Best Reads of May - June 2025

My favorites from the RICBA list and the quest for Mock Caldecotts. Click on the titles to read plot summaries. If you'd like to see all 50 of the books I read, you can follow me on Goodreads.

Picture Books

Little Freddie Two Pants: by Drew Daywalt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Pure silliness. "No pants is not enough pants!"

 

Bearsuit Turtle Makes a Friend by Bob Shea
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ridiculous silliness with a heart. Will definitely be using for Mock Caldecott.

 

Don't Trust Fish by Neil Sharpson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"This is a whale shark.
It's the largest fish in the world.
It's the size of a bus.
That's not okay."

Another reviewer mentioned that this reads like a political attack ad, and that is brilliant ... will be using with 5th grade alongside Elise Gravel's "Killer Underwear Invasion."

 

The Hole by Lindsay Bonilla
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow. Excellent portrayal of grief that is understandable for kids and offers a bit of comfort.

 

Mistaco: A Tale of Tragedy y Tortillas by Eliza Kinkz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Love the style, love the message, love the mistakes, laughed out loud at the tragedy that befell her at school.

 

Hope in a Jar by Deborah Marcero
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

One of those books that leaves you feeling calm with a smile on your face.

 

Let's Be Bees by Shawn Harris
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The fact that Harris did the illustrations in crayon alone is enough to score a place on my Mock Caldecott list. And all of the animal noises will make it a great addition to the preschool pantheon.


Every Monday Mabel by Jashar Awan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Skews young for my students, but there are so many little kids this would make a great gift for.

 

When Alexander Graced the Table by Alexander Smalls
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Dad is kind of a butt. At least he liked the pie.

Chapter Books / Graphic Novels

 

Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All by Chanel Miller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this! Fully plan to read it out loud to my students next year and have them create their own personal socks.

 

The Kids in Mrs. Z's Class: Emma McKenna, Full Out by Kate Messner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Exactly the kind of books we need more of! Short, illustrated, relatable. Perfect for 3rd grade. I will be buying the entire series.

 

Jupiter Nettle and the Seven Schools of Magic: A Graphic Novel by Sangu Mandanna
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Extra star because I could read the lettering and the panels made sense. Kind of predictable story, but for kids who don't have decades of reading books behind them, they will be surprised. And I liked the point that without the earth magic, the rest of the students wouldn't have what they needed. Why did Grim have to be SUCH an a-hole, though?

Nonfiction

The Life-Changing Magic of Chess: A Beginner's Guide with Grandmaster Maurice Ashley by Maurice Ashley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Life lessons sprinkled in among chess moves. Like "Losing is Learning." (To quote a former student, "Now you're a loser, just like me!")

 

Stranded!: A Mostly True Story from Iceland by Ævar Þór Benediktsson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I feel like Mitch Hedberg when he was concerned for the Dufresnes ... did the boatman die? Get kidnapped? Or should he be arrested for endangerment? I need closure! Fun story - near-death aside - with super fun illustrations. After reading for RICBA, I will have the kids do research on Iceland, volcanoes, and Norse mythology.

For Grownups   

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I laughed. I cried. I had thoughts.

 

The Sunset Years of Agnes Sharp by Leonie Swann
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Similar to Netflix' "The Residence," I was willing to accept any number of suspects as the killer(s) and was right there with Agnes as she considered and eliminated each one. While it was a bit long, I also appreciated being in the minds of elderly characters ... and felt a little better about my perimenopause brain fog. And a little apprehensive of what's to come. But maybe my friends and I will create a Sunset Manor pact!

RICBA 2026 Titles

These are my opinions; after previewing the list, as predicted, the kids can't wait to read Wagnificent and They Call Me No Sam!

Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All by Chanel Miller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this! Fully plan to read it out loud to my students next year and have them create their own personal socks.





Search for a Giant Squid: Pick Your Path by Amy Seto Forrester
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Well, I never found the damn squid, but what a great combo of science and choose-your-own! My students will love it.

 

Stranded!: A Mostly True Story from Iceland by Ævar Þór Benediktsson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I feel like Mitch Hedberg when he was concerned for the Dufresnes ... did the boatman die? Get kidnapped? Or should he be arrested for endangerment? I need closure! Fun story - near-death aside - with super fun illustrations. After reading for RICBA, I will have the kids do research on Iceland, volcanoes, and Norse mythology.

 

The Life-Changing Magic of Chess: A Beginner's Guide with Grandmaster Maurice Ashley by Maurice Ashley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Life lessons sprinkled in among chess moves. Like "Losing is Learning." (To quote a former student, "Now you're a loser, just like me!")

 

The Kids in Mrs. Z's Class: Emma McKenna, Full Out by Kate Messner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Exactly the kind of books we need more of! Short, illustrated, relatable. Perfect for 3rd grade. I will be buying the entire series.

 

 

Jupiter Nettle and the Seven Schools of Magic: A Graphic Novel by Sangu Mandanna
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Extra star because I could read the lettering and the panels made sense. Kind of predictable story, but for kids who don't have decades of reading books behind them, they will be surprised. And I liked the point that without the earth magic, the rest of the students wouldn't have what they needed. Why did Grim have to be SUCH an a-hole, though?

 

Mixed-Up by Kami Garcia
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Honestly, made me wonder how many of my students have unaddressed reading issues and that's why they love graphic novels so much. Very much appreciated the font style and size for my middle-aged eyes.

 

Invisible Isabel by Sally J. Pla
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I'm still so annoyed that anxiety wasn't a diagnosed thing back when I had stomachaches all the time and threw up a lot. But now I have meds! Yay!

A short, gentle book that I may start as a readaloud to encourage kids to pick up as a RICBA nominee.


The Happy Shop by Brittany Long Olsen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I do like when the point is made that all feelings are valid.

 

Call Me Roberto!: Roberto Clemente Goes to Bat for Latinos by Nathalie Alonso
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Enthusiastic text and vibrant illustrations, but if you aren't familiar with the game, a lot will go right over your head. Which I fear will be the case with many of my students. However, many of them speak Spanish as their home language, so that part will resonate.

 
My Lost Freedom: A Japanese American World War II Story by George Takei
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

An important piece of history ... but I feel like this book didn't adequately express the horror of the situation. Granted, these weren't death camps, but I thought it painted too rosy a picture of life behind barbed wire. Today's readers need to know just how nastily the government can treat people. Don't sugarcoat because they are 8. You were only 4.

 

Wings of an Eagle: The Gold Medal Dreams of Billy Mills by Billy Mills
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

My big takeaway was how far we've come with diabetes monitoring and treatment. Although ... are people on reservations able to take advantage of these improvements? Literally half of them don't even have access to "reliable water sources, clean drinking water, or basic sanitation." But we found tens of millions for a parade yesterday. #gross

 

Haiku, Ew!: Celebrating the Disgusting Side of Nature by Lynn Brunelle
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I am all about having books about gross stuff in the library, but this one was a bit TOO gross for me. I literally felt ill reading about a couple of the animals. Like baby koalas eating their mom's poop. So I will NOT be doing it as a RICBA readaloud.

Not sure the haiku added much to the book, or that it will be appreciated by the students. But I'm sure they will love knowing that lobsters pee out of their eyes. And I can't believe I never learned that caterpillars dissolve into goop inside their cocoon. Blech.

 

Wagnificent: The Adventures of Thunder and Sage by Bethanie Deeney Murguia
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I'm not a huge fan of dogs, and the wolf was creepy, but I think I will need more than the two copies I've already ordered to keep up with the demand after previewing the RICBA list.




Picture Purrfect by Hilda Eunice Burgos
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Reminded me of Art Club but not as good. How does the cat know so many words?






Off the Map by Meika Hashimoto
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I have to state right off that I'm not a huge fan of nature survival stories ... because you could have just stayed home! I guess this was fine, but not for me. One disastrous situation after another. I was kind of hoping someone would die to make it more interesting.



They Call Me No Sam!: A Graphic Novel by Drew Daywalt
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Sam kind of sucks, and the magic sand oven was disgusting. But I bet my students would love it.

 

Wrath of the Rain God by Karla Arenas Valenti
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I could not suspend my disbelief with the whiny gods.

 

The Racc Pack by Stephanie Cooke
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

A Bite Above the Rest by Christine Virnig
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Best Reads of Jan-April 2025

Of the 47 books I read, these were my favorites. Click on the titles to read plot summaries. If you'd like to see all of my books, you can follow me on Goodreads.

Picture Book

The Thankful Book by Todd Parr
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Exactly what I was looking for to go with Kid President's reasons to be thankful.

Early Reader

 
I Am Thankful: A Positive Power Story by Suzy Capozzi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was looking for a more generic book for a lesson on gratitude, but this is a great holiday title. All about giving thanks for who and what you have, no mentions of Pilgrims.

Chapter Books

  

Not Nothing by Gayle Forman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So many feels. May everyone rise to the occasion of their lives.

p. 13 - "... the boy stood there, feeling that awful heat rising up in him. He was supposed to take breaths when he felt like this. But if breathing could make people happy, shouldn't everyone be happy, because everyone breathed?"

p. 89 - "The good stuff seemed to cancel out the hating part, but he wasn't sure because feelings were not math."

p. 146 - "It's ok to be a know-it-all if you don't think everyone else is a know-it-nothing."

p. 166 - "Sometimes it's easier to believe a pretty lie over a hideous truth."

p. 172 - "But stitch one small thing to another small thing and another, and eventually you have a tapestry as big as the world."

 

Ava Lin, One of a Kind by Vicky Fang
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love these books.

 

All the Blues in the Sky by Renée Watson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Excellent portrayal of grief and the guilt that can come with it.

Nonfiction

   

This Is My Brain!: A Book on Neurodiversity by Elise Gravel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I want Elise Gravel to write all the nonfiction books on all the subjects.

For Grownups

  

The Answer Is No by Fredrik Backman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Silly and charming.

 

The Examiner by Janice Hallett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I loved the experience of reading this book, a collection of emails and essays and documents that made you wonder what was going on as bits and pieces were revealed. Also, kudos to Hallett for delineating personalities within just a few contributions to a group chat!

One star off for the confusion I felt at the end as to what had actually happened with the radio and the faux examiner and one of the characters ... I needed a bit more obvious reveals. But I am looking forward to reading everything else Hallett has written!

 

Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting by Clare Pooley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sometimes you just need some happy endings.

 

Spook Street by Mick Herron
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Poor River.

 

Everyone Here Is Lying by Shari Lapena
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lapena did a fantastic job introducing new characters as others threw them out as possible suspects, and then giving us the next chunk of plot through those characters' eyes. I loved the reveal of where Avery was. And the very last few lines.

 

The Family Experiment by John Marrs
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A page-turner!

And hopefully not TOO prescient.

 

Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret by Benjamin Stevenson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Everyone in a glass-bottomed cable car at the end was a bit much, but I do enjoy Ernest's asides to the readers.

Mock Newbery 2025 - Voting List

We made it to the end ... I read all of the 14 finalists (ok, I DNF'd 1 of them). I need to point out that MY favorite of them all WON THE ACTUAL NEWBERY. Yay, Erin Entrada Kelly! 

Sadly, it didn't take a Rhode Island Mock Newbery prize. Our winner was The Wrong Way Home by Kate O’Shaughnessy; Honor titles were Not Nothing by Gayle Forman and And Then, Boom! by Lisa Fipp.

My thoughts on the finalists below: 

The First State of Being by Erin Entrada Kelly
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

So good. The story just flowed, even if the time travel mechanics didn't QUITE make sense. But will they ever? I did appreciate that they did extensive research in the future on locations, to make sure nobody apparated inside a tree or under water. And Ridge's studied "slang" was hilarious. There was a good balance of adventure and FEEL-ings.

Most of all, I LOVED THE UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE, my alma mater, and the mention of the Christiana Mall ... I literally JUST took a photo of it from the highway a couple of weeks ago to send to my family as R. and I drove home to RI from DC.

And Then, Boom! by Lisa Fipps
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fipps describes Joe's hunger and fear effectively ... reading this book was was very stressful! And underscores why I don't think teachers should have their kids do stuff for Mother's Day and Father's Day. Because some parents SUCK. But this book doesn't.

p. 11: The longer I wait for her, / the more nervous I get / that she won't ever return, / and yet / the more I fear her coming home.

p. 24: Nobody even looked at us. / We were invisible. / People didn't want to see us, / because if they did, / they'd get scared that one day / they could be us.

p. 142: For some reason the game Rock, Paper, Scissors / pops into my head. / Hakeem's strong / like a rock. / I'm a lightweight / like paper. / Paper beats rock. / But Hakeem's words cut like scissors. / 'Cause they're true.

Quibble: Would 6th graders really be sitting crisscross applesauce on carpet squares for a readaloud?

Not Nothing by Gayle Forman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So many feels. May everyone rise to the occasion of their lives.

p. 13 - "... the boy stood there, feeling that awful heat rising up in him. He was supposed to take breaths when he felt like this. But if breathing could make people happy, shouldn't everyone be happy, because everyone breathed?"

p. 89 - "The good stuff seemed to cancel out the hating part, but he wasn't sure because feelings were not math."

p. 146 - "It's ok to be a know-it-all if you don't think everyone else is a know-it-nothing."

p. 166 - "Sometimes it's easier to believe a pretty lie over a hideous truth."

p. 172 - "But stitch one small thing to another small thing and another, and eventually you have a tapestry as big as the world."

Weirdo by Tony Weaver Jr.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Rare is the graphic novel with Newbery-worthy writing. This one packed a few gut-punches, not the least of which Weaver tried to end his life as a kid. Jesus.

p. 33: What if instead of one plant, we're actually gardens. What if we're a combination of many things? Some parts are massive centerpieces, and others are accents, but every detail is important. If the possibilities are endless ... what could I be? What seeds have I been planting? What will bloom in me?

p. 231: They both had feelings. Just because those feelings weren't the same doesn't make either of them wrong for having them.

p. 261: They say everyone is the hero of their own story. But if you're the hero, somebody has to be the villain.

 

The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman by Gennifer Choldenko
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So so many kids have parents who just can't take care of them ... it makes me sad, and it makes me wonder just how many of my students are in situations they shouldn't be. I am thankful that Choldenko chose to make Hank's new classmates kind v. including any bullying. I could only handle so much angst.

 

Tree. Table. Book. by Lois Lowry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A return to old form for Lowry ... this read like a book from my childhood. LOVED young Sophie's narration. Not sure if my students would understand Sophie Gershowitz' stories.

p. 7 - "Begin on the day that is different."

 

The Wrong Way Home by Kate O'Shaughnessy
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

We never found out what the rites were!

Agree with another reviewer that the Spirit storyline could have been edited out.

Kareem Between by Shifa Saltagi Safadi
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Maybe I would have liked it better if I knew football better? I get what Safadi was trying to do with the definitions and poem titles ... as well as left-, right- and center justification.

Liked the shoutout to The Crossover.

As I'm typing this, Syria has had yet more cataclysmic change. Why are humans so ... ugh?

 

Telephone of the Tree by Alison McGhee
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Good writing, but some plot points gave me pause. Like the pizza guy using the telephone in front of Ayla as soon as he notices it. Or Dad calling her "daughter."

p. 119: Negative space is invisible, the things you don't see. But invisible is what makes everything around it full of color and shape and life.

Olivetti by Allie Millington
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Have I really never read a book with a sentient typewriter before? Great idea. But the book, sadly, disappointed me. Really did not like that the Everything That Happened was some giant secret nobody talked about. And the climax after the road trip? Really?

p. 35 - "But humans will believe anything. Especially if it means they can get what they want."

 
Ferris by Kate DiCamillo
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I cannot picture handing this to any of my students.

Ghosts that only Charisse can see. Charisse only reading the Bible and Leaves of Grass. "Every good story is a love story." Uncle Ted's painting of the history of the world. "Mysterious Barricades." Astral projection.

Pinky, on the other hand, would be a hit with my kids. She needs her own early reader.

 

Buffalo Dreamer by Violet Duncan
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I think it is very important for kids to know about the residential schools, but I don't think this book should have been a National Book Award finalist.

 


Light and Air by Mindy Nichols Wendell
My rating: 2 of 5 stars