June was honestly an excellent month for me both as a reader (though mostly I got work reading done) and in my personal life. I had some fun times and I am planning to move in less than a year, so I’m getting ready for that. I really am looking forward to what the future has in store for me.
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I’m a children’s librarian, so I read books for kids and for grown-ups. This month, I read 22 picture/early reader books and 14 “big” books, including audiobooks, adult novels, and chapter books for children. My average rating this month was 4.3 stars.
Child of the Flower-Song People: Luz Jiménez, Daughter of the Nahua by Gloria Amescua
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Learned a lot from this one. Really interesting biography.
Ancestor Approved: Intertribal Stories for Kids by Cynthia Leitich Smith
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Short stories, poems, loved seeing characters make cameos throughout, great themes of respect, friendship, and connecting with elders
The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Eric Carle wrote books that are considered children’s classics for a reason. This is a great tactile story.
Too Bright to See by Kyle Lukoff
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
What a lovely story about grief, making friends, and coming into yourself.
Pawcasso by Remy Lai
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
This is a very strange story but I see the kid appeal.
Look out for my full review on February 12.
Boogie Boogie, Y’all by C.G. Esperanza
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Love the illustrations. Great message.
The Poet of Piney Woods by Bob Raczka
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Very cute poetry read.
Niños: Poems for the Lost Children of Chile by María José Ferrada
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Incredibly moving, attempts to give a childhood (and in some cases adulthood) back to these children.
Catch That Chicken! by Atinuke
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
As always, love Atinuke’s stories. The art is beautiful too.
Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy by Emmanuel Acho
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I haven’t read the original, but I loved this adaptation. Definitely geared more towards YA. Much love for a former Philadelphia Eagle!
That being said, while I enjoyed it and see it as a useful read for kids, I understand the criticisms I see in others’ reviews.
The Girl Who Stole an Elephant by Nizrana Farook
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I loved this one! Action packed. Chaya is so memorable and Nour and Neel are great foils for her. Rich description of setting.
Artie and the Wolf Moon by Olivia Stephens
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
LOVE this graphic novel for YA and MG. Does werewolves and vampires in such a refreshing way. The adult characters really shine for their strength and emotional vulnerability.
Look out for my full review on February 13.
A Poem Is a Firefly by Charles Ghigna
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Cute poem, could use for a poetry month storytime.
The Story of John Lewis: A Biography Book for Young Readers by Tonya Leslie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this one, though I do want to note that it’s untrue that desegregating schools took “many years” – some are still segregated today. I enjoyed the sidebars giving the reader points to think about and that the book had timelines, quotes, and maps throughout rather than in the backmatter.
Look out for my full review on February 17.
Stamped (For Kids): Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Exceeded my expectation. This adaptation is accessible for middle grade and young readers with support. Up-to-date.
The People’s Painter: How Ben Shahn Fought for Justice with Art by Cynthia Levinson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Loved the art. Would’ve loved to see his art/photos.
Survivor Tree by Marcie Colleen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Interesting story if you don’t know about the Survivor Tree, timely with the 20th anniversary of 9/11 this year.
The Watermelon Seed by Greg Pizzoli
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Cute and silly.
The Nightmare Thief by Nicole Lesperance
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Wow, a truly enjoyable and exciting read! I loved this one. My only qualm was some of the language used when Maren is thinking about how Hallie is in a coma…
Summertime Sleepers: Animals That Estivate by Melissa Stewart
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
New to me concept and I love the actual size/to scale illustrations!
Ten Animals in Antarctica: A Counting Book by Moira Court
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Loved the art and use of rhyming and alliteration. Backmatter taught me something – I did not know there are multiple south poles.
To Carnival!: A Celebration in Saint Lucia by Baptiste Paul
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Lots of colors, solid backmatter, and a cute, fun story!
Witchcraft: A Ladybird Expert Book by Suzannah Lipscomb
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Short, informational, enjoyable! Covers the persecution of suspected witches historically in Europe/America and ends on a chapter about modern witch hunts across the globe. (Actual ones, not the metaphor.)
The 1619 Project: Born on the Water by Nikole Hannah-Jones
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Simply WOW.
Take Back the Block by Chrystal D. Giles
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I was immediately drawn into this story – Wes reminds me of SO many kids I know. Great themes of combatting gentrification, pride in and love for your community, friendship, and a complete lack of toxic masculinity. Loved that all of the kids had their own stories.
Tag Team by Raúl the Third
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Loved the art, humor, and comic book vibes as well as the use of English and Spanish. This is an early reader mixed with a graphic novel; the art is stellar. I had a smile on my face the entire time I read it.
Pity Party by Kathleen Lane
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I’ll be honest, I’m not 100% sure this has middle grade kid appeal, but I loved this zine-style book! Very accurate representation of mental illness, largely anxiety, in children. Black Mirror & Goosebumps vibes.
Look out for my full review on February 18.
The Little Mermaid: by J. M. Farkas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Love this for middle and early high school! Beautiful illustrations. Would make a great gift for a poetry-minded kid.
What Do You Know? by Aracelis Girmay
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Definitely a poem to sit with and think about.
The Dirt Book: Poems about Animals That Live Beneath Our Feet by David L. Harrison
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Nice art, factual information in each poem. I loved about half the poems but wasn’t into the rest.
Twenty-One Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier by Jeff Gottesfeld
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Somber, emotional, and informative. I like the art and I had no idea that there was a period of time when the tomb was unguarded.
Change Sings: A Children’s Anthem by Amanda Gorman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I love the art and the message.
Hello, Earth!: Poems to Our Planet by Joyce Sidman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Gentle illustrations, many concepts explored in poems. Would be good for a read aloud. Solid backmatter.
Just Roll with It by Lee Durfey-Lavoie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Impressed by how this book discussed anxiety & OCD.
Look out for my full review.
Scott Joplin, King of Ragtime by Stephen Costanza
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I always loved playing Joplin’s pieces growing up but knew nothing about him! Lovely art, solid backmatter.
Beard Science by Penny Reid
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Waffled between a 3 and a 4 for this one but while it was too slow of a slow burn for me, I loved Cletus and Jen as characters. Jen’s growth was awesome and Cletus had been my Winston crush since Book 1!!
View all my reviews
Read my full review here.
Additionally, I DNF’ed a lot of books. I usually talk about that in my review but they were all books for a work project. I don’t feel the need to go through all of them.
A Peek Into My Planner
I’ve been trying to fill out my planner each day to keep myself organized and to use the plethora of planner supplies and stickers I possess. (I use The Happy Planner.) In July 2020, I started a brand new planner, which I hope to use through 2021. Here are my weekly spreads for June.
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I’ve been keeping track of my moods to keep an eye on my depression and anxiety. In June, I felt:
- Good – 12 days
- Okay – 5 days
- Great – 4 days
- Productive – 3 days
- Bored – 2 days
- Frustrated – 1 day
- Happy – 1 day
- Lazy -1 day
- Moody – 1 day
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More Stuff I Did
I have been posting more about my witchier interests on a new TikTok channel which has been a lot of fun.
@daily.manifestationxOkay you weren’t the situationship I wanted to hear from but thanks for playing ##mercuryretrograde ##astrology ##astrologytiktok ##ex ##manifestyourex♬ original sound – Alice MZ
I also watched The Woman In the Window, Bo Burnham: Inside, Little Women, Iron Man 2, and finished BoJack Horseman Season 6.
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Because I’ve been blogging about more than just book reviews, I wanted to share some of our “other” posts from this month:
Other Bookish Posts
- 5 Bookworm Problems
- #BookishAstrology – Books We Chose for #Gemini Season
- My Most Popular Posts from Spring 2021
- My Favorite Fandom
- 3 Lessons I Learned From Book Blogging
- Must Read Posts from Our Favorite Book Bloggers
- The HEA: A Romance Novel Essential
Blog Hops, Memes, and Challenges
Lifestyle
Looking Ahead: July
So far I’ve been keeping it chill this month, but I have a new goal I need to save up for so that’s reasonable. I’m looking forward to my birthday at the end of the month, though!
