Note: Didn’t read as much this week. I got through my newest stack of picture books and a few longer titles, but my graphic novels and first chapter books are staring at me hopefully from my nightstand.
Make sure to stop by on Tuesdays for short reviews of some of these titles!
Stats for the Week:
25 Books Read This Week
15 Books with Diverse Main Character (60%)
8 Books by Diverse Authors (32%)
8 Books by Own Voices Authors (32%) (to the best of my knowledge)
Note: Annamarie and I had planned to take a friends vacation this year, but because Covid that did not come to fruition and I wound up with a LOT of vacation days. So to eat up some of that time, I took this past week off for my birthday and roadtripped home to Chicagoland. I honestly read 1 book, and am probably gonna have to read it again in a few weeks because brain retention during vacation is for naught. But look at some of the fun stuff from this week!
Agent Moose by Mo O’Hara (graphic novel) Gr. 2-3. Agent Moose (aka Anonymoose) recently lost his credibility after claiming the moon was moon-napped during a lunar eclipse. Instead of solving his 100th case, Agent Moose and his assistant Owlfred became the joke of Woodland HQ. To make things worse, they both have to attend Camo Chameleon’s Party–celebrating Camo Chameleon’s 100th case solved! The party isn’t all play, however–Anonymoose and Owlfred also have to track down a missing animal, Terrance Turtle, a key witness in a recent robbery (solved by none other than Camo Chameleon). But when Anonymoose and Owlfred arrive at the party and start talking to witnesses of the turtle-napping, all is not as it seems…
Another great readalike for fans of Dog Man, Agent Moose is sure to be a winner with kids looking for animal crime-solving humor. Lots of fun disguises and puns paired with cute illustrations and an easy setup for a longer series. Will be recommending.
Grandpa Grumps by Katrina Moore (picture book) Gr. PreS-K. Daisy is so excited to meet her Yeh Yeh (grandfather), visiting from China for the first time. She has so many great ideas for all of the ways they will have fun together…but he seems really grumpy. Daisy is about to give up on getting a smile from him before he goes home, when the two finally bond while cooking together.
Adorable depiction of family dynamics, especially when cultural differences are added to the mix. Sweet ending that may invite a welcome sequel.
I Am Brown by Ashok K. Banker (picture book) Gr. PreS-1. Gorgeous! Stars brown children from around the world showing all of the different, amazing things that they do, the clothes they wear, the places they are from, the languages they speak, and more. Vibrant, warm colors keep the reader engaged. Holds a wonderful, uplifting message about the normalcy and awesomeness of being brown.
I Love Us: A Book About Family by Luisa Uribe (board book) Toddler-PreS. Board book depicts various families having fun together. Features diversity in skin color and family makeup (kids raised by grandparents, single parent homes, possibly a family with two dads (not clear)). I would’ve preferred this book in a larger, picture book format, as the words and detailed illustrations would work well for a preschool storytime. Includes a mirror at the end, followed by a blank family tree encouraging readers to add the names of people they love.
In the Garden by Emma Guiliani (nonfiction) Gr. 1-3. Siblings Plum and Robin explore and take care of their garden all year long. This physically giant book is filled with flaps for additional learning, letting readers see inside of fruits and flowers and get a peak underground. Plenty of interesting info on what tasks need to be completed in a garden during each season as well as how plants grow. Rare nonfiction book starring diverse kids.
Internet Animal Stars by Rebecca Felix (nonfiction) Gr. 1-2. Simple facts about various animals, with a focus on their Internet popularity.
While this series is cute and definitely has cover appeal, I do wonder about their longevity. Animal facts are sparse, with not quite enough details to cover the required information for the average animal project. The design has a definite rainbows-and-cuddles Lisa Frank vibe without looking too dated (for the current moment anyway). I’m not sure how long that style, or the chapter starring animal memes (“meme break!”), will stay relevant. Still, it is pretty darn cute.
Jake the Fake Keeps His Cool by Craig Robinson and Adam Mansbach Gr. 4-5. Jake’s mom is pregnant! Jake isn’t sure what this means for him–will his parent’s stop paying attention to him now that he will be the middle child? Will the baby keep him up all night? Will Jake have to share his room? Jake quickly gets distracted by a new, pretty classmate that Jake is desperate to impress, even if that means stretching the truth about his cooking and haircutting skills.
I still enjoy this series, even if neither sequel reached quite the same hilarity as the first book. This book felt a little more disjointed than previous titles in the series, with the baby storyline only appearing when it needed to make a point. Even with that, I appreciate any own voices books that are great readalikes for fans of Wimpy Kid and Big Nate.
Leap Frog by Jane Clarke (picturebook) Gr. PreS-K. Tiny Felix Frog is trying to make his way home across the jungle. Along the way, he runs into a variety of rainforest critters whose unique sounds make Felix jump! Help Felix make his way home by counting, bouncing, and repeating phrases before turning each page.
Vivid illustrations with bright colors make this a storytime standout. Turn the animal-sound reveals into a guessing game for preschoolers or kindergarteners, especially if paired with a non-fiction rainforest or jungle animal title.
Mia Mayhem and the Super Family Field Day by Kara West (first chapter book) Gr. 1-3. Mia Mayhem finally gets to see her superhero parents in action when her Program for In Training Superheroes (the PITS) hosts a family field day. Mia knows everything is for fun, but she really would like to win that trophy…
I adore the Mia Mayhem series SO MUCH. At their heart, these are well-written, fun first chapter books combining superhero antics with everyday elements of growing up, including friendship struggles, balancing home and school, overcoming challenges, wanting to win, and more. The diversity in our young superheroes is unparalleled, with Mia having close friends of not just different races, but a friend who is blind (with a super guide dog) and a friend who has two prosthetic legs. We learn in this book that one of her friends has two dads. And its all so seamlessly included in the text that this series is far from issues books–they are just kids in everyday (superhero) situations.
Mummy, What’s In Your Tummy? by Bernadita Romero (board book) Toddler-PreS. In this board book, a child imagines what might be growing in his mummy’s tummy. Originally published in Chile in Spanish and translated to English. I wonder if the translation has to do with the inclusion of a whale as one of the animal guesses–a logical guess for a small child, but maybe not a word every expecting mom wants to use to describe her belly? (Or an elephant for that matter…) Diverse family featured throughout.
Rockin’ Rockets: The Adventures of Allie and Amy by Stephanie Calmenson (first chapter book) Gr. 2-3. Allie and Amy are are inseparable, until new girl Gracie moves into their neighborhood. Gracie doesn’t want to come between Allie and Amy, but when Gracie is only allowed to have one friend over at a time, she is forced to choose. When Gracie accidentally promises both Allie and Amy her extra ticket to the Rockin’ Rockets concert, suddenly Allie and Amy are fighting over who gets to go, and their status as best-friends-forever is in question.
The Allie and Amy series is cute, if a little shallow. I appreciate the diverse friend group and that the girls live in apartments (something not often shown in kid’s lit). I wish their friendship struggles had been more fleshed out in this book, as these kinds of fights do happen in real life, and they aren’t often resolved by getting an additional free ticket because your other neighbor just happens to be the mysterious new drummer in your favorite band. A good readalike for the more nuanced Craftily Ever After and Miranda and Maude series.
Row, Row, Row Your Boat: Sing Along with Me! by Nosy Crow (board book) Baby-Toddler. Cute, though short, board book adaptation of the song Row, Row, Row Your Boat. The chunky sliders and pull tabs will appeal to babies and toddlers and are sturdy enough for repeated circulation. I prefer Jane Cabrera’s adaptation for storytime purposes, as it has very similar verses with larger, less dense illustrations. The interactivity and small details make this ideal for a one-on-one reading.
Séance Tea Party by Reimena Yee (graphic novel) Gr. 4-5. Lora feels left out as all of her friends seem to be growing up without her. Lora doesn’t want to grow up, and she is thrilled to discover a new (though also old) friend living in her house. Ghost girl Alexa is around Lora’s age, haunting Lora’s house and just looking for a friend. The two become inseparable even as Lora begins to grow up on her own, and Alexa grows more and more curious about the past that she can’t remember.
Beautifully illustrated and filled with all the feels, Séance Tea Party is a sweet story about how friendships change, what it means to grow up, and keeping the magic of childhood alive. Be prepared for a bittersweet, authentic ending that may leave you tearing up.
Speak Up by Miranda Paul (picture book) Gr. PreS-K. When you see something that doesn’t feel right, when you make a mistake, when you can help someone in need, use your voice and speak up!
While this book’s message is simple, it approaches kindness, activism, and using your voice in a tone perfect for preschoolers, kindergarteners, and first graders. The book shows real situations kids may face in school such as a teacher mispronouncing a classmate’s name, kids spreading rumors that mud on a child’s pants is really something else, litter covering the playground, classmates goofing around, and more. A diverse class reflects the faces of real kids who spoke up and made a difference, as shown in the last few pages along with brief information on how those kid’s made a difference in the real world. Perfect choice for a kindergarten storytime.
Target: Earth (Klawde, Evil Alien Warlord Cat) by Johnny Marciano and Emily Chenoweth Gr. 3-4. Klawde,–the Evil Alien Warlord Cat from Planet Lytterbox trapped on Earth as punishment–is moving on to another evil scheme. Klawde has decided to take over his new home–Earth. Using the technology skills of his evil minion cat, Klawde programs a new cybercurrency, Kitcoin, and uses his new wealth to buy virtual reality headsets that allow him to control Earth’s squirrels. Combine those headsets with a dozen or so satellites, and Klawde is on his way to world domination. Except, humans aren’t quite as easy to conquer as Klawde might believe.
Ridiculous and funny, this is a perfect step-up series for fans of Dog Man, Captain Underpants, and even Diary of a Wimpy Kid. The balance of Klawde’s evil villain commentary and Raj’s everyday concerns (and fear of and love for his all-powerful cat) keep reader’s engaged and eager to know what will happen next. Cute messages about friendship and technology make this series feel a little preachy, but that is easily pushed aside when paired with Klawde’s pure villainy. Looking forward to many more Klawde adventures.
Note: Fun reads this week! I’ve still got a big stack of books in my TBR pile, and of course a bunch of ebooks came in at once, but I’m working through it.
Make sure to stop by on Tuesdays for short reviews of some of these titles!
Stats for the Week:
44 Books Read This Week
23 Books with Diverse Main Character (52%)
11 Books by Diverse Authors (25%)
8 Books by Own Voices Authors (18%) (to the best of my knowledge)
Note: It’s autumn! I want to get school supplies, and go to a pumpkin farm, and drink cocoa or coffee under a tree that is dropping leaves with a good book. That last one has never been an actual thing that I’ve ever done, but I love the esthetic of it. Maybe one day this autumn when the leaves actually turn and I don’t want to yell into the void of time and space (because of 2020 reasons) I can make it happen. If I do I’ll take lots of pictures and share!
Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson (novel in verse) Gr. 4-7. ZJ’s football star dad isn’t his hero–he’s just ZJ’s beloved dad. Lately, ZJ’s dad struggles to remember things and sometimes gets really angry. ZJ’s mom explains that the memory loss has to do with all the head injuries and hits ZJ’s dad took during his professional football carer. The doctors can’t seem to help, and ZJ is scared of losing his dad forever.
Wow. This is an incredible book, told in verse, where, with such raw emotion. ZJ shows that the “ever after” isn’t always happy and life isn’t always okay. I hope this one receives lots of recognition at the youth media awards.
Dear Sweet Pea by Julie Murphy Gr. 4-5. Sweet Pea is trying to figure out what her new life looks like. She still lives in her small town in Texas, but her parents don’t live together anymore. After the divorce, her dad moved in right next door, meaning Sweet Pea has two nearly identical houses, with nearly identical bedrooms. That isn’t all Sweet Pea has to think about–there is also her ex-best-friend who has moved on to prettier and skinnier new friends, a possible first crush, and the reason for that divorce, that her dad realized he’s gay.
When Sweet Pea’s eccentric neighbor, Miss Flora Mae, has to go out of town, she leaves Sweet Pea with a job: collect the letters Flora Mae receives from the newspaper and send them along to Flora Mae’s temporary address. Flora Mae is the town’s one and only advice columnist, and she wants to keep her trip a secret. Sweet Pea is excited by this new project, but when she finds a letter to Flora Mae from Sweet Pea’s ex-best-friend, Sweet Pea can’t help but reply to the letter herself.
Sweet Pea is an amazing kid, and an excellent, honest protagonist. I felt and understood every one of her decisions, even when I knew they would end badly. (I would have probably made the same decision if I had been caught in Sweet Pea’s sleepover dilemma.) This book is particularly wonderful because of its fat girl representation. Sweet Pea is fat, plain and simple, but this isn’t an issues book. Fat girl issues are mentioned, such as trying to find cute clothes in larger sizes and a fear that her old friend, Kiera, has moved on to skinnier friends. But the book isn’t about these things. There is a sense of self-acceptance in the book, but not about her weight, because Sweet Pea accepts and loves herself before this book even begins. Refreshing and sweet.
Kodi by Jared Cullum (graphic novel) Gr. 2-3. During a summer stay with her grandma, Katya struggles to make friends until she rescues a hurt Kodiak bear. Affectionately named Kodi, the bear and Katya quickly become inseparable. When Katya has to return home early, both Katya and Kodi are heartbroken. Kodi is determined to be reunited with his friend, stowing away on a cruise ship and traversing the streets of Seattle until he finds Katya once again.
A sweet and quiet read, this graphic novel focuses on friendship and perseverance. Great for younger readers and fans of books about kids and their dogs.
Snow Place Like Home (Diary of an Ice Princess) by Christina Soontornvat (first chapter book) Gr. 2-3. Princess Lina loves her magical life living in castle in the clouds, but she also dreams of doing regular things at a Groundling (human) school with her best friend Claudia. Lina convinces her parents to let her try out human school, but Lina still doesn’t have control of the wind powers she inherited from her mom. Whenever she feels strong emotions, Lina tends to make ice and snow appear in the world around her…and that ice and snow have followed her to her new school.
I read this series entirely out of order, though I am very happy to finally make it to the first book. This series is simply fun–with a great combination of humor, everyday school adventures, magic powers, and a lovely message of self-acceptance. Plus, this series stars a biracial main character, is written by a diverse author, AND is a fantasy series–a combination very hard to come by in first chapter books. Recommending to anyone and everyone.
Heroes Wear Masks: Elmo’s Super Adventure by Ernie Kwiat (picture book) PreS-K. Elmo is about to start school, and his mom helps him prepare with tips about staying calm, handwashing, and mask wearing. More details and suggestions in the back for caregivers.
This is exactly what you would expect from Sesame Street, and a book that I’m sure is needed right now. Elmo sets a great example for kids everywhere, wearing his mask, keeping six feet from his friends, and still managing to have a great day at school.
Twinkle, Twinkle, Diaper You! by Ellen Mayer and Ying-Hwa Hu (board book) Baby. Mama changes baby’s diaper in this simple board book. While the action is straightforward, the book excels in modeling ways a caregiver can turn a small exchange, like changing a diaper, into a literacy-development experience by singing a modified version of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, practicing animal sounds, identifying body parts, and more. Bonus points for featuring a diverse family.
Note: My reading is finally slowing down, which was about due, I think. Though I’m intentionally squeezing in more longer titles which is a nice way to balance out my reading. I’m sure picture books will pick up again soon as the October releases start to come in.
Stats for the Week:
25 Books Read This Week
13 Books with Diverse Main Character (52%)
9 Books by Diverse Authors (36%)
6 Books by Own Voices Authors (12%) (to the best of my knowledge)
Check-In on Yearly Reading:
1264 Books Read This Year
594 Books with Diverse Main Character (47%) (+11% from July)
352 Books by Diverse Authors (28%) (not calculated in July)
296 Books by Own Voices Authors (23%) (to the best of my knowledge) (+5% from July)
I am reading more diversely, as the stats are increasing. I’ve been book talking more diverse titles as well, though my storytime diversity is still weak. I actively included more material when I was working with preschoolers, but baby books and toddler books are harder to select due to finding materials that are age appropriate and work well virtually. I’m going to work harder there.
Note: Gah. Pity Party hits close to home on the feels. I lost my dad when I was 14 and no one knew how to react and there were lots of awkward conversations and encounters and this was soooo good and soooo hard to read. (A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness does that to me too.) I really need to start reading more brain candy books and things with less feels because 2020 is already killing me.
You might have noticed from our weekly It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? posts, but I read a lot. I don’t typically read as much as I have been during pandemic times, but I have recently thrown myself into reading even more than usual. For a few months, I’ve been interested in writing brief reviews of some of the books I read, but I don’t want reviews to affect my reading pace. I like recording my thoughts about titles that really stand out to me, but I don’t feel a need to recreate a publisher summary for every book I’ve read this week.
Personally, I really appreciate It’s Monday! What Are You Reading posts to find new books that I haven’t heard of, so I don’t want to limit the number of books shared on my Monday posts. This has led me to a new feature for Book Cart Queens–Book Review Tuesdays.
Book reviews are going to be brief, focusing on what I want to remember and books that stand out to me (these don’t replace professional reviews by any means).
Happy reading!
Class Actby Jerry Craft (graphic novel) Gr. 5-7. New Kid was my dream Newbery winner, and the sequel does not disappoint. Readers get more detailed glimpses into the lives of Jordan, Liam, and especially Drew, with even a touch more character development from Andy. Drew takes center stage here, with a different perspective on his classmates than Jordan. So many real issues are discussed in ways that never feel preachy, with Craft’s appealing artwork balancing humor and reality (race, bullying, class differences, microaggressions, friendship, and more). Hoping for more books in this universe. Read as an eARC.
Mary Had a Little Glam written by Tammi Sauer and illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton (picture book) PreS-K. Vanessa Brantley-Newton’s illustrations shine here, bringing young Mary to life. Brantley-Newton sprinkles in details from nursery rhymes and fairy tales, going beyond the written words to add humor and a bit of sass to young Mary’s fantastic outfits (the sheep crossbody purse is my favorite). Between the fun illustrations and the rhythmic beat, there is a ton of storytime potential packed into this title.
I Am Not a Label: 34 disabled artists, thinkers, athletes and activists from past and presentwritten by Cerrie Burnell and illustrated by Lauren Mark Baldo (nonfiction, biography) Gr. 3-5. This gorgeously illustrated collective biography features the stories of 34 disabled individuals who are artists, musicians, athletes, innovators, activists, and more. While there have been a plethora of collective biographies in recent years, this one’s focus on people with disabilities (a group very underrepresented in children’s books) is refreshing, along with its well thought out collection of diverse people from around the world with a variety of types of disabilities.
Nana Akua Goes to Schoolby Tricia Elam Walker and April Harrison (picture book) Gr. 1-2. Zura is nervous about bringing her Nana Akua to school for Grandparent’s Day. Nana Akua is Zura’s favorite person in the world, but Nana Akua also has tribal markings on her face from a family tradition from her childhood in Ghana. Sometimes, those marks scare strangers when Zura and Nana Akua go to the park or the store. What will Zura’s classmates think?
Zura’s nerves won’t feel unusual to children hesitant to share their own familial differences with their classmates. The blend of designs and patterns in the artwork make this story shine, helping teach readers about empathy and accepting people’s differences.
Grime and Punishment (Dog Man 9) by Dav Pilkey (graphic novel) Gr. 2-4. I’m a Dog Man fan through and through. Dav Pilkey never ceases to amaze with the themes and messages he can pack into a series that is considered by so many to be slapstick superhero books. Petey’s character progression-from standard villain to caring papa-is a personal favorite, and the newest title doesn’t disappoint with lessons about forgiveness, love, and happiness as well as an ending that left me a little teary eyed. Looking forward to Book 10 and excited to keep recommending this series to young readers.
Note: I was a bit under the weather with a migraine the last few days, so I do apologize that I added my reads after this was published originally. But I am working on an actual blog post, so gasp! there will be a teen update this week. 🙂
Note: Happy Labor DayI I hope that you are enjoying your day off (or that you got the day off) After reading a bunch of graphic novels in the hopes that I could match Annamarie with number of titles read (spoiler alert I did not even come close), I have decided that I will not be reading anything today. Instead I am going to hang up some art that has been waiting to be displayed forever and love all over my fuzzball Frankie so he doesn’t act like the kitty in No Fuzzball!
Our library is closed to the public, including for browsing. Our county COVID numbers just dipped low enough for us to allow for appointment based services, but, sorry to all of the school districts that decided to start the school year with blended learning at the last minute, but I do the same math the governor’s team does every day, and our county numbers are increasing. Again. The reason any of that is relevant to this post is that the public will not be browsing our shelves anytime soon…meaning reader’s advisory is not the same experience.
And browsing is something we hear about frequently. Kids in particular often don’t know what they want to read (or they know EXACTLY what they want to read and will take nothing else). Parents are trying to homeschool or supplement in-person schooling, and they are eager for beginning reading books in particular. How can we recreate the browsing and reader’s advisory experience for our users?
These short clips are designed to be Instagram posts or Instagram stories (identical, vertical versions are used on that platform, all under 15 seconds to accommodate Instagram story rules). There seems to be a positive response to these reader’s advisory tools–the first Instagram post got a lot of happy feedback (I think people missed seeing inside the library). The most recent Instagram story (first chapter books) got more click-through response than other stories I had created in the past.
I really wish there was a way around the 15-seconds, or a way to make it easier for viewers to see titles and immediately put them on hold. I recognize the books in the video, but I can’t imagine many parents do without having to put in the effort to watch multiple times and pause a clip.
New & Overflow Books (July 2020) (this was a first attempt and this video is longer than most)
New Books (August 2020)
Beginning Readers
First Chapter Books
Parent Teacher Collection Titles
Virtual Reader’s Advisory
These reader’s advisory videos have a few purposes:
Reader’s advisory tool to supplement the lack of browsing
Possible substitute for in-person book talks that take place in local classrooms
We’ve had an okay response to these reader’s advisory YouTube videos. I hope that these are useful to teachers and students, especially as the school year progresses (and post-COVID too!).
My book talk video filming tips:
Film in Short Clips. My filming structure involves me talking for 1-2 sentences before cutting to a new clip. I find this really valuable when I am trying to get my words exactly right (especially important when sharing books that talk about racism, neglect, or aspects of a culture that isn’t my own). I don’t memorize what I’m going to say, but this quick structure makes it a lot easier for me to redo a clip as needed. Refilming something 20-30 seconds long is easier, and it is much less frustrating than getting to the end of the clip and messing up a pronunciation.
Add visual interest. Add images from the book whenever possible. Some books are chapter books without images where this doesn’t make sense, but whenever I can, I add images and change them regularly. An adult has about an 8-second attention span in non-COVID times. Watching me sit and talk at a screen for even just a minute is boring. Images help.
Talk about books you like. Always. I only book talk books I’ve read, enjoy, and can vouch for. I’m not this strict when I’ve got an in-person reader’s advisory experience, with a patron in front of me asking for Wonder readalikes, but when I’m only able to take a handful of books to a classroom, or in this case, select what books I want to put my time and effort behind highlighting, I want to make sure they are books I genuinely enjoyed and think kids will enjoy too.
Recommend diverse books. Following the last tip, this means you need to be reading diverse books. Hopefully you are. I don’t care how white your community is–even if your community is made entirely of clones of one Christian, straight, physically and mentally able white boy–there is a whole world out there that those kids need to be aware of and empathetic toward. (Also, if you are living in a community filled with cloned children, I would suggest you stop reading now and run. Fast.)
Look up those pronunciations. Author names, illustrator names, character names, settings. Look up them all. Don’t be the Annamarie of three years ago who mispronounced Amina’s name repeatedly in a book talk video for Amina’s Voice that still makes me cringe every time I see it on YouTube.
Of course, all the regular technical things:
Film with the highest quality camera you can access
Good lighting (don’t sit in front a window, avoid shadows)
Good sound
Consistent feel/intro/conclusion
Easy access for a viewer to put the book on hold in your catalog
I’ve made a lot of videos, and this post is already long, so I’m going to try to highlight grade level playlists and list links to specific titles underneath. Many books appear on multiple grade levels because they appeal to multiple ages.
Book Talks: Preschool We are focusing on books for the ages we regularly book talk to in the schools (Grades 2-6), so there are fewer videos for this age.
Book Talks: Kindergarten We are focusing on books for the ages we regularly book talk to in the schools (Grades 2-6), so there are fewer videos for this age.
Book Talks: 1st Grade We are focusing on books for the ages we regularly book talk to in the schools (Grades 2-6), so there are fewer videos for this age.
Collection Videos These videos cover more than one title connected by a common theme. These seem to be getting slightly more views, but, be warned, they take a lot longer to make. A 10 Readalikes Video is essentially the equivalent of making 10 individual book talk videos–a lot of effort for what feels like less of a result. I’m going to keep chipping away at these, but they are exhausting, so I don’t make them as frequently. Maybe I’ll focus on these more when I feel like I am slowing down on a regular pool of titles to book talk individually.
12 New Graphic Novels (published in the first half of 2020)
Note: I want to give a shout-out to those awesome series by own voices authors featuring amazing, diverse characters in everyday situations. My current favorite characters:
Note: I fell down a little rabbit hole and read all that we had of one manga this week. But I did sneak in a few heavy hitting teen reads so the brain candy was needed. I know I say this a LOT, but I am gonna try to write an actual post this week. I owe it to Annamarie to actually pull some weight on this blog and contribute, even if it is the shortest post in the world.
