DIY Story Time: The Letter "Y"

Yay for "Y" Week! Here are a few books for this fun letter:

Written by Angela DiTerlizzi

Illustrated by Lorena Alvarez

Disney-Hyperion, 2020. Picture Book.

Each of us, from the day we're born, is accompanied by a special companion--the Yet. Can't tie your shoes? Yet! Can't ride a bike? Yet! Can't play the bassoon? Don't worry, Yet is there to help you out.

The Magical Yet is the perfect tool for parents and educators to turn a negative into a positive when helping children cope with the inevitable difficult learning moments we all face. Whether a child or an adult, this encouraging and uplifting book reminds us that we all have things we haven't learned...yet! --Publisher

Dinos Don't Do Yoga

Written by Catherine Bailey

Illustrated by Alex Willmore

Sounds True, 2020. Picture Book.

Meet Rex, the talon-tearing tough leader of a Cretaceous crew that loves to feed, feud, and fight! All is well in their rough-and-tumble world until someone new comes to town: a yoga-loving dino named Sam. Rex disapproves of his yoga pants, the “silly” chants, and frankly anyone who prefers tree pose to tussling. But how will Rex react when his surly, burly buddies want to try something new? And what is the real reason Rex rejects this new dinosaur?

Kids will delight in this chomping, stomping showdown between the muscle-bound and the mellow, as Rex learns what true toughness looks like. With humor and heart, Dinos Don’t Do Yoga reveals the strength of kindness and friendship over bullying and fear. --Publisher

Yes Day!

Written by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

Illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld

HarperCollins, 2009. Picture Book.

No matter how silly the request, there is one day a year when kids always receive a positive response: Can I have pizza for breakfast? YES! Can we have a food fight? YES! Can I stay up really late? YES!

The simple text coupled with delightful illustrations will send kids on a journey into their wildest wishes. With humor and appreciation for life's little pleasures, Yes Day! captures the excitement of being a kid. --Publisher

Comments

Review: Fowl Play

Fowl Play By Kristin O'Donnell Tubb New York: Katherine Tegen Books, 2024. Fiction 277 pages. Still reeling from her beloved uncle's death, Chloe Alvarez is comforted and confused when at his last will and testament reading, Uncle Will gifts her his African Grey parrot, Charlie. Charlie has a robust vocabulary and loves to make Alexa requests for her favorite songs, but when she starts saying things like, "homicide," and "cyanide," Chloe becomes convinced that Uncle Will may have met his demise by murder instead of a genetic disease, as was previously thought. Ultimately, bringing in her brother, Grammy, and Uncle Frank (and of course Charlie,) Chloe's ragtag and adoring family support her search for answers ---going on stakeouts, engaging in fast pursuits, and searching for clues. But as the suspects stack up and the mystery grows, Chole will learn that the process of death and grieving is complicated, and in the end her Uncle Will's words that, ...

Review: Alice with a Why

Alice with a Why By Anna James New York: Penguin, 2026. Fiction. 240 pgs. In 1919, in the aftermath of the first World War, Alyce is living with her grandmother in the English countryside. Her grandmother, also named Alice, tells Alyce (with a y) stories from her childhood adventures in a wonderful land filled with white rabbits and mad hatters. Alyce doesn't really believe the silly stories, she just misses her father who was killed in the war. One day, Alyce receives a mysterious invitation to tea, and subsequently falls into a pond where she is transported to Wonderland. Her grandmother, of course, is that Alice. Alyce is prompted by the Mad Hatter, Dormouse, and March Hare to seek out the Time Being and put an end to the war between the Sun King and the Queen of the Moon. Thus begins Alyce's adventure through Wonderland. I have a certain soft spot for the original story of Alice in Wonderland. It is one of my particular favorites and I often have a hard time reading new int...

Review: Blood in the Water

Blood in the Water By Tiffany D. Jackson New York: Scholastic, 2025. Fiction. 255 pages. 12-year-old Kaylani McKinnon can't help but feel like a fish out of water. She's a Brooklyn girl spending her summer on Martha's Vineyard surrounded by wealthy family friends in their mansion. All she really wants is to stay home all summer where she her incarcerated father can easily reach her, and she can keep working to find ways to prove him innocent of fraud and embezzlement. Despite her protests, she finds herself on the island with the snooty granddaughters of her host. Soon after Kaylani's arrival, a popular teen boy is found murdered and she decides to conduct her own investigation. As she tries to discover what happened to Chadwick Cooper, Kaylani finds that not everything on Martha's Vineyard is as perfect as it appears. Thrillers for middle grade readers can be hard to find, but Tiffany D. Jackson succeeds in her first middle grade novel. A quick moving plot, tight d...

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