Category Archives: review

Superb for the Job: A Review of Sheba the Alley Cat

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Sheba the Alley Cat 
Lauren Fornoles 
Illustrated by Natalia Gubanova 
Little Leaflet Press 
Ages: 4+  
Available: October 6, 2026 

When Sheba, a black cat, sees a job opening in the Meow Times for a ‘friend and travel companion’ for Hilda Broomwick (who seems nice and is totally not a witch), she finds an opportunity to see the world outside her humdrum alley. She packs her things and makes her way to the address listed in the paper: a house covered in cobwebs and has only one lit window. Despite her lack of travel experience, Sheba’s enthusiasm and bone-collecting skills might land her the job of a lifetime. Natalia Gubanova’s use of dark blue sky, pumpkins outside Hilda’s house, bats flying all over the place, and Hilda’s overall witchy appearance create a gentle Halloween theme. The hand-drawn look of Gubanova’s digital illustrations and muted colors generate a serene and charming atmosphere. Lauren Fornoles’s positive phrasing about Sheba’s excitement for the job complements Gubanova’s cute-spooky drawings. When Sheba reads “Welcome” near the front door, she fails to see the bottom text that reads, “if you dare,” creating depth to the story’s humor. The underlying message of being appreciated for one’s unique traits adds an emotional layer to the otherwise whimsical text. Sheba feels discouraged when she tells Hilda she hasn’t had a lot of travel experience. However, when Hilda mentions she needs special bones for her spells, Sheba realizes she can make a personal contribution, and her confidence returns stronger than ever. In short, Sheba the Alley Cat is a sweet seasonal story with a dash of social emotional learning, great for a Halloween collection or story time. 

A Just-Reformed Overachiever: A Review of Jubilee Foster is Totally Fine

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Jubilee Foster is Totally Fine
Elise Bryant 
Quill Tree Books, an imprint of HarperCollins 
Ages 13+ 
Available: January 26, 2027

Sixteen-year-old go-getter Jubilee Foster has her life under control. But her perfect life comes crashing down when from out of nowhere, she gets hives all over her body and can’t completely get rid of them. As her illness gets worse, Jubilee refuses to put her routine and relationships in jeopardy and act as selfish as her mother did when her mental illness took over. However, Jubilee will eventually need to attain the hardest goal a human powerhouse like her can accomplish: ask for and accept help. Bryant’s grounded dialogue makes every character soulful and three-dimensional. Jubilee’s feelings, especially those about Nate, her rival-turned-sweetheart, her mother, and her medical misfortune, take center stage in the story. When she realizes how her actions and words affect the people around her, the issues don’t quickly resolve themselves, which makes the story true-to-life. James Junior, Jubilee’s youngest sibling, is embarrassed that he needs extra help with his reading skills but didn’t tell his sister because he didn’t want to bother her busy schedule. It parallels Jubilee not wanting either of her siblings to tell her father about her hives because it would take time away from his work. Both James Jr.’s and Jubilee’s issues aren’t completely resolved, but it doesn’t deter from the story’s hopeful ending. The story features mostly Black and mixed-race characters. Jubilee Foster is Totally Fine, an enemies-to-lovers and medical drama, will make readers cry tears of frustration and happiness with every page turn.  

You, Me, and the Ghost Makes Three: A Review of Haunted Comic Club

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Haunted Comic Club
Josh Tierney
Illustrated by Caitlin Soliman
Oni Press
Ages 8-12
Available October 6, 2026

Will is an aspiring writer struggling to fit in at school after his closest and only friend moved away. Anita is a passionate artist grieving her Ama, who was always her biggest supporter. After a chance meeting at the Tween Zone after school club, the two outcasts decide to team up to create the best comic ever. Their subject? The ghost of a former staff member who still haunts the Tween Zone.

Will and Anita’s story is firmly rooted in creativity and friendship. With a core message about finding your “people” and chasing your passions, the graphic novel is simple to digest while still having exciting twists and turns. Drawings of Will and Anita’s own characters interplay with the illustrations, giving extra dimension to the world and the two tweens’ inner lives. The ghost of Sarah, the Tween Zone staff member, lurks throughout the story, both in the fictional comic and in the Tween Zone itself, adding a supernatural element that leaves the main characters and the readers alike questioning whether the ghost story is merely a legend.

A heartfelt, relatable story with protagonists who are easy to root for, Haunted Comic Club has the potential to resonate with a wide variety of readers. Those who are curious about scary books but not yet reading to jump into the deep end will enjoy the spooky atmosphere that radiates throughout the graphic novel without being overly frightening.

Finding Perseverance Through Friendship: A Review of Dasia (Forever)

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Dasia (Forever) 
Nic Stone 
Illustrated by Simone Douglas 
Crown Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books
Ages: 10+ 
Available: October 6, 2026  

13-year-old Dasia Monae Riley is not supposed to have visitors while undergoing bone cancer treatment. This doesn’t stop 14-year-old fellow cancer patient Jameson “Jimmy” Jeffs from entering her room, unnoticed by the doctors and nurses, and having a conversation with her on a lonely July night. As the two girls talk, Dasia realizes she has more in common with Jimmy than she first thought. Little does she know that one night in spectral Jimmy’s company will change her life forever.

This magical realistic middle grade fiction novel, a spin-off of Stone’s the Dear Martin series, is part prose and part verso libre poetry in the form of Dasia’s unsent letters to her incarcerated older brother, LaQuan. The letters give readers a glimpse of Dasia’s life prior to induction chemo, feelings and experiences that she’s rarely shared with others except for Jimmy. Simone Douglas’s black-and-white illustrations, mainly seen as margin doodles in Dasia’s letters, accurately capture her sometimes-extreme emotional state. Stone gives the intense topic of childhood cancer gravitas and is not shy in including the isolation and pain associated with it, while Jimmy’s encouragement for Dasia to keep going and Dasia’s resolve to still fight her cancer, even at her lowest point, provide the reader hope. Extensive prior knowledge of the Dear Martin series isn’t required to understand Dasia’s narrative. Its powerful message of optimism in the face of illness is strong enough to stand alone. In short, Dasia (Forever) is an emotionally charged tale that will tug a reader’s heartstrings. 

The New Meets the Old: A Review of a Hanbok for Hana

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A Hanbok for Hana
Korena Di Roma Howley
Illustrated by Jaime Kim
Candlewick Press
Ages 5+
Available September 1, 2026

After moving to a new town with her Eomma, Hana’s life is changing. Now, with the Korean holiday of Chuseok approaching, she’s had enough of change. Instead of celebrating with her family, she has to celebrate with new neighbors, and her traditional hanbok no longer fits. But in creating a new hanbok, Hana discovers ways that the old and the new can coexist, and how new traditions can be just as beloved as old ones.

This simple, easy to follow story grapples with the idea of change, something familiar to many young readers, while introducing Korean concepts including holidays, clothing, and foods. A short explainer in the back gives more information about these for readers who may not be familiar. Kim’s illustrations emphasize the theme of old and new, especially in the depiction of Hana’s new hanbok, which is made from pieces from an old hanbok belonging to her Eomma as well as new pieces.

Perfect for discussions on cultural traditions and fall holidays, A Hanbok for Hana offers a view of a culture that may be familiar to some readers and brand new to others. Universal themes tie together a story that any young reader can relate to, regardless of their background.

Living in Agony and Remorse: A Review of Find My Way Down to You

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Find My Way Down to You
Julian Winters
Viking, an Imprint of Penguin Random House
Ages: 13+
Available Now

For the first time since the untimely death of his boyfriend, London, 18-year-old August’s life turns upside down when he meets a mysterious “ferrier of souls” named Cary, whom August follows into a forbidden place: Aides, the Underworld, where mortal souls spend eternity after they die. Seeing an opportunity to find London, August frequently visits the extravagant Aides looking for his lost love, with Cary as his reluctant guide. After five visits to Aides, August is presented with a choice, as per the rules: choose a lonely life without his old boyfriend or pursue his budding feelings for the moody Cary.  

Julian Winters’s contemporary prose emphasizes how grief impacts August’s life. Its omnipresence is evident when August oversleeps, is late to his work shift, mentions blaming himself for his boyfriend’s death in several chapters, and seeing an old photo of him and London leaves him in emotional turmoil. It’s heartbreak at its bleakest. However, this plot doesn’t just have doom and gloom. August’s interactions with Cary and other Aides characters breathe fresh air and excitement into an otherwise depressing story. Same-sex relationships and attractions are included without value-judgement, giving both the characters and readers room to explore their own feelings. Readers don’t need to be extremely fluent in afterlife mythos, especially Greek mythology, to follow the narrative. Even Henri, one of the other soul ferriers, mentions that everything found in Wikipedia about the underworld gets things “wrong.” Emotionally raw and rife with dramatic intrigue, Find My Way Down to You is a weighty rainy-day YA romantasy that is guaranteed to make readers cry.  

Romantasy Meets Mystery: A Review of Crown & Captive

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Crown & Captive
Kathleen Kitt
G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Ages 14+
Available December 1, 2026

Lady Elysia’s life has taken a major turn. After a short-lived and failed war of independence, she has been forced to leave her home in the kingdom of Miral to be a servant in the royal castle in the ruling state of Tannic. But when she discovers a plot against Prince (soon to be King) Daxon, she bargains for her freedom in exchange for catching a traitor. But catching royal conspirators is harder than it seems, especially when her heart begins to get in the way of her loyalty to her kingdom.

Romance, fantasy, and a mystery with a steadily ticking countdown to disaster meet in this female-led story. Kitt’s novel is packed full of classic romantasy tropes, with balls and dungeons and a handful of handsome princes to seal the deal. Female friendship and empowerment is also a common theme, and Elysia never wavers in the belief that her destiny is to be the rightful ruler of a free Miral.

A new entry in the forever-growing romantasy category, Crown & Captive has the potential to charm readers familiar with the genre, as well as those new to it.

Searching for Security: A Review of Comet’s Nine Lives

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Comet’s Nine Lives
Jan Brett
G.P. Putnam’s Sons, an Imprint of Penguin Random House
Ages 4-8
Available: October 6, 2026

 

When his first life slips away from him after eating some foxgloves, Comet the cat needs to find a home to keep his other eight lives intact. As his efforts turn into one misadventure after another, losing more lives in the process, Comet’s goal of finding a suitable shelter seemed further than ever. However, the safety he sought may be closer than he first thought. 

Jan Brett’s signature intricate and realistic art style shines once again in her latest picture book. Her trademark serene and cool watercolor illustrations and borders, which include seashells, sea creatures, seaweed, and wooden planks, capture the coastal ambiance of the story’s island setting. The watercolor paint isn’t super vibrant, but it is smooth and calm. Comet’s antics portrayed in the pictures spark exciting action despite the lack of bright colors. Brett’s prose doesn’t talk down to her audience. She uses sophisticated language in some areas, especially when a dog character feels outraged or frightened of Comet’s unwelcome presence. For instance, in one scene where a health inspector comes to an ice cream parlor and sees Comet, he proclaims, “Feline residues! Maximum infractions!” As Comet loses each life, Brett’s wording makes apt descriptions that match the situation presented in the illustrations. Overall, Comet’s Nine Lives is an exquisite read sure to charm both parents and young readers alike. Jan Brett fans would be proud to include this book in their collections. 

A Historic Journey: A Review of Riding the Trail: Cherokees Remember the Removal

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Riding the Trail: Cherokees Remember the Removal
Traci Sorell and Will Chavez
Charlesbridge
Ages 10+
Available August 25, 2026

Every year, a select group of young people from the Cherokee nation and Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians participate in the Remember the Removal ride — a bicycle journey of nearly 1,000 miles retracing the route many Cherokees took during the period of forced removal often referred to as the Trail of Tears. This book follows the 2020-2021 team (initially selected to ride in 2020, their ride was pushed back due to COVID-19) as they ride the trail, following in the steps of their ancestors and learning about the historic suffering, survival, and resilience of the Cherokee people.

The book begins by covering the historical context of both the removal of the Cherokee people from their homelands and the Remember the Removal ride itself, started by the Cherokee Nation in 1984, giving readers a solid foundational background to understand the ride. The journey of the nine members of the 2020-2021 team is told through narrative prose, photos, and firsthand quotes and accounts from the riders, support staff, and the people they meet along the way. Emphasis is put on the scale of the tragedy being remembered as well as the emotional significance for the riders, all of whom leave the three-week ride changed.

With one foot in the past and one in the present, Riding the Trail works to make real-life connections to historic events. Any reader can benefit from the story inside, but it would make an especially meaningful companion to lessons on 19th century American history.

One Beary Cute Story: A Review of Mr. Crump, the Heartless Grump

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Mr Crump, the Heartless Grump
Pog
Illustrated by Stephanie Leon
Floris Books
Ages 4-7
Available August 18th, 2026

Mr. Crump is, frankly, a total grump. He has no manners, no patience, and absolutely no enjoyment of things like pigeons at the park. But the second he gets home, Mr. Crump suddenly becomes soft, snuggly, and sentimental—just like the enormous collection of stuffed teddy bears filling his house! One fateful Halloween, a group of trick-or-treaters mistake his beloved bears for treats and make off with the entire collection! Left with just Captain Snuggles, his oldest and most prized teddy, Mr. Crump begins to learn what it means to care for others. With his newfound generosity, the town discovers there’s more beneath his curmudgeonly exterior, and the children now know that Mr. Crump is far from a grump.

One of the most striking features of Mr Crump, the Heartless Grump are Stephanie Leon’s pencil illustrations. The soft lines give the characters depth and texture, while the color palette mirrors emotion. The town’s colors lean cooler, more muted, and a little distant, resembling Mr. Crump’s gruff, closed-off personality. But inside his home, everything warms up. There’s a gentle, golden glow that makes his space (and his bears) feel safe, tender, and inviting.

Paired with author Pog’s playful, slightly silly language and distinct vernacular, Mr Crump, the Heartless Grump feels lively, cozy, and inviting, making it a great choice for younger readers and especially strong as a read-aloud tale.