Best Reads of T3 2023-2024

From all of my reading during third trimester, these are the books I liked the best. All images and summaries from Goodreads.

Early Readers

Fox Has a Problem by Corey R. Tabor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Tabor does it again! Easily decodable plot and text patterns shot through with silliness.

Chapter Books

Shermy and Shake, the Not-So-Nice Neighbor by Kirby Larson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Really liked the "classic" feeling of this ... not a ton happens, but you get to know the characters, and they experience realistic situations.

However, the blurb for Book 2 says they are entering second grade. They read older than that in this book, especially since they are allowed to wander the neighborhood, so hopefully my upper elementary students will read it for RICBA since age is never mentioned. And be inspired to wander around their own neighborhoods instead of sitting inside. (RICBA 2025 Nominee)

Something Like Home by Andrea Beatriz Arango
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Not sure if I would have blurbed it if I were Barbara O'Connor, because it is SO VERY close to her "Wish," but it's solid. And several of my kids are in Laura's situation - in "foster" care with a relative because their parents can't have them right now.

p. 169: "How can I trust myself / to ever make another decision, / what am I gonna do when I get older / and I'm on my own, / when the first big decision I ever made, / the whole calling 911 thing, / has turned out so horribly horribly wrong? (RICBA 2025 Nominee)

Graphic Novels

Art Club by Rashad Doucet 

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A bit didactic, but wow will my kids love this. The vice principal is a butt. Also, since when does admin teach classes? Anyways, love the kids advocating for themselves, building support, and making money doing what they love. (RICBA 2025 Nominee)

Nonfiction

Wild Places: The Life of Naturalist David Attenborough by Hayley Rocco
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wonderful picture book biography with an ecology message! The illustration of him with the sloth ... I just showed that video to my kindergartners! I love David Attenborough and I love this book. (Will be on my Mock Sibert 2025 list)

How Not to Get Eaten: More than 75 Incredible Animal Defenses by D.K. Publishing
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

If I typed out every cool fact I learned, I would have dozens of bullet points ... my students are going to love this. Stunning photography, concise descriptions, tons of "wow!" moments. (RICBA 2025 Nominee)



Champion Chompers, Super Stinkers and Other Poems by Extraordinary Animals by Linda Ashman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I liked this one a lot. The meter scans, guessing is fun, and kids love animal facts. If I'm feeling ambitious next year, I might have the students do some research and then write their own mask poems on the topic they looked up. (RICBA 2025 Nominee)

 

Ellen Takes Flight: The Life of Astronaut Ellen Ochoa by Doreen Rappaport
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Solid biography with relevant quotes from Ochoa sprinkled in. Two issues:

1. I didn't understand the "two more years and she could apply" comment ... what was she lacking?

2. Besides the cover, the illustrations made her mouth look crazy. I almost took away a star for this, but Rappaport's text is very good. (RICBA 2025 Nominee)

For Grownups

Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lots of meta and fourth-wall fun. And commas DO matter.

 

What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

WOAH. So many red herrings. Such a shocking reveal that I didn't see coming. Even though I wasn't a fan of most of the characters, great story. Definitely going to read more of Marshall's work.

 

Cassandra in Reverse by Holly Smale
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this. We are totally in Cassandra's head for all of her choices. See highlighted quotes for lines that made me laugh and/or say "yup" to myself.

 

Troubled Blood by Robert Galbraith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I kind of zoned out on the zodiac stuff, but this was a solid mystery with a great narrator, and I really enjoy this series even when it gets repetitive or overwrought. I don't think I've ever guessed whodunit, but at the end, the clues always add up, even if you missed them. Meticulously plotted.

None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Actually bought the audiobook, as I was gearing up for a long road trip and the public library copy was an even longer wait. Totally worth the money. And since the plot is based on a podcast, having it read out loud was perfect. There was some nebulousness about what WAS true at the end, which I don't deal well with as a very concrete reader, but still extremely entertaining and recommended.

 

The Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another fine installment, even with the requisite repetition, overwroughtness, and unbelievable actions of some characters (I did not buy the explanation of the mystery caller). Now I only have one more for Philip Glenister to read to me!