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Book reviews by library staff and guest contributors

Sweet Anticipation for November/December 2024

Sweet Anticipation graphic
New Titles

Is it November yet? While the air might be filled with anticipation about a major event on November 5, there is the anticipation that comes of finding something new to read.  With October offering an abundance of big titles and notable debuts, November and December might be a bit thin by comparison, but there’s still plenty look forward to.  The highlights:

Oct 16, 2024

Old favorite, rediscovered

Cover of Troubled Waters
A review of Troubled Waters by Sharon Shinn

I used to love to wander through a bookstore and feed my reading need (this on top of checking many stacks of books out of the library). But at some point I stopped buying all those print copies, partially for space reasons, partially because of the changing bookstore landscape and partially because I was reading more and more digitally. So what's my version of strolling through the bookstore aisles? Late in the evening I look for ebook deals online to see if there's anything that catches my fancy (this on top of the library books I check out electronically and read on Libby!).

Oct 15, 2024

Earl's pumpkins, peppers, plums and eggs

Cover of The Last Stand
A review of The Last Stand by Antwan Eady
Jarrett & Jerome Pumphrey

This picture book is perfect for sharing during farmers' market season, especially when pumpkins are ripe. A boy and his Papa head to the last remaining stall at the farmers' market with their pumpkins, peppers, plums and eggs. A year ago, there were two vendors. The year before there were five. The community still needs the fresh produce and the boy and his Papa head to the market every Saturday while Granny makes baskets from sweetgrass on the front porch of the farmhouse. Familiar, friendly faces start lining up and their orders are ready before they even have to ask.

Oct 14, 2024

Beauty in rhyme

Cover of One, Two, Grandpa Loves Yo
A review of One, Two, Grandpa Loves You by Shelly Becker
Dan Yaccarino

Feel the playful and rhythmic beat in One, Two, Grandpa Loves You. The story starts with a child packing her unicorn backpack for a visit with grandpa. They are ready for many outdoor adventures! They hike, explore, find baby birds, and munch trail mix. All the while repeating the phrase: “One, two, Grandpa loves you!” like a sweet reassuring hug. The illustrations are bold and colorful and show each vignette of the grandpa and grandchild’s time spent together. Green and leafy trails, star-filled skies, and majestic purple mountains set the scene.

Oct 11, 2024

Too Good to Miss - October 2024

Too Good to Miss collection
Too Good to Miss Collection

Every month there are new titles purchased for the Too Good to Miss collections at our libraries. If you're not familiar with TGTM (as we call it here in library-world), it's a special collection of popular books that are truly too good to miss. Some are new and popular titles, others are older titles that might not have had as much media attention as a bestseller or celebrity book club selection but are still great reads that deserve another look.

Oct 10, 2024

Celebrate who you are

Cover of Laxmi's Mooch
A review of Laxmi's Mooch by Shelly Anand
Nabi Ali

Laxmi’s Mooch introduces us to Laxmi, a delightful and confident child, who has never paid much attention to the little hairs that grow on her upper lip – until a classmate points them out during a playground game of farm animals. After that, Laxmi becomes very aware of the hair that grows on her upper lip, arms, legs, and between her eyebrows.

Oct 8, 2024

Aftermath

Cover of Only Child
A review of Only Child by Rhiannon Navin

Only Child opens with a tense and heartbreaking scene as Zach Taylor and the rest of his first grade class huddle in a closet waiting for the gunfire of an active shooter in their school to stop. Zach is six and though his class has practiced hiding like this, he and his classmates don't really know what's happening. They just know that they're scared and confused. Once Zach leaves that closet, he'll find the world as he knew it has irrevocably changed - because while Zach has survived, his older brother Andy has not.

Oct 7, 2024

Counting dragons

Cover of 100 Mighty Dragons All Nam
A review of 100 Mighty Dragons All Named Broccoli by David LaRochelle
Lian Cho

Do you love Dragons? Do you love silly picture books? Do you love excellent read-alouds that get more and more ridiculous until you're a  giggles on the floor? Do you love books that sneakily teach concepts like MATH to little kiddos so you can give yourself a "I am a great parent!" pat on the back? This book is for you!!

Oct 4, 2024

Pausing to breathe

Cover of Too Much!  An Overwhelming
A review of Too Much! An Overwhelming Day by Jolene Gutièrrez
Angel Chang

The day has begun and the world is full of noises, lights, sounds, and feelings. The alarm clock is loud, the sun is bright, and the shirt is too itchy. Our main character is struggling and experiencing sensory overload. How will she navigate her day when the world is so loud, bright, and overwhelming?

The grownups in her life allow her to self-regulate and tell them what she needs. Slowly, our main character is able to have a gentle hug, quiet time, and personal space in a dark place surrounded by comfy things.

Oct 2, 2024

If a story is never told, where does it go?

Cover of The Cemetery of Untold Sto
A review of The Cemetery of Untold Stories by Julia Alvarez

An esteemed author who writes under the pen name "Scheherazade" decides to retire to the Dominican Republic and build a cemetery and sculpture garden to mark stories that she and others started to write or tell and didn't finish. To provide closure, the stories are "buried" and marked with fantastical sculptures. Those with open hearts and minds are allowed entry into the garden. Skeptics with closed minds must stay outside the gates. Once inside, guests to the cemetery are allowed to wander and listen and learn.

Sep 30, 2024

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