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Popular Books
book cover That's Not My Dinosaur
by: Fiona Watt
ISBN: 9780746041918

book cover Goodnight moon
by: Margaret Wise Brown
ISBN: 9780060275044

book cover 101 Bible Stories for Toddlers
by: Carolyn Larsen
ISBN: 9781869209278

book cover That's Not My Donkey
by: Fiona Watt
ISBN: 9781409523048

book cover You’re my little Cookie Monster
Book Reviews
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The Cooking Gene A Journey Through African American Culinary
by Michael Twitty
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A complex and complicated history of African-American culinary history, as well as American and world history in general in light of the long history and legacy of slaves brought from Africa to the Americas. Worth reading slowly and thoughtfully. Provocative.

Dragons And Marshmallows Zoey And Sassafras
by Asia Citro
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Very cute. I enjoyed the fact that it uses magical creatures to teach science. Yay for a good example of changing one variable at a time. I always have trouble convincing kids on that one in my programs! I also liked addressing the anxiety of her mom being away for the first time and the worries of sudden responsibilities. Even if touched on lightly, this seemed pretty honest about feeling different types of worry, and a little bit on thinking about what you can control is a nice touch. (And even if it wasn't subtle, did stick in what something wants to eat vs what it SHOULD eat, I'd have gone for the marshmallows too.)

The Clever Boy and the Terrible, Dangerous Animal
by Idries Shah
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Based on a Sufi folktale, a silly version of the don't be scared of something just because it's unfamiliar. Messagey, but silly and colorful, and that's always a good message to emphasize.

Facts Vs. Opinions Vs. Robots
by Michael Rex
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I loved this book. It manages to be engaging while teaching the differences between facts and opinons. And tests and repeats the information without getting didactic. So even if it doesn't sink in right away, at least they're vaguely familiar concepts now. *Plus, he shows the whole sometimes we need to wait for additional information to make the call if something is fact or opinion.

Rescue And Jessica
by Jessica Kensky
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Torn on this one. It's very sweet, but despite being based on her life, I feel like it really shouldn't be in non-fiction. Even in kid's books I'm not big on non-fiction books putting specific thoughts in people's heads unless those people have written or spoken along those lines. So I'm suuuuper not big on non-fiction books showing animals thinking like people. I'm also iffy on how she turned herself into a tween/teen and glossed entirely over her injuries. It's lovely to have a thoughtful and positive portrayal, and first hand, view, I just wish it had emphasized more on the training and working together and less on an imaginary dog's POV and a quasi-fictional view on her. Two separate books-maybe a more real non-fiction and then a picture book might have been more appropriate here?

Edison Beaker Creature Seeker
by Frank Cammuso
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This one fits a little oddly. It seems like the plot and writing are a little young for the length. I'm wondering if it'd be good for reluctant readers. All the underwear jokes do make it seem like a good choice for captain underpants fans or the younger end of Hilo fans!

Framed
by James Ponti
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Fast paced, clever, mystery that's as much about friendship as the adventure without slowing down.

The Okay Witch
by Emma Steinkellner
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I thought it was awfully cute. The pace is a little off, sometimes slow and sometimes galloping, but overall it's charming with a nice message of being yourself with a dash of reclaiming and acknowledging the brokenness of the past. The mayor's heel turn from basically one panel to the next was sudden, I mean, closure is good, but still could have used a bit more there. (I also kind of wish there'd be some kind of acknowledgement of the role of patriarchy in the prosecution of witches beyond the obvious of it being male descendants, but yeah...)

Smash! Exploring the Mysteries of the Universe with the Large Hadron Collider
by Sara Latta
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Graphic format is good for this, but I think given how slim the story framework was I think a straight up comic with more visuals on the concepts and not bothering with the comic book inspiration parts might have worked better. (Also should I worry that I don't really get subatomic physics even when it's in a comic format and aimed at teens?)

Funny You Don't Look Autistic
by Michael Mccreary
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I listened to the audiobook version of this memoir by Michael McCreary, a 22-year old stand-up comedian who is on the autism spectrum. The book was written in 2019, so it gives recent information on Autism Spectrum Disorders and supplemental graphs and pictures are provided at https://www.annickpress.com/Books/F/Funny-You-Don-t-Look-Autistic. The author tells his own story of growing up autistic, what behaviors led to his diagnosis as a child and how humor and comedy became a positive outlet for him. The audiobook is 3 hours and 37 minutes and covers a variety of aspects of autism, including the spectrum of developmental disorders, reactions from neurotypical people, social struggles in school and suggestions on how to better communicate and understand some on the autism spectrum. The book is appropriate for anyone age 12 or older and the publisher offers a lesson plan with the option for the book to be taught in a classroom. The lesson plan covers aspects of writing a memoir, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and the role of comedy in a person’s life. Parents, family, and friends of an autistic person will find the book offers some insight into what their loved one is experiencing.
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