Oooh I loved this one! Corinne lives on an island with her father, hearing the stories about jumbies but not believing them. She follows an agouti in the forest one day, and senses something but can't see it. The jumbies are real...and they found her.

I was especially a fan of the alternating perspectives in this story. It's not always a device I enjoy, but I think it worked well here. I also appreciated learning more about what kinds of stories are native to the Caribbean, and enjoyed this fairy tale based on one.

It will pair well with Little Man for you Maine Student Book Award readers.

I expected this to be much more about Pedro Martinez, but it's really about Pedro's relationship with his brother. An excellent offering from Tavares.

Far and away my favorite Stead book, and one of my favorites from this year. Such a good capture of the middle school experience. I can feel my heart wringing.

One of my favorite storytime books ever. Lots of foods to talk about, messes, toe jam...Just great.

This is a really cute story about a kid who likes to mime, and how he makes a friend. Ah, the joy of finding your people.

I liked this story. I'm sure I've read it before today, but I wanted to reread it today because I saw it in a Nerdy Book Club post about books a writer was reading to her son in an attempt to raise him to be a good man. This was in the section on individuality. I wanted to refresh my memory. I still like the story, and I admire his ability to sit and smell the flowers despite the angry people around him.

This is a great story with a father telling his child about his tattoos and what they mean to him. I especially love the illustrations.

I liked the story, but I was so-so on the illustrations. I'll be seeking out some of her music to listen to soon.