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From generation to generation: Still There Was Bread

Still There Was Bread, by Lisl H. Detlefesen/Illustrated by David Soman, (Oct. 2024, HarperCollins), $19.99, ISBN: 9780063216556 Ages 4-8 The warmth of a family kitchen comes through the pages in this intergenerational story of baking, family, and love. A young boy awaits his grandmother’s arrival, a big moment on the rise: he’s going to learn to make “Nana Rolls”: a special family bread that…

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The art of friendship: An Adventure for Lia and Lion

An Adventure for Lia and Lion, by Al Rodin, (Oct. 2024, Knopf Books for Young Readers), $18.99, ISBN: 9780593903322 Ages 3-7 Lia is a little girl who wants a pet to go adventuring with. Lion is a lion who also wants a pet that he can lead on an adventure. The two meet and clash: they both want to be in charge! Through listening and talking, each learns what the other hopes to gain on their…

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Adrift on a Painted Sea is a touching memoir

Adrift on a Painted Sea, by Tim Bird with paintings by Sue Bird, (Oct. 2024, Avery Hill Publishing), $18.99, ISBN: 9781910395820 Ages 16+ Sue Bird was an artist who “filled the house with her art”. Her son, Tim Bird, created this graphic memoir as a tribute to her.  Told in flashbacks, Bird touches on his relationship with his mom and her art. Bird incorporates Sue Bird’s art, art research, and…

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Snow Is... wonderful!

Snow Is…, by Laura Gehl/Illustrated Sonia Sánchez, (Oct. 2024, Simon & Schuster), $18.99, ISBN: 9781665915595 Ages 3-7 The anticipation of a snowy day comes alive in this rhyming story about the first snowfall of the season. A child looks out the window and watches the flakes fall. Dashing outside, they run back to get their father and dog, and it becomes a family day as Mom and baby sibling join…

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Sam Can't Poop will get kids... going

Sam Can’t Poop, by Samantha Jeffries & Carly Nguyen, (Aug. 2024, Blue Balloon Books), $17.99, ISBN: 978-1962202657 Ages 4-8 Sam is a young girl with a tummy ache: she’s a girl with a “grumble in her belly and gas that was too smelly”. What’s the problem? She. Can’t. Poop. It’s just not happening. She tries to find ways to get things moving along, with some adorably funny moments. Inspired by…

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I Spy... a new I Spy book in time for Valentine's Day!

I Spy Love, by Dan Marzollo & Dave Marzollo/Illustrated by Walter Wick, (Nov. 2024, Scholastic), $14.99, ISBN: 9781546119784 Ages 4-8 I have the warmest of warm fuzzies when it comes to I Spy books. I have the best memories of my son, now 21, sitting with me in our living room, poring over copies of I Spy (we had SO MANY), time and again, excited to find all the items each time. Did you know…

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Teleportation and Other Luxuries, for STEM Geeks Everywhere

Teleportation and Other Luxuries, by Archie Bongiovanni & Mary Verhoeven, (Nov. 2024, Mad Cave Studios), $14.99, ISBN: 9781545812242 Ages 12+ A group of brainy misfits come together to win a science competition sponsored by a nefarious coroporation in this original graphic novel from Bongiovanni (A Quick & Easy Guide to They/Them Pronouns) and illustrator Verhoeven. Tyler, a trans teen with a…

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That's the way the ball bounces: Bounce! is a history of rubber

Bounce! A Scientific History of Rubber, by Sarah Albee/Illustrated by Eileen Ryan Ewen, (Oct. 2024, Charlesbridge), $18.99, ISBN: 9781623543792 Ages 6-9 Learners who love the “why” of things will enjoy this one: illustrations and history pair with scientific explanation to deliver a concise and fascinating history of rubber. Entertainment in Europe wasn’t terribly exciting in the early days: to…

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The Goblin Twins (Try to) Take New York!

The Goblin Twins: Too Hard to Scare, by Frances Cha/Illustrated by Jaime Kim, (Sept. 2024, Crown Books for Young Readers), $19.99, ISBN: 9780593480267 Ages 3-7 Doki and Kebi, two 601-year-old Korean goblin twins, are living in New York. Doki is happy to read the books in his new library, but Kebi is lonely. Attempts to make new friends aren’t working out, and New Yorkers aren’t very easy to…

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I went to the Scholastic Graphix Party!

Hi all, I know I’ve been posting pretty spottily this year, and it’s not out of a desire to fade away. It’s been a heck of a year, and life and work have been conspiring against me when it comes to having the time I want to devote to Mom Read It. That said, I am NOT going anywhere. I’m still here, still reading, and honestly, the life changes are largely good. Just wanted to let you know that…

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Art Baltazar & Franco bring Flash Gordon to Papercutz!

Flash Gordon Adventures, by Art Baltazar & Franco, (Nov. 2024, Papercutz), $7.99, ISBN: 9781545812181 Ages 7-12 I grew up watching reruns of the old Buster Crabbe Flash Gordon serials with my Dad, and I am a dedicated fan of the 1980 Flash Gordon movie in all its cheezy glory (“Flash! I love you! But we only have 14 hours to save the earth!”). Finding out that Art Baltazar and Franco are doing a…

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Picture Day at Dino Play: Say Cheese!

Picture Day at Dino Play, by Sean Julian, (Sept. 2024, NorthSouth Books), $19.95, ISBN: 9780735845527 Ages 4-8 It’s Picture Day at Dino Daycare, and Freda is excited to wear her favorite hat – her grandma gave it to her! – for her picture. After playtime, Freda discovers her hat is missing, and it’s not easily recovered: a bird has made a nest of her hat! Does Freda grab her hat and run for it or…

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Nessie surfaces in a new story!

Nessie, by Ilse De Keyzer/Illustrated by Dana Martens, (Nov. 2024, Clavis), $19.95, ISBN: 9798890630872 Ages 6-10 The mysterious Loch Ness “monster” lives on in a touching new story. Rhona is a young girl accompanying her Uncle Allister on a boat ride down Loch Ness, where he’s determined to capture Nessie and get his picture in the paper. He eschews nets and fish in favor of… pancakes! Everyone…

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Rock out with Goth Moth

Goth Moth, by Kai Lüftner/Illustrated by Wiebke Rauers, Translated by Tim Mohr, (Sept. 2024, North South Books), $19.95, ISBN: 9780735845558 Ages 4-8 Shy moth Walter keeps to himself in his little attic home, but inside, he’s got the heart of a musician: “Unwatched, pumping hands and feet, / He bashes out a nonstop beat, / Whirly, twirling his drumsticks, / Pounding tom-toms, hi-hat tricks”. He’s…

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Chopping Spree: Back to the Mall!

Chopping Spree, by Angela Sylvaine, (Sept. 2024, Dark Matter INK), $14.99, ISBN: 9781958598313 Ages 14+ I am a woman of a certain age, and that certain age involved reading Stephen King before I entered my teens, and watching movies where a lunatic chased teens, and hanging out at the mall. Chopping Spree ticks off all of those boxes: I mean, look at this cover! Let’s dive into this novella: set…

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Dungeon Crawler Carl: Trust me, it's a YA Crossover

Dungeon Crawler Carl, by Matt Dinniman, (Aug. 2024, Ace), $30, ISBN: 9780593820247 Ages 14+ Folks, trust me on this one: it’s not listed under Teen/YA, but your gamers, your tabletop fans, your D&D crowd, your SFF readers, all will love this straight up hilarious, wild ride. Originally self-published, Penguin Random House finally got hold of this series and now we can all rejoice that it’s…

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A new generation meets Edward Gorey!

As Edward Imagined: A Story of Edward Gorey in Three Acts, by Matthew Burgess/Illustrated by Marc Majewski, (Sept. 2024, Knopf Books for Young Readers), $19.99, ISBN: 9781984893802 Ages 4-8 Edward Gorey was everywhere when I was a kid. If you watched PBS at all, you saw his artwork during commercials for Mystery!; his illustration seemed to be everywhere, and I still have my copy of The…