kathyellendavis's reviews
51 reviews

A Monk's Guide to a Clean House and Mind by Shoukei Matsumoto

informative inspiring reflective relaxing medium-paced

It's always interesting to read about how other people tackle chores and cleaning. I found a few nuggets in here that I appreciated, though it was more of a memoir type read since my life if very different from the life of a monk. I wasn't a big fan of the idea that if your space is a mess you are too or your heart is too; I think that doesn't take into account any issues people may have with cleaning and/or executive function. Overall it was interesting to read. Likely don't change my mind too much about cleaning and chores though. 

Get Outer My Space! (the Cosmic Adventures of Astrid and Stella Book #3 (a Hello!Lucky Book)): A Hello!Lucky Book by Sabrina Moyle

adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

My oldest brought this to me and it was such a delight! Love these two space animals and their helpful robot friend. Their ship is called the Friend Ship, which is basically all you need to know. In the three chapters of this book our heroes encounter the importance of kindness, fairness, and setting clear expectations; tools for getting to sleep and overcoming bad dreams; and how to notice when someone might need a little space, plus how to communicate that you do. I know those topics might make it sound like these are heavy handed stories, but they are super fun. The illustrations are really colorful and there tons of puns and funny situation situations throughout. My daughter has read the first two and I just downloaded them to my phone to read tonight because I wanna spend more time in this world.

Mouse Scouts: Make a Difference by Sarah Dillard

hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

This is a sweet fun book about friendship, sharing ideas, working together, looking out for each other, and being creative about ways to make a difference. A fun story that moved right along with chapters from the Mouse Scouts handbook that were super informative: crafts and ideas of things to do included. We want to check out more of the series for sure. 

See the Dog: Three Stories about a Cat by Mike Wohnoutka, David LaRochelle

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

Another great one in this series; Cat has such a funny and clever personality! The three stories are funny and the com conversations between Cat and the book are great. We loved the ending! 

See the Cat: Three Stories about a Dog by David Larochelle

funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

This is a super fun early reader where the book and the character are in conversation, and it's pretty funny! I was surprised at how much we enjoyed this book! Three short stories are the perfect amount to get to know the character of Dog. 

The Secret Garden on 81st Street: A Modern Retelling of the Secret Garden by Ivy Noelle Weir

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

Loved this modern retelling of The Secret Garden. The warm illustrations draw you right in. The kids are such great characters, and the garden is lovely and you can learn a lot about plants by reading. Love that we see representation of interracial marriage and gay marriage in this version too. Colin's anxiety is explained really well and the empathy and understanding the characters have for him will help readers feel the same about people in their world. Managing grief is modeled in a few different ways too. A great read.

Batter Royale by Leisl Adams

adventurous funny hopeful informative lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

A lovely graphic novel perfect for fans of The Great British Bake-off! Rose (Rosemary) loves baking, and is excited to get into a top notch culinary school. It's expensive though, so when she gets the chance to compete for half a million dollars on a reality baking show, she does it, with her best friend from childhood, Fred. The competition is fun and fast paced, there's a cozy romance, and there are recipes for everything too. I really enjoyed this warm hug of a book! 

Peace Is a Practice: An Invitation to Breathe Deep and Find a New Rhythm for Life by Morgan Harper Nichols

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

This is a gorgeous book that will
inspire you to slow down while also living your life in a way that makes the world better. Morgan invites you to reflect on many aspects of your life and the world in short chapters focused on topics such as hope, growing, freedom, trusting, and more. I loved the stories she shared on each topic from her life and how she takes it to the universal level too. You'll want everyone to read it after you do; she's an inspiring artist who is changing the world for the better through this book. 

Teddy vs. the Fuzzy Doom by Braden Hallett

adventurous emotional funny mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

A great highly illustrated middle grade with an anxious kid at the center who is battling his own self talk, a new school, and a hatred of milk. Cool other kids, hamsters trying to take over people, and a pukey adventure, perfect for action lovers and readers who like things a little spooky. I really liked the illustrations and the kid characters. Read most of it aloud to my eight year old, and she started reading it then surpassed where we were at because she liked it so much. We already have the next one on hold at the library! 

The Skull by Jon Klassen

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

My kids really like this book! It's a bit spooky, a bit weird, a bit dark, a bit sad, and a bit hopeful and has a nice friendship to it. Who can resist a story about running away, some dark woods, a talking skull, and a mysterious skeleton who comes at night? Somehow it's not too scary and draws the kids in.