YABookNerd

Friday, January 16, 2026

Review: Love Stories

Four girls who met in 5th grade and became best friends are now starting high school. They're excited and nervous. There are so many opportunities for the future. But it also means that everything is changing, they're pursuing their own interests - including crushes. Can they still find time for their friendship?

My Thoughts: I loved this book. There's SO MUCH drama: friendship drama and relationship drama. I loved reading about this group of girls four years later. I loved seeing them change and grow. I'm looking forward to what comes next for them because

book two is already out and I can't wait to read it!

Cover Thoughts: Adorable

Source: My Library

Library Recommendation: A must have book for your Taylor readers

Hand this to: All the Swifties

Thursday, January 15, 2026

Review Hidden Libraries

As a Librarian, it was fascinating to learn about so many libraries that are not your typical library.

There are a few that I need to put on my bucket list!

Each library has a two to four page spread highlighting the uniqueness of each library and the main attraction of their collection.

Wednesday, January 14, 2026

Picture Book Wednesday: Mary had a Little Jam

Mary loves creating music; she desires a group of musicians. Before long, she has lots of people interested B ut everyone wants to be the star. Can they learn to play together?

Practice is the answer - so much practice. Mary and her friends have a great time together. This book has lots of nursery rhyme easter eggs.

* this is the third book in the series

Tuesday, January 13, 2026

Top Ten Tuesday: 1/2 of the year

This week's topic is books most anticipated during the first half of the year. I haven't done too much research to what's coming out and I do have several books for review already.

I'll do a middle grade post next week....

Teen:

Always, anything from Meg Cabot. But this is the series that changed by life, so I'm excited to read the graphic novel version

Love Sarah Dessen - so happy to have a new book from her

Love books about royals

Escape Room thriller

It might be time for me to get back into fantasy again....

Adult:

I'm not sure if this is the real date, but I've been waiting for this book for years

Katherine Center is becoming an auto-read author for me

Another summer auto-read author

Monday, January 12, 2026

Middle Grade Review: Big Book of Who: Rising Stars

The set up: there is a question asked about each athlete

Each answer has a 1 to 2 page spread with picture and mini biography

The book is broke into sections: Next Generation, Phenoms, Record Breakers, Trailblazers, and Trendsetters

There is a lot of information tucked into these pages, making it perfect for any sports fan.

* this had many women athletes - except for Simone Biles.

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Picture Book Review: Over and Under the Coral Reef

A child and father take a swim in the ocean; the father points out all kinds of amazing things.

They see so much under the water. There's so much to see; it seems like a magical day. The illustrations here are beautiful; lovely to our over. There's an author note that talks about coral reefs and how to help protect them. There's a list in the back of the book about all the animals showcased in this book and tiny blurb of information on each one. There are also some suggestions for further reading. This is the 4th book in this Over and Under series and each of them is fantastic. Perfect for older readers.

A must have book for your school or public library collection.

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Plant a Seed: Kids Summer Reading (1)

This summer, we're doing the Plant a Story, Read for our theme. Mostly because we've done Dino-vember for years and it's hard to come up with more ideas. Plant a Story seemed easier for us. Right now, we could use a little easy. It's time to start planning.