This is a solid, tender, honest graphic novel memoir for kids that is primarily about one boy’s experience as a refugee, but also manages to touch on feminism, education, disability, religion, family, friendship, and more. I am a fan of Jamieson’s work and all evidence indicates that she was incredibly thoughtful and collaborative in telling Mohamed’s story, but I admit to being a little skeptical about what may have been simplified or omitted in order to make this story palatable for an audience of (mostly white) children. Mohamed’s story is certainly an inspiring one, but I wonder how much value there is in teaching children that refugees are inspiring and resilient and should be empathized with and helped (primarily by nonprofits, etc.), outside of a larger understanding of the worldwide refugee crisis, the injustices committed against refugees, and how powerful countries are complicit. A beautiful story, but I am still wrestling with and chewing on the underlying message in Jamieson’s hands.

This book satisfied all my atmospheric, wintery, fairy tale cravings but I also felt that it dragged a bit about 2/3 of the way in and became longer than necessary. Some very interesting themes were tackled throughout though (feminism, religion, etc.) and I loved getting a glimpse into the folk and fairy tale traditions of Russia. Recommended if you’re looking for a robust fantasy series with a strong fairy tale flavor.

Dancing at the Pity Party is a beautifully frank memoir for teens about grief in general and about the very specific grief the author experiences when she loses her mother while in college. Feder writes with such loving and sometimes funny detail about the specific and unexpected things she misses about her mom that it’s impossible not to feel the weight of this loss while reading. She also touches on the many ways this loss has affected her throughout her life and manages to balance the heaviness of the topic with a lighthearted delivery style and format. While this isn’t an easy read, it is an accessible, cathartic one both for those who have lost a parent and those seeking to understand.

I’m a hard sell on short stories but these were gooood. Such a wide assortment, all on the theme. My favorites were Peach Cobbler, Snowfall, Jael, and Instructions for Married Christian Husbands.

As delightful as ever. The characters, relationships, and world-building all continue to grow and deepen, making each book more vivid than the last. I’m looking forward to seeing where the next three books take the characters as they grow up. Also appreciated seeing at least one overtly queer relationship, so we know this one won’t be going the way of Harry Potter.

I think this is a perfect little early reader. I see a lot of reviews disparaging it as a picture book, but it is essentially an early reader in the style/size/format of a picture book. I am currently teaching my kindergartener to read and the chapters enabled him to read this book in small, manageable chunks, yet still feel the pride of reading an entire chapter book independently! The illustrations and story are delightful and creative. The text is perfectly suited for children just beginning to read their very first books.

I can’t figure out how I feel about these. The art is extraordinary and the story is captivating, but it unsettles me every time that this kind of feminist story of four adolescent girls was created by four dudes. Also slurs. I get what they’re going for but it always rubs me a little weird.

I have not been a huge fan of the few Polacco books I have read so far (sorry!), but I loved this one. The illustrations were vibrant yet gentle, the story was an interesting take on a classic tale, and the tension and suspense were masterfully done through both text and illustrations. It had a sweet, straightforward lesson, but also managed to leave room for interpretation and discussion about a topic that doesn't come up frequently in picture books. Will be returning to this one.