Ixta, Carolina. Shut Up, This Is Serious. HarperCollins/Quill Tree, 01/2024. 368pp. Fiction. Trade $19.99. 978-0-06-328786-0. GRADES 9–12. OUTSTANDING. Belén and Leti are best friends who are finishing up high school in East Oakland. Leti is [continue reading]
Message in the Dirt Review
Coffin, Amanda. Message in the Dirt. Nikki Sumipo, Illus. Camp Whispering Woods. Lerner, 1/2025. 64pp. Fiction. PLB $31.99. 979-8765648421. Paper $12.99. 979-8765649787. GRADES 4–6. ADDITIONAL. SERIES REVIEW: Please see Haunted Deliveries by Amanda Coffin for [continue reading]
Haunted Deliveries Review
Coffin, Amanda. Haunted Deliveries. Vanessa Gutiérrez, Illus. Camp Whispering Woods. Lerner, 1/2025. 64pp. Fiction. PLB $31.99. 979-8765648438. Paper $12.99. 979-8765649794. GRADES 4–6. ADDITIONAL. SERIES REVIEW: This mystery story series for reluctant readers has short chapters [continue reading]
Make a Pretty Sound Review
Todd, Traci N. Make a Pretty Sound: A Story of Ella Jenkins—The First Lady of Children’s Music. Eleanor Davis, Illus. Chronicle, 01/2025. [52]pp. Biography. Trade $19.99. 978-1-4521-7064-0. GRADES Kindergarten–3. OUTSTANDING. Ella Jenkins, the noted musician [continue reading]
Secret Recipe Review
Stavans, Ilan. Secret Recipe, The. Taia Morley, Illus. Kar-Ben, 03/2025. [24]pp. Picture Book. PLB $18.99. 978-1-7284-8643-7. GRADES Kindergarten–3. ADDITIONAL. A little boy’s abuela teaches him how to make bourekas, a type of cheese-filled pastry, from [continue reading]
Red Car to Hollywood Review
Liu, Jennie. Red Car to Hollywood, The. Lerner/Carolrhoda Lab, 03/2025. 245pp. Fiction. Trade $19.99. 978-1-7284-9321-3. GRADES 9–12. HIGH ADDITIONAL. Teen Ruby Chan’s story is set in the spring and summer of 1924 in Los Angeles, [continue reading]
Snarky Sharky Review
Clarke, Bethan. Snarky Sharky. Nikolas Ilic, Illus. Tiger Tales, 02/2025. [28]pp. Picture Book. Trade $18.99. 978-1-6643-0064-4. GRADES Preschool–3. ADDITIONAL. A large shark named Snarky thinks he has outgrown his part of the ocean, so he [continue reading]
One Day at the Bottom of the Deep Blue Sea Review
Bernstrom, Daniel. One Day at the Bottom of the Deep Blue Sea. Brandon James Scott, Illus. Hippo Park, 04/2025. [48]pp. Picture Book. Trade $18.99. 978-1-66264-082-7. GRADES Preschool–3. HIGH ADDITIONAL. A little girl searches for pearls [continue reading]