Tag Archives: book review

Dare To Follow Your Joy: A Review of The Queen Bees of Tybee County 

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The Queen Bees of Tybee County 
Written by Kyle Casey Chu 
Published by Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins Publishers 
Ages 8-13 
Available April 15, 2025 

Talented middle school point guard Derrick Chan has the perfect summer plan: go to basketball camp and practice every day so he and his best friend, JJ, can make the varsity team next year. His plan is upended when his dad can’t afford the tuition, so instead, Derrick is sent to his grandma Claudia’s in boring Heritage, GA. There, Derrick befriends roller skater Ro and queer photographer Giles. When he has an opportunity to help out with the town pageant, Derrick volunteers out of curiosity and is soon faced with an opportunity to be daring and authentically express himself to the world.  

The Queen Bees of Tybee County is an emotional and heartwarming story of one middle school boy’s journey to self-discovery. Every reader will be able to understand Derrick’s confusion and anxiety, and they’ll find comfort in the safe space that his loved ones give him to be himself. Simultaneously, Chu expertly makes Derrick’s experience specific to his queer Chinese American identity. He demonstrates the diversity of expression in the LGBTQ+ community by showing the different ways Derrick and Giles express their queerness, as well as the ways that racism has affected Derrick’s family members chasing their own dreams. All told from Derrick’s perspective, his sweet and genuine personality makes the story compelling. Community is the heart of this novel, and Chu creates a comfortable safe space in Giles, Ro, and Claudia for Derrick to explore his feelings before feeling safe to come out to JJ and his dad. Although the resolution is fairytale-esque, Chu doesn’t shy away from the reality of being queer and Chinese American by showing resistance from some townspeople when Derrick competes in the pageant. This touching story of self-love and acceptance is sure to inspire upper-elementary and middle schoolers everywhere to be proud of who they are. 

What Makes Me Special?: A Review of I’m a Dumbo Octopus!: A Graphic Guide to Cephalopods 

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I’m a Dumbo Octopus!: A Graphic Guide to Cephalopods 
Written and illustrated by Anne Lambelet 
Published by Lerner Publishing Group/Graphic Universe 
Ages 8-12 
Available March 4, 2025 

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to have nine brains or be able to shoot ink to escape dire situations? In this graphic guide, Grimpy, short for Grimpoteuthis, the scientific name for dumbo octopuses, teaches readers about his cephalopod friends and shows all the things that make them different. He introduces individual species within the cephalopod class, such as cuttlefish and coconut octopuses, showing off their fascinating characteristics and abilities, like using color to communicate and making tools out of the environment. Meanwhile, Grimpy becomes increasingly disheartened when he can’t figure out what makes dumbo octopuses special. In the end, his friends come together to share cool facts about dumbo octopuses that make them unique. Grimpy realizes that he is just as unique as his other cephalopod friends.  

By creating an amusing “tour guide” with Grimpy the dumbo octopus, Anne Lambelet successfully creates a fun and personable way to learn about cephalopods in this graphic nonfiction book. Jam-packed with interesting facts, readers will gain a thorough understanding of this class of animals without feeling overwhelmed with information. Lambelet also adds a touching storyline of celebrating each other’s differences through Grimpy and the other cephalopods sharing their unique skills. At the end, Lambelet includes a glossary with illustrations reviewing each important term introduced in the book, as well as a photograph of a dumbo octopus. Although Lambelet doesn’t have a background in marine biology or ocean science, she includes a selected bibliography of her research and a reading list for readers who want to learn more about cephalopods. Lambelet’s cartoon-style illustrations balance her informative text by bringing more humorous personality to the facts she shares. However, the red, pink, and blue color palette limits her depiction of some of the more colorful capabilities of cephalopods, like camouflage and communication. A charming adventure through the fascinating animal class of cephalopods, I’m a Dumbo Octopus! is an entertaining addition to ocean-themed lessons or programs.  

Where She Started: A Review of Janie Writes a Play 

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Janie Writes a Play: Jane Yolen’s First Great Story 
Written by Heidi E. Y. Stemple 
Illustrated by Madelyn Goodnight 
Published by Charlesbridge 
Ages 5-8 
Available February 11, 2025 

Janie loves great stories of all forms. Constantly creating stories in her head, she loves writing down her ideas. With rehearsals about to start for her class play, Janie can’t wait to learn the story and get her part. Unfortunately, when she reads the script, she’s disappointed by its lack of a “rising plot or big moment” (p. 21), and she finds the ending unsatisfying. Later, in ballet class, Janie is disheartened by the lackluster story, but the satisfying ending of her class’s dance routine inspires her to write her own script. After a long night of writing and rewriting, Janie turns in her story to her teacher, Mrs. Jiler. She agrees to use the new play and hands out new roles. In the end, the success of her play inspires Janie to keep writing and ultimately become the beloved children’s author, Jane Yolen. 

In this imaginative picture book, Heidi E. Y. Stemple, Jane Yolen’s daughter, pays loving tribute to the story of her mother’s first story. Writing about young Janie’s constantly soaring imagination, Stemple shows an appreciation for Yolen’s artistry in a manner that encourages readers to foster their own creativity. Stemple shares some insight into Yolen’s creative process, like how she would learn new words by reading books that were above her reading level. At the end, Stemple includes a brief passage about her mother’s life and work, as well as photographs of Yolen and her family growing up. Madelyn Goodnight’s bright, full-color illustrations bring whimsy to Janie’s world by showcasing her strong imagination. One side of a spread shows a regular scene at the park, with people picnicking and flying kites. On the opposite side, Goodnight illustrates what Janie sees: swashbuckling pirates and tutu-clad dinosaurs throwing tantrums. Many of the illustrations are touching references to Yolen’s large body of work. Janie Writes a Play is a delightfully fun story that encourages creativity and curiosity and serves as an amusing resource for information on a beloved children’s author that can aid in a lesson about storytelling or a program featuring Yolen’s books. 

Be Careful What You Bargain For: A Review of The Rose Bargain

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The Rose Bargain 
Written by Sasha Peyton Smith 
Published by Harper/HarperCollins Publishers 
Ages 15-18 (Publisher recommends ages 13 and up) 
Available February 4, 2025 

The time has come for Lady Ivy Benton to make her debut into high society and her bargain with England’s immortal faerie Queen Moryen, who has ruled for the last 400 years. Ivy has been dreading her debut since her family fell from grace when her older sister’s debut season went wrong after she bargained away her memory to experience something new and escape the confines of high society. However, when the queen announces a competition to marry her fae son, Prince Bram, Ivy sees an opportunity to repair her family’s social status. Facing the queen’s cruel tests and the animosity of the five other girls in the competition, the stakes rise when Bram’s human stepbrother, Prince Emmett, proposes a risky plot to unseat the Queen. Soon, Ivy’s plan to save her family from social ruin develops into a mission to free all of England from the queen’s cruel reign, made only more complicated by her growing feelings for the wrong prince. 

Smith expertly crafts a compelling plot full of intrigue, romance, and danger in this historical fantasy. Ivy’s friendship with the other girls develops fully over the course of the plot, starting as adversaries and eventually becoming each other’s confidantes as they face the grueling competition together. Ivy and Emmett’s developing romantic feelings, which culminate in a sexually explicit intimate scene, add a layer of emotional tension and skew this novel toward the older end of the young adult range. The cast of characters is diverse without feeling tokenized, including characters of Japanese and Ghanian descent, and a lesbian romance subplot. Although Ivy’s perspective dominates the book, Smith includes vignettes of other characters’ points of view, including the other competitors, Emmett, and Ivy’s sister, Lydia. These additions add depth to the story and worldbuilding without distracting from the central plot. A thrilling fantasy adventure, The Rose Bargain will keep readers hooked from page one and counting down the days until the next installment. 

“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. 

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.  

Finding the Words: A Review of A Voice in the Storm 

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A Voice in the Storm 
Written and illustrated by Karl James Mountford 
Candlewick Press/Candlewick Studio 
Ages 3-7 
Available November 5, 2024 

Sometimes, it’s hard not to feel like there is a storm raging inside. In Karl James Mountford’s A Voice in the Storm, Rat struggles with her own emotional storm and how to open up to her friends about her feelings. When a storm starts outside, she runs away from her friends, Jackdaw and Hedgehog. As lightning flashes and thunder cracks, Rat has a frightening experience with Snake, almost stepping into his mouth when he offers to shelter her. Afterwards, she runs into Bear, who teaches her that the storm outside “‘needs time to free its voice’” (p. 22). With Bear’s advice and support, Rat learns how to open up to her friends and give a voice to the storm happening inside her. 

Mountford’s stunning artwork and poignant prose come together to create a touching story that discusses depression and helps guide readers in figuring out how to express themselves. Mountford uses digitally created, geometric illustrations with a color palette of purples, greens, blacks, and grays to draw the eye of the reader and show the intensity of Rat’s emotions. His animals are expressive, showing Rat’s sadness, Jackdaw’s worry, and Bear’s kindness. Mountford’s use of storms as a metaphor aptly describes mental health struggles in a way that’s easy for young readers to understand and relate to. Additionally, the dialogue between characters, especially Rat and Bear, introduces readers to ways they can articulate their own feelings: Bear tells Rat that “‘all voices [are] just noise until someone listens’” (p. 22). When Rat opens up to Bear, she tells him that she “‘[cares] about everything all at once, and yet, [she doesn’t] feel anything at the same time’” (p. 25). This conversation gives readers an opportunity to learn how they can ask for support when they need it. While the publisher recommends this book for preschool-early elementary school readers, this emotionally moving story can serve as a thoughtful conversation starter for all ages participating in discussions about mental health. 

In His Fins: A Review of Narwhal: Unicorn of the Arctic 

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Narwhal: Unicorn of the Arctic 
Written by Candace Fleming 
Illustrated by Deena So’oteh 
Anne Schwartz Books 
Ages 4-8 
Available October 22, 2024 

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a narwhal? Candace Fleming’s Narwhal: Unicorn of the Arctic, illustrated by Deena So’oteh, answers that question by taking readers through a year in the life of a male narwhal. The narrative starts in December, showing how male narwhals joust with their tusks. Important moments include finding cracks in the ice, called leads, to breathe through, and hunting for food deep in the ocean using echolocation. As summer arrives and the ice melts, the narwhal migrates with his pod.  When they reach their destination, the hunting grounds are scarce, but with their blubber from the winter, they can survive. They must also protect themselves from dangerous orcas and polar bears. As summer ends and the ice grows back, the narwhal migrates back to his winter home, ready to start the cycle all over again. 

Candace Fleming expertly puts readers in the perspective of a narwhal to show the routines he follows, including his eating habits, the predators he keeps watch for, and the migration path he follows with his pod. Fleming uses poetic language and onomatopoeias, like “tik-tik-tik-tik” (15-16) to imitate echolocation, to describe the sights and sounds of a narwhal’s world. Deena So’oteh’s realistic, digital illustrations bring the beautiful world of narwhals to life. The main color palette consists of blues, greens, and blacks, but So’oteh carefully changes the color scheme to emphasize the tone of the story during different events; for example, when the narwhals are threatened by predators, the colors become darker and muted to emphasize the danger and fear the narwhals feel. Fleming includes back matter detailing conservation efforts that support narwhals and a list of fun facts, as well as a bibliography. Although Fleming herself is not a narwhal scientist, it is clear she put care and effort into researching narwhals. Both educational and beautifully illustrated, this nonfiction picture book is sure to captivate young readers curious about the unicorns living in the Arctic.  

Winter Teamwork: A Review of In the Winter Woods by Daniela Kulot 

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In the Winter Woods 
Written and illustrated by Daniela Kulot 
Translated by Elisabeth Lauffer 
Charlesbridge 
Ages 3-7 
Available October 15, 2024 

It’s the middle of a cold winter, and Fox, Mouse, and Crow are all hungry, but they can’t find even a morsel to eat. Squirrel is hungry, too, but he has a secret stash of snacks hidden away that he can’t wait to enjoy. When Fox, Mouse, and Crow ask Squirrel to share, he says no. After hours of searching, he realizes that he forgot where his stash was hidden. He asks Fox, Mouse, and Crow for help in exchange for sharing his food. Soon, they find Squirrel’s food and feast together! 

With these woodland creatures, Kulot tells a story of friendship and community, showing the importance of working together and sharing with others. Although the message has been repeated before, Kulot brings charm to the basic “sharing is caring” theme with her woodland creatures and winter landscape. The illustrations are done in digital media, and the animals have a cute, slightly cartoonish look with beautiful backdrops of winter in the countryside. Kulot uses muted blues, browns, oranges, and greens to create the cold, barren atmosphere. These delightful illustrations complement the text, where Kulot uses devices like alliteration and rhyming to add a sing-song-like quality, bringing levity to what could otherwise be a dire situation. With its beautiful art and thoughtful message, In the Winter Woods would be a great addition to libraries and classrooms looking to do a program or lesson on winter or social-emotional learning.  

The Strength in Being Seen: A Review of Deer Run Home by Ann Clare LeZotte 

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Deer Run Home 
Written by Ann Clare LeZotte 
Scholastic Inc/Scholastic Press 
Ages 10-14 
Available October 1, 2024  

Effie Pappas is Deaf and linguistically isolated from her family, who don’t speak American Sign Language. Effie and her sister, Deja, are sent to live with their father at the end of the summer. When school starts, Effie’s ASL interpreter, Miss Kathy, begins to suspect that something is wrong with Effie’s home life. After Miss Kathy visits Effie’s home and sees the neglect, she is awarded temporary custody of Effie. Now that she finally has a safe home and a budding friendship with a new girl at school named Cait, Effie starts to open up about her experiences with her family. Miss Kathy eventually petitions for and wins permanent custody of Effie, giving her the security and family she never had. 

Ann Clare LeZotte’s Deer Run Home is a touching story that exposes the reality that d/Deaf children can experience growing up in hearing families without ASL. LeZotte draws on the real-life court case this novel is inspired by to thoughtfully depict the neglect that Effie experiences because her family won’t learn her language, as well as the difficulty Effie has with speaking up about the sexual abuse she endures at the hands of her stepfather. The sexual abuse happens before the novel begins and is thoughtfully described only once, but it serves as one of the obstacles Effie is able to overcome when she finds kindness and support from Miss Kathy and other adults at school. LeZotte takes advantage of the verse format to mirror ASL grammar and storytelling styles at some points. The verse is poignant and moving, and every word is intentional. Readers are drawn to Effie’s character, feeling every bit of her joy, sadness, fear, and loneliness. LeZotte also ties in a plotline of habitat loss for the local deer population, drawing parallels between the displaced deer and Effie’s feelings of loneliness and being lost. At once heartbreaking and empowering, Deer Run Home shows the healing and growth that comes with discovering your voice.