Lion of the Sky by Laura Purdie Salas ‘you gasp as I roar, my mane exploding, sizzling— lion of the sky! Haiku meet riddles in this wonderful collection from Laura Purdie Salas. The poems celebrate the seasons and describe everything from an earthworm to a baseball to an apple to snow angels, alongside full-color illustrations.’ […]
A Fool’s Guide to Actual Happiness by Mark Van Buren A Fool’s Guide to Actual Happiness by Mark Van Buren was a quick, humourous read about mindfulness, meditation, and the benefits of cultivating one’s own practise. I liked the message that who you are now, and where you are now on the path of life […]
Ten Reasons to Love a… Lion! by Catherine Barr Catherine Barr’s Ten Reasons to Love a… Lion! is a beautiful book to teach kids all about lions as an endangered species. It gives 10 special facts about lions, from the fact that they live in prides to the fact they spend a great deal of […]
1000 Books to Read Before You Die by James Mustich 1000 Books to Read Before You Die by James Mustich is a delightful compendium of important works through history. This volume is arranged alphabetically by author. There are some exceptions to this, such as religious texts, and those works for which we don’t know the […]
Inward by Yung Pueblo is a beautiful collection of spiritual poems. Two serve as an intro of sorts, followed by 5 sections- Distance, Union, Interlude, Self-Love, and Understanding. This book dealt me a gut punch. These poems sang to my soul, conjuring sadness and longing, but hope as well. They are about loving yourself, and […]
Poetry Builders: Ana and Adam Build an Acrostic by Victoria Peterson-Hilleque, illustrated by Winifred Barnum-Newman Ana and Adam Build an Acrostic is part of the Poetry Builders Series to teach kids about all sorts of poetry types. This one, by Victoria Peterson-Hilleque, focuses on acrostics. These poems take a word and use each letter of […]
Lifeboat 12 by Susan Hood is a kid’s historical fiction novel about the sinking of the SS City of Benares by a German U-Boat. Among the passengers were children being sent from London to Canada to keep them safe from the bombings. We see the story through the eyes of a survivor, 13yr old Ken […]
Rosario’s 500 Words or Less is a poignant, raw look into the heart of one young woman’s senior high school year. Told entirely through free verse poetry, Nic Chen’s story is one of unbearable loneliness and devastating loss. Two years ago, Nic and her best friend Ben became more than just friends. In one drunken […]
Wolf Sanctuary by Chuck Rineer Wolf Sanctuary by Chuck Rineer is a dazzling compilation of photographs that the author took of the wolves at Wolf Sanctuary of PA, a preservation and education facility run by the Darlington family. There are ten chapters, each with brief written introductions, and full of stunning photos. While there is […]
The Witch Doesn’t Burn in this One by Amanda Lovelace The Witch Doesn’t Burn in this One is a follow-up to Lovelace’s previous poetry collection titled The Princess Saves Herself in this One. These are poems full of vim and vinegar, full of fury and rage. There are poems that rail against how women are […]
