Monday, March 2, 2026

Middle Grade Review: Wrong Friend



One day, Charise and Casey are best friends. It didn't matter that Casey was older. But the next day, Casey ghosts Charise. Charise is heartbroken. She needs a new best friend ASAP. 
My Thoughts: Friendship break-up books are super hard to read, but they're super important. And it's hard making new friends. I wanted to give Charise a hug; she needs one. I do like how Charise tries new things - some stick and some don't. I liked the addition of Charise's grandmother and how their relationship progressed. Another winner from Frist Second

Cover Thoughts: Perfection
Source: My Library
Give this to: Readers who love Real Friends from Shannon Hale 
Library Recommendation: Highly recommended for your graphic novel collection

Sunday, March 1, 2026

Picture Book Review: Nature Picture Books

 


A poetry book about woodpeckers. 

The illustrations are lovely and even though there is not a lot of text, there's plenty of information. There's also a lot of back matter in the book that rounds out the book. 

A tree falls down in the forest, and it changes and helps everything.

The illustrations are soft and there's so much to pour over in this book. The fallen tree helps so many parts of the forest and lives on. There's a lot of back matter in this book too for further learning. 

Marcus isn't sure about gardening, but his Grandma loves it. She shares her love and knowledge about plants with him. Soon, he's taken to gardening too.

Marcus is funny and clever. I love how he relates to the plants and the garden. This one is perfect for PLANT A SEED theme.

One boy walks with his dog and collections questions about all the things they see. 

The seasons change in this book. The paper illustrations are amazing. This book asks a lot of questions but doesn't answer all of them. This might lead to more research to discover the answers. There is a lot of vocabulary here and a lot to talk about. 

Saturday, February 28, 2026

Picture Book Review: You Can Sit with Me



This is a sweet story about kindness and being a friend. It's the perfect book to share. There aren't many words on the page, making this an accessible story. 

This is a must have book for your library's collection. 

Friday, February 27, 2026

Mood Board: You Had Me @ Hello World

While this book was a romance, it dealt with a lot of heavy moments.
Abuse
Being kicked out of home
Escape
Finding a path for yourself
Rescuing your family
Following your passion
Standing up for yourself
Saying no to people

None of that is easy, but all of that is in this book.

It was a good book, but the ending was a little bit rushed. I wish there was another chapter or two.


 

Thursday, February 26, 2026

Review: Cruel Summer

 


Their freshman year of high school is over and big summer plans are in the works:
TS is going to London with her posh girlfriend Gemma. Only, she doesn't realize just how posh Gemma really is or how rude her family can be.
Tay is performing with her band and hopefully getting an opening spot, if everyone in the band can agree on their set list.
Teffy is happy with her boyfriend, but once she tells her parents, the secret will be out. Is she ready for more people to know about them?
Taylor is heading to summer camp, but unfortunately so is her ex-boyfriend. What goes from a happy summer quickly becomes horrific....
My Thoughts: The sequel to Love Stories is just as drama filled as the first book. There is plenty of love for Taylor Swift, friendship drama, and romance. I love how these friends support each other through thick and thin. I didn't want to put this book down. I hope there are more in the works about this friend group.

And Easter Egg: Whispering Pines camp in from Jen Calonita's (The Taylor's 0.5) book:


Cover Thoughts: Adorable
Source: My Library
Library Recommendation: Must have books for your school and public library for your Taylor Swift fans.

Wednesday, February 25, 2026

Picture Book Review: MousterWorks

 




Two mice and their grandmother visit a museum and see lots of famous paintings. But none of them have any cheese and poor Pepin is hungry. 

The two mice are hidden in each work of art, making this book one to pour over the gorgeous illustrations. 

The author has a website, with more information about the pictures chosen, her art process, and the mice. 

Tuesday, February 24, 2026

Top Ten Tuesday: Book Quotes

 This week's topic us favorite lines. I have a few:







I thought I had a few more, but it's clear I need to make some more.