I can not really say why.  I love the illustrations, which are simple in color, and complex in execution.  The story leaves me with many questions that are hard to articulate.  I have a wonderful wondering sensation leftover from this reading that I think many should experience for themselves.

This book is double Ohhhhh inducing.  The story is sweet and heartfelt, and true.  Bobby just wanted a shiny new pair of black skates for his birthday, and instead got his big brother’s hand-me-downs.  They didn’t fit perfect, but they worked and allowed him to continue his love of skating and hockey.  He made the skates work, and made memories in them to last a lifetime.  And when the time was right, they became his little brother's hand-me-down skates.  

While this picture book is inspired by a bible verse in Corinthians, it is accessible to all.  Love is patient, love is king, and love is fully well illustrated in this book. 

 This book was nothing but nostalgia for me.  I grew up with GPK cards and stickers and watching cartoons.  I loved them.  And RL Stein has taken me right back to that time.  There were many times I felt the book was repetitive.  For example, each time the narrator changed it changed with almost the same wording. And then we would hear the same story told from a different view.  About the only thing I didn’t really like was the mom character.  She was quite mean, and even if it was only for a few chapters, i don’t like the thought of anyone being beaten with a cane.  But overall, I think kids will love this book as much as I did. 

 I really wanted to love this book.  I loved Scream All Night soooooo much that I was hoping to find the same magic here, and I didn’t.  I should probably say that this book was a “Jimmy” book (a.k.a. James Patterson Presents), and unfortunately it reads like one.  In all honestly the story line is incredibly similar to Scream All Night but with different actions.  You have a young man of 17 years old with problems in his past and family issues that cause him to “run away” in this case to boarding school.  The book is about finding who this young man will grow up to be as an adult, but in the guise of a Tinder app gone horribly wrong.  This book wants to be a gay James Bond, but our hero is neither smooth, or willing, and just a nervous wreck.  Overall I liked the book, but it’s forgettable.  It makes me not want to pick up the authors next book. 

 Otaku is a Japanese word for someone to whom fandom is life.  They live their fandom day to day, in and out.  It is everything, so much so that it can damage and even eradicate their social life.  And it’s the perfect title for this book.  Take Ready Player one, and mix it with Warcross and you get this book.  The game is life.  Most people play and even work within the game.  Most everyone is in Candyland, but only the best can climb the ladder for all the fame and glory.  However in future Florida  (now called the Southern Protectorate) where society is based on religious rules, being a woman is somehow less than being a man, and being a woman at the top of the leader boards makes you target for those who want you put in your place.  But the game is really just training missions to make better soldiers, and only the best can take over the world.  Overall I really enjoyed this read.  The ending was totally predictable, but the ride to get there was fun.  I loved the kick ass females.   I loved all the diversity, it didn’t feel forced. However, I wish it was more prominent that the lead was Black.  It was almost buried and easily skipped over.  You can not tell from the cover that the character is Black, and with an Asian world title it would not have been an easy guess.  Other than that, no complaints.  A fun escape read. 

 This was an interesting read.  Each page is a map that points out various interesting things that happen, reside, or belong in that country or region.  The authors have made sure to point out the weird and the wonderful, like the world's longest escalator that's inside a golden dragon, the Poo museum, and that there are 2 Guggenheim museums.  This is very well done and an interesting way of learning new things. It had this reader googling things to see the real deal and not just the little illustrations. 

 While it never comes right out and and says “Witch” Carmine is a witch.  Her friend has been hexed with allergies to her cat.  And Carmine's curious cats keep bringing her dead lizards.  As an adult I liked this story, but it’s windy, and gets lost in itself.  It’s too long for most picture books, has no rhyme and changes topics.  It’s almost like talking to your grandmother.  Overall I liked it, and I love the illustrations, but It will never be  mainstream read. 

 This book left me saying “what?”  If you read Lizard Brew by the same author then you already know the story.  Camilla is a witch and she has cats.  Her friend wants to come visit for Halloween but can't because of allergies.  That is where the story ends.  To start off with, the book was more representative of a picture book, and I quite enjoyed it even if it was repetitive to the sequel.  But it was less wordy and broke up better with it’s illustrations. But it ends in the middle of the story.  It ends by describing the friend's allergy problem.  In other words it doesn’t end.  It’s just all sorts of odd and the best thing is the illustrations which are gorgeous.