It's summer update time! These are the books I'm looking to reread in the next few months, or have recently reread, that I remember really appreciating the first time around. Look for, #readwoke, literary fiction, classics, children's works, graphic novels and more!
I will update this list as I continue rereading books throughout the year.
Dragons in a bag
Zetta Elliott
eAUDIO
Read Woke, Fantasy, Adventure, Diverse Characters
In Brooklyn, nine-year-old Jax joins Ma, a curmudgeonly witch who lives in his building, on a quest to deliver three baby dragons to a magical world, and along the way discovers his true calling.
Toil & trouble : 15 tales of women & witchcraft
YOUNG ADULT FICTION Toil
Young Adult, Read Woke, Short Story, LGBTQ+, Fantasy
"History is filled with stories of women accused of witchcraft, of fearsome girls with arcane knowledge. Toil & Trouble features fifteen stories of girls embracing their power, reclaiming their destinies and using their magic to create, to curse, to cure--and to kill...This collection reveals a universal truth: there's nothing more powerful than a teenage girl who believes in herself"--Publisher.
This collection of short stories , some by YA superstars, casts a charm firm and good. Look for culturally, and LGBTQIA+ diverse characters, strong women, and some worlds you won't want to leave.
- Casey
Brown girl dreaming
Jacqueline Woodson
jBIOGRAPHY Woodson, Jacqueline
Black Lives Matter, Read Woke, Biographies, Poetry, Literary Nonfiction, Memoir
"The author shares her childhood memories and reveals the first sparks that ignited her writing career in free-verse poems about growing up in the North and South"--
Pick this one up, especially now, even if you've read it before. Woodson's story resonates with quiet truth, resiliency, and hope.
- Casey
Three tales of my father's dragon
Ruth Stiles Gannett
eBOOK
Fantasy, Adventure, Classics
A compilation of three tales which relate the fantastic adventures of Elmer Elevator and a baby flying dragon named Boris.
My Father's Dragon is a delight! A story as delectable as fresh tangerines, whimsical illustrations, and digestible chapters make this perfect family reading.
- Casey
Inside out & back again
Thanhha Lai
eAUDIO
Read Woke, Poetry, Diverse Characters, Historical Fiction
Through a series of poems, a young girl chronicles the life-changing year of 1975, when she, her mother, and her brothers leave Vietnam and resettle in Alabama.
Achingly beautiful poetry combined with a powerful immigration story make this a Middle Grade novel not to miss. Great for reading aloud as a family as well.
- Casey
Laura dean keeps breaking up with me
Mariko Tamaki
eBOOK
Read Woke, LGBTQ+, Young Adult, Graphic Novels, Diverse Characters
Touching and beautifully rendered in grayscale with occasional splashes of pink, this is a love story for everyone. If you have yet to be kicked to the curb by Laura Dean, it might be time to get dumped.
- Casey
The mouse and the motorcycle
Beverly Cleary
eBOOK
Classics, Adventure, Fantasy, Animals
A reckless young mouse named Ralph makes friends with a boy in room 215 of the Mountain View Inn and discovers the joys of motorcycling.
This is the first Beverly Cleary novel I remember reading as a child, and I'm beyond excited to share it aloud at bedtime again!
- Casey
I love this book! We have yet to read The Dragon Thief as a family and I'm feeling a little behind. Time to reread the first installment so we can catch up!
- Casey