Under a Mushroom by Anita Lobel

This is a wacky little book that only the 1970s could have produced. 

Mushrooms, fairy folk, wildflowers. Yep, that's the 1970s. 

This is about a family of trolls with their cozy little house under a mushroom. 

Mrs. Troll loves the "pleasant, peaceful way" they live, but Mr. Troll thought it was a bit tame. 

One night as it begins to pour down rain, travellers ask them if they can shelter under the mushroom from the rain. Mr. Troll is thrilled! 

As more and more creatures seek shelter under the mushroom, finally Mr. Troll has a little excitement!

Unfortunately the poor mushroom could not contain that many creatures having a wild party and disaster struck.

Now no one had shelter from the rain. 

When the rain cleared, a whole new crop of mushrooms appeared, giving the Troll family their choice of new homes. 

Mrs. Troll breathes a sigh of relief and starts cozy-ing up their new home. 

Mr. Troll, wanting to ensure their life does not descend into quietness again, invites all their guests to make their home in the new mushroom development. So life is never boring or quiet again. 

But poor Mrs. Troll--she liked their quiet and peaceful life before. But too bad for her. 

As I said, it is a weird little book. Why couldn't poor Mrs. Troll have a nice, quiet life? Sigh. Life is just a vale of sorrows for women. 

I wish there was a sequel where Mrs. Troll got to have things quiet again. 

The Moon is Going to Addy's House by Ida Pearle

The amazing Ida Pearle has another adorable book!

The simplicity of the plot, a little girl observing the moon following from a playdate to her house, allows readers to really sink into the illustrations. With a full, overblown moon hanging around, it is pretty easy to fall into them. 

Time to go home!

Meeting daddy. I love the enthusiasm!

Those braids!!

Watching the moon.

Hair blowing in the wind.

Oh my goodness! So much to love here.

After her bath, Ida goes out to bathe in moonlight.

The lighting was a little off, so just know that Ida makes it look way better than this! 

Why? by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

 Life is a little confusing right now. I give you an inquisitive Rabbit and a patient Bear to explain things.

As adults, I think it is easy to forget how illogical the world is to kids. This poor little white bunny is right in the midst of figuring things out.  

The rabbit just asks "Why?" and the bear, because he is such a good friend already knows the question and answers accordingly. 

It is a very quick read, but on each page, there is the chance to have a discussion about something. 

Isn't this sweet? 

Sometimes there are no good answers. Death can be senseless. 

I just love this sweet bear with his concerned face. 

Then Rabbit becomes worried about bear hibernating. 

"Because then I would miss my friend..."

They sit and contemplate separation and seasons.

When bear does hibernate, Rabbit sits nearby to wait. 

I love this book.

For all those curious kids in your life! 

New Kid by Jerry Craft

This awesome graphic novel highlights what it is like to be the new kid in a school where you don't truly feel you belong with people who don't really get you. 

Jordan Banks is not quite sure about life. 

This is how I feel every single day of my life, like I'm falling without a parachute.

His mom and dad have decided that Jordan needs to go to a better school. His mother is a little in love with this new school. Jordan just wants to draw. 

Every couple pages, Jordan's illustrations show up, which is great!

The first day of school, Jordan is picked up by another father taking his son to school. Jordan impresses him with his super strong handshake and climbs in next to a sleeping schoolmate. 

Not the best way to start a new school.

But, Liam, the sleeping schoolmate wakes up enough to give Jordan a tour. The school is just as impressive and beautiful as his mother said it would be. 

Most of the kids are white, but then, Jordan spies Maury, another kid who looks like him. 

And then Drew walks in, both of them standing out to each other due to their non-whiteness. 

Eventually, Liam, Drew, and Jordan become a squad. 

How everyone feels in a new cafeteria. Just as he is making friends through his art, the sophomores let them know they sat at the wrong table. 

I love this cafeteria hierarchy! 

The transformation from the school neighboorhood back to his own turf. 

Trying to maintain old friendships while going to different schools....

Going over to Liam's house (mansion) is an education in itself. 

Striking up a friendship with Alexandra, who wears a puppet on her hand all the time. 

Drew runs afoul of one of the teachers, who is always calling him the name of a different black kid. This teacher is calling him out for something everyone else does all the time. 

Jordan isn't too sure about this. He understands where Drew is coming from, but... to tell a teacher they were wrong!! 

Jordan's perception of books for African American kids. I honestly think this is slowly but surely changing for the better. 

Drew finally helps the teacher understand the difference between him and DeAndre. 

Mrs. R is just not a favorite. She reads Jordan's private journal and finds out some unpleasant things about herself. 

At the end of the year, things are pretty good. 

It wasn't an easy year, but Jordan found his people and made peace with this new school. 

Even his art gets accepted. As the cover of the year book. 

This is a great book discussing typical middle school things, race, and being true to yourself while letting yourself grasp a new opportunity. 

We Don't Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins

This is a favorite in our house! 

A story about learning self-control, trying new things, and about how difficult it is to make friends if you are always eating potential friends. 

Little Penelope Rex is nervous about her first day at school. 

What if her classmates had more teeth than she had?! 

Her father packed her a filling and nutritional meal of three hundred tuna sandwiches and one apple juice. 

To Penelope's great shock, her classmates were CHILDREN.

You might not be able to see, but there is the cutest little double decker reading area over there in the top right hand corner. I covet one of those for my library. 

Penelope did what T-Rexes do and ate those children up.

Mrs. Noodleman wasn't standing for that nonsense. 

Everyone is covered in dinosaur spit which is not a particularly auspicious beginning. 

I adore the skinny little girl at the front there shaking her fist at Penelope. She is who I want to be when I grow up.

Penelope tries to make friends, but somehow, her efforts don't seem to inspire friendship in her classmates. 

She shares her friend difficulties with her father

"Penelope Rex," her father asked, "did you eat your classmates?"

"Well...maybe sort of just a little bit."

Penelope's father shares wisdom with her--

"Children are just like us on the inside. Just tastier." 

The next day, Penelope tried. But William Omoto was irresistibly delicious looking.  

Giving up on human, Penelope tries to make friends with Walter the classroom pet.

Walter tries to eat Penelope, giving her a taste of her own treatment. 

Penelope learns compassion through her own brush with someone trying to eat her.

She stopped eating her classmates....

(Even when Cece Woodman spilled BBQ sauce all over herlself)

And if she is ever tempted to forget, she can just look at Walter licking his lips and remember.