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Review: Grandpere's Ghost Swamp

Grandpere's Ghost Swamp By Rachel M. Marsh New York: Greenwillow Books, 2026. Fiction. 238 pages. 12-year-old Basil Theriot is haunted by the ghost of her grandfather. At his funeral, Grandpere shows up in the back row, and Basil is the only one who can see him. Basil begins to follows G'Pere's instructions to see if she can help him move on. Meanwhile, her family's restaurant is in disarray as Basil's father takes over as head chef and tries to figure out G'Pere's secret ingredient. G'Pere warns Basil that he regrets the restaurant and bringing his family to the city of New Orleans and away from the bayous where their Cajun family originated. This is all fine by Basil, because she secretly hates the family business and resents her parents' dream for her to someday take over. With her school's Career Day looming, Basil and her best friend Tommy, follow G'Pere's ghost on a journey to reconnect with the Theriot's Cajun roots by venturin...

Review: Little Bones

Little Bones Written by Sandy Bigna New York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2026. Fiction. 239 pages. Anyone who has lost a family member knows what a difficult time it can be, especially for young children. I really appreciated this compassionate book for its acknowledgment that family loss, and the grief that follows, affects people in a variety of ways. This book also does a great job recognizing that sometimes friends step in to offer comfort and a solid support system when it is too hard for the family. I think the book also addresses the fact that losses don't happen in a vacuum: people still have to work and provide for their families, children are dealing with friendships and school, and the world doesn't pause while the healing happens. Bones, trying to process the loss of a younger brother, finds some solace in her atypical hobby of collecting animal skulls, bones, and dried leaves. Disgusted by her hobbies, Edie, an unkind girl at school, gives h...

From Story Time: Summer Week 3

Stories in the Park Pirate & Penguin Written by Mike Allegra Illustrated by Jenn Harney Salem, MA: Page Street Kids, 2023. Picture Book. What happens when a pirate, hoping for a parrot, stumbles upon a bird of a duller plumage? Pirate doesn't know that Penguin is a penguin. But any bird can sit on a shoulder and squawk 'shiver me timbers' ... right? Laugh along with Pirate and Penguin in this high seas tale of mistaken identity and find out whether they'll find friendship before somebody walks the plank. --Publisher Stories in the Park Dinosaurs Don't Have Bedtimes Written by Timothy Knapman Illustrated by Nikki Dyson Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press, 2016. Picture Book. A little boy tries to persuade his mother that dinosaurs don't have bedtimes. --Editor Canopy Capers and Summer Story Time Roy Digs Dirt By David Shannon New York: The Blue Sky Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc., 2020. Picture Book. Roy is a West Highland terrier who loves to dig in the d...

Review: When Tomorrow Burns

When Tomorrow Burns By Tae Keller New York, NY : Random House Books for Young Readers, 2026. Fiction, 265 pages. When faced with changes around, between, and within themselves, three seventh graders in Seattle revisit a mysterious book they discovered years earlier that seems to foretell the future. Vi tries to reclaim a sense of identity after realizing she has been the subject of her mother's social media account for most of her life. Arthur is confused about his feelings towards Nomi and grapples with how other boys his age treat girls. And Nomi worries about keeping her scholarship to her private school—each step in her plan is necessary for her future wellbeing. She believes solving the mystery of this book of prophecies will prevent calamity. Newbery winner Keller has created unusually relatable twelve-year-old protagonists who are beginning to see what privilege, power, and autonomy look like in a complicated world. She balances their miscommunications and shortcomings with ...

Read Alikes: Elephant and Piggie

Elephant and Piggie star in an excellent easy reader series that you have probably read. It's so popular, in fact, that it's now getting its own TV adaptation. But once your child has read through the series, it can be hard to know where to turn next. Do you want something easy to read but entertaining enough to keep your kids engaged? A strong and humorous friendship tale? Try one of these books out today! Let's Have a Sleepover! By Salina Yoon New York : Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2026. Easy Reader. Kat and Mouse have different ideas about what would make for a good sleepover. Kat wants to dance while Mouse wants to read. Will they be able to agree on an idea? For Elephant and Piggie fans who appreciate the simple drawings on a plain white background, this book is a great choice. Dog Gets a Pet By Jeff Mack New York, New York : Simon Spotlight, 2024. Easy Reader. Pony has a surprise for his friend dog—a pet rock. Dog would have rather had an amazing animal—like a...

Review: The Mighty Macy

The Mighty Macy Written by Kwame Alexander Illustrated by Kitt Thomas New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2026. Intermediate. 132 pages. Macy is a third grader who loves her family, her friends, and reading. She is especially excited about a new book she got for her birthday, The Mighty Zora . But when Macy goes to her school library the morning after finishing book one to get the second installment, she learns something terrible: the school library is closed, and it will only be open Mondays and Fridays because of budget cuts. Macy and her friends know this isn't right, so they hatch a plan to join the parents and teachers at the school board meeting and speak up. The Mighty Macy was a truly delightful book, one that parents and children might enjoy reading together. The novel is told in verse, which makes the story flow quickly and may introduce young readers to a new style of storytelling. The illustrations throughout are vibrant and help add a lot of character an...