Age: Infant-Preschool

Lulling text accompanies an overlay of blue depicting animals going to sleep. Although this cannot be used as nonfiction because some of the facts are off, the pleasant meter and poetic arrangement of the text, accompanied with imaginative offerings of anything going to sleep ("somewhere a pocket sleeps in a skirt") shows it going to sleep in its right place, a slight encouragement for children that refuse to get into their bed.

Bear goes from falling off a bike to doing a triple back-paw-spring from the seat of a bike, all in one picture book.

Age: High School+
First line prologue: "The people of Bone Gap called Finn a lot of things, but none of them was his name."
First line: "The corn was talking to him again."

Ruby hit the mark on magical realism, blending an intriguing world of nightmare and fantasy with the real world. Her writing was magnificent. However, I could not get into the love story between Petey and Finn as much as I wanted. And when Finn's disability is revealed it felt so fake.

I think I came into this book with the wrong mindset. I wish I read this book as a culturally meaningful novel, full of depth and insight into beauty and obsession. Perhaps the magical realism threw me off but maybe Laura Ruby should receive even more acclaim for her daring presentation of love and beauty in a lightly fantastical world.

Age: Middle School
Sports: Roller Derby

Just as Astrid finds a new love for Roller Derby, her longtime best friend insists on staying in ballet--and makes friends with Astrid's enemy. Although Astrid strives to be the star, her green status prevents her from becoming the best--but not from improving and being more part of the team. Girls reading Roller Girl may find an affinity with this situation because not everyone can be the star--especially if they dare to try something new.

Age: K-2nd grade

A silly tale about a crew of forest animals that are transporting home the Lost Nuts of Legend on empty stomachs.

Definitely a laptime book because every picture ha several speech bubbles and there is a lot of detail in the illustrations.

Eep! What a dud. Duddy Duddy Dudders with a slip slap swoosh the book flies out the window. It's passing time!

A young girl wishes that, if she were a witch, that she would have no resemblance whatsoever to an ugly, green witch. A solid foundation, I know. It certainly indulges the shallow honesty of a preschooler, if you're into that sort of thing.

Age: Preschool-3rd grade
Family: Mother and son
Tough Issues: Death of father

This is such a beautiful, well written story. Accompanied by soft illustrations we follow Buckley as he sends out miniature boats to papa whom he misses very much. When they don't come back, Buckley is certain his papa has received them. The twist in the story will bring you close to tears as we see the tenderness that the mother holds for her son.

Age: Preschool-Kindergarten

Straight forward text for younger children that might be confused about the complexities of friendship.