This timely picture books introduces us to Sophie who used to be so comfortable being around her neighbors, playing and helping and smiling with them. Now that they all have masks on things are different and Sophie is worried. What if she can’t tell they are smiling? As she watches she notices that her friend, Jenny from across the street looks very scared to go outside. Sophie and her grandfather make a plan to make not only Sophie comfortable but also her friend Jenny.

This is a great story about friendship and supporting each other during times of change. It is a gentle reminder to us, as adults, about how young children can feel with so many plain, sterile masked people in the world. I would highly recommend this book for the fall. A great read-a-loud for students returning to school.

Whales to the Rescue provides readers with a unique look into how whales can make a difference for the planet. Author Adrienne Mason describes whales as “ecosystem engineers” – meaning they are animals that create, modify or maintain an ecosystem. This book describes how whales help reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Whales store a large amount of carbon in their bodies for decades, even centuries; when they die, they sink to the ocean floor, taking their carbon with them. They also deposit nutrients into the ocean when they poop which helps feed phytoplankton and draws carbon out of the atmosphere and into the ocean during photosynthesis.

This book was very fascinating! It begins by giving the reader background information on whales, including types of whales, what they eat and poop and how they migrate. It then moves on to describe how whales help the planet. It concludes with how we can help whales help the planet. This book has additional resources, a glossary and an index to give readers more information. Kim Smith’s illustrations are beautiful and really help support the concepts presented in this book. This book is also part of the Ecosystem Guardians series and would be a wonderful addition to any library.

Boo! Hiss! By Cyndi Marko is a delightful graphic novel chapter book that young readers will surely love. 

A ghost named Phyllis and a snake named Sheldon live in an old, empty rundown house. They live there peacefully with no one to bother them. Until one day a human family moves in with a crying baby, a barking dog, a saxophone playing Dad and disturbs their peace and quiet. Phyllis and Sheldon retreat to the attic to make a plan to reclaim their home. After numerous attempts to scare the family away, they realize they don’t want them to leave. 

This is a fun beginning graphic novel chapter book for younger readers. The story is funny and the illustrations are entertaining, bright and colorful. I think young readers will truly enjoy this fun, scary story. Author-illustrator Cyndi Marko is also the creator of the Kung Pow Chicken book series.

The Most Magnificent Idea is the long awaited companion to author Ashley Spire’s book, The Most Magnificent Thing.

In this story the young girl is an “idea machine,” with her dog at her side she creates “cozy things, whirling things, and helpful things” until one day she runs out of ideas. She tries everything: brainstorming, gathering new supplies, even jumping up and down on one foot to shake an idea loose. But, nothing seems to work. She becomes very sad and worries that she will never have another idea again. 

Author-illustrator Ashley Spires’ colorful, detailed illustrations present readers with a clear picture of the ups and downs of the creative process. This book offers a terrific character education lesson in patience and perseverance. It could also easily be used to introduce a STEAM lesson to help inspire the creative process.

It’s not surprising that this sequel to the award-winning Beasts of Prey is also getting starred reviews, or that the story has been optioned by Netflix already. Ayana Gray’s depth of description, the interweaving of emotions with magic, and tension between characters let Beasts of Ruin feel so solid as a story. Koffi and Ekon are now separated as this part begins. Koffi, basically a slave to the god of death, is intuitive enough to be looking for her path out of captivity, even if it through mystical and “mist-ical” ways. Ekon will challenge what he knows of himself on his path back to Koffi. And as we all learn and grow over time, the two will reunite to find things are not exactly the same as they were, as is true in all of life. Action, beauty, wonder —Gray’s series will continue based on the last line, hopefully in print before Netflix.