BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL
APPEALS TO: SOME
A young boy and his family have moved to a new town. The only friends he’s made so far are the ducks at his local pond. He is very attached to the ducks and when they fly away for the winter, he struggles to accept the change.
You can tell that the boy is very invested in the ducks - naming them and caring for them. The message is a mild one about letting go.
Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS
BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE
APPEALS TO: MANY
Bitsy Bat wakes up to see her first-ever snowfall. She's excited to go to school and try out wintry activities with her friends. She doesn't like being cold and wet, but she tries out making snow angels, sledding, and making snowmen. She pretends to have fun until a snowball fight pushes her over the edge. She retreats inside worried that her friends won't like her anymore. Inside the school a surprise awaits her. Enzo Owl and Mo are inside too. Will she get the courage to be honest with her friends outside?
Bitsy Bat, Snow Star is a cute story told from an autistic perspective, and celebrates emotional honesty and how individual differences make everyone shine. I love the adorable, expressive illustrations.
PGPowers
BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL
APPEALS TO: SEVERAL
When fairies are young they train to find out what kind of fairy they are so they can become a fairy godparent and help a human folkling. All the other fairies seem to have useful magic, except Dazzle. Other fairies practice growing pumpkins and getting mice out of kitchens; Dazzle's magic turns pumpkins into giant carriages and mice into horses. Will she ever find someone who needs her magic?
Fairy loving kids will enjoy the colorful illustrations in this cute Cinderella prequel. While it's not a spectacular book, I didn't hate it.
The fairies are illustrated with different skin colors.
Rachel, Elementary school librarian
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3), EL (4-6) – ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL
Like the other book Calm Your Roar Like a Dinosaur in this Dino Power! series, our young dinosaur teaches readers to “up-regulate” their mood through active body movement.
I loved the first book, Calm Your Roar, and I also really liked this one. I just liked Calm more. I think this could be a powerful text for teachers to use to help students self-regulate. It’s not just about bottling things up, but learning how to manage all your emotions well, both good and bad.
Kiera, ELA teacher, #bookswithbeddes
BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL
APPEALS TO: SEVERAL
Joshua's favorite parts of fall are hunting for moose with his grandmother and eating moose stew with his family. Joshua and his Kokum walk through the forest identifying animal tracks, but will they be able to find moose tracks?
Each page has a few words in Omushkegomowin (Swampy Cree language) and Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe language) with English translations to the side. This would be a good addition to a fall book collection. The repetitive text will appeal to young children.
Joshua and his family are Native Canadian.
Rachel, elementary library specialist
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL
APPEALS TO: SOME
A zombie wants to make friends, but he keeps eating them instead.
Definitely will elicit some “Oooh, gross!” reactions from listeners and readers, especially with the 4th wall twist at the end. The zombie does a lot of eating, which seems to be the purpose of the story right up to the end.
Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS
BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K - ADVISABLE
APPEALS TO: SEVERAL
Elves frolic through every letter of the alphabet, celebrating the Christmas season in their silly way.
The rhyming text hits just the right note - especially because lifting the flaps slows things down, so you don’t, as the reader, feel like you are galloping through.
Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3), EL (4-6) – ESSENTIAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL
Marlon the Merpig is a STAR! He loves the spotlight and the spotlight loves him. Except his teacher doesn’t give him the lead in this year’s production, he got a background role instead. Can Marlon get his ego in time to see the opportunities to help his classmates shine instead?
I think this could be a great read-aloud and community builder text for elementary classrooms. And honestly, even some drama classes at the secondary level could benefit from it too. If you have a little diva in your life, this is the perfect book to show them how to share the spotlight every now and then.
Kiera, ELA teacher, #bookswithbeddes
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE
APPEALS TO: MANY
Two turtles, Frank and Terrence, are falling off a cliff. It is a long way down. Frank and Terrence are best friends and turn everything into a competition, such as who has the shiniest shell, who can walk the slowest, and more. Today while they were having a competition about who could stuff the most stuff into their shell, Frank fell off the cliff. Why did Terrence fall after him, and can they work together to save themselves?
Two Turtles is a humorous and clever story about cooperating and using teamwork. Minto 's illustrations are expressive, funny, and entertaining.
PGPowers
BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K - ADVISABLE
APPEALS TO: SEVERAL
Walk your way through the alphabet and the Christmas season.
Each word of the alphabet represents not just one, but two words - the second hiding under a flap to be discovered on every page. The capital version of each letter in a finger-traceable but-out, too.
Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL
APPEALS TO: SOME
A young girl is out at night (presumably Halloween) and around each corner she feels as if something is stalking her.
The author is trying to tell us that sometimes we’re scared by things that aren’t scary at all when viewed in the light. However, there are no clues (footprints, realistic shadows) to clue the reader into what is coming. Instead the whole book feels like a commercial for a horror movie - until the final couple of pages. Try A Not-So-Scary Story by Barney Saltzberg (https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/2026/10/a-not-so-scary-story-by-barney.html) instead.
The little girl is white.
Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) – OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL
Cliff is a lonely lighthouse keeper when a seagull takes up residence on top of his head. He kind of likes the company! However, the townspeople are not as welcoming, so the seagull decides to leave and let Cliff live his life. Cliff misses his seagull friend and goes out to sea to find him again. When an unexpected storm comes up and sinks Cliff’s boat, will there be someone or something that can help save him in time?
Such an odd book. I thought the illustrations were fun and the story a little silly, but the overall message of acceptance of people’s (and animal) differences was a good message.
Kiera, ELA teacher, #bookswithbeddes
