Three Little Witches and the Spooky Old House by Peggy Archer, illustrated by Gaia Bordicchia (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 40 pages, ages 3-6). An abandoned house sits at the end of a long, dark road, all alone until three witches make their way to the front door carrying a broom, a sack, and a pot. Inside, they get to work cleaning up the house, building a fire, and casting mysterious spells. Mice, bugs, and ghosts emerge from the shadows and watch them work. Finally, there’s a knock on the door, and the witches greet their friends: an ogre, a mummy, and a goblin. Everyone sits down at the table to enjoy a fall treat of popcorn and cider inside the cozy–and now happy–house.
I had kind of mixed feelings about this book. I really liked all the onomatopoeia and the repetition, both of which would make it a good choice for preschool kids, but the text was written in verses that felt like they should rhyme. My other objection was the traditional gender roles, with the girl witches cleaning, cooking, and serving the food to their male-presenting monster friends. I did love the illustrations, and if you’re looking for a non-scary Halloween book that includes witches, haunted houses, and monsters, this definitely fits the bill.
The Broom of Doom by Becky Davies, illustrated by Thomas Elliott (Union Square Kids, 40 pages, ages 4-8). “This is a story about justice…It is not a story about jealousy at all,” begins the narrator, who turns out to be a witch’s broom. The broom is tired of being in the background all the time, and when it gets its hand on the witch’s wish potion, it’s time to turn the tables. The broom wishes first to be a star and gets turned into a literal star, only to feel invisible again in the sky with so many other stars. Its second wish is to be as famous as the witch, but this turns out to be a burden when the public expects the same level of spells that the witch can provide. Finally, the broom wishes to go back to the old way of being a witch’s broom and is relieved when it turns into a regular broom again. There’s a funny twist on the last couple pages that will leave the reader questioning if it really is the end of the story.
Here’s another non-scary Halloween choice with a cluelessly funny narrator and a classic three wishes sequence that could be used as a compare and contrast with other stories. The comic-style illustrations will appeal to fans of Dan Santat and Pete Oswald. I missed the first book by this team, but if you enjoy this, you can also check out The Mushroom of Doom.
Framed by Karina Evans and Andrea Bell (HarperAlley, 176 pages, grades 3-7). Tobey’s been in a bad mood for a while now, lashing out at everyone, even her best friend Kate. When her art teacher assigns the class to paint something important to them, Tobey tries, then angrily tosses her paper in the trash. She winds up in detention with two other kids, Layla and Reed. At the end of detention, the art teacher appears and accuses Tobey of having trashed the rest of the class’s paintings and tells her that she’s calling in Tobey’s parents for a meeting with the principal. Layla and Reed offer to help Tobey prove her innocence, and the three of them spend the afternoon sneaking around the school, trying to figure out who framed Tobey. Ultimately, they fail, and Tobey winds up in the principal’s office at the end of the day. There, she confronts her parents about having overheard them discussing a divorce, and the family has a much-needed conversation about what’s going on. Layla and Reed wait for Tobey at the end of the meeting, she tells them about her family, and the three of them manage to crack the case of the art room drama. By the end of the story, Tobey’s still facing some family uncertainties but she’s doing so with the help of her friends Kate, Layla, and Reed.
This is a fun graphic novel mystery as well as a heartwarming friendship and family story. It’s also a quick read that will appeal to reluctant readers. There aren’t enough graphic novel mysteries, and I hope we’ll get another one featuring Tobey and her friends.
Rumor Has It (The Luckies book 1) by Sarah Mlynowski and Christina Soontornvat, illustrated by Madi Wong (Scholastic, 192 pages, grades 4-8). Leela and Annie are 15-year-olds who alternate chapters that tell the story of their blended family starting life together in a new home. Leela and her younger sister Mia lost their dad to cancer, while Annie and her brothers Alex and Aiden have a mom who left the family for Hollywood. Their parents are now engaged to each other, and they’re moving into the mansion that Leela’s mom grew up in and that she recently inherited. Annie’s excited to be settling down after moving a lot in her earlier years, while Leela’s sad to be leaving New York City and the memories she has there of her dad. When Annie impulsively volunteers their new house for a big school fundraiser, all kinds of drama ensues with friends, crushes, and old family secrets coming to light. While the new family works things out and seems to be back on track by the end of the book, there are just enough loose ends and one big cliffhanger to have readers eagerly awaiting book 2.
This is book 1 in a series that’s part of Scholastic’s new NEXT imprint which seems to be designed to encourage graphic novel readers to try nongraphic books. With short chapters, high interest topics, and plenty of illustrations, this would be a good suggestion for fans of Soontornvat’s The Tryout or the Raina Telgemeier books. Book 1 of another NEXT series, Rival High, was released at the same time.
This Is a Library Book by Joyce Grant, illustrated by Chanelle Nibbelink (Kids Can Press, 48 pages, grades 3-6). This love letter to libraries looks at all kinds of libraries, from early ones to ancient Greece to ones that have served as beacons in such places as Auschwitz and war-torn Syria, to cutting edge institutions that only have digital books or that lend out unusual non-book items (including people!). There are little free libraries that have made banned books available to everyone and a camel library that brings books to kids in Pakistan. And libraries in places like prisons and hospitals bring light to those living through a dark time. Includes a list of libraries mentioned in the book with their websites, a glossary, a bibliography, and and an index.
Reading this book made me proud to be a librarian and really expanded my definition of the library! I loved the illustrations and the fascinating stories of libraries past, present, and future, although I found the text a bit too small and dense (I wish the creators had continued the first pages’ comic book style throughout). But thank goodness the stereotype of the sensibly-shod gray-haired librarian shushing people is being replaced by cool freedom fighters who bring joy and innovation around the world!
The Little Stone Buddha by Grace Lin (Alvina Ling Books, 40 pages, ages 4-8). “The Little Stone Buddha had been lost. He was not supposed to be there.” Surrounded by trash on a city street, the Little Stone Buddha smiles up at the sky, day and night. One day a little girl and her mother walk by. Although her mother tells her not to touch the garbage, the girl pulls out the Buddha and sets him up on a box. Other people see him and start picking up some of the trash around him. A woman brings him flowers; a couple puts an umbrella over him. Little by little, people clean up the area around the Buddha and add plants a mural, and a bench until the dirty garbage dump has been transformed into a beautiful community park. Includes an author’s note and photos about the inspirations for this book: The Little Houseby Virginia Lee Burton and the Oakland Buddha, a real stone Buddha that helped transform a dumping ground in Oakland, CA.
I found this story delightful and enjoyed the inspiring messages both about a community coming together almost by accident to create something beautiful in their midst and the Little Stone Buddha who smiled at his circumstances whether he was abandoned in a pile of trash or surrounded by flowers and friendly people in a park. I loved how the illustrations gradually transformed from grays and browns to a riot of color.
Mind vs. Machine: The Chess Match That Changed the World by Steve Sheinkin and Maurice Ashley, illustrated by Thien Pham (Roaring Brook Press, 240 pages, grades 5-10). In 1997, Garry Kasparov, world chess champion for over a decade, played a series of six games against Deep Blue, an IBM supercomputer. Grandmaster Maurice Ashley was one of the commentators on the games, and he has co-authored this graphic novel with award-winning nonfiction author Sheinkin. At the time, it was shocking to think of a machine beating a human, and the games were so close that readers have to keep going almost until the end to learn the outcome. The last few pages look at how the world has changed in the nearly 30 years since that game, and how chess players today accept that AI can routinely beat them. Includes notes from both authors about their collaboration.
This book could hardly be timelier, and the graphic novel format makes it a fairly easy and exciting read. I liked that the conclusion neither glorified nor demonized AI, just looked at some of the issues and possibilities that are raised as technology continues to grow exponentially. Because of this, it would make a great classroom or book club read that would engender a lot of discussion.
The Wild Season: The Remarkable True Story of a Rabbit Rescue by Dashka Slater, illustrated by Jamey Christoph (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 272 pages, grades 3-6). When four domesticated rabbits were spotted in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Heights Park in the spring of 2023, neighbors rallied to try to rescue the bunnies before they became a hawk or coyote’s dinner. Led by professional rabbit rescuer Jessica Peters, the team soon included a kids’ club dedicated to the search, a local dog walker and her neighbors, and a teen animal lover who became known as a bunny whisperer when she caught three of the animals. Scientific information about wild versus domesticated animals in general and rabbits in particular is expertly woven into the narrative that’s divided into seven sections, each one introduced with a quote from a classic children’s book that features rabbits. Happily, all four rabbits are rescued and rehomed, although that process is not straightforward and shows some of the difficulties animal shelters face. Includes an author’s note, bibliography, and endnotes.
This heartwarming story celebrates animal lovers, neighborhood communities, and kind, determined people in general. it’s another book that would make an excellent book club selection for elementary kids or a classroom read-aloud. Dashka Slater always impresses me with her abilities to tell all kinds of nonfiction stories in a way that is fascinating and accessible. The text was greatly enhanced by Jamey Christoph’s illustrations, and I believe a grave injustice was committed by not including his name on the cover.
This Is Not a Christmas Book* *This Is a Book About Rocks by Jory John, illustrated by Pierre Collet-Derby (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 40 pages, ages 4-8). The lizard narrator is insistent: this is NOT a Christmas book, it’s a book about rocks. He stands in front of a field of rocks to prove it…but sharp-eyed readers will notice a few Christmas-y shapes among the rocks. And is that an elf wrapping presents at the far corner of the field? Every time the lizard returns to his lecture, another holiday figure appears: a reindeer’s antlers, a snowman, and finally, Santa himself, who gives the lizard a present. A lump of coal! It’s just what the geologically-minded reptile has been wishing for! And finally, he fully embraces the season as the field of rocks is taken over with festive cheer. There’s a gatefold spread of Santa flying through the sky to finish things off.
Kids will definitely get a laugh out of this serious lizard who’s determined to keep Christmas out of his rock lesson. They’ll have fun finding the holiday people, animals, and objects that appear with increasing frequency on each page. This is billed as a “This Is Not a Holidays book,” and, given John Jory’s popularity, I would be surprised if there aren’t a bunch of spin-offs for other holidays.
Midnight Manor: A Backwards Bedtime Book by Sid Sharp (Annick Press, 36 pages, ages 4-8). Naturally, the residents of Midnight Manor wake up as the sun is going down and get ready for a busy night. All kinds of monsters are introduced: goblins, banshees, poltergeists, gargoyles, and more. Everyone goes about their business, ordinary except for some ghoulish details. For instance, when the basketball players discover their ball’s deflated, Hector removes his head to keep the game going. The monsters all gather in the garden for a ghostly dance until the sun starts to rise. Then it’s back home for baths (with sharks) and bedtime stories, and a series of goodnights that include a nod to Margaret Wise Brown’s Goodnight, Moon.
If you’re trying to find a Halloweenish book that doesn’t actually mention the holiday, look no further than the front door of Midnight Manor. Kids will love seeing all the monsters that are just the right mix of creepy and funny, and those familiar with Goodnight, Moon will get a kick out of the illustration inspired by it.
Brainbow by Maya Henderson (Little, Brown Ink., 248 pages, grades 3-7). Rosie’s hoping middle school will be easier if she follows in her best friend Harper’s footsteps. They both try out for the school’s math league, but only Harper makes it. The teacher agrees to let Rosie be the team manager, but almost immediately there’s trouble when Rosie speaks up about the kids using the “wrong” colors for the letters on their team t-shirts. When a new friend named Yara explains to Rosie about a condition she has called synesthesia, Rosie realizes that she has it, too, explaining why she seems letters and numbers as having their own distinct colors, and why she likes creating art when she listens to music. As Rosie and Yara become closer, Harper feels jealous and starts being mean to Rosie. When Harper steals the math league money and lets Rosie take the fall, Rosie has had enough and stands up to her former best friend. By the end, she’s realized where her true talents–and friendships–lie and has decided to leave the math league to hang out with Yara at art club. Includes additional information about synesthesia and an author’s note telling about her own experience with it.
Since approximately 4% of the population has some form of synesthesia (as I learned from this book), readers may discover they have this condition or know someone else who does. Maya Henderson does a great job of showing Rosie’s perceptions through the illustrations, and the information about synesthesia is effortlessly woven into the plot. It’s also a fun middle school friendship story with a particularly terrible ex best friend.
Feeling Like an ADHD Alien by Pina Varnel (Rocky Pond Books, 336 pages, grades 5-10). Kiki has always longed to be “normal,” but she struggles all the time with things that others seem to find easy, like being on time, getting things done, and regulating her emotions. After one particularly difficult interaction with one of her best friends, she starts to consider that she may have ADHD. It’s tough talking to her mother about it, but after initially resisting the idea, Mom sets up an appointment for an evaluation. Kiki gets an ADHD diagnosis, a prescription for medication, and ongoing support to help her with coping strategies. Although it’s hard for her to let go of the idea that she’ll one day be “normal,” getting a diagnosis and treatment helps her to live the life she’s always wanted for herself. Includes several pages of coping strategies for different symptoms of ADHD and a list of resources.
This is a great resource for any tween or teen wondering if they may have ADHD or adjusting to an ADHD diagnosis. The first five chapters deal with different aspects of ADHD like executive functioning and working memory, showing how Kiki struggles with these in her daily life and going into some details about how her brain works differently than others’. The last two chapters are about her getting her diagnosis and what her life is like afterwards. One of her friends also has ADHD, but her symptoms present differently. She opts not to take medication, and their discussion is helpful in helping kids decide which route is best for them. Although there’s not much of a story, the information is presented in a way that’s easy to absorb and will be helpful to many.
Exposures: A Story About Life with OCD and the Power of Facing Your Fears by Lily Williams (First Second, 352 pages, grades 5-8). 12-year-old Peyton’s life is increasingly dictated by her fears, which she deals with by counting, picking at her scalp, and avoiding things like the color red and the number 13. When her twin sister’s ballet accomplishments mean some changes to the family’s schedule, Peyton has a huge panic attack. Her concerned parents get her an appointment with a therapist who diagnoses Peyton with obsessive compulsive disorder and begins exposure therapy to help her face her fears. Peyton learns that she’ll never be “cured” of her OCD, but that with intensive (and sometimes extremely difficult) therapy, she can learn to lessen her anxiety around the things that scare her and be able to live her life freer of their control. By the end of the story, readers can see evidence that her hard work has paid off: she’s considering trying out for the ski team (which she avoided because the uniforms were red), she has a closer relationship with her sister and parents, and she’s able to get through the school day without being overwhelmed by anxiety. Includes an author’s note about her own OCD, which wasn’t diagnosed until she was an adult, and how this inspired her to create this book.
Peyton’s story is so compelling I read the whole thing in a day. It really shows the thought processes of a person with OCD and the extremely hard and sometimes scary work that’s necessary to go through exposure therapy. The illustrations are especially effective, using different colors to show flashbacks and portraying Peyton’s anxiety attacks with the color red, and her fearful thoughts filling the page. This is an excellent example of a book being both a mirror and a window that will help both kids who have OCD and those who know someone who suffers from it.
A Riddle of Eels by Nicholas Day, illustrated by Corey R. Tabor (Random House Studio, 48 pages, grades 1-5). In this nonfiction book about eels…or, wait a minute, is this a nonfiction book about eels? Eels are, to quote Winston Churchill (although he didn’t say it about eels), “a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.” For instance, did you know that no one has ever been able to figure out how eels reproduce? While scientist Johannes Schmidt discovered that eels spawn in the Sargasso Sea, to this day, no one has ever found a full-grown eel there. “We know so much about our world,” Day tells readers. “But sometimes there’s a crack in our wall of knowledge. And through it, we can catch a glimpse of the vast, wonderous world that’s still unknown to us.” So is this book about eels? Kind of. But it’s also about that world of wonder and all the unknowns that those slippery eels point to. Includes an author’s note about the disappearance of eels around the world and the importance of learning more about them to preserve them; also, a list of sources.
When you pick up a Nicholas Day book, the only certainty is that you can expect the unexpected. While readers will learn some things about eels by reading this book, they’ll also get their minds blown a little bit and their eyes opened to how much we still don’t know about the world we live in. I love that Corey R. Tabor did the illustrations, which add just the right amount of humor to complement Day’s slightly tongue-in-cheek writing style.
Goodbye, Koi by Jack Wong (Orchard Books 48 pages, ages 4-8). The narrator describes taking his koi to their new home in a pond at the park. He wonders if they’ll be happy there, just like he’s wondering about himself as he and his dad get ready to move to a new place. When he thinks about the fish getting cold in the winter, the illustrations show him shopping for a new winter jacket. When he hopes that they’ll get along with the other fish, readers see him interacting with family at a farewell party. His dad reminds him that they’ll have each other to share memories, and the boy decides that he’s ready for his new home. Includes an author’s note about his own journey from Hong Kong to Canada at the age of 6, how he learned Chinese brush painting to create this book, and how the story is really about the uncertainties that come from making big changes in life. Also includes additional information about koi fish.
As someone who recently made a transition (I’ve changed jobs from a big urban elementary school to a small, rural junior/senior high school), this story really resonated with me and reminded me that uncertainty is a part of any new journey. The illustrations are gorgeous, and I’m sure it’s only Jack Wong’s Canadian residence that will keep this from being considered for a Caldecott.
The Dream Team (Mae & Malibu book 1) by Anna Elyse Johnson, illustrated by Anuki López (little bee books, 112 pages, grades 1-4). Mae is excited to get a service dog named Malibu to help her with her epilepsy. Although Malibu has been well-trained, he has to prove himself a good fit with Mae and to go through training for seizure alert and response. Mae loves Malibu and wants to do everything she can to help him become part of the family. She also hopes having a service dog to help her will make her mom a little less overprotective. When Mae has a seizure at her friend’s house, Malibu proves himself more than capable, and not only does he get officially adopted, but Mae is allowed to go to the town’s big music festival for the first time ever.
The author’s bio reveals that she also has epilepsy and a service dog named Hamilton, who is listed as a co-author. Fans of animal stories will fall in love with the endearing and well-trained Malibu and will learn a fair amount about epilepsy and what it takes to become a service dog. Book 2 just came out a few weeks ago.
More Us by Elizabeth Withey, illustrated by Ellen Rooney (Orca Book Publishers, 32 pages, grades K-3). The narrator tells about his Uncle Gray, who’s moving in with him and his mom after several years of being homeless. The boy describes how he and his mom used to drive around the city looking for his uncle, and how one time they found him in a tent on a cold winter’s night. While it’s clear that Uncle Gray is still dealing with some of the issues that led to being unhoused, Mom thinks he’s ready for a home with them now. “Do you think he’s better now? Happy?” asks the boy. “Why not go ask him yourself?” she replies, and the last illustration shows him playing checkers with his uncle. An author’s note tells how she based this book and her 2020 picture book, The One with the Scraggly Beard on her experiences with her own younger brother.
This touching story shows the reality of a loved one being homeless and embraces the idea of “one day at a time” in recovery. The fact that it’s based on the author’s own life (with the book dedicated to her brother) makes it even more poignant.
Don’t Be Scared by Saadia Faruqi, illustrated by Shadia Amin (First Second, 208 pages, grades 4-7). The best part of Riz’s day is after-school film club, where he meets Amy and Max, two other film afficionados who, like Riz, are first-generation Americans, and whose parents would prefer that they become doctors or lawyers instead of filmmakers. Riz’s widowed dad, who immigrated from Pakistan, dreams of Riz going to med school and pushes him to focus more on his math and science classes. When Riz, Amy, and Max decide to make a film about the local Hollister Manor mansion before it’s razed, they embark on a ghost hunt, assisted by a local librarian with family connections to the place. Riz’s dad starts sharing Pakistani ghost stories with Riz and slowly begins to understand his son’s passion. When the three kids are able to capture the ghosts on film, it changes the way their parents see them and saves the old mansion from demolition. Includes an author’s note about ghost stories and an illustrator’s step-by-step guide to the cover design process.
Kids will love this creepy graphic novel that mixes up ghosts with family interactions and the struggles of being a child of immigrants. The ending felt a little rushed but also satisfying, tying up loose ends for Riz and his dad, librarian Miss Templeton, and the two ghostly children at the haunted house.
The Hospital for Mythological Creatures by Cathy Evans, illustrated by Ed J. Brown (Cicada Books, 48 pages, grades K-4). On Wednesday morning, a call comes in that there’s been a car crash on Shangri-La Boulevard. An ambulance rushes to the scene, where paramedics find Daisy with an arm injury, and her mom, Lisa, in need of stitches for a cut on her forehead. The other driver, elderly Mr. Von Thunderhoof, is pale and dizzy. All three are transferred to the hospital, where readers are introduced to all kinds of personnel and technology. There are x-rays, MRIs, blood and urine tests, and a new heart valve for Mr. Von Thunderhoof. By the time Daisy’s other mom picks her and Lisa up, readers have learned a lot about a busy hospital and the many ways patients are helped there all day long. Includes glossaries of hospital departments and medical terms.
What a fun way to learn about the hospital! The illustrations portray an amazing array of mythological creatures (my favorite was Vlad, the vampire, performing the blood test, and the one I found the creepiest was Phillip, the young gnome with a penchant for sticking things in his ears and nose). Sensitive readers may get a little spooked by the various creatures; on the other end of the spectrum, those who love mythological creatures may wish for a guide identifying the many unique ones portrayed here. This would make a good companion to Lisa Brown’s The Hospital Book.
Mexikid Dreams: A Graphic Memoir by Pedro Martín (Dial Books, 320 pages, grades 5-8). In this sequel to the Newbery Honor book Mexikid, we get a look at Pedro’s family closer to home. All the siblings are expected to help make ends meet by getting up early on Saturdays to pick strawberries. Pedro would rather stay home and watch cartoons, so when his oldest brother finds another job that their father approves of, Pedro decides he needs to find an alternative career path to get him out of the fields. He begins a hilarious stint as the trombonist in a couple of bands, one at school and one directed by the local priest who signs them up for a memorable concert in a prison. The same priest convinces their dad that the kids need to find other things to do as summer approaches, and Pedro and two of his brothers get a chance to go to camp. A few days of “normal kid” life convinces Pedro that it’s not all it’s cracked up to be and makes him appreciate his family more than ever. Includes an epilogue that tells what all the kids in the family ended up doing (spoiler alert: they’ve all had interesting and successful careers) and a collection of photos from Pedro’s childhood.
I don’t usually review sequels, but I couldn’t resist the chance to find out what the family from Mexikid would get up to next. There are enough school and family hijinks to satisfy any Wimpy Kid fan, with Pedro constantly poking fun at himself and his schemes. But there are a lot of more serious storylines about immigration, including his father’s brutal stories about being an undocumented worker in his youth, the police raids on the family farm to round up the undocumented workers that help the family, and Pedro’s trip to the prison where the Mexican kids are targets of racist guards, and Pedro finds himself scanning the crowd of prisoners for familiar faces. This feels like it may be the last of the Mexikid books, but I hope Pedro Martín will continue to find a way to share his talents as an artist and a writer for kids.
Absent by Rex Ogle, illustrated by LJ-Baptiste (Norton Young Readers, 304 pages, grades 5-8). Manny is a poet and lyricist who would rather be skateboarding than in school and isn’t afraid to tell his teachers that. Calvin is an artist and cartoonist who can’t get to school on time because of all his commitments at home. Liam wants to be a doctor who sometimes misses classes when he’s hiding from the bullies who trigger his panic attacks. The three boys wind up in detention together and tell their stories through poetry (Manny), comics (Calvin), and journal entries (Liam). Although they come from different backgrounds and have different interests, somehow a friendship grows during their three-week detention, and each one comes away from their punishment with new friends and new tools to help them cope with life at home and at school.
Told in three different formats, this book zips along quickly, with funny and sometimes heartbreaking stories unfolding that include poverty, incarcerated parents, and bullying. Each boy is incredibly resilient in his own way, and each has at least one adult who believes in him and encourages his talents. I was wiping away a few tears by the time detention ended and a friendship had been born that left each boy in a heading in a more positive direction.
