Ty’s Travels: Super Ty! By Kelly Starling Lyons – Book Review

July 3, 2025June 4, 2025 | Tasha

Ty’s Travels: Super Ty! by Kelly Starling Lyons, illustrated by Niña Mata (9780063083721)

Ty becomes a super hero in this newest book in the award-winning beginning-reader series. When Ty puts on his mask and cape, he’s ready to save the day just like his favorite super heroes. So when a dad needs someone to open the door for him, Ty saves the day! At the playground, when a boy is frightened of the slide, Ty saves the day by sliding with him. Mom can’t find her keys, but Ty can! Ty takes a break from all of his hard work as a super hero but when his paper plane gets stuck in a tree, Ty may be the one who needs to be saved.

Done in simple and readable language that is accessible to beginning readers, this book continues the themes of community and family that run through the entire series. Though the book’s language is simple, the story has a great depth to it and asks questions about being a helper and also accepting help from others. The illustrations are bright and cheery. They capture Ty’s imagination in childlike sketches that pop against the otherwise smoothly drawn images.

Another great book in a series that can’t be missed. Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by HarperCollins.

Daisy Rewilds by Margaret McNamara – Book Review

July 2, 2025May 9, 2025 | Tasha

Daisy Rewilds by Margaret McNamara, illustrated by Kerascoët (9780593125670)

Daisy has always been a conservationist, composting her baby food and sleeping on a bed of leaves as a toddler. Now she is doing a very important experiment by skipping her baths for five weeks. Soon she is growing all sorts of plants on her body. Happily, she has an Auntie Betsy who is a gardener and knows just what to teach Daisy, when to water her, when to flip her upside down. Soon a glorious collection of native plants starts to rewild on Daisy’s body. She lives out on the lawn even in hot August. When September comes, the neighborhood takes notice of Daisy’s amazing plants and wonder how they can do something like it. This is all part of Daisy’s plan.

McNamara writes a story about conservation that is filled with joy and possibility. Rather than having a didactic tone, it shows how one child can make an impact on their neighborhood, even if they don’t do it quite like the rather magical Daisy. The illustrations add to the playful tone and the wonder of the rewilding process happening on a human body.

Plant this one on display or even better use it in a story time to watch it grow. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Random House Studio.

A Jackpot of 18 July New Books

July 1, 2025June 19, 2025 | Tasha

Here are some of the exciting books coming out in July!

PICTURE BOOKS

Dawn: Watch the World Awaken by Marc Martin

Everyday Bean by Stephanie Graegin

The Moving Book by Lisa Brown

Recess by Lane Smith

Seven Skies All at Once by Ted Kooser, illustrated by Matt Myers

This Year, a Witch! by Zoey Abbott

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Blood in the Water by Tiffany D. Jackson

An Encantadora’s Guide to Monstros and Magic by Sarah Mendonca

Graciela in the Abyss by Meg Medina

Jazzy the Witch in Broom Doom by Jessixa Bagley

Junius Leak and the Spiraling Vortex of Doom by Allan Wolf

Schoolbot 9000 by Sam Hepburn

YA LIT

After We Burned by Marieke Nijkamp

Fateless by Julie Kagawa

Mastery of Monsters by Liselle Sambury

Of Flame and Fury by Brittney Morris

Pretty Girl County by Lakita Wilson

Tenderly, I Am Devoured by Lyndall Clipstone

All of Us: A First Conversation about Disability by Dr. Megan Pamela Ruth Madison – Book Review

June 30, 2025May 29, 2025 | Tasha

All of Us: A First Conversation about Disability by Dr. Megan Pamela Ruth Madison and Jessica Ralli, illustrated by Jonathan Eden (9780593891483)

Part of the First Conversations series, this nonfiction picture book tackles speaking to young children about disabilities with a straight-forward approach. The book begins by explaining that everyone looks different from one another and that it is not what we can physically do that makes us matter. The book moves on to respecting how people describe themselves. It talks about access and ableism, defining both clearly and offering deeper explanations about disability justice and its importance.

It is powerful to find a picture book that offers information that is so informative and impactful. This book goes beyond the superficial nods at disability and truly looks at the damage of ableism and offers resources on what people can do to change access. There is no talking down to children here, just a frank, clear approach to the subject that centers each person with a disability as their own expert and voice.

Get this one into your library collections. Appropriate for ages 3-7.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Penguin Workshop.

Wake Your Friday Brain Cells – June 27 Edition

June 27, 2025June 26, 2025 | Tasha

CHILDREN’S LIT

Enter an Archive of 10,000+ Historical Children’s Books, All Digitized & Free to Read Online – Open Culture

‘One kid at a time’: How children’s books on male friendship could combat toxic masculinity – The Guardian

YA LIT

14 YA & MG Books & Graphic Novels with Disability Representation – SLJ

Magical Meals: 7 YA Fantasy Reads for Foodies – Book Riot

Susan Beth Pfeffer, 77, Dies; Wrote Complex Stories for Young Adults – New York Times

‘We Were Liars’ Author on Bringing That Twist to Life in the Prime Video Series – The Hollywood Reporter

The YA Fantasy Book Adaptation Race Is Taking An Awesome New Direction With This 14-Year-Old Series – Screen Rant

Good Golden Sun by Brendan Wenzel – Book Review

June 26, 2025May 29, 2025 | Tasha

Good Golden Sun by Brendan Wenzel (9780316512633)

The sun comes up on a dark world. One flower is waiting to absorb the sunlight, opening as the sun rises. A bee visits the flower, carrying the light of the sun from the flower to its hive. A bear eats the glowing honey from the hive and is in turn feasted on by mosquitos that are then eaten by a bird and the cycle of sharing solar energy goes on. Eventually wolves poop on the ground and the plants absorb the energy. A cow eats the grass, a human milks the cow and night falls as a cat enjoys the milk.

Poetic lines invite young readers to explore the way energy moves through a food cycle and how we are all interconnected with one another. The illustrations are particularly compelling with the glow of energy moving across the various creatures and the page.

A beautiful shining read. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

2025 Best Children’s Books of the Year

June 25, 2025June 24, 2025 | Tasha

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 – Book Review

June 25, 2025May 29, 2025 | Tasha

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.

2025 Locus Award Winners

June 24, 2025June 23, 2025 | Tasha

The winners of the 2025 Locus Awards have been announced. They are the best in science fiction and fantasy and each category has ten finalists that were announced in May. Here is the winner and finalists for the Best Young Adult Novel:

YOUNG ADULT NOVEL WINNER