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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 ...
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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...

Review: Stolen Colors

Stolen Colors Written by Khushboo Patel Illustrated by Tara Anand Montclair, NJ: Levine Querido, 2026. Picture Book. Shreya loves to paint, loves art class, and loves being her teacher's favorite. When Mr. Rao asks to paint her during recess, Shreya is ecstatic... until she isn't. When she stops by during recess, everything feels wrong. When Mr. Rao kisses her she feels ashamed for not yelling "NO!" and "STOP!" She doesn't like painting anymore. It takes a classmates bravery speaking up against the teacher for Shreya to find her own courage to tell her mom what happened. This book addresses sexual assault in a sensitive, yet direct way. It stresses the importance of telling trusted adults if you feel uncomfortable and gives an example of the 'ideal' way to protect yourself. It also validates the uncomfortable and shameful feelings that can cause people to not report then empowers them to be brave enough to confront the feelings and tell trusted a...

Review: Friedel and Gina

Friedel and Gina: A True Story of Sisterhood and Survival During the Holocaust By Jeremy Dronfield New York: Quill Tree Books, 2026. Informational. 356 pgs. In 1930, the Friedel and Gina Rosenthal's family was a happy, successful Jewish family living in Dusseldorf, Germany. Their father was a successful businessman, owning three corner shops throughout the city and Friedel and Gina worked in the shops with their four siblings. When Hitler and the Nazi party came to power, the family was systematically stripped of their businesses, property and possessions. The twins, 13-years-old at the time, were even forced to leave school like many other Jewish children. One year later, the Rosenthal family was deported from Germany to Poland, forced into ghettos, and eventually sent to concentration camps. As the years of World War II grew long, Friedel and Gina found themselves alone–suffering one heartache after another. But remarkably, the twin sisters managed to survive, together. This rema...

De la hora del cuento: Semana 2 de verano

  Cuentos ¡Sal de ahĆ­, Topo! Escrito por Alicia Acosta Ilustrado por Alessandro Montgnana Madrid, Spain: nubeOCHO, 2025. Libro ilustrado. "Topo tiene mucho miedo y no quiere salir de casa. Sus amigos le proponen planes divertidos, pero no hay manera: solo se siente a salvo en su madriguera. Topo tiene una mala experiencia y se vuelve muy miedoso, se niega a salir de su acogedora madriguera. Mapache, Oso, Tejón, Castor y Ardilla le proponen divertidas actividades que antes hacĆ­an juntos, pero no consiguen convencerlo. Aun asĆ­, sus amigos no se dan por vencidos e idean un plan. ¿ConseguirĆ”n que Topo salga de su madriguera?"--Amazon. Cuentitos Cuando el sol se marcha Escrito por Alicia Acosta Ilustrado por Mar Ferero Malaga, Spain: NubeOcho, 2023. PequeƱo libro ilustrado. "El sol se marcha hasta maƱana. Alegre se esconde tras la montaƱa ... Familias diversas regresan a sus casas al finalizar el dĆ­a. Una dulce canción para el momento de ir a dormir." --Editor

From Story Time: Summer Week 2

Stories in the Park Dig, Dig, Digger By Morag Hood London: Two Hoots, 2023. Picture Book. It is a day like any other at the roadworks when Digger decides she no longer likes digging down into mud, dark and worms - she wants to dig UP! Although up is quite tricky to get to, with some ingenuity and balloons, Digger goes off on a grand adventure. But adventures aren't as fun without friends, so Digger must dig her way home. With a witty text, bright colours and a finger trail to follow from the award-winning Morag Hood, young children and adults will love reading Dig, Dig, Digger! together. --Publisher Stories in the Park Oh, No! Written by Candace Fleming Illustrted by Eric Rohmann New York: Schwartz & Wade Books, 2012. Picture Book. A series of animals falls into a deep hole, only to be saved at last by a very large rescuer. --Editor Canopy Capers and Summer Story Time What if We.., By Eugenia Yoh and Vivienne Chang New York: Little, Brown & Company, 2025. Picture Book. A bo...