Maxine and Leon Read a Book

Call Me Roberto! Knocks it Out of the Park!

Call Me Roberto!: Roberto Clemente Goes to Bat for Latinos (Calkins Creek, 2024), by Nathalie Alonso, illustrated by Rudy Gutierrez (Ages 7-10). Unless you’re an avid baseball fan, you probably remember Roberto Clemente as the baseball player known for his humanitarian work. Clemente died on December 31, 1972, when the plane he chartered to take supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua crashed shortly after takeoff. In 2002 (30 years after his death), Major League Baseball (“MLB”) proclaimed September 15 as “Roberto Clemente Day.” Each year at the World

Ablaze with Color: The Amazing Life and Art of Alma Thomas

Ablaze with Color: A Story of Painter Alma Thomas (HarperCollins, 2022), written by Jeanne Walker Harvey and illustrated by Loveis Wise. (Ages 4-8). Meet Alma Thomas (1891-1978), an African American painter whose life and art were ablaze with joyous color. Thomas was born in Columbus, Georgia, where segregation prevented her from attending the elementary school two doors down from her house. At age 15, Thomas could not attend high school in her hometown, so the family moved to Washington, D.C., hoping to escape the injustices that plagued

Embark on an Epic Adventure with Mexikid!

Pedro Martín’s memoir, Mexikid – You won’t want to miss even one minute of this larger-than-life family adventure from California to Mexico!

Pigeon & Cat: The Power of Friendship

Pigeon & Cat (Little, Brown, 2022) by Edward Hemingway. Meet Pigeon & Cat Cat is an anti-social stray. He lives in a box located on a vacant lot and only leaves to search for food. Things change when Cat rescues an unbroken egg (“to pretty to eat”) from a nest that was blown out of the tree. When Pigeon hatches, they become fast friends. Through speech bubbles, Cat speaks in words, and Pigeon “tweets” in emojis. As their caring friendship blossoms, Cat’s heart starts to open up. Adventurous

Hi Jack! (The 1st Book in the Jack Book Series)

Fans of the Frog & Toad series by Arnold Lobel and the Elephant & Piggie series by Mo Willems will love Hi Jack! (Viking, 2019), the first book in the Jack Book series written by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Greg Pizzoli. While Hi Jack! is not the recipient of any awards, it will be a winner with new readers! Meet Jack Meet Jack (a mischievous rabbit), the Lady (an elderly white woman), and Rex (a farm dog) in this laugh-out-loud early reader. When Jack meets the Lady, he promptly steals her purse

Caterpillar Summer – A Heartwarming Novel

Caterpillar Summer (Bloomsbury, 2019) by Gillian McDunn. Caterpillar & Chicken When summer plans change, 11-year-old Cat and her 7-year-old brother, Chicken (who appears to be on the autism spectrum), are taken to stay on Gingerbread Island with maternal grandparents, Macon and Lily, who they’ve never heard of before. Cat and Chicken are the namesakes of characters in their mother’s picturebook series, Caterpillar & Chicken. In the books, Caterpillar does everything in her power to keep Chicken happy, and the same is true in real life. Ever since her

Plasticus Maritimus: A Dangerous & Invasive Species

Plasticus Maritimus: An Invasive Species (Greystone Kids, 2020) by Ana Pêgo with Isabel Minhós Martins, illustrated by Bernardo P. Cavalho, translated by Jane Springer. Learn about Plasticus Maritimus Pêgo, a marine biologist and artist, has committed her life to the collection and study of ocean plastics. She even gave it a Latin name, Plasticus Maritimus, as a way to warn people about its dangers to the oceans and ultimately our planet. Presented in narrative form, this book is a comprehensive introduction to the plastic problem. After a short

Stuntboy: The Greatest Hero You’ve Never Heard Of

Stuntboy, In the Meantime, (Atheneum, 2021) written by Jason Reynolds, illustrated by Raúl the Third, and color by Elaine Bay. Meet Portico “Stuntboy” Reeves His parents know him as Portico Reeves, but his super not so secret identity is “Stuntboy.” When Portico is himself, he sometimes gets the “frets.” How could he not? Portico has to deal with bullying from Herbert Singletary the Worst and with his parents’ escalating fights as they move to separate apartments. Stuntboy doesn’t have time for the “frets” because he’s busy performing wacky

Premeditated Myrtle (A Myrtle Hardcastle Mystery)

Premeditated Myrtle (A Myrtle Hardcastle Mystery) (Recorded Books, 2020) by Elizabeth C. Bunce, read by Bethan Rose Young. Meet H.M. Hardcastle, Author of the “Principles of Detection” Living in Victorian England (the village of Swinburne, to be exact), Myrtle Hardcastle is not like other Young Ladies of Quality. Instead, she is a precocious twelve-year-old with a passion for justice and an unconventional obsession with criminal science. When her next-door neighbor, Miss Wodehouse (a wealthy and eccentric breeder of rare lilies) dies under mysterious circumstances, Myrtle seizes the chance to

Anorak Magazine – Sure to Put a Smile on Every Kid’s Face

Welcome to Anorak, the Happy Magazine for Kids Anorak magazine, for children ages 6+, is published by Studio Anorak, an independent children’s publishing house established in 2006. Studio Anorak also publishes DOT, a magazine for children 5 and under. Both are published quarterly, both print and digital, and shipped worldwide. The publishing house’s ethos is to put creativity and joy at the heart of childhood. With vibrant color throughout, Anorak magazine is filled with beautifully illustrated stories, games, and other fun activities. Each issue has a theme, all of which

Curating Children's Books

By reviewing high-quality, culturally-sustaining (and enjoyable) books that affirm and value all children, I hope to encourage children and those young at heart to read more.

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