Friends by Daniela Sosa

Friends brings both joy and struggle to childhood. In the book, Friends, Daniela Sosa invites the reader to reflect on the who, what, where, why, and how of friends.

Some friends are there from the start. Others come exactly when you need them.
Some friendships last only a few moments. Others last a lifetime.
Friends can be very close or far away.

The experiences and interactions in the book are those that all young children experience at one time or another. Use Friends to support Social Emotional Learning goals or as comforting reminder to celebrate friendship in all its forms.

Character illustrations include age and racial diversity. There is little evidence of diversity in social economic or children of differing abilities.

Burmese Python vs. Sun Bear by Nathan Sommer

Burmese Python vs. Sun Bear is part of the Animal Battles series. In this series, two animals face off against each other. Each book starts off with a description of the two competitors, their attack moves, their secret weapons and then finally the battle. The narrative text at the end describes the fight scene and will certainly catch the reader’s attention. The book has 4-5 sentences per page for each animal and color photographs.

Text features such as bold words, text boxes, maps, a table of contents, glossary and an index are incorporated to aid the readers. Profiles of animal statistics include the height and weight as well as the physical advantages of each animal and habitat.

In Burmese Python vs. Sun Bear, the phyton prepares to ambush the sun bear. Each animal’s unique characteristics could lead to it winning this face-off. Which animal will come out on top?

Arctic Fox vs. Snowy Owl by Nathan Sommer

Arctic Fox vs. Snowy Owl is part of the Animal Battles series. In this series, two animals face off against each other. Each book starts off with a description of the two competitors, their attack moves, their secret weapons and then finally the battle. The narrative text at the end describes the fight scene and will certainly catch the reader’s attention. The book has 4-5 sentences per page for each animal and color photographs.

Text features such as bold words, text boxes, maps, a table of contents, glossary and an index are incorporated to aid the readers. Profiles of animal statistics include the height and weight as well as the physical advantages of each animal and habitat.

In Arctic Fox vs. Snowy Owl, the reader learns that a snowy owl may challenge an Arctic fox for its food. Each animal’s unique characteristics could lead to it winning this face-off. Which animal will come out on top?

Harpy Eagle vs. Ocelot by Nathan Sommer

Harpy Eagle vs. Ocelot is part of the Animal Battles series. In this series, two animals face off against each other. Each book starts off with a description of the two competitors, their attack moves, their secret weapons and then finally the battle. The narrative text at the end describes the fight scene and will certainly catch the reader’s attention. The book has 4-5 sentences per page for each animal and color photographs.

Text features such as bold words, text boxes, maps, a table of contents, glossary and an index are incorporated to aid the readers. Profiles of animal statistics include the height and weight as well as the physical advantages of each animal and habitat.

In Harpy Eagle vs. Ocelot, the reader learns both animals have excellent eyesight. A Harpy Eagle can see small prey and ocelots can see well in the dark. Each animal’s unique characteristics could lead to it winning this face-off. Which animal will come out on top?

Crocodile Monitor vs. Southern Cassowary by Nathan Sommer

Crocodile Monitor vs. Southern Cassowary is part of the Animal Battles series. In this series, two animals face off against each other. Each book starts off with a description of the two competitors, their attack moves, their secret weapons and then finally the battle. The narrative text at the end describes the fight scene and will certainly catch the reader’s attention. The book has 4-5 sentences per page for each animal and color photographs.

Text features such as bold words, text boxes, maps, a table of contents, glossary and an index are incorporated to aid the readers. Profiles of animal statistics include the height and weight as well as the physical advantages of each animal and habitat.

In Crocodile Monitor vs. Southern Cassowary, a large crocodile monitor stalks a southern cassowary. Each animal’s unique characteristics could lead to it winning this face-off. Which animal will come out on top?

Kaboom! A Volcano Erupts by Jessica Kulekjian

A sleeping volcano begins to stir and eventually erupts. This engaging informational picture book is told from the perspective of the volcano and follows the volcano as it goes from dormant to active. The main text from the volcano is large and one sentence to a page, attainable for young readers. The reader learners more scientific information from a bird on each page of the book. The reader is introduced to scientific vocabulary through the bird’s narration. The cartoon illustrations are colorful and vibrant. The back matter contains phases of a volcano, anatomy of a volcano, common types of volcanoes, and resources.

Awe-some Day: Poems about the Jewish Holidays by Marilyn Singer

This collection of poetry follows that Jewish year, highlighting important holidays. Starting with Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, each holiday has a poem from the point of view of a young girl. The poems incorporate the experiences, rituals, and feelings of a child celebrating each holiday. The facing page then explains the origin and significance of the holiday as well the different ways it is celebrated.

The majority of the holidays are based in the religious celebrations of the Jewish faith. The secular holidays included are Yom Ha’atzmaut (Israel Independence Day) and Yom Ha Shoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day).

Awe-some Days will resonate with the experiences of Jewish children, but can also act as a introduction for non-Jewish readers. The format makes it easy to see connections across beliefs.

Lamborghini Huracan

This review applies to all of Bellwether’s Epic Cool Cars series. I like this series. It’s a solid choice for any library with patrons with limited reading ability and an interest in high-end sports cars. They provide a solid amount of information in a predictable format, with a lot of supports for those who may struggle with reading: the photos and diagrams support the text; vocabulary words from the glossary are highlighted in green; glossary definitions are clear and specific to the context. The topic will be of interest to a lot of readers. Even as someone not particularly interested in sports cars, I can declare I found them interesting and informative. The Diamondback binding is sturdy enough to stand up to extensive library wear. The graphics and design add appeal to the target audience without distracting from the content. My only criticism is directed at the marketing blurb in the front of each book opposite the the Table of Contents: in proclaiming in advance that Epic books “burst with intense action, high-speed heroics, and shadows of the unknown,” they rather over-sell themselves unnecessarily. I didn’t notice much in the way of heroics or action or shadows of the unknown, but I did find a lot of solid and interesting information.

Lamborghini Sian

This review applies to all of Bellwether’s Epic Cool Cars series. I like this series. It’s a solid choice for any library with patrons with limited reading ability and an interest in high-end sports cars. They provide a solid amount of information in a predictable format, with a lot of supports for those who may struggle with reading: the photos and diagrams support the text; vocabulary words from the glossary are highlighted in green; glossary definitions are clear and specific to the context. The topic will be of interest to a lot of readers. Even as someone not particularly interested in sports cars, I can declare I found them interesting and informative. The Diamondback binding is sturdy enough to stand up to extensive library wear. The graphics and design add appeal to the target audience without distracting from the content. My only criticism is directed at the marketing blurb in the front of each book opposite the the Table of Contents: in proclaiming in advance that Epic books “burst with intense action, high-speed heroics, and shadows of the unknown,” they rather over-sell themselves unnecessarily. I didn’t notice much in the way of heroics or action or shadows of the unknown, but I did find a lot of solid and interesting information.

Ferrari 812 Superfast

This review applies to all of Bellwether’s Epic Cool Cars series. I like this series. It’s a solid choice for any library with patrons with limited reading ability and an interest in high-end sports cars. They provide a solid amount of information in a predictable format, with a lot of supports for those who may struggle with reading: the photos and diagrams support the text; vocabulary words from the glossary are highlighted in green; glossary definitions are clear and specific to the context. The topic will be of interest to a lot of readers. Even as someone not particularly interested in sports cars, I can declare I found them interesting and informative. The Diamondback binding is sturdy enough to stand up to extensive library wear. The graphics and design add appeal to the target audience without distracting from the content. My only criticism is directed at the marketing blurb in the front of each book opposite the the Table of Contents: in proclaiming in advance that Epic books “burst with intense action, high-speed heroics, and shadows of the unknown,” they rather over-sell themselves unnecessarily. I didn’t notice much in the way of heroics or action or shadows of the unknown, but I did find a lot of solid and interesting information.

Ferrari F8 Tributo

This review applies to all of Bellwether’s Epic Cool Cars series. I like this series. It’s a solid choice for any library with patrons with limited reading ability and an interest in high-end sports cars. They provide a solid amount of information in a predictable format, with a lot of supports for those who may struggle with reading: the photos and diagrams support the text; vocabulary words from the glossary are highlighted in green; glossary definitions are clear and specific to the context. The topic will be of interest to a lot of readers. Even as someone not particularly interested in sports cars, I can declare I found them interesting and informative. The Diamondback binding is sturdy enough to stand up to extensive library wear. The graphics and design add appeal to the target audience without distracting from the content. My only criticism is directed at the marketing blurb in the front of each book opposite the the Table of Contents: in proclaiming in advance that Epic books “burst with intense action, high-speed heroics, and shadows of the unknown,” they rather over-sell themselves unnecessarily. I didn’t notice much in the way of heroics or action or shadows of the unknown, but I did find a lot of solid and interesting information.

Porsche Taycan

This review applies to all of Bellwether’s Epic Cool Cars series. I like this series. It’s a solid choice for any library with patrons with limited reading ability and an interest in high-end sports cars. They provide a solid amount of information in a predictable format, with a lot of supports for those who may struggle with reading: the photos and diagrams support the text; vocabulary words from the glossary are highlighted in green; glossary definitions are clear and specific to the context. The topic will be of interest to a lot of readers. Even as someone not particularly interested in sports cars, I can declare I found them interesting and informative. The Diamondback binding is sturdy enough to stand up to extensive library wear. The graphics and design add appeal to the target audience without distracting from the content. My only criticism is directed at the marketing blurb in the front of each book opposite the the Table of Contents: in proclaiming in advance that Epic books “burst with intense action, high-speed heroics, and shadows of the unknown,” they rather over-sell themselves unnecessarily. I didn’t notice much in the way of heroics or action or shadows of the unknown, but I did find a lot of solid and interesting information.

McLaren 720S

This review applies to all of Bellwether’s Epic Cool Cars series. I like this series. It’s a solid choice for any library with patrons with limited reading ability and an interest in high-end sports cars. They provide a solid amount of information in a predictable format, with a lot of supports for those who may struggle with reading: the photos and diagrams support the text; vocabulary words from the glossary are highlighted in green; glossary definitions are clear and specific to the context. The topic will be of interest to a lot of readers. Even as someone not particularly interested in sports cars, I can declare I found them interesting and informative. The Diamondback binding is sturdy enough to stand up to extensive library wear. The graphics and design add appeal to the target audience without distracting from the content. My only criticism is directed at the marketing blurb in the front of each book opposite the the Table of Contents: in proclaiming in advance that Epic books “burst with intense action, high-speed heroics, and shadows of the unknown,” they rather over-sell themselves unnecessarily. I didn’t notice much in the way of heroics or action or shadows of the unknown, but I did find a lot of solid and interesting information.

Bugatti Chiron

This review applies to all of Bellwether’s Epic Cool Cars series. I like this series. It’s a solid choice for any library with patrons with limited reading ability and an interest in high-end sports cars. They provide a solid amount of information in a predictable format, with a lot of supports for those who may struggle with reading: the photos and diagrams support the text; vocabulary words from the glossary are highlighted in green; glossary definitions are clear and specific to the context. The topic will be of interest to a lot of readers. Even as someone not particularly interested in sports cars, I can declare I found them interesting and informative. The Diamondback binding is sturdy enough to stand up to extensive library wear. The graphics and design add appeal to the target audience without distracting from the content. My only criticism is directed at the marketing blurb in the front of each book opposite the the Table of Contents: in proclaiming in advance that Epic books “burst with intense action, high-speed heroics, and shadows of the unknown,” they rather over-sell themselves unnecessarily. I didn’t notice much in the way of heroics or action or shadows of the unknown, but I did find a lot of solid and interesting information.

Aston Martin Valhalla

This review applies to all of Bellwether’s Epic Cool Cars series. I like this series. It’s a solid choice for any library with patrons with limited reading ability and an interest in high-end sports cars. They provide a solid amount of information in a predictable format, with a lot of supports for those who may struggle with reading: the photos and diagrams support the text; vocabulary words from the glossary are highlighted in green; glossary definitions are clear and specific to the context. The topic will be of interest to a lot of readers. Even as someone not particularly interested in sports cars, I can declare I found them interesting and informative. The Diamondback binding is sturdy enough to stand up to extensive library wear. The graphics and design add appeal to the target audience without distracting from the content. My only criticism is directed at the marketing blurb in the front of each book opposite the the Table of Contents: in proclaiming in advance that Epic books “burst with intense action, high-speed heroics, and shadows of the unknown,” they rather over-sell themselves unnecessarily. I didn’t notice much in the way of heroics or action or shadows of the unknown, but I did find a lot of solid and interesting information.

Lotus Evija

This review applies to all of Bellwether’s Epic Cool Cars series. I like this series. It’s a solid choice for any library with patrons with limited reading ability and an interest in high-end sports cars. They provide a solid amount of information in a predictable format, with a lot of supports for those who may struggle with reading: the photos and diagrams support the text; vocabulary words from the glossary are highlighted in green; glossary definitions are clear and specific to the context. The topic will be of interest to a lot of readers. Even as someone not particularly interested in sports cars, I can declare I found them interesting and informative. The Diamondback binding is sturdy enough to stand up to extensive library wear. The graphics and design add appeal to the target audience without distracting from the content. My only criticism is directed at the marketing blurb in the front of each book opposite the the Table of Contents: in proclaiming in advance that Epic books “burst with intense action, high-speed heroics, and shadows of the unknown,” they rather over-sell themselves unnecessarily. I didn’t notice much in the way of heroics or action or shadows of the unknown, but I did find a lot of solid and interesting information.

Felice and the Wailing Woman

by Diana Lopez

Felice, a twelve year old Mexican American girl, is being raised by her Uncle Clem since her mother and younger brothers drowned so many years earlier. As a result of her traumatic experience, she is extremely afraid of water and this fear holds her back in so many ways. One day, she discovers that her mother is the infamous La Llorona, a mythical creature that lives in the river and drowns anyone she can lure there. Believing that she can meet her mother, bring her some peace and overcome her own fears, Felice travels to Tres Leches, the border town where the tragedy occurred. Along with the mayor and two new friends, who also happen to be the offspring of monsters, Felice overcomes her fears and helps her mother accept her loss thus freeing the town from its curse.

This story weaves Mexican folktales and culture into a modern day fantasy piece that moves along quickly. The characters are well-written and quirky and the end is touching and magical. Recommended for those collections where a fantasy is appreciated.

The Loud Librarian by Jenna Beatrice

Penelope could not wait to be the student librarian. She had practiced alphabetizing, book-cart pushing, and due-date stickering. She new she was perfect for the job, but there was just one problem. Penelope is loud, so loud astronauts could hear her in space. How can she find her place in the library?

The illustrations are vibrant and inclusive. The text when Penelope is loud is large and jumps off the page. The would be a fun read aloud to show that everyone has a place in the library.

I Am a Tornado by Drew Beckmeyer

Tornado is coming through without a care of what it destroys. When the tornado picks up a cow, the very patient cow notices that the tornado seems upset and listens to the tornado. As the cow and tornado talk, the tornado starts to get smaller and smaller with the cow promising to stay until the tornado blows away.

While the focus of the book seems to be on anger and having someone listen to you there is a little bit of science about tornadoes thrown in in the middle. This would be a good book for SEL because the tornado did not realize that it was upset and just felt powerful destroying things until the cow took the time to listen.

The Bright Side by Chad Otis

A young boy lives on the bus with his family. He showers outside, they snuggle to stay warm, and he uses his imagination. One day his mom decides that it is time for him to go to school. He struggles to make friends and to follow the expectations that all of the other students seem to know. It’s hard to stay positive and look at the bright side, but using the skills that his parents taught him he discovers that he can do new things.

A gentle look at houselessness with a message of perseverance. Many readers can empathize with the main characters desire to fit in and make friends.

Danbi’s Favorite Day by Anna Kim

Children’s Day is here and Danbi cannot wait to invite her friends to the party just like she did in Korea. Danbi tells them there will be kites, magic castles, tigers, train rides, and chocolate chip cookies. Danbi’s party does not live up to the hype and she must get creative to save her favorite day.

The artwork in this book is outstanding. The characters are expressive and personalities distinct. The colors are delicate and vibrant in complement to the story.

Ramen For Everyone by Patricia Tanumihardja

Hiro loves ramen and he wants to make the perfect bowl of ramen just like his dad. His dad makes ramen every Sunday and Hiro has been studying how his dad makes ramen. When he turns 7, Hiro decides that he is ready to make ramen. He follows all of the steps, but his ramen did not turn out like his dad’s. Hiro and his dad come up with a way to save dinner.

Shiho Pate’s illustrations are colorful and expressive bringing in the feelings of hope and frustration in Hiro. The end pages include notes about ramen, rules for the kitchen, and a recipe for Easy Miso Ramen.

Worm and Caterpillar are Friends by Kaz Windness

Worm and Caterpillar are best friends. Worm thinks they are alike, but Caterpillar keeps trying to tell Worm that they are different. One day Caterpillar suddenly changes. Worm sticks by Caterpillar while it changes, but wonders if they can still be friends.

This is a Ready to Read Graphics and explains how to read a graphic novel at the beginning of the book. Worm and Caterpillar explain speech bubbles, thought bubbles, panels and what direction and order to read the text. For younger readers who want to read graphic novels, these would be a good introduction. The beginning does have the feel of a picture book because after explaining about panels, the first four pages of text are two page panel spreads and readers do not get to multiple panels on the page until the 6th page.

The life cycle of a worm and a butterfly are included at the end. The author also has included steps for how to draw a worm and how to draw a butterfly on the last page.

Isla of Adventure: Welcome to the Island by Dela Costa

Isla Verde has a secret. She can talk to animals. Her best friend is an gecko named Fitz. No one else on the island new she could talk to animals, except the animals. Isla loves her island home. One day Isla notices that a new girl was moving in next door. Isla can’t wait to show Tora Rosa, who is from a big city, her island home. Isla and Tora seem to be opposites. Will Isla make a human friend?

This beginning chapter book has black and white pictures on almost every page and would be great for those starting to read chapter books.

We Are Going to be Pals!

By Mark Teague

In another well illustrated and fun book by Mark Teague, author and illustrator of the “How to Dinosaurs” series, he introduces symbiotic relationships to young readers in a humorous way. The overly chatty cattle egret introduces themself to the ever silent rhino. While getting to know each other the egret tells jokes and explains what you need to have a good friendship.

This beautifully illustrated book will have young readers giggling at the egret as he tries to get the rhino to talk to him. This is yet another great book from Mark Teague that will be popular in your library.