This is a beautifully written book. I had seen the movie of Practical Magic, although I've never read the book, so this is my first exposure to Hoffman's gorgeous writing. I know Ava will stay with me a long time, as well as Etti and Marian and Victor and Julien and Lea. For me, Ava most of all intrigued me. (Forgive any spelling errors, I listened to the book). I also would like to know more about Jewish mythology, because some of those things were new to me. It sounds like there is a foreword in the book that explains a little bit about it that is not in the audio, so I am interested to see that as well.

I would give this a 4 or 5 for the writing, but alas, any time Maine landmarks were mentioned, I was taken out of the book (I realize this is just a me problem). I thought Violet was an excellent character, a girl who suffered some trauma with a brother who needed help and it was all so well done. I really felt for her and I got the similarities to Twelfth Night. I also really liked the ways Orion and Liv were characterized, and even Felix and Mariah got some knowable traits. Also gotta give it up for bisexuality being fine.

Are any of your patrons interested in learning EVERYTHING about unicorns? This is a silly take on a course about everything you need to know about unicorns. It’s divided into sections, with each section focusing a bit on some part of a unicorn. Colorful illustrations with hidden jokes cover each page. The book ends with a unicorn scientist certification, and the author’s biography on the back flap also talks about his studies in hornology. The cover has glitter on it, giving it that extra-special touch. For your unicorn-obsessed patrons who can’t get enough.

Reviewed previously here: https://mslbookreview.org/unicorns-101/

Steven Jenkins and Robin Page hit it out of the park again in this book about animal camouflage. There will be a two-page spread describing the type of environment some animals might hide in, with cut-paper illustrations of a hidden animal. The following two-page spread will show the animal, identify where it is in the picture, and give a little bit of information. There is also usually a scale illustration, but there isn’t an indication of whether it is to scale of an adult or child. Full body shots appear to be adults, but the hand shots seem to be ambiguous. The end of the book gives more information about each animal.

Patrons who love animal books or cut-paper illustrations will love this title. Best for ages 6-10.

Reviewed here: https://mslbookreview.org/look-again-secrets-of-animal-camouflage/

Hello, Dolly! Is this a great collection of some of the most talented leading ladies to hit Broadway over the years. Sometimes the actress’s first name is used for the alphabet letter, sometimes the last name, and sometimes it’s a character that multiple women have played. (such as Dolly in Hello, Dolly!) One instance (Z), does take a letter from the middle of a name so we end with Liza Minnelli. I love Emmerich’s illustrations, which often use props and the most famous costumes from stage productions. There are two men mentioned, Bob Fosse and Stephen Sondheim. Part of me wishes they had stuck to only women, but I also appreciated the roles highlighted, so that’s a bit of a mixed bag.

This is likely not a book you will read during storytime to teach the alphabet, but would be better with older children who are interested in musical theater or by parents who want to share their love with their children. Short biographies of each featured performer are included at the end. The target audience is likely ages 7-12.

Reviewed here: https://mslbookreview.org/a-is-for-audra-broadways-leading-ladies-from-a-to-z/

Rocket is a little girl obsessed with the night sky and outer space. She can’t stop talking about it and wants the world to share in her enthusiasm. The Phoenix Meteor Shower is coming right up, and Rocket passes out flyers to all her friends and announces it at the local grocery store. All of this is much to the embarrassment of her older brother, Jamal. Can she get him to stop looking at his phone and look up?

This book is great for any family that has a child who is obsessed with a particular topic, especially if it’s space. It will inspire families to go out and look at the night sky. It could also be a sneaky way to get someone to spend less time on their phone. The illustrations are adorable. Rocket’s family has a mom and a brother (no mention of a father) and they are all dark-skinned. Background characters have a variety of skin tones and some wear turbans. Recommended for Cream of the Crop.

Previously reviewed here: https://mslbookreview.org/rocket-says-look-up/

Pete the Cat gets a brilliant idea of starting a leprechaun chasing business. Friends approach him to ask for help related to different problems that they are having, and Pete follows the rainbow to its end to find Clover, a leprechaun. Most of the time Clover evades him, singing a new song each time. Does Pete need the leprechaun for luck and to help his friends, or was it inside him all along?

The storyline doesn’t rise to the excellence of previous Pete the Cat books, but is a serviceable St. Patrick’s Day book if you need more in your collection. Additionally, it would fill the needs of your most ardent Pete the Cat fanatics. The illustrations are typical of a book in this series: simplistic and full of color. A poster, stickers, and 12 St. Patrick’s Day cards are included.

Previously reviewed here: https://mslbookreview.org/pete-the-cat-the-great-leprechaun-chase/

I loved this one. Frank is such a great character. I loved his portrayal of first generation American life, the family gatherings, the way his family discriminated against some people and how ridiculous I found it. The mistakes and foibles felt realistic to me, and I laughed and maybe even cried a little bit. I look forward to more from Yoon.

This book was a bit of a mixed bag for me, because I loved everything about the Baby Hope/Abbi storyline, but I was really turned off by one of Noah's actions in the beginning and I never really came back around on him. I would say still worth reading and recommending, especially as 9/11 becomes more of a historical time than a memory.

Norris was very mouthy, and sometimes I was like "WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT?" but I also enjoyed seeing the Canadian in Texas, and the friends he makes. There was a little bit more drinking and partying than I experienced in high school, but maybe that's not saying a lot. His mom was nicer than mine would have been about some things, and I wondered if that part was realistic, but I liked the way it ended.