Magic in the air

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Houdini’s Library: How Books Created the World’s Greatest Magician by Barb Rosenstock, illustrated by Mar Delmar (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 48 pages, grades 2-5). As the son of a rabbi, Erik Weisz loved poring over his father’s collection of books. After the family moved from Hungary to the U.S., they fell on hard times, and Erik’s dad had to sell off his library. Young Erik (or Ehrie, as he was known in America) used the money he made working in a factory to buy his own books. A ten-cent book by Jean Robert-Houdin, Father of Modern Magic, changed his life, and he started collecting books that taught him how to do magic. The rest is early-twentieth-century-magic history, as Ehrie Weisz became Harry Houdini, master magician and escape artist. He used the money he made from that career to build a vast library of books and other memorabilia related to magic and was a voracious reader all his life. Includes an author’s note with additional information and photos of Houdini and an illustrator’s note about how she made the cut-paper illustrations.

Harry Houdini’s life and career are always fascinating to read about, and this biography really humanizes him, focusing on his early struggles and the way books launched his career and helped lift him out of poverty. The illustrations are truly amazing works of art, magically capturing both Houdini’s amazing stunts and his vast collection of books.

Marie’s Magic Eggs: How Marie Procai Kept the Ukrainian Art of Pysanky Alive by Sandra Neil Wallace, illustrated by Evan Turk (Calkins Creek, 48 pages, grades 2-5). As a child growing up in a Ukrainian village, Marie Procai loved making pysanky eggs with her grandmother every Easter. But when war and famine came to Ukraine, Marie followed her older brothers to North America. She settled in Minneapolis, where she married, raised a family, and learned how to continue the pysanky egg tradition in her Ukrainian community. When her son was killed in World War II, Marie channeled her grief into helping Ukrainian refugees and continuing her art. She and her family went on to open the Ukrainian Gift Shop, first in her living room and later in a Minneapolis store, where she sold pysanky eggs, supplies, and her own books about how to make the eggs. Her art reflects the legend that as long as pysanky are decorated, there will be good in the world. Includes an author’s note about her own connection to pysanky eggs through her Ukrainian heritage, plus additional information about Marie and pysanky, with photos, a pronunciation guide, a playlist, a list of museums and festivals that feature pysanky, and a bibliography.

Just in time for springtime and Easter, this fascinating biography shows how Marie Procai brought her art and love for all things Ukrainian to her adopted homeland, using it to build a community and help other immigrants. Evan Turk’s illustrations bring the eggs in all their colorful glory to rich, vibrant life.

Two books by Mac Barnett

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The Future Book by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Shawn Harris (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 40 pages, ages 4-8). This book comes from the future, and I’m here to tell you we have some goofiness to look forward to. In the future, an orange is called and blorange, a banana is called an apple, and there’s no word for an apple…because there are no apples in the future. When someone sneezes, you say, “Forgive me, Susan!” When someone leaves, you say, “You smell like a baby!” And when you want to thank someone, just gently place a fish on their head. There’s much, much more, and the book ends with an interaction at the supermarket (which is now called a bolly bolly hoo hoo) that shows how things work in the future.

The collaborators who brought you (and continue to bring you) The First Cat in Space Ate Pizza series have created a book so silly it is sure to have kids rolling on the floor and leaving the library repeating “bolly bolly hoo hoo” and “You smell like a baby!” Tons of silly fun for all ages.

Rumpelstiltskin retold by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Carson Ellis (Orchard Books, 48 pages, ages 4-8). This version of the familiar tale of Rumpelstiltskin starts with a girl who loves playing in the woods until she’s forced into an impossible situation by her clueless father and a greedy king who demands that she spin straw into gold. A strange little man helps her out, but there are strings attached. The girl ends up a queen with a baby that’s promised to the little man unless she can guess his name. Her love of the woods helps her to discover that name, and she’s able to send Rumpelstiltskin away empty-handed and (perhaps) live happily ever after with her son.

As he did with The Three Billy Goats Gruff, Mac Barnett writes a charming retelling with plenty of humor. Although the queen doesn’t have a lot of autonomy, she’s spunky and resourceful and wins out in the end. Kids will get a good laugh at the long lists of names she puts together, and the Carson Ellis artwork add a mysterious Renaissance-tinged feel very different from Jon Klassen’s illustrations. This is one of my favorite fairy tales–I have so many questions about it!–and I can’t wait to share this version with kids.

Girl power

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Hattie Mae Begins Again by Sharon G. Flake (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 368 pages, grades 4-7). Hattie Mae is both excited and nervous to be traveling from her home in North Carolina to begin school at Miss Abigail’s School for Exceptional Young Ladies in Philadelphia. Over the course of her school year there, she learns to deal with a bully, make new friends, and to express her truest self. She and Miss Abigail share the secret that Miss Abigail is Hattie Mae’s cousin, and that Hattie Mae is at the school on a full scholarship. When the truth comes out, the school gets some bad publicity, and some of the students leave, a disaster as the school is trying to keep its doors open during the Great Depression. Hattie Mae must draw on her own strength, as well as her friends and family, to undo the damage and make the school a welcoming place for all.

The author draws on her family’s long history in Philadelphia to tell Hattie Mae’s story of discovering the wealthy Black community she finds herself in at Miss Abigail’s school, and how she finds her own way there. This novel in verse is a companion to 2023’s Once In a Blue Moon, the events of which are referenced near the end of the story.

Destiny of the Diamond Princess by Sherri Winston (Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 240 pages, grades 4-7). Zahara-Grace Jones has always known she’s adopted, but growing up with a loving mother and grandfather (G-Pop), she’s never really wanted to know about her birth parents. But as she approaches her 12th birthday, she starts to feel some curiosity. On the big day, she receives two gifts: her mom tells her about her birth mom, who had sworn her to secrecy until Zahara-Grace turned 12, and G-Pop gives her a DNA test. The test not only reveals her connection to the (fictional) African nation of Maliwanda, but it also alerts the king of the country that his long-lost granddaughter has been found. Before long, Zahara-Grace’s life has completely changed, as she learns she is a princess and has to balance the demands of two very different families. Not only that, but she learns that she’s the key to breaking an ancient curse that may have lead to her mother’s death. Everything comes to a head the night of the grand opening of a museum G-Pop has been redesigning, when Zahara-Grace is introduced as the princess of Maliwanda…and learns her true strength when cursed beings rise from the dead.

This is a fun Princess Diaries-inspired story that does a good job creating a story of an adoptee who feels torn between her two families. The supernatural stuff at the end was fun, but felt a bit tacked-on and rushed. I was kind of hoping for a more realistic explanation of Zahara-Grace’s friend’s betrayal, but kids will undoubtedly enjoy reading about mummies rising from the dead.

Middle school: the endless inspiration for graphic memoirs

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Run Home: A Graphic Memoir by Alyssa Bermudez (Roaring Book Press, 304 pages, grades 5-8). In this follow-up to Big Apple Diaries, Alyssa Bermudez records her first couple years of high school in diary format: her first uncertain days, her joy at making new friends and discovering a love of running on the cross-country team, adjusting to a new step-family, and her worries about her dad’s health issues. When she experiences an overwhelming tragedy during the summer between her freshman and sophomore years, Alyssa must work her way through grief. She’s helped by family and friends, but ultimately she has to learn how to find her own way to a new normal. Includes an author’s note about this time of her life with four pages of photos of many of the people from the story.

This heartfelt graphic novel makes for compelling reading, and readers will recognize many of Alyssa’s problems, emotions, and triumphs as she navigates a new school, new friends, and family issues. Although this will likely appeal to fans of authors like Raina Telgemeier, Kayla Miller, and Lucy Knisley, the high school setting (the title of this post notwithstanding) and deep dive into grief make it a story that may be more appreciated by middle school kids.

A Kid Like Me by Norm Feuti (HarperAlley, 272 pages, grades 4-7). Ethan and his best friend Ricky navigate the early days of middle school with more than the usual number of bumps in the road, thanks to the fact that they live in poverty with their single moms in a trailer park. They worry that other kids look down on them for their old phones and off-brand clothing, and they’re not always wrong. Ricky makes friends with a couple of boys whose snarky comments and pranks get under Ethan’s skin. Ethan finds more compatible friends in the after-school Bio Battle game club, but his new friend Aiden seems to be avoiding coming over to his house. Eventually, both boys learn a few lessons about what true friendship looks like, and the story ends with Ethan, Ricky, and Aiden trying out a new game at Ethan’s house. Includes an author’s note with photos of him as a kid, telling about the prejudices and microaggressions he experienced as a poor kid growing up in a middle-class community.

I’ve said it before, but there are not enough middle grade books that explore what it’s like to grow up in poverty, especially considering what a common experience that is in America. Norm Feuti does a great job of showing the impacts of this experience on everyday middle school life: adults looking with suspicion at kids from “the wrong side of town,” having to navigate the pressure to have the right phone or sneakers, and insecurities about having friends over to your house. I liked how Ethan learned to speak up for himself and figure out who his true friends were.

Wrong Friend by Charise Mericle Harper, illustrated by Rory Lucey (First Second, 256 pages, grades 3-7). Charise and Casey have had a great friendship for many years. It’s easy to get together since they’re neighbors, and they both enjoy art and adventures. But Casey is two years older than Charise, and when she starts high school, she suddenly starts ignoring Charise, acting like Charise is invisible when they see each other in the neighborhood. Charise is devastated, but eventually realizes that she needs a new best friend and begins reaching out to girls in her grade. Each one has some of the qualities she wants in a best friend (chapter titles list those qualities: “A Best Friend Likes Made-Up Games,” “A Best Friend Keeps Trying,” etc.), but no one has them all. Eventually, Charise realizes that she’s happiest with a bunch of friends, with each one bringing her own special personality traits to the group.

Charise’s graphic memoir will appeal to fans of Raina Telgemeier’s and Shannon Hale’s books about the ups and downs of middle school friendships. Readers will relate to Charise’s gradual realization that no friend is perfect, but that many friendships are still worth pursuing. Pair this with Charise’s first memoir, Bad Sister, also illustrated by Rory Lucey.

Safety in numbers

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The Big Book of Pi: The Famous Number You Can Never Know by Anita Lehmann and Jean-Baptiste Aubin, illustrated by Joonas Sildre (Helvetiq, 88 pages, grades 4 and up). Divide the circumference of a circle by its diameter, and the answer will always be the same: an irrational number beginning with the digits 3.14. Medieval mathematicians called this number “the quantity which when the diameter is multiplied by it, yields the circumference” (only in Latin), but thankfully, an 18th century Welsh mathematician named William Jones changed the name to pi or π, as we like to say in Greek. But enough history, how about some cool pi tricks? Did you know that you can find your six-digit birthdate somewhere in pi’s digits (mine starts at the 172,406th decimal place. Don’t worry, I googled it.). Oh, and there are jokes: what do you get when a bunch of sheep stand in a circle? Shepherd’s pi. The final pages explains how little we still know about pi, despite advances in computer calculations, and reminds readers to stay curious and open-minded about learning about pi and other phenomena. Includes a glossary and a QR code for an educator’s guide.

Well, this was fun! I never expected a book about pi to be even a fraction this entertaining, but the chatty text, comic-style illustrations, and cool activities drew me in from the first page. Some of the math activities required a little too much brain power for me to pursue, but this only proves the wide range of readers that will find something to love about this book. Math teachers from grades 4 through high school (and beyond, really) will want to get their hands on this to add some engaging history and activities to classes.

Twelve Daring Grays: A Whale Migration Adventure by Nora Nickum, illustrated by Elly McKay (Candlewick, 32 pages, grades 1-4). As a pod of 20,000 gray whales migrate from Baja California to the Arctic, a dozen of them make a detour to the Salish Sea off the coast of Washington. There they risk getting stranded in the shallow waters to feast on the ghost shrimp that live in the mud along the bottom of the sea. Since the whales eat almost nothing during their migration, this stop allows them to gain strength. A few weeks later, they rejoin the rest of their pod whose final destination is the Arctic. They spend the summer there before heading back south where their calves will be born. Includes an author’s note about these gray whales known as the Sounders that has grown from a pair that was first spotted in 1990 to larger group in this book.

The whales in this beautiful book look like they are about to pop off the page in the three-dimensional illustrations that portray them swimming and eating in gorgeous blue and gray waters. Readers will be filled with wonder about this small group of whales and the risky but rewarding side trip they take from their migration.

Fan fiction

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Beth Is Dead by Katie Bernet (Sarah Barley Books/Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, 400 pages, grades 7-12). Set in 21st-century Concord, Massachusetts, the story begins with the discovery of Beth March’s body on the morning after an eventful New Year’s Eve party at Sallie Gardiner’s house. Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy take turns telling the story, which shifts between the past and present as one friend or family member after another is suspected of the murder. Was it their father whose recent tell-all book about his daughters (entitled Little Women) has caused such a social media storm that he’s been forced to flee to Vancouver? Amy, who had a violent quarrel with Beth at the party? John Brook, who’s voiced some doubts about Beth going to boarding school at Plumfield Academy to pursue her music dreams? One secret after another is uncovered until the final showdown reveals what really happened that fateful night.

Buckle up, Little Women fans, and prepare for a darkly fun roller coaster ride into the March family as you’ve never seen them before! Fans of the original will love all the allusions to various characters and the way Katie Bernet has updated them for a modern audience, while those not as familiar with the story will still enjoy this fast-paced whodunit with new twists in every chapter.

The Mysterious Magic of Lighthouse Lane by Erin Stewart (Aladdin, 336 pages, grades 4-7). After a meltdown on a class trip, Lucy is haunted by the memory of her best friend turning away from her and is sure she is destined to be friendless forever. Her mom, who tends to want to “fix” Lucy, decides that her daughter should spend the summer on Prince Edward Island, where Mom grew up and where Grandpa still lives. Lucy is reluctant, but she finds herself drawn to the island’s tranquility and curious about her late grandmother. When her grandfather gives her Grandma’s old camera, Lucy is thrilled to be able to hone her photography skills. As she learns to develop her own pictures, she starts to notice magical changes appearing that only she can see, changes that reveal the subject’s deepest wish. Her efforts to grant those wishes, with the help of her new friend Poppy, have mixed results, but as the summer goes on, Lucy discovers what her real gift is. Poppy helps her to see that she’s an empath, someone who feels others’ emotions as deeply as they do. It’s a gift her grandmother also possessed, and with the help of her mother, grandfather, friends, and even a message from her grandma, Lucy learns to use her empathy to help others around her as well as herself.

This charming story has a number of nods to Anne of Green Gables: the PEI setting, of course, as well as Lucy’s first name, Poppy’s last name (Montgomery), and Lucy’s highly sensitive nature, a trait she shares with author Lucy Maud Montgomery. Lucy’s journey from believing her emotions are a burden that needs fixing to embracing them as a gift she can use to help others, particularly Poppy and Grandpa, makes for an engaging story that will be especially appreciated by other empaths.

Lessons in self-reliance

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Mungo on His Own by Matthew Burgess, illustrated by Julie Benbassat (Clarion Books, 48 pages, ages 4-8). When Mungo is still hungry after dinner, his mother gives him permission to go out and forage for berries. Alone in the night for the first time, Mungo is scared of cars and owls and other noises he hears. But he remembers his mother’s lessons and safely crosses the road and hides in a hollow tree from the owl. He also recalls how his mother told him that wonders sometimes happen when “we stand inside our fear on four feet, eyes sharp, breathing deep.” So Mungo bravely goes on and is rewarded, not only with a berry feast but with his first experience of snow. When he gets home, his mother is waiting for him, proud of his accomplishments and ready to snuggle up for bedtime.

Not only does this story feature an adorable fox and lush illustrations that portray all different times and seasons, but it’s a great lesson for kids venturing out into the world for the first time and for parents learning to let go. There are lots of good messages about facing your fears and remembering safety rules but having the courage to keep going.

Bored by Felicita Sala (Neal Porter Books, 48 pages, ages 4-8). Rita is so bored, she can’t think of a single thing to do. She can’t read, draw, think, or even look out the window. Heavy sighs and moaning, “I’m so b-o-o-o-red” get no response from her family except for her brother telling her she’s weird. Rita starts wondering how many other bored people there are in the world. She pictures them all boarding a bus, then traveling to Bored Island. A funny thing happens when they get there, though. Everyone is so bored that they start doing things like building with driftwood and starting a band. A high school student’s yawn turns into a yodel, and she accidentally discovers how to talk to whales. A pair of twins stare at their watches for so long that they actually warp space and time. By the time Rita’s mom calls her to dinner, she’s so busy with her imagination that she tells her mom she doesn’t have time to eat.

Although screens are usually the “solution” to boredom these days, this cute and entertaining story shows readers another way to combat it: imagination. The illustrations, including the color palette, do an excellent job of conveying the drabness of a boring afternoon contrasted with the brightness of Boredom Island and the imagination.

A couple of how-to guides

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How to Have a Thought: A Walk With Charles Darwin by Nicholas Day, illustrated by Hadley Hooper (Neal Porter Books, 32 pages, grades 2-5). Start with some rocks, a stick, and a loop to walk. That’s all Charles Darwin needed for his walks. He would walk the loop and pile up the rocks to keep track of how many times he had gone around. And the whole time he walked, he was thinking. Thinking about what he had seen during his years traveling around the world on the Beagle: the fossil of a giant sloth, a flightless bird called a rhea (which he actually ate by accident), and the finches with subtly different beaks. As he walked and thought, Darwin slowly developed his ideas about natural selection. There have been many great walkers–William Wordsworth, Albert Einstein, Virginia Woolf, to name a few–and you can be one of them too, with your stick, your rocks, and your ideas. Includes a four-page author’s note with additional information about Charles Darwin and walking, and a bibliography.

I’ve loved Nicholas Day’s longer works that combined science, art, and history using a tone that invites readers to share in his discoveries. He’s done it again, this time with a picture book that focuses on Charles Darwin’s walking, then weaves in all kinds of interesting information about his work on natural selection and evolution and ends by including readers with those who can walk and have great ideas.

How to Survive the End of the World: A Graphic Exploration of How to (Maybe) Avoid Extinction by Katy Doughty (MITeen Press, March 31, 2026, 256 pages, grades 9-12). How will humanity end? Pandemic, nuclear winter, climate change? Katy Doughty takes a look at the history and possibility of each catastrophe in a way that is serious, yet optimistic enough to conjure up the will to keep going. Each chapter includes an “Ask an Expert” section in which a scholar of that particular topic weighs in. The final chapter, “The End?” is a brief but inspiring meditation on the courage required to face the possibilities of humanity ending and to look for your own role in possibly changing some of those outcomes. Includes a list for further reading, source notes, and a bibliography.

When this book arrived in the mail for a preview, I felt some existential dread at opening the front cover, but I forced myself to read the first chapter (Plagues and Pandemics), and was pleasantly surprised by how interesting and thought-provoking it was, with the illustrations making it a pretty quick and engaging read. The end of humanity may lurk at the back (or front) of all our minds, and teenagers experiencing this angst for the first time will find some interesting and hopefully inspiring reading here.

Courageous Journeys

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Seven Million Steps: The True Story of Dick Gregory’s Run for the Hungry by Derrick Barnes and Christian Gregory, illustrated by Frank Morrison (Amistad Books for Young Readers, 40 pages, grades 1-5). “What would you do if you knew someone who goes to bed every night without having supper?” This opening question is answered by an account of Dick Gregory’s 1976 run from Los Angeles to New York City: you would travel thousands of miles with very little food, subsisting mostly on juice, vitamins, and water to bring attention to those who are hungry across the country. You would cover 50 miles a day across twelve states, talking to anyone who would listen about what you’re doing and why. You would overcome pain and hunger to cross the George Washington Bridge into NYC on the Fourth of July, the 200th anniversary of the United States. Includes additional information about Dick Gregory’s run and hunger vs. food insecurity, as well as notes from the authors (one of whom is Gregory’s son) and illustrator, and three photos from the run.

I finished this book with more questions than answers and ended up spending some time learning about Dick Gregory and this run. His story is inspiring and is told here in a way to get kids to think about actions they can take to make the world a better place. I loved Frank Morrison’s illustrations showing different vistas of America and capturing the highs and lows of the run. I did find the story a bit confusing, particularly the second-person narration, which draws the reader in, but doesn’t give a straightforward account of the events. If you’re reading this to kids, be prepared to answer some questions.

The Gift of Freedom: How Harriet Tubman Rescued Her Brothers by Glennette Tilley Turner, illustrated by Laura Freeman (Harry N. Abrams, 40 pages, grades 2-5). Starting with Harriet Tubman’s own escape in 1852, this book focuses on how Tubman helped others in her family find their way to freedom, specifically her three brothers. Her plan was to travel to Maryland at Christmas in 1854, when they were given permission to gather for a family Christmas dinner. The siblings met in secret at their parents’ home, where they were helped by their father, who averted his eyes or blindfolded himself so that he could honestly tell anyone who asked that he had not seen them. Following the familiar routes and safe houses that she had learned about, Harriet led her brothers to Philadelphia, where they were given new identities and put on a train to Canada. Includes a selected bibliography, a letter to readers, and an author’s note, which emphasizes how Harriet Tubman always learned as much as she could and befriended people with skills she lacked to allow her to be as successful as possible.

This compelling story with its striking illustrations offers plenty of drama and shows Harriet Tubman’s courage and skill that allowed her to help so many people escape slavery. The author’s note lists her other accomplishments helping to fight in the Civil War and working for women’s rights. The ending felt a bit abrupt, and there was no follow-up to the mention of Tubman’s attempts to rescue her husband, and I had to learn via other sources that he remarried and chose to stay in Maryland.

Poets old and new

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The Mighty Macy by Kwame Alexander, illustrated by Kitt Thomas (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 144 pages, grades 2-5). Macy’s busy with school, violin, friends, and family, but when she discovers her school library is going to a two-day-a-week schedule, she puts everything on hold to get that decision reversed. Following in her poet dad’s footsteps, she offers to read an original poem at the school board meeting to express what the library means to her and her classmates. She soon regrets the offer, as she can’t come up with a single idea, but the support she gets from those around her helps her to incorporate their voices into her work. Success breeds success, and after a big win at the meeting, Macy is ready to give a flawless performance at her violin recital. Includes an author’s note about his own daughter and how she inspired this story.

Kids will embrace this engaging illustrated novel in verse that would make a perfect quick independent read or group read-aloud. Readers will see a lot of themselves in Macy’s struggles, whether it’s dealing with a father who travels a lot, persisting in difficult endeavors, or enjoying the support of friends at school. And, of course, I’ll always give two thumbs up to a book that emphasizes the importance of school libraries and librarians.

Melodies of the Weary Blues: Classic Poems Illustrated for Young People by Langston Hughes, compiled by Shamar Knight-Justice, art by 23 remarkable artists, HarperCollins, 48 pages, grades 1-5). Shamar Knight-Justice writes in the opening “Letter from the Editor” how he discovered the poetry of Langston Hughes as a 14-year-old and how Hughes’s poem “Mother to Son” helped him to connect with his own mom. The 23 poems cover a wide range of topics: jazz, Harlem, Black history, the ocean. Each one is accompanied by an illustration created by a Black artist, all profiled with thumbnail portraits at the end of the book. There’s also a timeline and additional information about Hughes.

My first thought as I read this book was that I wanted to buy a copy or two and take it apart so that I could put the beautiful poems and illustrations up all over my school for National Poetry Month. Some of the poems, like “Winter Moon” and “Sea Charm” would fit in nicely by the kindergarten classes, while others such as “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” and “The Weary Blues” would be fine additions to the fifth-grade wing. Each distinctive illustration will grab kids’ attention and allow them to linger over the poetry.