The Long, Lazy Summer by Michele L. Sayre is a story of life and death, told through the eyes of a young boy. Ray’s mother plans to spend what will be her last summer at home with her husband and son. Through physically and emotionally...

Tower in the Stars (Torre en las estrellas) by Laura Carolfi is a children’s illustrated picture book about life and death. Tower is an older dog, and he is there when Tiny is born. I liken Tower to a grandfather figure, in his later years...

Mark Binder’s The Worst centers on an ordinary eighth-grader who navigates the awkward world of a small New England middle school along with his tight-knit group of friends. Calling themselves Team Bomb Shelter, these clever middle schoolers use an ironic scale to rank their daily...

The Moon and Me is a dreamy, magical, read-aloud counting book for young children. The gentle rhythms of the text by Nielle P Marques track nighttime animals in the sky, on trees, on fences, on land, in the woods, and in the creek. Flying herons,...

The Girl Who Makes a Million Mistakes: Dance Practice by Brenda Li is a children’s picture book about a high-spirited girl named Millie who rose to the occasion. When Miss Julianna announces that the class has an exciting dance recital coming up, Millie is absolutely...

M.M. Hart’s The Empty Lot centers on Marco Rivera, a young boy living in an old East Los Angeles apartment. Marco doesn’t have a club, a coach, or any proper soccer gear. Instead, he spends his evenings practicing footwork behind his building, kicking a plastic...

The Further Adventures of Erig the Earwig by Andy Evans is a well-written book that takes children on a trip into nature to learn about insects, their unique behaviors, and features. Andy begins by introducing two best friends, Erig, an earwig, and Bob, a copper...

Does it really matter what color you are? Or what color someone else is? In Andrew Ginsburg’s The Colors of My Sky, Lester, the blue butterfly, is taught by his mother to only play with other blue butterflies. Why? Because blue is the color of...

Independence, strength, courage, resilience, purpose – these are gifts we share with loved ones, old and young. In Devaunshi Mahadevia’s The World, For You, a mother shares her love for her child, beginning with the moment the child is born. The love is shared in...

Colleen M. Bratley's The Easter Spirit Eggs follows the adventures of three little bunny siblings. Easter is here, and it's going to be Jacket's first egg hunt with his older siblings, Hoppity and Jumper. The three little bunnies must offer the Easter spirit with each...