This book was not at all what I was expecting. I was expecting area 51 and ghosts and instead I got a heart wrenching biography that looks overzealous religious belief ones parents foster upon their kids. This is the true story of Corey, his parents’ divorce, and the weeks of living in a car after being kidnapped by his mother. His mom told the kids all their life that their dad was bad and he did bad things and so they shouldn’t talk to him because that is what God wanted. His mom had mental health issues and he had to deal with the consequences to him and his sister. This book was incredibly well done. It’s a read with illustrations that make one feel like they’re with the author during the event. This is a book I would read multiple times, but it is books that will have readers that need it. Readers that need guidance dealing with their own mental health, or readers that need guidance, to see someone who was raised with religious beliefs that seem to differ from what they feel inside. This book has a place and should be on Library shelves. 

 

This was fun. It’s about an eighth-grade soccer star and the loaner girl that everyone teases. They take on an extra credit class to pass gym and they learn to swing dance. Turns out they both end up liking it and become friends. This graphic novel is exactly what one would expect from the publisher. It’s fun. It’s lovely. It’s memorable. It’s a book kids are going to love and want to read repeatedly. 

 

This manga is about two guys who bond over having unusual names. It’s about having feelings and not be able to show or understand them. And in all honesty this book was quite confusing. The characters look the same so keeping them straight was a little hard and then because it kept saying oh this name or that name or we call him this, we call him that, it was all over the place. It wasn’t bad but I would not read it again or pick up a sequel. 

 

This is a story of a little girl who wanders around at night and the things that she sees. The story has an OK cadence and rhymes decently well. It is overly long. It seems to go on longer than a sleepless night. The illustrations are beautiful with a soft light quality that are a great match to the story. I just wish the story was a tad bit shorter. 

 

This book was lovely. While it does not rhyme, it has a cadence that makes this a breeze and quite fun to read aloud. This is about the love of books, where and when one reads what they read, etc. It’s an ode to the beauty that is a child with a favorite story. The illustrations are watercolor and have a soft memory like feeling that will be hard to forget. 

 

This book is about different customs and things that happen every year on the solstice. The artwork is great, and the information is plentiful. 

 

This is a beginning graphic novel series for the earliest readers. I usually like these books, but this one just didn’t sit well with me. While at the end of the book, you realize that they’re talking about weather, as an adult I see the sun as depressed.  This would’ve been a great time to talk about feelings, mental health, etc. Overall the book is just like the rest in it series this one just rubbed me the wrong way. 

 

I really enjoyed this book by Little People Big World. Their books are sometimes hit or miss and this one was definitely a hit. I wish the book had gone over more of Usain Bolt‘s racing career. The tidbit about how he won his first race and how the prize was lunch was very interesting. I wasn’t even aware Bolt had officially retired from racing until reading this book. He made a name for himself and his country. 

 

This is book two in the Daphne and Velma series that is an offshoot of Scooby-Doo. In this, Daphne and Velma are teenagers.  Mystery Inc. was something they did as kids. We knew from the end of book one that Shaggy needed help, but not why. In this book we get more into Shaggy, his background, and his family.  There are also crystals, and jewels washing up on shore. This was not as fast and quick of a read as book number one. Honestly, it was a tad boring and not a lot of lead up to the villain reveal. It was missing the subtle hilarity of the Scooby Doo franchise. This book is part of a trilogy and there was an author change between book one and book 2. This does not end on a cliffhanger but on some important information could come into  play in the book 3. The worst part of this is that book 3 is not available. Tt is available but only as an e-book. Even book 2 I had interlibrary loan from a different state to be able to read it. I can see why this book series is hard to find. I enjoyed it, but I didn’t love it and it does a disservice to Scooby Doo, Mystery Inc. and Velma and Daphne. 

 

I really like the Otis and Peanut books. They are a picture book style of graphic novel. They are usually a bit longer than picture books but they read quickly. This book has three stories. The first one has words about when you shouldn’t eat cake, the second story is wordless and is about water, fun and vegetables, and the third story is about keeping memories. The story is heartfelt and put a smile on the readers face. I do think sometimes peanut looks like he smoking a cigarette rather than brushing his teeth, but that’s an adult imagination. Other than that, this book is close to perfect. It’s a fun read, it uses color well, it has fantastic illustrations, and kids are going to love it.