Catherine recommends "Leafy Landmarks: Travels with Trees"

I love a good road trip, and I love trees, so I had to read this book of poems that takes you on an imaginary road trip to see some of the coolest trees in the United States. Whether admiring the beauty of the changing leaves in my own neighborhood or staring up at the grandeur of the General Sherman tree in Sequoia National Park (did you know it is as tall as 16 giraffes stacked upon each other and weighs as much as 10 blue whales?), time spent with trees is good for the soul. In this book, you can visit more than a dozen magnificent trees – most have historical or cultural significance; all of them are just plain awesome. Some highlights: the 4,600 year old Methuselah Tree in California; trees whose seeds have traveled to the moon; the Survivor Tree that stood amidst the destruction of the Oklahoma City bombing; and the bur oak that inspired the first Arbor Day. This is a lovely book to read together with kids – and then go outside to see what cool trees are in your own neighborhood.

Preschool & elementary children

Taryn recommends "Not Nothing"

Alex has been having a rough time, to say the least, his father’s gone and his mother is struggling with mental health issues which lands him living with his aunt and uncle who seem less than excited to have him. Alex has been treated like he doesn’t matter and that he is nothing, so when a kid at school actually tells him that he’s nothing, Alex snaps and gets violent. Luckily for Alex, he has a social worker who pulls some strings that lands him a job at a nursing home instead of juvie. Here he meets Maya-Jade, who unlike Alex, believes that she can make a difference and Alex reluctantly befriends. After a lockdown due to a flu outbreak, Alex is left to deliver meals to the residents. Here he meets Josey, a 107-year-old Holocaust survivor who hasn’t spoken in years. When Alex delivers Josey’s meal, and a run in with a picture, Josey starts talking. Josey and Alex form an unlikely bond with Josey confiding in Alex about his past. While listening to Josey’s story and with the help of Maya-Jade, Alex begins to believe that he can make a difference and that maybe he’s not nothing after all.  

This is an amazing book that will break your heart only to put it back together again. The bond that Josey forms with Alex begins to heal both characters and will make you root for Alex to believe in himself. Instead of being narrated by Alex or in the usual third person, Josey is the narrator of this book which allows you to see the growth of Alex through somebody else’s eyes. I loved hearing about Josey’s story and felt that it mirrored the way that Alex was feeling. Josey and Alex’s relationship has to be one of my favorites from books that I have read in the last few years. I absolutely loved this book and would recommend it to anyone that needs to believe that people can change and that there is good in this world. This book does have some sad moments and talks about some off-screen violence. I would recommend this for ages 8 and up (adults don’t let the middle grade rating fool you).

Taryn recommends "Bitsy & Boozle Tell a Story!"

 

Bitsy is a narrator-in-training who is finally ready to tell her story since she has found the perfect protagonist, the grumpy wizard Boozle. Bitsy and Boozle take the adventure of a lifetime as they journey up Story Mountain exploring all the parts of story structure along the way and discovering the magic of storytelling.

Bitsy & Boozle Tell a Story is an amazing way to help children learn about all of the different components of storytelling in an unique format, a graphic novel. In this book you learn the different points-of-view a story can have with a character that tells a story in each way; first person Prima, second person Midi, and finally third person Bitsy. Although this is a graphic novel that is teaching the reader how to tell a story, the authors do an amazing job of balancing the educational material with a fun story. Bitsy and Boozle have a fun relationship with Boozle just trying to find his happy ending, but Bitsy trying to get him to play the hero of the story. I absolutely love this book and think it’s an amazing way for a caregiver or teacher to help teach children about the parts of storytelling and how they can tell a story. At the end of the book here is a glossary of the different terms used and even a glossary to help with Boozle’s way of talking. The illustrations are beautifully done and I found myself laughing out loud. I would recommend this to caregivers and teachers trying to help children learn about storytelling, but also anyone who needs a refresher on the different parts of a story.

Meghan recommends "The Husbands"

Twenty-something Londoner Lauren returns home late, after her best friend's "hen do" to find her husband, who gives her water and painkillers and helps her get comfy. He's a very nice husband, but she's pretty sure she didn't have a husband when she left earlier that evening. There are photos of the husband on her phone. Her friends know the husband. When the husband goes into the attic to retrieve a blanket, he doesn't come back - a NEW husband comes down the ladder. That one goes up, again, a new husband comes down. It's all quite a lot to take in. 

Thus begins "The Husbands" by Holly Gramazio, a debut novel that was also a Read with Jenna /Today Show pick. It's an easy read, but clever. Readers discover along with Lauren that it’s not just the husbands that change, Lauren’s life changes too – when each husband comes down from the attic, he brings the life they share; the life in which Lauren chose this husband. I thought the book was fun, but also posed some interesting questions about how to create a life you love; with someone you love. Recommended for adults.

 

 

Kara recommends "We Are Definitely Human"

This is a funny and quirky story about an alien invasion that explores being human, while showing kindness and acceptance to all.  One of my favorite parts mentions how the newcomers "play sportsball" 😉

This book is best for children ages 3-5.

Rion recommends "The No-Girlfriend Rule"

Hollis is entering her senior year of high school, and after 6 years of being left out of her boyfriend’s Secrets and Sorcery role-playing game nights due to their “No-Girlfriend Rule”, she decides to join her own Secrets and Sorcery group to prove she’s worth having at her boyfriend’s game table. Her new group, which is an all-girl group, quickly becomes a refuge for Hollis to explore what makes her feel powerful and seen for who she is. As Hollis grows closer with the girls in the group, she’s forced to reckon with feelings for one of them while coming to terms with what has been holding her back from feeling confident in herself. 

This book was a pleasant coming-of-age read that accurately depicted what it’s like to live with severe anxiety. As Hollis establishes her new friend group, we get to see what it means for friends to truly look out for one another and accept each other for exactly who they are. Overall, this was a feel-good, light-hearted queer romance that I would recommend to any teen who enjoys nerding out over board games.

Age group: Teen

Ann recommends "Mother-Daughter Murder Night" by Nina Simon

Mother-Daughter Murder Night by Nina Simon  

Lana is a formidable woman who has built a highly successful business in the Real Estate Market of Southern California. Her whole life changes when she is diagnosed with cancer and has to move in with her daughter, Beth, and granddaughter, Jack, (short for Jacqueline).

After a falling out with her mother for getting pregnant at the age of 17.  Beth left home to forge her own way. She is now a nurse and has built a meager, but comfortable life for her and her daughter. Beth and her mother have been estranged for the past 15 years, but she takes her mother in when she finds out about her cancer diagnosis.

Jack is a mature and responsible 15 year old who works as a guide giving kayak tours through the local marshlands. Jack discovers a  dead body while giving one of her tours. The local police frighten Jack with accusations that she may have something to do with the person’s death. This angers Lana and she becomes determined to solve the murder and remove any suspicions from her granddaughter.

The three women get drawn into the mystery and start working together to solve it. This is a thoroughly enjoyable mystery enhanced by the complicated relationship dynamics between these 3 generations of strong women. 

Recommended for adult readers who enjoy a good mystery.