LOVE is a TRUCK by Amy Novesky Pictures by Sara Gillingham

Love Is a Truck by Amy Novesky
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Many thanks to Helen Swiski for recommending this board book, since Leo loved it- you knew Crew would too! Crew is in his truck loving phase now (he has been for awhile) & what he loves about this book is the progression from beloved red fire engine then to dump truck, bulldozer, digger, cement mixer, loader, lifter, flatbed trailer, ice cream truck, and then all the ways any child could arrange and play with trucks! Best of all is the truck in bed with the child at night, a smile on his face as mom says good night!!! We read this book over and over throughout the day.

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Hot Dog b y Doug Salati

Hot Dog by Doug Salati
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Many thanks to Mary Alice my book loving librarian friend! This Caldecott Medal winner is perfect for young children through Adults. A little dachshund like dog living in the city is walking on a steaming hot day and all the city noise, clamor, crowds STOP this pup from moving anywhere anymore. Thankfully his astute senior owner knows the perfect place & using all forms of transportation they head toward a beautiful sea and spend a joyful day finding stones & shells by the sea!!! Each page and Illustration by Doug Salati was truly gorgeous, evocative, and best of all celebratory. I loved the city scape and the sea shore adventure, highly recommended!!!

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Amari and the Great Game (Supernatural Investigations, #2) by B.B. Alston

Amari and the Great Game by B.B. Alston
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I did not LIKE this ending at all! I kept turning the pages but was so overwhelmed and chagrined with the evil that happened in this WHOLE book; I think B.B. Alston needs to re-think Book 3 if he is going to once again shatter the reader time and time again (like he does to Amari throughout this book!!!) with threatening war, challenges that are meant to sink, dangers that are motivated by the WORST bad characters, and finally decisions that work against the characters and plot---too too bleak---give the reader a MORE POSITIVE story in Book 3, this reader begs you...

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The Return of Zita the Spacegirl (Zita the Spacegirl, #3) by Ben Hatke

The Return of Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In this 3rd & final graphic novel; Zita and her beloved mouse are on trial for all sorts of bogus charges and worse yet- the evil one in charge is aiming at taking over Earth and ruining it!!! With many friends and supporters, Zita will prove she is a heroine through and through who cares about her space friends and those on Earth!

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Legends of Zita the Spacegirl (Zita the Spacegirl, #2) by Ben Hatke

Legends of Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In this 2nd of the series, Zita is trying to get back to earth but that proves to be a big problem when her mouse friend is captured, she is a hero, and there is someone impersonating her---is that a good thing? I love all the drama, the illustrations are just awesome, and Zita continues to rock everyone's world!

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Zita the Spacegirl (Zita the Spacegirl, #1) by Ben Hatke

Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love Ben Hatke and was I ever happy to stumble upon this awesome series at the Springfield Public Library while enjoying the Thomas the Trains with my grandson!!! Zita is just a normal girl playing with her friend when they are transported to outer space. While she tries to find & rescue her friend she becomes friendly with all sorts of creatures, especially the rat, who becomes very special to her. A good vs evil graphic novel series that will have you rooting for Zita and turning those pages!

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Meena Meets Her Match (Meena Zee, #1) by Karla Manternach

Meena Meets Her Match by Karla Manternach
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this first book in the Meena Zee series, I will definitely be reading these and passing along to my granddaughters! Meena looks at the world in terms of bright colors and how "anything" (including trash & other disgusting stuff) cab be used for her art projects in school and at home. But the bright colors darken when Meena has a medical event that turns her world upside down. Also her best friend, Sophie stays in now at recess and Meena is upset and angry about this. I loved all the characters, the plot was so enjoyable, and all of the resolutions were authentic. I especially liked the Author Note at the end. I also liked that this book was for 3rd graders, a middle grade beginner book, readers will enjoy and ask for more!

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Beetle & the Hollowbones by Aliza Layne

Beetle & the Hollowbones by Aliza Layne
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a great graphic novel; appealing to children, middle grade and YA! Beetle is best friends with a ghost imprisoned at a mall. She lives with her grandmother who practices goblin magic and is her home school teacher, kind, honest, motherly and nice. When an old childhood friend, Kat, returns to Hollowbones, she is now an apprentice to her scary aunt. As Kat and Beetle rekindle their friendship, forces are at work to tear down the mall where her ghost friend is and create havoc with the old friends. This graphic novel has it all witches, magic, horror, ghosts, zombies, in a colorful backdrop with suspense, humor and friendship. Highly recommended, all readers will enjoy this graphic novel!

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Animal Zombies!: And Other Bloodsucking Beasts, Creepy Creatures, and Real-Life Monsters by Chana Stiefel

Animal Zombies!: And Other Bloodsucking Beasts, Creepy Creatures, and Real-Life Monsters by Chana Stiefel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh boy, I read this book as part of the 2019 HUB Reading Challenge and I both loved and was grossed out by all the animal zombies---never knew about any of this!!! The photographs were authentic and awful (haha) beautiful in their horror. I never knew about any of this zombie cycle and was transfixed by Chana Stiefel's perfect fact bubbles and asking the reader if the animal/insect was the hero/villain? Filled with tons of facts kids will be poring over this National Geographic treasure and sharing with family and friends!

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Love by Matt de la Pena

Love by Matt de la Pena
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I saw Matt de la Pena speak this August at the Ocean City Public Library; not only did he read this perfectly wonderful book, but he talked about his life, past and present; his parents and how they influenced him to become a writer. I have read Matt's children's books and his YA books and they are all must reads. His heritage is compelling and now I see it in all his books. This book, Love can be read and enjoyed by all age groups and the illustrations by Loren Long are beautiful, sad, happy and truly a joy.

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Tiny Stitches: The Life of Medical Pioneer Vivien Thomas by Gwendolyn Brooks

Tiny Stitches: The Life of Medical Pioneer Vivien Thomas by Gwendolyn Hooks
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This Nerdy Nonfiction award winner was a wonderful picture book I read as part of the #YearofYA STEM chat which will take place Thursday 1/26 at 8PM. The story of a black man in America during the time of The Great Depression where the all white world stopped Vivien Thomas from becoming a doctor but the study of medicine did not elude him. The reason being --white Dr. Alfred Blalock was totally impressed with Vivien and his confidence and knowledge that he gave him a job and took him with him as he became the chief of Surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital. This wondrous book details all of Vivien's wonderful surgical skills, his medical advances and his place in the world where racism thrived and his coworkers resisted his place next to Dr. Blalock. I loved Gwendolyn Brooks' narrative and Colin Bootman's perfect illustrations!

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Ada Lovelace: Poet of Science, The First Computer Programmer by Diane Stanley

Ada Lovelace: The Poet of Science by Diane Stanley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this nonfiction Nerdy award winner as part of the #YearofYA monthly STEM YA chat taking place Thursday 1/26 at 8PM. Diane Stanley's words & Jessie Hartland's drawings about Ada Lovelace's life and becoming the first computer programmer was a new direction for me (one I really enjoyed) in this exciting children's picture book. Ada was an imaginative yet very helpful heroine in her world and now the world can read this book and see her important contribution in computer programming's history.

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Two Bobbies: a True Story of Hurricane Katrina, Friendship, and Survival by Kirby Larson

Two Bobbies: A True Story of Hurricane Katrina, Friendship, and Survival by Kirby Larson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book so much I purchased three- one for me to share, one for my daughter who is a K teacher and one for my daughter-in-law who is a K teacher (and of course Kylie, my granddaughter has read it many times, what a beautiful story of the Katrina Hurricane and its effect on a cat and a dog - and of course, on the readers who will just be so happy these two Bobbies stay together to survive. The illustrations are gorgeous and I appreciated the "real" photographs of the two pets too! Children and adults will learn so much about Hurricane Katrina, the lapse of time people and animals endured before help arrived. The Author's note at the end was very helpful and added even more important information about these two very special pets. Highly recommended!

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