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Little Witch Hazel: A Year in the Forest

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Little Witch Hazel: A Year in the Forest by Phoebe Wahl
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Kids

In this four-season volume, Little Witch Hazel follows a tiny witch who lives in the forest. Hardworking and kind Hazel raises a baby owl, learns how to slow down and rest, and helps her friends and neighbors however she can. The world that Wahl creates with her beautiful illustrations and storytelling is whimsical, but also rooted very deeply in connection with nature and community. Hazel has a steadfast, quiet confidence and a commitment to being of service to others.

Little Witch Hazel is a soft hug of a book, with talking woodland creatures, homes made in tree stumps, and witches who heal. A sweet and gentle read for children ages 4-8.

Find Little Witch Hazel in the catalog here!

The Unfinished Corner

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The Unfinished Corner by Dani Colman
Format: Book, Graphic Novel
Who it’s for: Kids

Twelve-year-old Miriam has a lot going on in her life. She’s preparing for her Bat Mitzvah (a Jewish coming-of-age ceremony for young women) and she’s got Big Feelings about it. On top of that she’s just gotten accepted into a really cool art school, that she neglected to tell her friends she even applied to, so she’s got Big Feelings about that too. And on top of all that she’s preparing for a Tikkun Olam (Hebrew for “repair the world”) outreach trip with her best friends Avi and David, and her worst frenemy Judith. And on top of all that her Rabbi is actually an angel in disguise who informs her that G-d left the Universe unfinished and needs her to finish it. Wait. What?!?!

So begins this lovely graphic novel adventure inspired by Jewish mythology and incorporating Jewish philosophy. Miriam, Avi, David, and Judith encounter angels, demons, a Golem, the literal Lion of Judah, and more, as they learn valuable lessons from the Torah, Tanakh, and Talmud, on their quest to finish the Universe, while grappling with relatable struggles regarding friendship, family, what it means to be Jewish, and what it means to grow up. This is a sometimes funny, sometimes moving, all times wholesome story, with great art, and a diverse cast of characters, that I would recommend to any young fan of graphic novels.

Find The Unfinished Corner in the catalog

Kaleidoscope

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Kaleidoscope by Brian Selznick
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Kids, Teens

“We stood side by side, holding hands. I thought about an hourglass, where the sand is pouring down from above until the top half is empty. My head felt like the top half of the hourglass, and I could feel everything pouring out – my thoughts, my memories, my past, all the books of I’d read, all the diagrams of telephones I’d memorized, my family, my dreams, my fears. I was dissolving and becoming something new.”

This collection of short stories is a magical and mysterious exploration of loss, loneliness, and longing. Each story is linked by reoccurring themes and motifs, but most notably by the connection between the narrator and his friend, James. With settings that shift over time, space, memory, and dreams, these vignettes interspersed with Selznick’s illustrations form a tapestry examining love, friendship, and the grief that follows loss.

While Kaleidoscope is suggested for young readers ages 9-12, the overarching themes and speculative writing style will also appeal to teens and adults.

Find Kaleidoscope in the catalog here!

Garlic and the Vampire

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Garlic and the Vampire by Bree Paulsen
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Kids

Garlic, an enchanted garlic bulb, lives in a quiet garden with other enchanted vegetables under the care of their friend and mentor, Witch Agnes. Garlic chronically oversleeps and over-worries, but she loves tending the garden and finds her bliss safely in her comfort zone.

Interrupting their idyllic existence, smoke rises from a nearby (and supposedly long abandoned) castle. A vampire has moved in! Garlic, obviously having natural resistance to vampires, is volunteered to investigate and deal with their terrifying new neighbor. She doesn’t know how she could possibly do that – she’s just a little garlic! – but with encouragement from her best friend, Carrot, Garlic overcomes her self-doubt and confronts the vampire. Even with her newfound courage, it doesn’t go exactly the way she expects.

A wholesome and absolutely adorable story, Garlic and the Vampire is a middle-grade graphic novel about anxiety and bravery, believing in yourself, and perhaps most importantly, not judging a vampire just by his teeth.

Find Garlic and the Vampire in the catalog here!

If You Were an Elephant

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If You Were an Elephant by Leslie Staub
Format: Picture Book
Who it’s for: Kids

If you were an elephant, you could turn the page with your trunk. You could use your tent size ears to fan yourself. You could eat all day long and munch on whole bushes, branches and leaves. And you could drink gallons of water and spray it all over like a fountain, while taking a swim. Elephants in the savannah are the biggest animals who live on land. With thick as tree trunk legs and feet as flat as pancakes. You could roam wild places in your herd, with your mom, grandma and lots of cousins.

Did you know that adult elephants only need about two hours of sleep a day?  They sleep standing up. But they can only dream if they sleep lying down.

In this picture book about elephants, you will learn tons of facts all about a day in the life a young African bush elephants.

Find If You Were an Elephant in the catalog!

 

Freaky, Funky Fish: Odd Facts about Fascinating Fish

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Title: Freaky, Funky Fish: Odd Facts about Fascinating Fish by Debra Kempf Shumaker
Who’s it For: Children of all Ages
Format: Book

There once were two young boys who were like moths to a flame for anything marine animals. One I dubbed the “Little Professor” because he would unwittingly alter his voice as he spouted this or that fact. I took a photo of the other as a child. Instead of saying “cheese” I said “dolphin.” His face lit up with a broad smile. These two youngsters were my sons. They are now young adults. However, “Freaky, Funky Fish” is exactly the kind of book that they would have glommed onto as kids.

The illustrations are bright, amusing, and varied.  There are dozens of marine animals depicted with their name next to their humorous drawing.  What a great way to thumb through a book and learn animal names!  The author also “classifies” these creatures on a scale of 1 to 5 on a “funky” or “freaky” rating.  Funny!  Did you know that the parrotfish covers itself with a veneer of snot to repel parasites?  And the archerfish can spit to tag its insect meal?  This book is weird.  And it is gross.  Yet it is very entertaining.  What a great way to learn!

I am sure that many a child and adult will pour over this book with a smile on their face and some new facts to talk about at the dinner table.  Enjoy!

What are you waiting for?! 😉 Find Freak, Funky Fish in the catalog.