Mabel and Sam at Home by Linda urban, Illustrated by Hadley Hooper. Chronicle Books. Very true to childhood chapter book about a somewhat bossy older sister and a somewhat compliant younger brother who embark on a series of adventures tied to moving to a new home. the sister leads the adventures, the younger brother follows along but adds his own "panache" at times. They travel in a boat, tour a museum and visit space. The language can be a bit challenging but that adds to the fun and the illustrations have the incompleteness that relate to children's art. Imaginative, original and fun.

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A story that begs for a child's participation.   A young child is confronted by a bear on the porch who is quickly joined by many other insistent animals, all of whom refuse to leave.  There's rhyming and repetition with colorful illustrations that add to the fun.

A young adult book about passion, for friends and for basketball and for family.  Told in two voices, we learn about Bunny, a super star  who has transferred to a mostly white school outside his neighborhood for better opportunities and Nasir, the friend he left behind, who resents his decision and who is also concerned about the struggles of his cousin, Wallace, about to be evicted with his grandmother and a person who makes all the wrong choices but also never seems to have any of the possibilities that others are offered.  There are lots of bad choices here but a sense that this is real life.

An inspiring story about a relationship between a dog who needs a job and a girl who needs support.  Both Jessica and Patrick lost a leg because of the Boston Marathon bombing and ultimately Jessica lost her second leg.  Rescue was trained to be a service dog and when they are teamed together together they find a way not just to survive but to thrive.   move ahead.   Young readers will love all the characters in this book and root for their future.  Coming spring 2018.