The Children’s Book Committee of Bank Street College of Education has announced their collection of the best children’s books published in 2024. The collection includes over 600 titles that represent literary quality and potential emotional impact of the books. The entire list is available for free download here.
Beetle & the Chimera Carnival by Aliza Layne (9781665907484)
This sequel to Beetle and the Hollowbones captures the same spirit as the first. In this new story, Beetle and Kat are looking forward to attending the Chimera Carnival together, an event that happens every ten years. The event draws dragons from across the world to the space. But when Kat and Beetle discover an injured dragon who is crying for their egg to be rescued, they are drawn into a dark mystery that hides behind the celebration. Meanwhile, Beetle’s magic starts to manifest physically in new ways and Kat has to deal with her parents and their expectations for her and her magic. As the threat grows, Kat and Beetle have to figure out who to trust and how to battle a force that could wipe out everyone they love.
Layne does such an amazing job of creating a graphic novel that is both an adventure through a magical realm and also an exploration of the two main characters and their love. This second book explores the world more fully, including Beetle’s goblin magic and a new underground realm. It also has the characters coming out to loved ones and developing their connection to be even closer. The art is filled with purples, oranges and greens, bringing the world, the carnival and the characters to life with color and action.
A dynamic and loving second book in a great graphic novel series. Appropriate for ages 12+.
Reviewed from copy provided by Atheneum.
Waking Brain Cells 