Do you have eco-anxiety? Do your kids? Do you know what eco-anxiety is? I will admit I didn't until I read today's book. Today I get to share the latest book from Barbara Dee. The book is Haven Jacobs Saves the Planet. Now if you have been reading my reviews for a few years, you know I love Barbara's books. This is probably my second favorite of them. My first is Maybe He Just Likes You.
Today I get to share with you the second book in the Lia Park series! I reviewed the first book last year and couldn't wait to get my hands on the second one. It was released last week!! The second book is Lia Park and the Heavenly Heirlooms by Jenna Yoon. It is a middle grades novel series recommended for ages 8 to 12.
A few weeks ago I shared some spider fun facts and spider craft round-up with the promise of two books involving spiders. I shared a picture book about the day in the life of a jumper spider and then went on vacation. Today I am sharing the middle grades novel that involves a mechanical spider. The book is a perfect summer STEM novel. It is The Girl Who Built a Spider by George Brewington. It is recommended for ages 8 to 12.
Can we talk about an important subject in every girl's life? It was taboo to discuss at one time. But perhaps you remember Stephen King's book, Carrie, or the movie based on it. I remember reading it as a child and of course with my name being Carrie I hear about it all the time. Perhaps it is the first time I really thought about menstruation discussed in public. After all Carrie White is ridiculed by her classmates when she gets her first period in high school. But these days there is more discussion as well as some more issues. Just a year ago we were still experience supply chain issues with tampons and sanitary napkins. Twenty-six states tax menstrual products as a luxury tax! The supplies for the average period is said to cost $20. Some menstruators have to decide between food and menstrual products! (Source) Today I get to share with you a book released today that delves into some of these issues. It is called Code Red and is by Joy McCullough. It is recommended for ages 8 plus.
Today is our last book for this year's Multicultural Children's Book Day which is tomorrow!! Be sure to come back tomorrow to check out the huge link party and be sure to sign up for the Twitter party! Today's book is a middle grade book (ages 8 to 12) about a Black girl and her friends. It is the tenth book in the Sophie Washington Series. It is Sophie Washington My BFF by Tonya Duncan Ellis.
It is hard to believe that Halloween is next week! Halloween is not a favorite holiday in my house. However, Hazel is getting back into dressing up for the holiday although her costume choices are getting more adult as well. This week I am mostly going to focus on some books for Halloween including today's. This middle grades novel is a thriller that takes place on Halloween. It is definitely a page turner and had me staying up late to read it. The book is The Bellwoods Game by Celia Krampien. It is recommended for ages 8 to 12.
The wait is almost over!! The sequel to The Kingdom Over the Sea is being released tomorrow!! The wait was worth it because The City Beyond the Stars by Zohra Nabi is full of the same magic, fun, and intrigue. This series is recommended for ages 8 to 12.
Today I get to share a new middle school novel with Native American characters--Ojibwe to be exact and written by someone of Ojibwe descent. It is about finding oneself after you have hit rock bottom. It is The Second Chance of Benjamin Waterfalls by James Bird. It is recommended for ages 10 to 14.
Hazel's favorite genre is fantasy or magical and fairy tale and today's book fits right in. It asks what if fairy tales were real and goes from there. I'll be honest I was excited to get this book because I know it is one Hazel will want. It is written by Melissa de la Cruz who also wrote The Descendants Series which is one of Hazel's favorites (both books and movies) right now. The truth is I thought Hazel would review this one for me except she received so many books for Christmas and her birthday and she has not had the time to check it out yet, but wants to. The book is the first in a new series. It is Never After: The Thirteenth Fairy.
Today I get to share a new middle grades that is perfectly eerie and haunted with a special All Souls Day celebration. It has a boy who witnesses his mother being abused by her boyfriend and he runs away to a graveyard. It is coming out today just in time for the spooky month of October! It is set in the United Kingdom. It is called The Hideaway by Pam Smy.
Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
I saw a meme on Facebook recently about how we shouldn't need Black History Month, Asian American History Month, etc. because it should all be covered in US History. My first thought was that I agreed. It would be wonderful to be able to study history and know it was all in there. But I have been thinking more about it. I am remembering my own schooling and how much I found history pretty boring. Back then the books were all about white males with perhaps a mention of a woman or Black person. It was about memorizing dates (how does that help me in real life?) and names and not really about understanding the whys. To me the reason to study history is to understand the whys so we don't repeat the bad things. We need to learn from our mistakes even if the mistakes are of our ancestors. Plus can you imagine how big the history books would be if they included everything. I do believe our history books need to include all history but I love having the heritage months to focus on different groups because otherwise I might not get a chance to read a book like the one I'm sharing today. I might not have learned about Dovey Johnson Roundtree and her significant role in the Civil Rights Movement. Have you heard of Dovey? I know I hadn't until I read this book. The book is Mighty Justice (Young Reader's Edition): The Untold Story of Civil Rights Trailblazer Dovey Johnson Roundtree by Dovey Johnson Roundtree and Katie McCabe and adapted by Jabari Asim.
Being a children's book reviewer, I read many different books. Every once in a while, I come across one that I feel every child should read and should be read in every class for a certain age. Today I am sharing one of those books with you. It is a book that delves into bullying, body image, and self-confidence and the main character is male!! The book is A Work in Progress by Jarrett Lerner. It is recommended for grades 3 to 7.
Today I get to share with you a humorous book that has some lessons built in about self-worth, friendships and so much more! The book is The Bravest Warrior in Nefaria by Adi Alsaid. It is recommended for ages 8 to 12 and will have readers laughing and enjoying the story!
