I
picked up this book on a blind recommendation, knowing only that it was an
anthropomorphic middle grade novel with illustrations by an artist whose work I
liked. To my absolute delight, I discovered a story thatâs unabashedly whimsical
and warm.
Personally, I love skunks, so I was a little frustrated with Badger
for being so unwelcoming when Skunk showed up on the stoop of his townhouse. In
Badgerâs defense, though, the amount of mayhem Skunk created would have made
anyone lose their temper, let alone a buttoned-down badger with âvery important
rock workâ to perform.
I also very much appreciated the celebration of chickens!
Reminiscent of kid-lit classics like A Cricket in Times Square and books
by E. B. White but never antiquated, this book was divine!
Learn how Skunk and Badger first became roommates before embarking on their latest adventure, Egg Marks the Spot, now on sale!
A Best Book of 2020: People * Kirkus Reviews * Booklist  * School Library Journal * Publishers Weekly * Shelf Awareness for Readers * New York Public Library * Chicago Public Library * Evanston Public Library
Wallace and Gromit meets Winnie-the-Pooh in a fresh take on a classic odd-couple friendship, from Newbery Honor author Amy Timberlake with full-color and black-and-white illustrations throughout by Caldecott Medalist Jon Klassen.  No one wants a skunk.  They are unwelcome on front stoops. TheyâŚ
I
absolutely adore Dan Santat and generally devour his books as soon as
they come out. Known more for picture books, this one was differentâa graphic
memoir for middle-grade readers.
The story follows a trip he and some
classmates took to Europe and all the âfirst timesâ they experienced while
traveling as âtweens with minimal supervision. Santat had a few of his friends
from that trip as guests at his virtual book launch, and it was so much fun!
The book, which explores insecurities, peer pressure, friendships, first loves,
embarrassing parents, and discovering new cultures, also shows a young man
discovering himself and navigating the worldâas his own person, which may or
may not align with his parentsâ and peersâ expectations. Itâs both hilarious
and heartfelt.
At first, he's right. Stuck with the same girls from his middle school who love to make fun of him, Dan doesn't know why his teacher insisted he come on this trip. But as he travels through France, Germany, Switzerland, and England, a series of first experiences begin to change him - first Fanta, first fondue, first time stealing a bike from German punk rockers . . . and first love.
Funny, heartwarming, and poignant, A First Time for Everything is a feel-good coming-of-age memoir based on New York Times bestselling author and Caldecott Medal winner Dan Santat's awkward schoolâŚ
I originally picked this book up from the library.
After reading itâor really, a more accurate term would be experiencingitâI
purchased a copy. I wanted to be able to lend to friends and revisit it when
the mood struck.
A mashup of spoken word poetry and graphic novel, it was
conceived during the pandemic while protesters took to the streets following
George Floydâs murder. The âJasonsâ have created a moment in time in the life
of a Black kid whoâs trying to make sense of a senseless world. His fatherâs
sick with COVID, his mother sick with worry, and his older siblings are coping in
their own waysâwhich generally involve ignoring him.
This story about a
culture struggling to breathe is a breathtaking creation.
Prepare yourself for something unlike anything: A smash-up of art and text for teens that viscerally captures what it is to be Black. In America. Right Now. Written by #1 New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Jason Reynolds.
Jason Reynolds and his best bud, Jason Griffin, had a mind-meld. And they decided to tackle it, in one fell swoop, in about ten sentences, and 300 pages of art, this piece, this contemplation-manifesto-fierce-vulnerable-gorgeous-terrifying-WhatIsWrongWithHumans-hope-filled-hopeful-searing-Eye-Poppingly-Illustrated-tender-heartbreaking-how-The-HECK-did-They-Come-UP-with-This project about oxygen. And all of the symbolism attached to that word, especially NOW.
And so for anyone who didnât really know whatâŚ
As if her parents' divorce and sister's departure for college weren't bad enough, fourteen-year-old Ricky Bloom has just been diagnosed with a life-changing chronic illness. Her days consist of cursing everyone out, skipping school--which has become a nightmare--daydreaming about her crush, Julio, and trying to keep her parents from realizing just how bad things are. But she can't keep her ruse up forever.
Ricky's afraid, angry, alone, and one suspension away from repeating ninth grade when she realizes: she can't be held back. She'll do whatever it takes to move forward--even if it means changing the person she's become. Lured out of her funk by a quirky classmate, Oliver, who's been there too, Ricky's porcupine exterior begins to shed some spines. Maybe asking for help isn't the worst thing in the world. Maybe accepting circumstances doesn't mean giving up.
