Picture Book Review: School Books

Just a few back to school books:

Romeo is good at a lot of things, but catching isn't one of them. Luckily dog school and Elvis might be able to help him.

This is a cute Ready to Read/I Can Read book that showcases failure and trying again and again.

What happens when there's no vacancy at the human school? A bunch of students go to the dragon school. There, they will learn a different skill set. 

This book has a great message about fitting in. We all have differences and similarities. Plus, everyone has something they can teach others. Dragon school only sounds a tiny bit dangerous, but mostly fun! 

Tomorrow and Yesterday are sisters - and they are opposites of each other. Yesterday is always rushing and Tomorrow is always slow. 

This is a story about sisters who approach the world differently. They meet other kids who help them see more ways to see the world. 

It's the first day of school and Afua has a LOT of feelings. The day is busy and full of little moments.

This is a great book about feelings; I love how her feelings blend together. Afua is brave and determined to have fun. 

Sammy and Sunny have their first day of school on the same day. They are both nervous, but both learned a lot.

I loved the comparison of days between Sunny, the dog, and Sammy the student. The ending is funny! 

Tiny T. Rex is nervous for the first day of school. He's worried about making mistakes and he does.

Mistakes are a part of life, and this is a good way to share that message. Tiny also comes up with some creative ways to solve problems.

Top Ten Tuesday: Years in Books

 This week's topic is books we've read on one day over many years. Because I don't have dates of books read, I'm going to share books I've posted on August 1.

2025:

Eliza from Scratch 

2024:

Liar Liar

2023:

This is a booklist of Forgotten Books (books from 10 years ago)

2022:

Sense and Second Degree Murder

2021:

A booklist of board books about Love

2020:

No post on that date

2019:

On Your Radar - the newest Kristan Higgins book

2018:

Picture book review: Mae Among the Stars

2017:

Fantasy book recommendations

2016:

Relentless 

2015:

Grace Cries Uncle 

2014:

Suddenly Last Summer 

2012:

What's on my hold list (maybe I should bring this back)

2011:

Bite Club

This is a wild look back in time.

Middle Grade Monday: Survival Booklist

Last week, I reviewed the book Wilderness Hacks and realized I have read a few survival books recently. So, I made a booklist on middle grade survival books.

Books Pictured:

Wilderness Hacks

Alone

Some of us are Brave

Three Sisters

Out of Range

The Long Way Around

Canyon's Edge

Maginitude

All Thirteen

Into the Rapids

Just Keep Walking

Distress Signal

What would you add to the list? 

Blog Milestone

 A few weeks ago, the blog hit 10 million views. 

I celebrated with a morning of pastries from Julien's Farm Store and a short hike to see some waterfalls.

The cute exterior

Close up of plants

Sunflower from the garden near the outdoor seating

More flowers

The pastries 

Afterwards, we went to Ember's Forest

We took a walk along the stream

Thanks for reading the blog and going along this journey with me.

Board Books: Transportation

Just a few new to the library board books featuring transportation

There are five different modes of transportation navigating the city. Readers can trace paths through the city. There are questions for the readers - making this a VERY interactive book.

Lots of vocabulary in this book and felt flaps to flip over. Bright colors make these illustrations pop. 

There's a lot going on in this book - the trash truck is moving through the city picking up trash and the reader is invited along for a ride. This interactive book is great for learning and also fun.

This board book has cutouts that help share knowledge about the truck and what it does. It also shares the message about recycling. 

 

Each of these board books count down with the vehicles during the day until they are all sleeping at night. 

Push and pull tabs showcase this submarine underwater - complete with bright illustrations and great vocab. 

Review: Yours Truly

 

Briana's life is hard - with her brother desperately needing a transplant and still reeling from the betrayal of her husband. Work seems to be the only solace in her life. But even that changes when the promotion up for grabs seems slightly out of reach. A new doctor is hired, and her boss decides to hold off on retiring until the new doctor has time to acclimate to the job and decide if he wants the promotion.

Briana can't believe that the new doctor is taking her job. She's a little salty to him as a result. Jacob doesn't know anything about the promotion and he's not interested. Due to his social anxiety, it seems every time he opens his mouth, he says the wrong thing. Frustrated, he writes Briana a letter explaining the whole situation. And from that moment on everything changes.

My Thoughts: I really loved the second book in this trilogy. I enjoyed the fake dating plot. I loved how Briana and Jacob wrote letters back and forth. To be honest, I would have read the whole book that way. I love how Briana understood Jacob's feelings and social anxiety - and how she respected them.  I love Jacob's nosy sisters and how he had such a big loving family. I loved seeing the characters from the previous book and I'm eager to see where the next book will lead. 

Cover Thoughts: Cute

Source: My Library

Library Recommendation: If you don't have this trilogy in your romance section, order it.

Review: Scandal

 

Kaleigh and Harry put the past behind them - the investigation, the rumors, and their guilt. Now five years later, Emma who everyone thought was dead - emerges from a prison. Kaleigh and Harry married, had a baby, and have another on the way. They've both kept secrets about what really happened that night.

As Emma starts recovering, she starts talking. All the rumors come back. Kaleigh and Harry are both under investigation. Their "perfect" lives are disappearing. 

What really happened that night?

Why I read this book: I love books about celebrities caught up in a crime thriller

My Thoughts: This book was bonkers - in the very best way. So many plot twists, secrets, and betrayals happened. You were never sure who to trust. I loved how the book alternated perspectives. The short chapters and the plot kept me turning the pages. I had to know what was going to happen next. And that ending! 

Cover Thoughts: Love it - the yellow tape in front of an estate is perfect

Source: Book sent for review

Library Recommendation: Highly recommended for your adult thriller collection - perfect for fans of Freida McFadden's books.