Category Archives: Uncategorized

Determine Your Own Destiny: A review of Inkbound: Meticulous Jones and the Skull Tattoo

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Inkbound: Meticulous Jones and the Skull Tattoo
Philippa Leathley
Illustrated by Brie Schmida
Clarion Books/HarperCollinsChildrens
January 28, 2025
Age 8-12

Born to a family of magical bent and eccentric names, Meticulous “Metty” Jones yearns for her tenth birthday and the receipt of a hand tattoo that will tell her fate—as a magical murderer. Hidden away for a year because of it, 11-year-old Metty finds her stoic father (Captain Moral Jones) missing and her unconventional Aunt Mag (Magnificent Jones) whisking her off to the magical, ink-fueled city of New London just ahead of the mysterious Black Moths that are searching for her. Along with a motley crew of friends, brave and curious Metty is determined to find her father, evade the dreaded Moths that pursue her, and change the fate she does not accept. Learning she is meant to bring life, instead of death, sets her on a path in opposition to the Black Moths, who would use her gifts for their own questionable purposes.

Leathley skillfully blends dark humor and mystery, with prose reminiscent of classic children’s literature in this first in a new series. Metty’s will to fight her fate is a journey of self-determination within a larger story of ethics—of our choices, of government power, and of how citizens choose to respond. Each in the diverse cast of characters is well-developed, sympathetic, and realistically flawed, so while Metty is clearly the protagonist, strong secondary characters ground these big questions in thoughtful dialog. When Aunt Mag tells her, “You are whatever you decide to be. Nobody controls your actions. Nobody but you.” (p 161), she is both encouraging Metty’s choices and attempting to protect her from her self-doubt.

Full of complex and creative world-building, a propulsive plot, and fierce friendships, it promises to draw readers looking for a Harry Potter-like combination of magic, adventure, danger, and community.

*Review based on ARC with no art included.

Survival of the Bravest: Wolf Girl: Into the Wild

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Wolf Girl: Into the Wild
Anh Do
Illustration by Jeremy Ley and Annie Ji
HarperCollins
March 18, 2025
Age 8-12

Pulled from bed and forced to escape home in a war zone, Gwen and her family flee to the mountains where they’re separated during an attack. When she finds herself alone in the forest, she sets off to find her parents and discovers that everyone—all humans—seem to be gone. A fall into a raging river, and rescue by a ragtag pack of dogs, sets her on a path to discover her survival skills and inner strength as she learns to live in the wilderness with a found family. Sighting an aircraft, a first indicator that she’s not alone, sparks harrowing a journey to find her family and other survivors.

Inspired by the author’s own traumatic family flight from post-war Vietnam, this tale of perseverance reads as an adventure with some powerful undercurrents of fear and loneliness, in a departure from his usual comedic work. Flashbacks to earlier childhood act as reminders of Gwen’s emotional strength and intelligence—connection to family, hunting lessons, and her father’s advice to “follow [her] instincts” (p. 8). Time jumps in the narrative have this quick read covering three years and the dual maturation of both Gwen and her “puppy” into a brave and resilient girl and a full-grown wolf. Do’s simple yet descriptive language, comfort derived from her animal family, and the inclusion of slightly anime-like illustrations position the text for a younger MG audience. Themes of war, survival, and isolation skew older, and might require caution for more sensitive young readers. The dramatic cliffhanger of an ending sets the stage for more adventures to come. Do’s new-to-the-US series for middle grade readers already has 12 installments published in Australia. A thrilling, yet warm tale of survival and the importance of family, both the one you’re born to and the companions we find when we need them most. 

“Grow Towards the Light”: A Review of Beyond Mulberry Glen 

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Beyond Mulberry Glen 
Written by Millie Florence 
Illustrated by Astrid Sheckels 
Published by Waxwing Books 
Ages 8-12
Available January 7, 2025 

Lydia loves her life in Mulberry Glen, and she wouldn’t change a thing about it, even though change looms over her as she gets closer to the time when she will need to leave for an apprenticeship. Her inner turmoil only grows when she learns about a mysterious force, called the Darkness. Troubled by the effects she feels from the Darkness, Lydia asks her fairy guardian, Pit, about it. The next morning, she discovers Zale and Zamilla, the mischievous twins that live with her in Mulberry Glen, have left to go defeat the Darkness. Lydia sneaks off to rescue them. Along the way, she learns about the inevitability of change and the importance of using the Light within yourself to fight the Darkness. 

Beyond Mulberry Glen is a delightfully cozy story about a young girl overcoming her fear of change and learning to accept that life is still beautiful, even when it has dark moments. Florence fully develops Lydia’s character arc as she overcomes her fears of change and discovers that, while life can have dark moments, she has the power within herself to overcome them. Florence uses Lydia’s resistance to an apprenticeship to illustrate her anxiety over her life changing, effectively making this fantasy setting relatable to all readers. While the overall tone of the story is light, there is an undercurrent of apprehension as Lydia searches for the twins that brings gravity to the story about the life changes that accompany growing up. Sheckels’s illustrations at the beginning of each chapter add an element of charm to the story by giving readers a glimpse into Lydia’s world. A great Lord of the Rings read-alike, Florence weaves together a story that is both whimsical and suspenseful in its portrayal of the anxieties of growing up. 

Butler Bookshelf

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For this week’s Butler Bookshelf, we are sharing some dinosaur books in our collection that could make wonderful gifts for any dinosaur-loving reader! From nonfiction to a reverse heist at the Natural History Museum, these books will take readers on all kinds of adventures with dinosaurs. In this week’s feature, Dinosaurs in Space by Todd Sturgell, travel to space with dinosaurs to learn how pieces of dinosaur fossils could have made it to outer space. Sturgell introduces a few quirky dinosaur characters to tell readers the tale of the asteroid that made all dinosaurs (except birds!) go extinct. Mixing humour and fact, Sturgell talks about different dinosaurs that existed, how birds are dinosaurs, and the impact of the deadly asteroid that hit Planet Earth. The force of the impact caused huge earthquakes, devastating tsunamis, and even sent pieces of dinosaurs into space. Sturgell’s lively pen and ink illustrations animate the story, and he includes extensive backmatter, instances when humans took dinosaur fossils to space and a glossary of terms used in the book. Simultaneously informative and entertaining, Dinosaurs in Space is perfect for those who love dinosaurs, space, or both!

Check out more dinosaur books below!

A Dinosaur a Day: 365 Incredible Dinosaurs to Take You Through the Year
Written by Miranda Smith
Illustrated by Jenny Wren, Juan Calle, Xuan Le, Max Rambaldi, and Olga Baumert
Published by Bright Matter Books
Available now!

Dinosaurs: A Pop-Up Book
Written and illustrated by Ingela P. Arrhenius
Published by Candlewick Press
Available now!

Dinosaurs In Space
Written and illustrated by Todd Sturgell
Published by Sourcebooks eXplore
Available now!

Madame Badobedah and the Old Bones
Written by Sophie Dahl
Illustrated by Lauren O’Hara
Published by Walker Books
Available now!

Stomp, Soar, Dino Roar
Written and illustrated by Max Amato and McAuliffe
Published by Sourcebooks eXplore
Available now!

It’s Book Sale Day

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Join the BCLC for this once a year event.

WHEN: December 4th 4-8pm and December 5th-7th from 10am-5pm

WHERE: The Butler Center (Crown 214) will be staffed and ready to talk about our favorite things and we want YOU to join us!

WHY: If you’re looking to build your personal book collection, stock up for your school or public library, buy some holiday presents for your loved ones, or just want to check out the best books for kids and teens from 2024, you won’t want to miss this opportunity to expand your collection at an affordable price.

Hardcovers $5 each, paperbacks $2. Cash, checks, and credit cards are welcome.

All proceeds from the sale support Butler Center events and operations.

Questions? Contact Jen Clemons at jclemons@dom.edu or butler@dom.edu

The Joy of Trying New Things: A Review of The Creature of Habit Tries His Best 

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The Creature of Habit Tries His Best 
Written by Jennifer E. Smith 
Illustrated by Leo Espinosa 
Published by Random House Children’s Books/Random House Studio 
Ages 4-8
Available November 19, 2024 

The Creature of Habit Island returns in this charming story about what it means to be the best at something. New things still make the Creature nervous, but with the encouragement of the very small creature, they travel off Habit Island to a new place that has snow and pine trees. The Creature attempts every challenge, but he struggles to climb the trees and balance on the logs like his friend. He gives up in frustration. When he sees the very small creature riding a bike, he’s mesmerized and decides to give it a go. It’s hard at first, but he is determined to at least be the best at trying. The Creature is eventually successful and they ride their bikes together as they think about all the new things they can try in the future. 

In this heartwarming picture book, Jennifer E. Smith brings back the Creature of Habit to expand on the importance of trying new things. In the sequel, Smith explores themes of determination and what it means to be the best. By showing him try many different activities before discovering his love for bike riding, Smith shows readers that sometimes, it takes trial and error to discover your passion. She also emphasizes the importance of persevering instead of giving up when the Creature decides that, rather than wanting to be the best at riding the bike, he wants to “be the best at trying to ride” (p. 18) the bike. Smith’s text is paired with Leo Espinosa’s comic-like digital illustrations to bring the Creature to life. The bright colors contrast and grab readers’ attention, and his animated illustration style further engages readers in the story as he shows the activities the creatures do together, like climbing trees and riding bikes. The Creature of Habit Tries His Best is an entertaining story that can be used in a lesson or storytime to help young readers understand the importance and joy of breaking out of your comfort zone with something new, and persisting, even when it’s hard.