Diana: Princess of the Amazons

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Thanks to NetGalley and DC Comics for the review copy of Diana: Princess of the Amazons by Shannon Hale & Dean Hale and illustrated by Victoria Ying. All opinions are my own. This book is releasing today, January 7, 2020.

This graphic novel is about Diana, daughter of the queen of the Amazons. Diana hates that she is the only kid among the Amazons. She builds a friend out of clay and wishes for her to come to life. She is shocked when it works and is delighted to finally have a friend! However, things may not be as they seem. Instead of relieving her boredom, her new friend may just lead her into trouble.

The illustrations in this book are wonderful! If you pay close attention, there are some subtle clues in a few of the illustrations that help the reader figure out the ending. This story has a great lesson about friendship and choosing your friends wisely. I think many kids will be able to relate to feeling torn about a friend the way that Diana does in this story. This book would be ideal for grades 3 -6. Amazon affiliate link below.

Harvey Comes Home

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Thanks to the Kid Lit Exchange network and Pajama Press for the review copy of Harvey Comes Home by Colleen Nelson and illustrated by Tara Anderson. All opinions are my own. This book was released on September 19, 2019.

Harvey, a West Highland Terrier, escapes his yard to chase a squirrel but becomes hopelessly lost. He wanders around town and eventually comes to rest outside Brayside Retirement Villa where Austin finds him. Austin is a young boy that helps his grandpa clean Brayside as a punishment for bringing firecrackers to school. Austin’s mom and grandpa agree to let Austin keep Harvey while they search for the owner. However, when it comes time to take Harvey to check for a microchip, Austin chickens out. He lies to his mom and grandpa and tells them that they couldn’t find Harvey’s owner. Meanwhile, Maggie, Harvey’s owner, misses her dog dearly and searches for him. Across town, Austin and Harvey become close, and Austin tries to convince himself that he is doing the right thing by keeping Harvey. Then Austin realizes that Harvey is the key to getting cranky, old Mr. Pickering to open up about his past and his trusty dog named General. Will Mr. Pickering’s stories be enough to convince Austin to do the right thing?

I absolutely adored this sweet tale of a dog bringing people together. Colleen Nelson does a beautiful job of weaving a tale that includes tough choices, heartbreak, and hope. This book would be fantastic for teaching or reviewing point of view since the chapters alternate between three different perspectives: Harvey, Austin, and Maggie. As a social studies teacher, I also enjoyed that this book included some information about the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl. This book would be ideal for grades 3 – 6. Amazon affiliate link below.

Weird Little Robots

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Thanks to the Kid Lit Exchange network and Candlewick Press for the review copy of Weird Little Robots by Carolyn Crimi and illustrated by Corinna Luyken. All opinions are my own. This book was released on October 1, 2019.

Penny Rose is nine years old and has just moved to a new town. She has struggled to make friends and spends most of her time building robots in the shed in her backyard. After spending her birthday alone, she makes a wish for a friend. The next day things begin to change. Her robots come to life and start moving on their own. She also befriends a girl named Lark, and they begin to work together on the robots. Then one day Penny Rose finds an invitation in her locker to join a secret science club. Penny Rose must choose between her only friend and joining the club.

This is a heartwarming story about friendship, loyalty, and promises that I feel many kids will be able to relate to. I also love that this book focuses on girls interested in science and STEM. With a few beautiful hand-drawn illustrations sprinkled throughout, this would be a good book for readers that love graphic novels. This book would be ideal for grades 3 – 6. Amazon affiliate link below.

Wildfire

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Thanks to the Kid Lit Exchange network and Scholastic Inc. for the review copy of Wildfire by Rodman Philbrick. All opinions are my own. This book was released on September 3, 2019.

From the author of Freak the Mighty, comes this new book about 12-year old Sam that gets separated from his campmates just as a wildfire rages through the area. The next few days are filled with action as Sam tries to remember what his late father taught him about surviving. Along the way, Sam meets a 14-year old girl named Delphy, and they work together to try and survive and make it back to civilization.

At less than 200 pages, and packed with action, this book would be great for reluctant readers! I didn’t want to put the book down, and there was a lot of action to keep the plot moving quickly. I liked that the end of the novel included more information about wildfires as well as safety tips. This book would be ideal for grades 4 – 7.

I liked this book so much, that I purchased a copy for my fourth-grade classroom, and this book hasn’t been on my bookshelf since I first placed it there! Students are lining up to be the next one to read it! Amazon affiliate link below if you are interested in purchasing your own copy!

Beginners Welcome

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Thanks to the Kid Lit Exchange network and Harper Books for the review copy of this book by Cindy Baldwin. All opinions are my own. This book is scheduled to be released on February 20, 2020.

Cindy Baldwin has done it again! Fans of Where the Watermelons Grow will LOVE this book! Cindy Baldwin has a gift for writing in a way that is both emotional and realistic.

Annie Lee has a lot on her shoulders. Eighty-three days ago, her father suddenly dropped dead while playing a game of basketball at church. The grief alone feels like it may crush her, and the sudden life changes are not helping. Annie Lee and her mom had to move into a tiny, cramped apartment across town. Annie Lee is also starting a new school, and her best friends from her old school have drifted away from her. To make matters worse, Annie Lee’s mother had to make her part-time job cleaning houses into a full-time job, leaving Annie Lee alone for several hours after school.

With the struggles of life overwhelming her, Annie Lee has decided her new goal is to try and be invisible. She avoids talking to others or making connections to them because she’s learned that letting others in makes it hurt so much more when they leave. Despite her best efforts to remain invisible, Annie Lee befriends a skater girl at school named Mitch and an elderly pianist named Ray. However, when Ray goes missing, Annie Lee may have to risk losing her new friendship with Mitch to find him.

I absolutely loved this book for its beauty and raw emotion. Cindy Baldwin has such a gift for getting to the real and often ugly thoughts that accompany strong grief. At one point, Annie Lee wishes that it had been her mother that died instead of her father. This part felt so raw to me, and I could see a kid having this thought, and feeling so much guilt over it, just as Annie Lee does. I think some children may be able to find comfort in these raw and emotional parts of the book because it can show them that they are not alone. This book is a MUST read for anybody in grade 4 and up. Affiliate link below.

Everything Awesome About Dinosaurs

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Thanks to the Kid Lit Exchange network and Orchard Books for the review copy of this book by Mike Lowery. All opinions are my own. This book will be released on October 15, 2019.

My favorite thing about this nonfiction text is that it looks and reads like a graphic novel. The facts are paired with jokes and cartoon-like drawings that will keep kids interested. There is even a section at the end that explains how to draw various dinosaurs. I also love that this book gives a brief history of life on Earth leading up to the dinosaurs. Then the dinosaurs themselves are presented in an award show style format with “awards” for the fastest dinosaur, largest dinosaur, etc. This text even explores a few extinction theories and discusses other prehistoric creatures. There are a lot of facts and information packed into this book, but it is presented in a way that does not feel overwhelming or boring.

This would be a great book for children that are reluctant to read nonfiction books. The graphic novel feel will help to hold their attention, and they’ll learn some pretty amazing facts! This book would be ideal for grades 2 – 5. Affiliate link below.

Superhero Playbook

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Thanks to the Kid Lit Exchange network and Duo Press for the review copy of this book by Randall Lotowycz. All opinions are my own. This book will be released on October 1, 2019.

This book takes a fresh new look at superheroes. Instead of focusing on their superpowers, this book focuses on the virtues that make superheroes great. Then it explains that kids can be like superheroes by following these virtues. Virtues/topics addressed include: responsibility, leadership, perseverance, confidence, standing up to bullies, and many more. Each topic is dealt with in a kid-friendly way and gives practical suggestions for ways that kids can show these virtues now. I also loved that the book acknowledged when superheroes made some not so good choices and explained what they learned from those choices.

This would be a great book for parents or teachers to use to start discussions with their kids around virtues and how to show them in everyday life. It would work great for a virtue of the month or week activity since each superhero’s story could be read separately. This book would be ideal for grades 2 – 5. Affiliate link below.

The Light in the Lake

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Thanks to the Kid Lit Exchange network and Little Brown for the review copy of this book by Sarah R. Baughman. All opinions are my own. This book will be released on September 3, 2019.

Twelve-year-old Addie loves science and her teacher wants her to apply for a Young Scientist position for the summer. If she is accepted, she will spend all summer on Maple Lake helping scientists collect and analyze data. This sounds like a dream come true for Addie, but she hasn’t been to Maple Lake since her twin brother, Amos, drowned in it a few months ago. She is ready to go back, but how will she be able to convince her parents to let her return?
Then Addie finds a journal her brother was keeping that contains clues and evidence of a mysterious creature living in Maple Lake. Addie didn’t believe Amos when he told her about his theory of the creature’s existence shortly before he died. His clues hardly seemed scientific or factual to Addie, but now she is determined to prove him right.

This is an amazing debut novel that beautifully weaves together both science and magic with a focus on the scientific method and environmentalism. Addie is a well-developed character that struggles with grief and learning who she is without her twin brother. This book would be ideal for grades 4 – 6. Affiliate link below.