My favorite part of this series are the illustrations by David Clark. The illustrations are humorous. Whimsy with plants and insects both having facial expressions and acting like humans, only to have a photo of an actual plant tucked away amid the cartoons.

This book tries to inform you of the ways plants and humans are alike. This is all true at a basic level of life: basking in the sun, breathing, need for water, having babies, and even at times wearing armor. From there, Bridget Heos goes onto tell of some quite unusual plants and their added characteristics to which she attaches human attributes.

It is a fun way to learn about plant basics and then on to more diverse characteristics that only a few plants may have.

Review Submitted by OHS Student, Anne R.

These Witches Don’t Burn, follows main character Hannah – a teenage witch who has to keep her powers secret, and her navigation through school, friendships, romance, and hardships. Throughout the book she teams up with unexpected allies to save her coven from a mysterious dark force.

This book is entertaining and has diverse characters. There are a lot of plot twists and it is exciting, although I had a hard time getting into it. The characters are a little two-dimensional and shallow.

Sometimes, the past clashes with the future in ways we least expect. In Carmen Rodrigues’ latest novel main character, Marco, is forced to deal with his past while also trying to navigate his present. The book opens in the spring of Marco’s senior year of high school; he has a close “tribe” of friends, a girlfriend, a full scholarship to college, and a job he enjoys. Marco is forced into the role of “man of the house” due to a traumatic brain injury that has greatly affected his father, leaving Marco with many responsibilities that should not fall upon the shoulders of a teenage boy.

Upon entering high school, over 3 years ago, Marco’s best friend and love interest, Sally, moved away with very little communication afterward. The “tribe” has hostile feelings about Sally’s disappearance, so when she returns to school for the last couple of months of senior year, they are hesitant to trust her. However, Marco cannot easily ignore the “spark” that constantly hums while in Sally’s presence.

Rodrigues creates characters that are relatable and likable. In addition to a quick-paced plot, this book is smart; Marco is very intelligent and interested in space and physics, thus presenting to readers scientific principles in a way that is easy to understand. I strongly recommend this book for middle and high school readers.

Recommendation submitted by OHS Student, Janet G.

Girls with Sharp Sticks by Suzanne Young, follows girls living at Innovations Academy. On the outside, this institution seems perfect. Girls studying here are poised, controlled, polite, mild mannered, etc. As the novel moves along, we realize that things really are not as they seem; instead, Innovations Academy is full of dark, sinister secrets.

The book presents ideas surrounding feminism and humanity, posing questions for the reader to ponder while watching characters navigate the issues as well. This is a fast-paced read; Young keeps readers engaged and wanting more by slowly unveiling secrets.

Review submitted by OHS Student, Bethel A.

The the third installment of the Alex and Eliza trilogy, Alexander Hamilton and Elizabeth Schuyler are the married “it” couple of New York City. When Eliza’s brother comes to live with them, she tries to play match-maker with him. However, Eliza also faces other problems, including her desire for children and Alex’s own desires.

This is a great summer read, although it can be enjoyed at any time of the year. If you’re looking for an historical fiction novel that is also light and romantic, this is the book for you.

I have a friend who can crochet the cutest little stuffed animals. This book reminds me of her. In this picture book, Greta, the goat, likes to knit.

When Greta knits animals they come to life. First, she knit baby goats. When Mr. Sheep teases Greta about her messy knitting, Greta knits a wolf that eats Mrs. Sheep. Now, Greta is hiding in a closet so the wolf won’t eat her. “clickclickclicketyclick”, Greta knits a tiger who eats the wolf. Now Greta is hiding in the closet so the tiger won’t eat her. “I have to get rid of him! What should I knit now? she wonders. Something even bigger, something even more dangerous!”

“Clickclickclicketyclick go the needles.” Greta has created a monster! But Greta has learned an important lesson about the animals she knits. Greta does not quite finish the monster, leaving him still on the knitting needle. Greta pushes the monster out into the room where it eats the tiger. Then without wasting any time Greta starts to unravel the monster, then the tiger, then the wolf, and Mrs. Sheep is saved.

Greta decides to knit some green grass for her goats. Oops, while Greta wasn’t paying attention to her knitting, the green knitting has become a green alligator. It is a good thing she has not cast off yet.

This is part of the new series-MAKERS Make It Work. “Makers Make It Work is a series of fun easy-to-read stories that focus on problem-solving and hands-on action. Each book also includes an activity for young makers to try themselves.” (back cover)

Arun and Keya find a raccoon damaged bees’ nest, in the woods near their home, while looking for the perfect tree in which to build a tree house.Luckily, one of their neighbors, Dr. Chen, is a beekeeper. They show Dr. Chen the nest. Arun and Keya help Dr. Chen move the bees to one of her newly built hives, while Dr. Chen helps Keya overcame her fear of bees. The happy ending comes with the bees getting a safer new hive, Dr. Chen sharing the honey with Arun and Keya, and mom and dad will now help them to build a tree house in the tree that once held the nest.

Sprinkled throughout the story are seven information boxes about bees. At the end of the story there are three small sections: Learn Like a Maker, Look Back, and Try This!

This is a retelling of the folktale THE EMPEROR’S NEW CLOTHES. In this modern version, children should be able to identify with a school principal more easily than with an emperor.

Mr. B , the principal, is known for being a snazzy dresser. So when, Moe and Ivy present Mr. B with their business card – “MOE & IVY – Expert Tailors” with “We Make Suits that Suit You Fine.” on the reverse side, Mr. B. is hooked.

Mr. B. planned to wear the new suit to a school assembly. None of the staff, or students, or even the people on his way to school were confident enough to tell Mr. B. they could not see his new suit. Once Mr. B. began walking down the aisle in the auditorium a kindergartener shouted, ‘ “Our principal’s in his underwear!” ‘ (36) All present quickly loan Mr. B. bits and pieces of an outfit. Mr. B. gave the little kinder a gold star and shook her hand for being so honest. “Everyone cheered. They knew their principal was smart and good at his job. ” (42)

The story is followed by a glossary and a set of discussion questions.

Vashti Harrison’s illustrations of the love shared between this father and daughter will draw you into this simple, yet complexed, story of a father (of color) helping his young daughter style her hair that “kinks, coils, and curls every which way.”

Mom has been away for awhile and now little Zuri wants her hair to be perfect for her mother’s return. Dad steps in to work his magic with her hair.

Written by “former NFL wide receiver” Matthew A. Cherry.

As I sat a top of a hill in Douglas County, Washington State, posing for a photo as I read this book, I knew I was in rattlesnake country. I did not know anything more about rattlesnakes than what I had seen in Hollywood movies and old TV Westerns. Now I do. For starters, there are 36 species of rattlesnakes and their habitats are not just in desert country. Rattlesnakes can strike faster than a human can blink an eye. Sometimes, they rattle after they strike and not before. The snake can determine how much venom it will deliver in its bite and sometimes there will be no venom. This is called a dry bite.

I give distance to rattlesnakes, but I truly am amazed by the HD close-up photos of rattlesnakes in this book! Their scaly skin is as bristly as a pine cone at times, not smooth at all. This book is as close to the real thing as I ever hope to be outside of a live snake exhibit. If you are not a snake person, the photos might just make you shiver.

Voices:  The Final Hours of Joan of Arc by David Elliott is quick to read with different characters’ viewpoints given of how they saw events using different styles of poetry. This book was illustrative for modern times, especially for the LGBTQ+ community as Joan of Arc did not fit into the traditional women’s role of medieval France and although she did great things for her country, was later persecuted for her different perspective of gender. In the early 1400s and France is losing its territory to England.  Joan of Arc chooses to do what is right for France by leading an army.  Meanwhile, she tells her parents that she doesn’t want to marry and dresses like a man.  Joan of Arc is cheered for her military victories by whole communities. However, everything changes after she meets Prince Charles VII who himself is not meeting the proper role of a prince at that time to lead the military.  Both Joan of Arc and Prince Charles VII defy what they were born to be in medieval France. She cross-dresses as a warrior and refuses to wear a dress. He is gentle and not sure what to do. Prince Charles VII is shocked when she presents to him the first time in royal court wearing a tunic, doublet, and hose.  And while Joan was a military official, she is quoted in this text to say “I was born to lead and to inspire, not to maim and kill.” The vocabulary in this text might be challenging as there are a lot of great words like sesquipedalian, someone who uses long words.  Highly recommended for ages 12 and up, for its historical value, knowledge of poetry styles, and entertainment.

The Lafayette we know from United States history class comes to life in this graphic novel depiction of his life until his return to France after the American Revolutionary War. The tale is being told by “THE PROVOST, THE HANGMAN, AND THE SPY, NATHAN HALE.” (6) Nathan Hale spins this tale to postpone his own execution, if just until the tale is told. It begins shortly after the death of Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert Du Motier the Marquis De Lafayette’s father in the Battle of Minden.

The telling includes bits of history at first, mixed with some urban legend, customs of dress, schooling, and arranged marriages of the time. First Lafayette’s mother dies and then his great-grandfather dies leaving him a rich orphan at the age of thirteen. At thirteen, people are already scheming to have Gilbert marry their daughter to advance their family’s status.

At age nineteen, Gilbert has a wife and child, but still dreams of glory on the battle field. He goes against King Louis XVI’s “DECREE, THAT NO FRENCH OFFICERS WERE ALLOWED TO JOIN THE AMERICAN CAUSE.”(35) Gilbert sails to America and eventually meets up with General George Washington. Lafayette has a knack for being in the wrong place at the right time or the right place at the wrong time depending upon which side of the war you want to win. “LAFAYETTE HAS NOW FOILED TWO PLOTS TO OVERTHROW WASHINGTON.” (55) Later, Lafayette will encounter Benedict Arnold before and after Arnold changes sides in the war.

Lafayette is charismatic. No wonder his name is still known today. I’m guessing most people today could not give any specifics about what he did to help the Americans during their revolution.

One small mistake, appears on page 99, in frame 11, where the word ‘their’ appears twice. The second time spelled ‘thier’.

What a wonderful visual way to engage young readers in history!

The Only Living Boy Omnibus, The Complete Saga, by David Gallaher and illustrated by Steve Ellis, keeps you on the edge your seat. The world around the main character Erik Farrell completely changes over night. Erik Farrell fights to stay alive and helps others around him on the way to save his world from the dark force. I love the book in general. The artwork and story is stunning and breathtaking. The way the illustrator made the callout boxes is very creative and smart. There is a little art gallery in the back of the book. I highly recommend The Only Living Boy Omnibus, The Complete Saga to everyone and especially people who like very detailed artwork, fantasy, and adventure. The book will drag you in when you read the first couple pages, you will not want to put the book down. I give the book a five out of five stars.

Review by Rylie

Soof by Sarah Weeks is an amazing story about a troubled girl who might have found a new path than what was meant for her future with the help of her dog Duck. Aurora has to face many obstacles in life even meeting Hedi. Without her closest friend Duck, she would have found her new story. This heart wrenching book is a realistic fiction giving the reader something to look forward to throughout the book. There are even a few tear justling moments waiting to get the best of you anytime. If you love books with family, dogs and adventure, this book is right up your alley. I would give this book 5 stars.

Review by Sophie

Review written by OHS student Michelle P.

This novel follows our main character Odessa who is in the process of escaping a friendship. She travels to new places with her partner Meredy, who soon becomes more than a travel partner. The two travel to while navigating both their relationship as well as grief. This novel is a fantasy with magic, dragons, and zombies. This is book two in the Reign of the Fallen series.

This is an incredibly diverse novel, having characters of color, different sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.

Shaun David Hutchinson is witty and this quick, directness of jokes comes through in every character in The Past and Other Things that Should Stay Buried, his 8th young adult novel. Told in alternating voices between two best friends, readers 1st meet Dino. Dino seems confident. He’s discovering how much he really likes his new boyfriend. He knows he’s good at his job — preparing bodies for funerals — but doesn’t want to make it his future living and keep the family DeLuca and Son’s business. And he’s wanting to let go of his former best friend, July. July also appeared to be confident. A theater star in their high school, July’s world was about July and occasionally Dino, her best friend a year ago. But then they fought. And then July died. And now Dino needs to prepare her body and finally let her go…until she undies. Dino and July spend the next few days trying to figure out less about how and more about why she came kinda back though still stinking and rotting away. Dino and July must figure out a few more aspects of their friendship before each can let go of the other and let life return to normal. Discussions the two have around sexuality are honest and real and more importantly, don’t overshadow the real themes of the novel. Still overwhelmingly far-fetched, Hutchinson’s one-liners are laugh-out-loud funny as readers witness Dino and July maturing as individuals and once again as friends. Recommended for high school audiences.

I am getting used to the graphic novel’s visual technique of going forwards and backwards in time. In this graphic novel, Gillbert (yes, that is gill with two “l”s because he lives under the sea) finds a message in a bottle, but can not read it without his mother’s (Queen of Atlanticus) help. Just before Gill’s mother arrives to translate the message, Anne Phibian, the mermaid, gets Gill’s attention and whisks him off to an unknown party. Meanwhile in deep space, a fiery asteroid is on a collision course with Earth. Gill’s father, King Nauticus, goes to investigate the asteroid.

Teeq- a space alien and long time friend of the Queen has been sending a message into space calling his sister to planet Earth. Teeq’s sister arrives in the form of an egg and hatches in the Queen’s and King’s presence. They name her Matilda. Shortly thereafter, the Pyrockians come crashing into the ocean from space. They want Atlanticus back for their own, which does not make King Nauticus happy.

Teeq and Anne Phibian leave the party after having Gillbert taken home. Teeq and Anne meet Matilda for the first time. Matilda solves the King’s Pyrockian problem by causing a new volcano to form in the ocean giving the Pyrockians a hot place to live in peace. The Queen now has time to translate the Gillbert’s bottle message, it says,” YOU ARE DESTINED FOR GREATNESS.”

A young girl and her papa watch the night sky together. She’s proud that he works in the mill that is making the fabric for spacesuits of the astronauts who will someday land on the moon. Papa is only proud to make a living. Time passes slowly as they wait until the day of the launch and then the landing. As she sees the astronauts in their spacesuits, she knows those threads that are keeping the astronauts alive, the thread that are touching the moon are the same threads woven together by her father. The girl is so proud that her papa helped put a man on the moon.

A lovely story celebrating fathers. For primary level story time about space, pair with The Darkest Dark to highlight that space travel like other major accomplishments is the work of many people over the course of many years.

An attractive and informative young reader version of the authors’ award winning book, The Salish Sea: Jewel of the Pacific Northwest. The authors share their knowledge of the Salish Sea from an interdisciplinary approach that includes an history, geology, oceanography, marine biology, ecology, as well as the human impact on the region. Colorful captioned photographs highlight the text.

A great title to promote curiosity in the unseen magnificence of the Pacific Northwest. Highly recommended for all libraries.

Pig seems to be always making trouble; messing up the living room mat, shattering a beautiful vase, and ripping up a dress. With an innocent bug-eyed look, Pig blames his friend Trevor. Poor Trevor doesn’t understand how his friend can do this to him. Pig’s next scheme, however, catches up with him. As he climbs up to grab a bag of treats from the to shelf, a bowling ball behind the treats falls and smashes him in the head. He’s learned his lesson!

Expressive illustrations, rhyming text and engaging characters make this a fun picture book for storytime.

This leveled reader from Dash! (imprint of Abdo) describes for young readers what a cat needs and some of the behaviors to expect from a pet cat. Colorful cat photographs directly support the text. Unlike some leveled readers, this title contains enough text to effectively communicate meaning, yet the volume of text brief enough to not overwhelm young readers. Readers will walk away understanding the basics of cat care.

Contains table of contents, glossary, index, and online resources.

Sayre again celebrates the diversity and beauty of nature this time with a book showing the explosion of color and shape of flowers in bloom. Oversized book format makes the close-up color photos a good companion for a story time focusing on spring or flowers.

Leaves emerge./Stalks surge./Bloom boom!
Bulbs send./Tips extend./Bloom boom!

The sparse, but rich language encourages readers to delve into the nuances of scientific descriptions.

Flip the Bird by Kym Brunner introduces many readers to the practice of falconry. Mercer Buddie is fourteen and gets to capture his first hawk for his apprentice year of falconry. There is tension in the air – between Mercer and his older brother (an expert falconer and accomplished ladies man). More tension with Mercer wanting his father to treat him like an adult but he continues to shirk responsibilities, pout, and lie. The story takes a turn with the introduction of Lucy. Mercer crushes hard and sets on a course to win her heart. Unfortunately, this course involves Mercer acting like someone he is not and lying to his parents, Lucy, and himself.  With an animal rights activism twist, the conflict escalates to a fever pitch and Mercer’s worlds collide. Mercer must decide where he stands and what he believes. Packed with emotion, this page-turner will captivate readers and tug at their heartstrings. Brunner masterfully creates a world where Mercer and the reader discover the nuances of animal welfare, scientific research, animal husbandry, and animal rights activism. The reader also realizes, through Mercer’s mistakes, that lying – big or small – can have profound consequences. Flip the Bird is a great addition to a YA collection.

Emily Edelman really wants her very own cell phone for her twelfth birthday. Instead she gets a family trip to the ocean where her little brother fills her sandwich with sand when she isn’t looking and her big sister spends her tme sulking due to the confiscation of her mobile device.  Emily’s parents are a bit distracted and somehow end up with a cake that’s celebrating Emily’s eleventh birthday. Everyone, except Emily, has a good laugh about the bakery’s mistake. As Emily takes a break from family time, she strolls along the beach where she discovers an unusual beach rock. Later that night, she discovers that the beach rock isn’t quite what it appears to be.  The rock is a magical spell stone and Emily is a Stonemaster. Emily’s discovery lands her loved ones in danger and only Emily can save them. This humorous tale of adventure, fantasy, and friendship will have readers laughing out loud. A recommended purchase where you have fans of fantastic and humorous adventures.