Five Faves: Black Girl Magic

As we look back and remember the many brillant black women creators and advocates during this Black History month, it's essential to also keep looking forward to the future and to the amazing potential inherent in upcoming generations --to look to that special spark that is known as black girl magic.

The Light She Feels Inside

Written by Gwendolyn Wallace

Illustrated by Olivia Duchess

Naperville, Illinois: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, 2023. Picture Book.

Maya learns to utilize her glow (whether it's produced from seeing injustice, sadness, or joy) by looking back at past black women pioneers to rally her community and bring people together.

Natural Me

Written by MzVee

Illustrated by Lisbeth Checo

New York: Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2024. Picture Book.

A message of empowerment meant to encourage young girls to love themselves just as they are.

Black Girls: A Celebration of You!

Written by Dominique Furukawa

Illustrated by Erika Lynne Jones

New York: Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2023. Picture Book.

With charming illustrations, Black Girls, is an engaging celebration of the diversity of black girlhood while also creating a link between everday life and those who led the way in the past.

Black Girl Rising

Written by Brynne Barnes

Illustrated by Tatyana Fazlalizadeh

San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2022. Picture Book.

A lyrical journey that reveals the gamut of emotions and experiences of past generations, Black Girl Rising will leave you hopeful for the future.

Little Black Girl: Oh the Things You Can Do!

Written by Kirby Howell-Baptiste

Illustrated by Paul Davey

New York: Nancy Paulsen Books, 2022. Picture Book.

Follow along as one young black girl pursues her dream of a future in robotics, while being sensitive and uplifting in the face of potential struggle.

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Five Faves: WWII Spies and Codebreakers

I can't help but assume I'm not the only kid who grew up playing spies. As a child, my imaginative playtime was filled with covert espionage largely derived from the Spy Kids movies. As an adult, my interest in spycraft has never wavered. In fact, the older I get, the more I am intrigued by spies, ciphers, and codes. Combine that with a love of rich historical settings and untold stories of people from history, there are few things I find as satisfying as a historical spy story. If you're anything like me, you'll love this list of stories -- real and fictional -- starring spies, codebreakers, and cryptanalysts. Max in the House of Spies By Adam Gidwitz New York: Dutton Children's Books, 2024. Fiction. 320 pages. After Kristallnacht, Max Bretzfeld's German Jewish parents decide to send him to England via the Kindertransport. Now accompanied by two invisible-to-all-but-him spirts -- a dybbuk and a kobold -- Max is desperate to return home to Berlin. As Max adjusts

Five Faves: Mysterious High-Low Intermediate Books

Intermediate Mystery books are a gold mine. High-low books refer to titles that are of high interest to readers, but contain low level vocabulary. These titles are clever, action-packed, and have several books in the series to keep the mystery alive. These intermediate mystery books are the first in their series and are sure to appease any mystery loving reader. The Ghost Tree Written by Natasha Deen Illustrated by Lissy Marlin New York: Random House Children's Books, 2022. Intermediate. 95 pages. With a dash of paranormal mixed with mystery, this book introduces Asim, a Guyanese American fourth grader who moves to a new town. After a visit to a graveyard, an evil spirit is unleashed. Asim works with new friends, Rokshar and Max, to save their town. With scarily cool illustrations to accompany this text, this book is great for any amateur sleuths who love a touch of creepy. Detective Duck: The Case of the Strange Splash Written by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver Illustrated by Dan San

Display: Dino-mite Reads

Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs By Mo Willems New York: Balzar + Bray, 2012. Picture Book. "Once upon a time, there were three hungry Dinosaurs: Papa Dinosaur, Mama Dinosaur . . . and a Dinosaur who happened to be visiting from Norway. One day--for no particular reason--they decided to tidy up their house, make the beds, and prepare pudding of varying temperatures. And then--for no particular reason--they decided to go . . . someplace else. They were definitely not setting a trap for some succulent, unsupervised little girl. Definitely not!" --Editor Smart Vs. Strong! Written by Jill Esbaum Illustrated by Miles Thompson New York: Simon Spotlight, 2021. Easy Reader. 64 pages. "When Thunder gets stuck in quicksand, Cluck uses his smarts to free his friend." --Editor How Dinosaurs Went Extinct Written by Ame Dyckman Illustrated by Jennifer Harney New York: Brown and Company, 2023. Picture Book. "When a child in a museum asks how dinosaurs became extinct, Dad co

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