A quick, heartwarming middle grade graphic novel about blending families and speaking up for yourself. I wanted to smack her mom's boyfriend, but it wA quick, heartwarming middle grade graphic novel about blending families and speaking up for yourself. I wanted to smack her mom's boyfriend, but it was an enjoyable read....more
This is a companion novel to Life As We Knew It, and it was entertaining enough, but not great. I wanted more action to move the plot along a little fThis is a companion novel to Life As We Knew It, and it was entertaining enough, but not great. I wanted more action to move the plot along a little faster....more
I could not put this down. I was fascinated and moved by the whole thing. This is a beautiful portrait of PTSD and family bonds and adventure all wrapI could not put this down. I was fascinated and moved by the whole thing. This is a beautiful portrait of PTSD and family bonds and adventure all wrapped in one....more
Definitely more suitable for reading one-on-one at bedtime than in a group setting. Rhyming text describes silly things animals would never do to descDefinitely more suitable for reading one-on-one at bedtime than in a group setting. Rhyming text describes silly things animals would never do to describe how long the reader will love the listener....more
There's lots of opportunities for interaction in this short picture book. Rhyming text describes lots of different animal parents interacting with theThere's lots of opportunities for interaction in this short picture book. Rhyming text describes lots of different animal parents interacting with their babies. A solid, but not outstanding, choice for story time....more
I'm not usually a romance reader, but I've read Katherine Center before and enjoyed it. So, when a friend gave me this book I was excited to dive in aI'm not usually a romance reader, but I've read Katherine Center before and enjoyed it. So, when a friend gave me this book I was excited to dive in again. As it turns out, I thoroughly enjoyed this funny, relatable book! The main character, Jenny, is engaged to Dean and about a month away from giving birth to their first child. Dean is a self-absorbed man-child, but like so many good women, Jenny just can't let herself see or acknowledge that. When Dean leaves her with nothing but a note several days after her due date (but still before the baby is born), Jenny is taken by surprise and completely overwhelmed.
Over the next seven months, and with the help of her sassy Texas mom, Jenny falls head-over-heels in love with her daughter and pulls herself together to become a good mom. Just as she starts wondering if she could actually be more than friends with her incredibly supportive and helpful neighbor, Dean comes back. Is Jenny obligated to let Dean be a part of her daughter's life? Is a bad father better than no father at all? What does Jenny actually want?
Although I've never officially been a single mother, my husband is retired Navy and was often deployed when our four kids were little so I did the daily parenting on my own for months at a time. I could so relate to Jenny's exhaustion and sleep-deprivation and loneliness. I cried with her and cheered with her as she crawled her way out of the insanity and exhaustion that is the first few months of parenting. I was excited for her to make friends in a mommy's group and related so well to her feelings of despair and isolation all mixed in with an overwhelming love.
There were fun moments and frustrating moments and an overall feeling of hopefulness to this book that I enjoyed. If you're a new mom, or an old mom, or are just looking for a fun, uplifting read, this might just fit the bill!...more
Val is a librarian in Seattle who hasn't heard from her mother since she was 12 years old. When her mother passes away and leaves her bookstore to ValVal is a librarian in Seattle who hasn't heard from her mother since she was 12 years old. When her mother passes away and leaves her bookstore to Val, she heads to London to settle her mother's affairs. While there she meets her mom's best friend Millie, and falls in love with her mom's bookstore. Sadly, she also finds out that the inheritance tax is going to force her to sell the building. As Val works to discover who Eloise really was and why she left, she must also work to save the bookshop.
Told in two different timelines, Eloise beginning in 1968 and her daughter, Valentina, in present day, this story is entertaining and interesting and so much deeper than what I expected. Highly recommended! 4.5 stars...more
Beautiful illustrations help tell the story of a young girl who loves going through her grandmother's "katha chest" because it's full of old memories.Beautiful illustrations help tell the story of a young girl who loves going through her grandmother's "katha chest" because it's full of old memories. These memories come in the form of quilts made from old saris the women in her family have worn. When the saris grow too thin to be clothing, her grandma makes them into quilts. I have two small complaints: the stories of the old saris are told through wordless panels, which doesn't work well with preschool age kids in a group setting like story time, and there's no glossary or explanation of the non-English words used for grandmother, mom, aunt, etc. I will definitely use this with elementary school age kids!...more
Beautiful illustrations accompany a fun story about the speediest family in the world hosting a sloth for three weeks. How will the sloth fit in? WillBeautiful illustrations accompany a fun story about the speediest family in the world hosting a sloth for three weeks. How will the sloth fit in? Will it change them or will they change him? A great group read aloud!...more
I really enjoyed all the literary references and felt like the multiple POVs added a depth to the story. I appreciated the bit of clean romance and thI really enjoyed all the literary references and felt like the multiple POVs added a depth to the story. I appreciated the bit of clean romance and the mystery-ish aspect that kept the plot moving along nicely. I definitely recommend this one to fans of uplifting reads that aren't saccharine sweet or over-filled with tropes....more
Fun little middle grade graphic novel about a super smart family with a great message about priorities and a little science thrown in for fun. Highly Fun little middle grade graphic novel about a super smart family with a great message about priorities and a little science thrown in for fun. Highly recommended for fans of graphic novels and sci-fi....more
You know going in that this is the story of a seriously dysfunctional family, but I anticipated being able to relate to at least one of the charactersYou know going in that this is the story of a seriously dysfunctional family, but I anticipated being able to relate to at least one of the characters. Sadly, I couldn't. Still, it was a moving story that ended with a tone of hope. If you like literary fiction with lots of reality and depth, this might be the book for you....more
Simple story with some repetition, the little pig is waiting for Granny to come visit. All the farm animals try to assure him that Granny is coming, bSimple story with some repetition, the little pig is waiting for Granny to come visit. All the farm animals try to assure him that Granny is coming, but he's just impatient because he loves her so much. The illustrations aren't my favorite - messy pencil drawings with watercolor splotches added in - but they don't detract from the story. Definitely suitable for story time!...more
This is a fun addition to the series! All the "o" words feel natural and the story is sweet! A great group read aloud.This is a fun addition to the series! All the "o" words feel natural and the story is sweet! A great group read aloud....more
This is a cute, diverse picture book telling the story of a family with 26 babies (A through Z) as they all get ready for bed. Suitable for a pajama sThis is a cute, diverse picture book telling the story of a family with 26 babies (A through Z) as they all get ready for bed. Suitable for a pajama story time or to introduce the alphabet....more
This is a fun story with a good message. The illustrations are nice, too, except for the noses of each character, which are horrible. I can't figure oThis is a fun story with a good message. The illustrations are nice, too, except for the noses of each character, which are horrible. I can't figure out why they're drawn that way, but I'm not normally a graphic novel reader, so I might be missing something obvious to regular GN fans....more
The illustrations are just gorgeous and the idea of a baboon who is overstimulated by her huge, loud family is just awesome. (Please read the author'sThe illustrations are just gorgeous and the idea of a baboon who is overstimulated by her huge, loud family is just awesome. (Please read the author's note to understand why she chose to depict baboons). I love how Leyla learned to find balance by engaging her lizard brain and being mindful. This will make a great story time book!...more
Decent story of a lost polar bear just trying to get home. Meanwhile, all the other animals of the forest are trying to figure out who he is and if heDecent story of a lost polar bear just trying to get home. Meanwhile, all the other animals of the forest are trying to figure out who he is and if he's a threat to them. 2.5 stars...more
When I was in college I seriously considered a sociology major. As part of that process I debated what I would write my senior thesis on and determineWhen I was in college I seriously considered a sociology major. As part of that process I debated what I would write my senior thesis on and determined that the only thing that interested me enough to research and write that much was the experience of African-American women in America. I have no doubt that they are, as a group, the strongest people in history - intellectually, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Of course, being a white woman from a tiny town in Oregon, I had no personal experience and no right to co-opt their history for my own benefit, so I wasn't even sure that it was an appropriate topic for me to choose. I ended up getting a sociology minor so a thesis wasn't an issue, but all this is to say that the experience of the African-American woman has always fascinated me so I was excited to read this book.
This is an amazing debut novel, and I was interested the entire way through. I was surprised that the book dealt with some of the hardest issues (child rape, domestic abuse, racism, murder, etc.) so lightly. I'm still not quite sure how I feel about that. These issues are mentioned several times, but the consequences are almost glossed over. I don't know if it was the attempt to cover so many issues at once that kept everything at a surface level, or if I just didn't take as much of it in because it was horrible. Seriously, the idea of moving her 10-year-old daughter into the same house as her rapist was just something I couldn't fathom. Yet, it's treated like it's okay because the mom has no other choices. Really, there were other choices, the mom just didn't consider any of them. That might have been the point at which I detached a little from the story.
Anyway, I found the book fascinating and not nearly as disturbing as I think it should have been. The writing was beautiful, and the setting felt like a part of the story. 3.5 stars...more
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