Song of a Blackbird by Maria van Lieshout
To be honest, I have a lot of books that get misplaced. I put them in safe places and well, they are so safe even I can’t find them. But there is always a way to find them. And with Song of a Blackbird by Maria van Lieshout that way was the library and interlibrary loan. A powerful and beautifully done story of family and the horrors of war unfolds across the pages. As it is told via a blackbird, things at times become almost […]
Thank You, School by Louise Borden
Finding My Wave by Alexandra Katona
I found two books (hence the title) that were nice, cozy and enjoyable but I did not want to weaken reviewing either solo as I didn’t want to add fluff to them. Therefore, please enjoy these shorter reviews that hopefully do not leave out the good stuff. Thank You, School by Louise Borden and illustrator Paige Keiser due March 2026 Read via an online reader copy. Through a series of poems, children thank each person (from bus drivers to teachers) who help make their school […]
Sparrow by Mary Tebo
Home Away From Home by Nazneen Akbari
Upside-Down Iftar by Maysa Odeh
Culture is an interesting subject to read about. I have recently read several titles that give us a little insight into some cultures that might be different from ours, but also show how things are universal, too. Worldly books are perfect additions to anyone’s library. In the Western Wall, lives a Sparrow. The story slowly builds to the end where the idea of hope has unfolded in a special way. Mary Tebo’s story is clever and sweet, but also has a bit of an […]
A Good Morning for Giddo by Dahlia Constantine and Irene Latham
Picture books are a great way to read a book without reading a few hundred pages. They still can entertain, give factual information and make you laugh. Of course, you can cry and be mad, too, as everything is there, as well. I have said this before and will say it again: Picture books are legitimate books. And A Good Morning for Giddo is a very legitimate book. It does not have a big action scene and the message is a little slow in the […]
Tiny Bean's Big Adventures V01 by Stephanie Graegin
Ten tiny stories about a tiny character called Bean are collected in Tiny Bean’s Big Adventures V01. It is currently available but read via an online reader copy. The author Stephanie Graegin made a sweet collection of life events for the younger to almost 10 aged reader. The older toddler will love being read to, while the aged 7 or 8 will enjoy their first “big kid” reading chance. Overall, things are just cute. Cute characters, cute stories, cute illustrations. There is some humor that […]
Salt Bones by Jennifer Givhan
Salt Bones fulfills the “family” square on CBR17 Bingo. Actual rating: 4.5 stars Salt Bones is a story of myth, which missing girls matter, and cycles of generational pain. I was really excited to read this based on the premise of Persephone and Demeter story through a Mexicali perspective, and this was great. There are so many different mother-daughter dynamics explored, and all of them dealing with different kinds of trauma. The Veracruz family seems to be cursed because twenty years ago Mal’s younger sister, […]
