Tag Archives: book review

From A Rocky Start to Solid Pals: A Review of Still Friends

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Still Friends
Troy Wilson
Illustrated by Mike Deas
Orca Book Publishers
Ages 3-5
Available May 19th, 2026

On a routine trip to the neighborhood park with his owner, one friendly (and inquisitive!) pup notices a lone girl sitting on the bench. He wants to play, but she doesn’t move (or talk!). Nothing but stone-cold silence. But as the seasons pass and the months go by, he learns to appreciate her stability. She doesn’t make him go to the vet, or scold him when he eats a dropped hot dog, and maybe, after all, he can learn to love her for exactly what she is… rock solid.

The charm of this picture book lies not just in its endearing, offbeat premise—unlikely companionship between a statue and a dog—but also in its world. Quirky characters, like a recurring flock of nosy pigeons, the stern lady manning the hot dog cart, and a family of birds who just won’t stop eating seeds, let the story come alive; perfect small details for eagle-eyed younger readers. The words are simple and sparse, yet still emotionally resonant. Deas’ soft pastel and watercolor illustrations bring a warmth and nostalgia to the story, with thoughtful usage of white space and sketchily drawn lines that feel lived-in and familiar, keeping each page spread from feeling too cluttered with the chaos of this faux-Central Park.

All in all, Still Friends is a tenderly funny read, inviting young audiences to reconsider what friendship can look like—and how sometimes, the most unexpected companions are the ones who stay.

The Nature of Healing: A Review of To the Last Gram

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To the Last Gram
Shreya Davies
Illustrated by Vanessa Wong
Difference Engine
Ages 13+
Available May 12th, 2026

To the Last Gram follows eighteen-year-old Divya as she reflects on childhood insecurity and navigates her teenage years in a body that never feels quite right. What begins as an awareness of her weight quickly spirals into portion control and exercise obsession as Divya’s relationship with food—and herself—becomes more and more turbulent.

Shreya Davies approaches Divya’s coming-of-age story with a careful balance of honesty and tact, detailing the gradual descent into anorexia in a way that feels both deeply personal and painfully recognizable. What seems to linger most is the graphic novel’s understanding of food as something far more complicated & complex than just sustenance. Within Divya’s Indian-Singaporean upbringing, food is seen as love, ritual, and expectation; it’s something you can’t easily turn away from. That tension sits at the heart of the story, exploring Divya’s struggles in a cultural way, a narrative that’s seldom explored this carefully. Vanessa Wong’s illustrations carry that same emotional weight, their limited color palette and careful attention to the characters’ expressions highlighting just how quietly painful and incredibly nuanced disordered eating can be.

Although the story ends with hope, it never simplifies recovery. Davies leaves space for relapse, uncertainty, and for the ongoing nature of healing, being far from linear. To the Last Gram is unflinchingly honest and incredibly human: a resonant read that explores something sadly so many young adults face.

A Stick (Or Princess) In The Mud: A Review of Her Muddy Majesty of Muck

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Her Muddy Majesty of Muck
Beatrice Alemagna
Astra Books for Young Readers / Hippo Park
Ages 5-8
Available March 31st, 2026

Little Yuki and her older brother Shen are far from friends. Yuki has big feelings, and Shen has little patience for her stomps and tears. One afternoon on the walk home from school, Yuki, in a fit of rage, flings their house keys into the sewer. When she climbs down after them, she comes face-to-face with the Muddy Majesty of Muck: an ooey, gooey creature made entirely of mud. The Muddy Majesty takes Yuki on a journey underground, meeting Boogers who love to be mean, and trekking to a museum of objects left behind by those who lost their tempers once, too. Along the way, the Muddy Majesty explains that the meaner Yuki becomes, the bigger she grows. Yuki feels like she’ll be stuck underground forever, but then she spots Shen, who’s come to her rescue. The siblings reconcile, Yuki feels her anger melt away, and although the Muddy Majesty has now shrunk, Yuki promises to come back and visit her soon—to make mud pies, of course.

Alemagna’s incredibly charming illustrations, created through an endearing and eclectic potpourri of gouache, collage, oil paint, and wax pencils, make Her Muddy Majesty of Muck just as delightful visually as it is in its storytelling. The dialogue is simple yet incredibly effective, and the humor—snarky Boogers attempting to read or bathe or don heels and a muddy princess who can’t stop dripping—will appeal to younger and older readers alike. Most importantly, the story’s message resonates: we shouldn’t let our feelings consume us. Anger, envy, and sadness can be messy, but with persistence and love and maybe a nice shower, even the muddiest of feelings can eventually be washed clean.

Not a Long Time: A Review of Here for a Good Time

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Here for a Good Time
Kim Spencer
Penguin Random House Canada / Swift Water Books
Ages 14+
Available March 10th, 2026

It’s 1990, and teenage Morgan and her wild-child best friend, Skye, are two Indigenous girls “here for a good time,” drinking, flirting, and partying in Prince Rupert, a small Canadian fishing town. Morgan is no stranger to tragedy: her alcoholic mother abandoned the family years earlier, but her world completely collapses when her father is killed in a boating accident. When Morgan’s mother returns to town, grief—and recklessness—force her into an alternative school, where she falls for Nate Jones, a well-read Indigenous boy with suprisingly worldly taste. As the two grow closer, an unplanned teen pregnancy and an unexpected mother-daughter reunion force Morgan to confront how loss and love can coexist.

Although classified as historical fiction, Spencer—a member of the Gitxaala Nation herself—writes with poignant accuracy, tactfully balancing the turbulence of teenage life, from fake IDs to bad boyfriends, with the enduring impact of intergenerational trauma shaped by Canada’s residential school system. Despite the sparse sentences and short vignette-like scenes, Here for a Good Time delivers an emotional, impactful story that spotlights Indigenous resilience.

Spencer opens the novel with a brief heavy content warning, but doesn’t shy away from exploring difficult issues, including racism, alcoholism, and sexual assault. These honest portrayals have the power to be incredibly important for younger readers, providing a window into aspects of Indigenous life, culture, and tragic systemic abuse that are seldom represented by our history books.

Olive You, Too: A Review of The Giant and the Olive

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The Giant and the Olive
Leo Daly
Catalyst Press
Ages 4-10
Available February 3rd, 2026

Once there was a happy giant who did all the usual giant things—scaring cows and “Ho-Ho-Ho”-ing all day long. That is, until he stumbles upon what feels like the most beautiful treasure of all: a tiny, shiny black olive. He proudly shows it off to the town & his friends, kisses it goodnight, and tucks it under the covers each evening. But after one fateful, maybe-too-tight hug ends with a POP!, the giant is devastated by his broken treasure. Through all four seasons, he mourns, weeping over the olive’s grave. Things look bleak until one sunny morning, he discovers that his giant tears might’ve made for the perfect fertilizer; an olive tree has begun to grow!

Through simple dialogue that still effortlessly conveys big emotion, The Giant and the Olive tiptoes between grief and humor with a gentle charm, complemented by Daly’s color-packed, hatched illustrations. With themes that align naturally with social–emotional learning, the story emphasizes the importance of leaning on friends, or even an entire town, during moments of loss. This makes it a thoughtful learning & regulating tool for younger children, as well as older elementary readers who may be encountering heavy, hard feelings for the first time. Daly is careful not to paint grief and sadness as something to simply “get over,” as he makes sure to end with a final, encouraging (and perhaps giant) message: change and loss and olive (all of) one’s love can lead to new, beautiful beginnings.

All You Need Is Love: A Review of We All Love

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We All Love
Julie Flett
Greystone Books / Greystone Kids
Ages 3+
Available February 10th, 2026!

From snuggling otters & hand-holding crabs under the sea to a family fireside bundled up in the cold, we all love. Flowers dance in the wind. Big stars illuminate the night. Warm stones make the perfect perch for a plover. The stories of flora & fauna are the stories of love—all around us, inside us, and they, as author Julie Flett suggests, help us grow.

As a sequel to the award-winning We All Play, Julie Flett returns, even five years later, with the same easy-to-read charm that made the original so beloved. The book maintains its distinctly handmade feel through soft pastel illustrations and simple yet poetic sentences that are perfectly suited for younger readers. Throughout the book, a recurring Cree phrase, kîstanaw mîna, meaning “we do too!” appears across various pages, reinforcing the central message of shared experience, interconnectedness between nature, and belonging. A helpful glossary of Cree animal names alongside their English counterparts is included, as well as pronunciation guidance that invites readers to engage more confidently with the language. The glossary thoughtfully notes that many Cree words don’t have direct English translations, instead reflecting a fluid process of innovation and creation rooted in Cree culture. Because of this, the book functions not only as a story but as a gentle educational tool.

We All Love is a great semi-bilingual introduction for readers interested in exploring a new language, particularly one that may be unfamiliar to most, while honoring Julie Fleet’s Cree-Métis roots in Indigenous language and knowledge. Through its celebration of nature, language, and connection, We All Love is the perfect affirmation that love surrounds us.

The Complications of Intimacy: A Review of How Girls Are Made

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How Girls Are Made
Mindy McGinnis
HarperCollins 
Ages 16-18
Available November 18, 2025

High school seniors Fallon, Shelby, and Jobie couldn’t be more different. Fallon is determined to graduate with straight A’s and escape Presnick, their small, conservative Ohio town. Shelby is focused on her budding career as a semiprofessional MMA fighter. And Jobie is chasing online stardom… and a rhinoplasty. When Fallon finds out her thirteen-year-old sister Farrah’s sex education class is teaching girls virtually nothing, she decides someone must enlighten these young girls about safe sex. After coercing Shelby and Jobie to join in, the trio begins hosting secret meetings to talk about sex at the local rec center, under the guise of a “self-help” class called “SHAFT.” After an Instagram post about “SHAFT” goes viral, Presnick’s parents are up in arms. DMs begin flooding in; fingers start pointing, and their antidote to an incompetent health class quickly spirals into a dangerous web of lies. Weaved in between their own simultaneous struggles, a fatal ending for one of the three solidifies the long-lasting effects of trauma. 

Although the first three hundred pages, even with a point of view shift each chapter, maintain a consistent tone that accurately captures the acerbic humor and raw tumult of teenage girlhood, the final fifty pages quickly veer into tragedy reminiscent of a Lifetime movie—fitting for a story steeped in teenage drama. Despite its soapy ending, How Girls Are Made serves as an important cautionary tale about the complications (and potential dangers) of sex and relationships. The characters are complex; the dialogue rings true, and as devastating as the story becomes, McGinnis confronts a myriad of incredibly relevant issues to teenagers nowadays. Given its heavy subject matter, which McGinnis tackles with heart-wrenching accuracy, including references to rape, suicide, and domestic abuse, the book is best suited for more mature young adult readers. 

Food and Family: Scrumptious books for the season to come

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If you too are ready to move from spooky tales to warm and cozy stories, do I have some suggestions for you. Brand new (2025) books of family, friends, and food just in time for the season of abundance. Enjoy these reads with your best book buddy, an extra cozy blanket, and your favorite stretchy pants.

PICTURE BOOKS:

Family Feast!
Written by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by Frank Morrison
Random House Children’s Books
Age 4-8
September 23, 2025

When this multi-generational family gathers for a party, no one will leave without a full belly and a full heart. “Tastes like home when family meets; bond so warm, so strong, so sweet.” This hug of a refrain anchors a poetic picture of a joyful day of food, family, connection and home. Vibrant colors and bold strokes of oil paint perfectly capture the action and emotion of a large and loving (and loud if they’re like mine!) extended family.

Owl’s Fall Feast Fiasco
Written by Kristen Rememar and illustrated by Matt Faulkner
Charlesbridge
Age 3-7
September 5, 2025

Menu planning for a party is stressful! Especially as Owl attempts to impress his favorite didgeridoo musician and learns that he doesn’t really even understand the tastes of his closest friends. By asking questions and accepting their different palates, Owl learns that gathering with friends is the most important part of a feast. The combination of speech bubbles, graphic-like panels, and full-page spreads allow unique animal personalities to eclipse stereotypes in this ode to a forest Friendsgiving.

MIDDLE GRADE:

Witchycakes: Sweet Magic
Written by Kara LaRue and Illustrated by Ariane Moreira
Random House Children’s Books
Age 6-9
August 19, 2025

“In a magical bakery by the sea, live a witch and a witch-to-be…” Blue and their mama bake up tasty treats with a little magic and a lot of love. While making the deliveries, Blue gets to practice different bits of magic as they try to help their friends and neighbors. This delightful early chapter book blends themes of independence and community spirit with the gentle lesson of learning from our mistakes. Whimsical, candy-colored illustrations complement the story and showcase a diverse and vibrant community full of heart.

The Secret of Honeycake
Written by Kimberly Newton Fusco
Knopf
Age 8-12
January 21, 2025

In the midst of the Great Depression, a young girl named Hurricane is forced by family tragedy to move in with an intimidating great aunt and her kind-hearted servant. Through her insecurity and grief, she learns about the ways of caregiving, the importance of using her voice, and the magic that can come from sharing food cooked with love.

NONFICTION:

Sweet and Salty! King Arthur Company’s Cookbook for Young Bakers
Written by King Arthur Baking with Jessica Battilana and Yekaterina Boytsova
Photography by Rick Holbrook and illustrated by Jordan Sondler
Simon & Schuster
Age 8-12
September 30, 2025

For anyone new to baking—no matter the age—King Arthur’s new title is just the guide for those looking to share love through food this holiday season. Full of tips for getting started, skills tutorials like how to “just fold it in!” (a photo guide titled “What is folding and how do you do it?”), equipment lists, and plenty of recipes for sweet and savory treats. Mouthwatering photography, fun and funny graphics, and easy to follow instructions are blended into the most delicious book for all aspiring bakers.

When Alexander Graced the Table
Written by Alexander Smalls and Denene Millner and illustrated by Frank Morrison
Simon and Schuster
Age 4-8
January 7, 2025

Inspired by family and food, this is the origin story of a young boy who would grow to be a James Beard Award-winning chef. Always enamored of Sunday dinners with his family, Alexander Smalls used his new kitchen skills to make a sweet surprise for his father and family to enjoy. Morrison’s oils capture both the thoughtful and ambitious boy and the emotions that inspired him. This would make a lovely non-fiction companion to Family Feast.

YOUNG ADULT:

Legendary Frybread Drive-In: Intertribal Stories
Edited by Cynthia Leitich Smith
HarperCollins Publishers/Heartdrum
August 26, 2025
12+

Sandy June’s Legendary Frybread Drive-In is everywhere and nowhere all at once. Each piece of this anthology takes place against the backdrop of the drive-in, as teenagers from Alaska to Hawai’i enjoy traditional foods, comfort snacks, and a little bit of magic to provide just what they need when they need it. As they deal with hallmark challenges of young adulthood—grief, love, jealousy, friendship, and family—they make connections within, beyond, and between Indigenous cultures.

Love Craves Cardamom
Written by Aashna Avachat
Random House Children’s Books/Joy Revolution
Age 13+
May 20, 2025

Archi is an American Desi HS student studying abroad in Jaipur and hoping for a “boy-free semester.” Shiv is a mysterious boy who wants to show her the city in all its delicious vibrancy, even when he’s not ready to show his true self. This lighthearted YA rom-com is a story of growth, culture, self-awareness, agency, and the way that food can nurture us—body, heart, and soul.

Here’s to a delicious season of thankfulness for you and yours. May your hearts, bellies, and bookshelves be full!

This Book’s The Real Peel: A Review of This is Orange

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This is Orange: A Field Trip Through Color
Rachel Poliquin
Illustrated by Julie Morstad
Candlewick Press
Ages 5-9
Available October 21st, 2025

Whether it’s that first juicy bite of a mandarin, the fur of your feisty tabby cat, or even the Guianan cock-of-the-rock’s flamboyant, lady-wooing crest, the color orange is everywhere… but who exactly was the first to call it “orange?” This exploration of color begins over six hundred years ago, when Geoffrey Chaucer’s famous book The Canterbury Tales describes a fox whose “colour was betwixe yelow and reed.” Although the word itself stems from the Tamil word for fragrant: naru, one of the English language’s first written accounts of the color orange comes from a description of the Queen of Scotland’s dress with “slevys of orenge colour.”This is Orange traces the color’s presence around our world, from the holidays we celebrate to the fruits we eat, even to the garb of astronauts and monks alike.  

Author Rachel Poliquin draws inspiration from her Renaissance woman background—part museum curator, part humanities scholar, part literature PhD. She pairs simpler sentences for younger readers with fascinating fun facts for those who are a bit older, like how “the feet of mallard ducks turn bright orange when they are trying to find a mate, yet puffins’ feet are always orange” (22). The brisk pace and jumps from topic to topic—from color theory all the way to vexillology—keep This is Orange feeling bright and engaging rather than overwhelming, although the text may have benefited from the inclusion of a glossary for more curious readers.

A “field trip” might be one way to describe it, but in combination with Julie Morstad’s vibrant watercolor & pastel illustrations, where shades of apricot and calendula feel like they’ve been taken fresh from the paint palette, an “adventure” through color feels more like it. 

An Ear-Resistible Tail: A Review of Bunns Rabbit

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Bunns Rabbit
Written and illustrated by Alan Barillaro
Candlewick Press
Ages 8-12
Available October 7th, 2025

Although the superstitious elders of the warren fear newborn Bunns’ peculiarly small ears, thanks to the loving heart song of her mother—thump, thump, thump—Bunns feels no different than the rest of her long-eared family. But when a flutter of Monarchs lures Bunns into the deep, dark forest, she comes face to face with the fiery Spirit Fox, feared by all. Legend says the Spirit Fox has the power to grant wishes, but after seeing Bunns in its presence, the other rabbits decide that she is the “Bad Omen,” and banish her from the meadow. Determined to save her place in the burrow and stay with her family, young Bunns sets out to find the fox again, longing for the wish of, well, long ears. As she wanders beyond the meadow, Bunns befriends Bee, a gentle hummingbird, and Loon, whose cold heart she’s determined to warm. Together, the trio set off on a journey full of myth, mystery, and riddles. Filled with bravery (and a belly of clover!), Bunns is willing to do whatever it takes to keep her family and home safe.

​Academy Award-winning writer & director Alan Barillaro is no stranger to the allure of a story rooted in the courage and curiosity of young animal creatures. With the adorable Pixar short Piper under his belt, it comes as no surprise that Barillaro’s new book Bunns Rabbit is just as moving; this time combining that heartstrings-will-be-tugged narrative with an action-packed fantastical journey. There are moments of despair for the trio, plenty of obstacles, and times when Bunn loses hope, but nevertheless, she persists. Complete with rich, hand-painted illustrations and some truly wonderful poetic moments, Bunns Rabbit is the perfect blend of graphic novel and parable for both children and adults; it’s a timeless exploration of family, friendship, and, most importantly, self-love. Big ears or small.