Post-It Reviews: Twelve Quick Reviews of Recent Releases

Post-It Note Reviews are a great way to allow students, staff, and librarians to show off their recommended reads!

All descriptions are from the publishers. My post-it review, typed, follows (telling you that so you don’t have to try to read my scrawl—-thanks, carpal tunnel!).

Last Exit to Feral by Mark Fearing (ISBN-13: 9780823448661 Publisher: Holiday House Publication date: 09/05/2023 Series: Frights from Feral, Ages 8-12)

Can two girls get to the bottom of their small town’s secrets, or will they become another ghost story? Find out in the second entry of this freakily fun graphic novel series!

Feral is littered with secrets, mysteries, and unexplained disappearances. The town has always been weird… and most residents just accept that.

But intrepid young investigators Freya and Monica are sure that Feral is getting weirder. Kids are disappearing more and more, signs of the supernatural are surfacing in new places, and the lights went on in the abandoned Messner Mansion. Even though they know they shouldn’t, the girls can’t resist the temptation to find out what’s inside.

The adventures from Welcome to Feral continue as they descend into the deep, dark passages hidden below the haunted town. If they aren’t careful, they might become the town’s next unsolved mystery!

With vibrant art, clever humor, and plenty of thrills, animator Mark Fearing conjures a fearsome saga out of small-town terrors.

(POST-IT SAYS: So many ghosts! Exploration, adventure, mysteries, and just enough creepy stuff to feel a little scared. Also, a haunted school?! That’s a good hook.)

Drag and Rex 1: Forever Friends by Susan Lubner, Blythe Russo (Illustrator) (ISBN-13: 9781645951155 Publisher: Holiday House Publication date: 11/07/2023, Ages 6-8)

Meet Drag and Rex, the sweet, silly best friends who find joy and adventure in the simplest places in this charming and cheery modern Frog and Toad.

Drag is a dreamy, literal, impulsive, (and sometimes a little bit scatter-brained) dragon. Rex is a dapper, practical, methodical (and sometimes a little bit stuffy) T.rex. The two may have their differences, but they are both gentle and caring, and the best friends. Forever friends.

Whether it’s deciding what to have for breakfast, working through those tricky zippers, buckles, and buttons to bundle up tight, how to make the best of a snowy day, or how to face down something scary, through patience, cooperation, and a good dose of silliness and humor, these buddies always figure out how to push through their challenges. Together.

Forever Friends features three stories told in short chapters, accompanied by bright, joy-filled full color illustrations, allowing developing readers to gain confidence and a sense of accomplishment as they follow the adventures of their new forever friends.

(POST-IT SAYS: A perfect book for emerging readers. Little episodic chapters, big and bright (and adorable) illustrations, and great friends who are kind and just a little silly. I can’t wait for more stories of Drag and Rex!)

Night and Dana by Anya Davidson (ISBN-13: 9781728430362 Publisher: Lerner Publishing Group Publication date: 09/12/2023, Ages 13+)

A creative coming-of-age story for the climate-change generation

Dana Drucker fights boredom in her Florida beach town by crafting special-effects makeup—the more gruesome, the better. But when a messy prank with Dana’s best friend Lily gets the wrong kind of attention, the girls have two choices: find a new creative outlet or leave high school without graduating.

To save their shot at diplomas, Dana and Lily join a community college film class. It gives Dana a chance to keep practicing her monster makeup, as she and Lily start work on a horror movie inspired by local ocean warming. And a search for filming locations puts Dana in the path of Daphne Ocean, an activist and self-proclaimed water witch—the perfect kind of inspiring outsider. But when filming starts, Dana finds herself growing apart from Lily, who doesn’t seem to need her closest friend much anymore.

Soon, tempers are flaring, and Dana’s pushing away old friends and her new mentor. But as everything starts going up in flames, Dana also begins to forge her voice. Night and Dana is a creative coming-of-age story for the climate-change era, a graphic novel about making art and growing up when it feels like the world is on fire.

(POST-IT SAYS: Pranks, climate change action, and friendship woes carry this story about finding your path and rolling with changes. A compelling look at all kinds of relationships and at activism and community.)

Huda F Cares by Huda Fahmy (ISBN-13: 9780593532799 Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group Publication date: 10/10/2023, Ages 12+)

In this laugh-out-loud funny sequel to the graphic novel Huda F Are You?, the Fahmys are off to Disney World, but self-conscious Huda worries her family will stand out too much.

Huda and her sisters can’t believe it when her parents announce that they’re actually taking a vacation this summer . . . to DISNEY WORLD! But it’s not quite as perfect as it seems. First Huda has to survive a 24-hour road trip from Michigan to Florida, with her sisters annoying her all the way. And then she can’t help but notice the people staring at her and her family when they pray in public. Back home in Dearborn she and her family blend right in because there are so many other Muslim families, but not so much in Florida and along the way.

It’s a vacation of forced (but unexpectly successful?) sisterly bonding, a complicated new friendship, a bit more independence, and some mixed feelings about her family’s public prayers. Huda is proud of her religion and who she is, but she still sure wishes she didn’t care so much what other people thought.

(POST-IT SAYS: I would read one million of these. Huda and her sisters are always bantering and bickering, but obviously love and support each other. A good reminder about the right to be your full and true self in all spaces.)

Enlightened by Sachi Ediriweera (ISBN-13: 9781665903103 Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers Publication date: 09/26/2023, Ages 12-18)

A spirited young prince longing to learn more about the world grows into a man on a quest to find the cause of human suffering in this first-of-its-kind graphic novel retelling of the life of Siddhartha, the founder of Buddhism.

Prince Siddhartha lives in a beautiful palace in the heart of Kapilavastu. His father, the king, ensures that he has the best of everything—he just can’t go outside. He is locked up away from the city, away from anything that might cause him pain. He knows nothing of illness, aging, sorrow, or death, yet Siddhartha feels the pain regardless, and it instills a burning curiosity to understand the world outside—and the nature of human suffering.

Based on the life of the real man who was known first as a prince, then as a monk, and now as the Gautama Buddha, Enlightened is about one boy’s quest to learn the truth that underpins our endless struggle against suffering—and in understanding, break the cyclic existence that perpetuates it.

(POST-IT SAYS: Full of really beautiful illustrations, this fictionalized biography of Buddhism’s founder is a great introduction to Buddhism presented in an engaging and accessible way.)

Totally Psychic by Brigid Martin (ISBN-13: 9781335453747 Publisher: Inkyard Press Publication date: 08/15/2023, Ages 8-12)

This debut middle grade series stars a Cuban-American tween medium navigating friends, family and ghosts!

Paloma Ferrer is psychic. In fact, everyone in her family line has “the gift.” Now that Paloma has come into her powers, she dreams of becoming a famous medium to celebrities, just like her beloved grandma.

When Paloma’s parents move them from Miami to Los Angeles, she hatches a plan to get her career as a medium up and running:

• Host seances at her new school and stream on social media
• Build her profile and make a name for herself
• Avoid detection from her tattletale of a little sister

But when a reading gone awry leaves Paloma in a sticky situation with a new friend, she’ll need more than a crystal ball to find her way out of this mess.

(POST-IT SAYS: Paloma gains a little too much attention in her new town when her plans to use her powers to connect with ghosts goes awry. Suddenly there are ghosts everywhere! I absolutely loved this. A funny, fast read about friendship, family, and psychic powers.)

The McNifficents by Amy Makechnie (ISBN-13: 9781665918985 Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers Publication date: 06/20/2023, Ages 8-12)

A senior Miniature Schnauzer employed as a very distinguished nanny has his paws full trying to prove he’s still the dog for the job in this sweet and rambunctious middle grade novel that’s The Secret Life of Pets meets The Vanderbeekers series.

Every day, Lord Tennyson the Miniature Schnauzer does his very best to care for the six McNiff children and keep them from destroying their pink New England farmhouse—and the rest of the town for that matter. But when summer vacation brings the kids home together all day, his chaos-containing skills are put to the ultimate test.

Baby Sweetums is still refusing to walk, nap, or listen to anyone; Ezra is trying to keep a snake as a secret pet; Annie and Mary’s fighting is worse than ever; and Pearl and Tate are scared of just about everything. And when a particularly tempting trio of baby chicks arrives at the house, even Lord Tennyson finds he can’t stay on his best behavior.

As the chaos begin to spiral out of hand, though, something truly awful happens: Mr. and Mrs. McNiff seem to be considering getting “a real nanny” to care for their big brood! Can Lord Tennyson get the McNiffs’ hijinks under control and teach them to behave before the summer’s out? Or will this most unusual nanny find himself out of a job and back in the doghouse?

(POST-IT SAYS: Complete chaos! Every second of this story is complete chaos! A poor nanny dog does his best to control 6 energetic kids with minimal success. A solid family story with wide and easy appeal. And don’t worry! The dog doesn’t die!)

Black Sand Beach 4: Where Do Monsters Come From? by Richard Fairgray (ISBN-13: 9781645950943 Publisher: Holiday House Publication date: 11/07/2023 Series: Black Sand Beach #4, Ages 8-12)

As the kids struggle to rescue Andy from the Darkness, more secrets from Black Sand Beach past—and present—are revealed in the fourth installment of the dark and creepy Black Sand Beach graphic novel series. Perfect for fans of Gravity Falls, Rickety Stitch, and Fake Blood.

Andy’s stuck in the Darkness, but he’s not alone. Harry, aka Dash from the previous summer, is there, too, showing Andy more terrors in the world without light.

Meanwhile, Dash, Lily, and Eleanor are desperately trying to figure out how to save Andy. They get help from an unexpected source—Eleanor and Andy’s odd and silent father. Frederick leads the kids into the horrific woods of Black Sand Beach, where they must battle the Not Cow monsters.

But Andy can only be saved by joining the two worlds of dark and light—and the horror that brings.

(POST-IT SAYS: Genuinely creepy and weird. Best to read the first 3 books in the series to understand what’s happening with the missing kids, the darkness, and the other dimension. Give this to readers who can handle strange and disturbing images.)

Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass: The Graphic Novel by Meg Medina, Mel Valentine Vargas (Illustrator) (ISBN-13: 9781536224771 Publisher: Candlewick Press Publication date: 09/05/2023, Ages 14-17)

Newbery Medalist Meg Medina returns to her powerful YA novel about school bullying with a dynamic graphic-novel edition adapted and illustrated by Mel Valentine Vargas.

It’s the beginning of sophomore year, and Piedad “Piddy” Sanchez is having a hard time adjusting to her new high school. Things don’t get any easier when Piddy learns that Yaqui Delgado hates her and wants to kick her ass. Piddy doesn’t even know who Yaqui is, never mind what she’s done to piss her off. Rumor has it that Yaqui thinks Piddy is stuck-up, shakes her stuff when she walks, and isn’t Latina enough with her white skin, good grades, and no accent. And Yaqui isn’t kidding around, so Piddy better watch her back. At first, Piddy is more concerned with learning about the father she’s never met, navigating her rocky relationship with her mom, and staying in touch with her best friend, Mitzi. But when the harassment escalates, avoiding Yaqui and her gang takes over Piddy’s life. Is there any way for Piddy to survive without closing herself off from those who care about her—or running away? More relevant than ever a decade after its initial publication, Mel Valentine Vargas’s graphic novel adaptation of Meg Medina’s ultimately empowering story is poised to be discovered by a new generation of readers.

(POST-IT SAYS: Excellent adaptation. Piddy’s feelings and experiences–not to mention the physical violence she comes up against–are so well captured in this graphic novel format. A powerful look at bullying and secrets.)

Ways to Build Dreams by Renée Watson, Nina Mata (Illustrator) (ISBN-13: 9781547610181 Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Publication date: 10/17/2023 Series: A Ryan Hart Story, Ages 7-10)

Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Award winner Renée Watson continues her bestselling young middle grade series starring Ryan Hart, a girl who is pure spirit and sunshine.

Middle school is just around the corner for Ryan Hart, which means it’s time to start thinking about the future—and not just how to prank her brother, Ray!

During Black History Month, Ryan learns more about her ancestors and local Black pioneers, and their hopes for the future, for her generation. She wonders who she wants to be and what kind of person her family hopes she becomes. Drawing on the ambitions of those who came before her and her own goals, Ryan is determined to turn her dreams into reality.

Grow and shine and share with Ryan Hart in this series that brings ever more humor, more love, and more fun.

(POST-IT SAYS: I just love this series! Ryan is so full of love and kindness (and a bit of mischief). These are great family stories that would make excellent read alouds.)

The Vanquishers: Secret of the Reaping by Kalynn Bayron (ISBN-13: 9781547611577 Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Publication date: 10/10/2023 Series: The Vanquishers, Ages 8-11)

The Vanquishers are back and ready to defend their town against the undead in this spooky middle grade from New York Times bestselling author Kalynn Bayron.

Boog and her best friends, Cedrick, Jules, and Aaron—aka the Squad—stick together, no matter what. Now that vampires are back, they’ll need to take their Vanquisher lessons more seriously than ever. But who is behind this return of the undead?

When strange disappearances keep happening across their community and the Department of Vampire Affairs not-so-subtly warns Boog’s mom to keep quiet about vampires returning, it looks like uncovering the truth won’t be so easy. The Squad is eager to kick some undead butt, but will they be able to convince their parents they are ready to fight alongside the Vanquishers?

(POST-IT SAYS: I was psyched to get book #2 in this fun series. Loved the friendship, the narrative tone, the secrets revealed, and their continued protection of their own vampire friend. Fast-paced and full of action!)

The Bravest Warrior in Nefaria by Adi Alsaid (ISBN-13: 9781665927758 Publisher: Aladdin Publication date: 09/05/2023, Ages 8-12)

Phineas and Ferb meets the Despicable Me series in this hilarious and heartwarming middle grade debut from acclaimed author Adi Alsaid about a wannabe hero who lives in a goofily evil kingdom where nefarious schemes abound.

Welcome to Nefaria, where nearly every day the kingdom faces another evil scheme.

Most are harmless, though, so the citizens of Nefaria simply learn to live with the latest hijinks and go on with their lives. This includes Bobert Bougainvillea, who is much more concerned with the fact that he seems to be invisible. From the teachers in his school to his classmates, almost no one notices Bobert, no matter how visible he tries to be. Then everything changes when Bobert follows his classmates to a cursed gumball machine.

Before he knows it, Bobert is sucked into one of Nefaria’s most villainous evil schemes, a plot that has been a long time in the making—too long, in the evil wizard Matt’s opinion. And retreating into invisibility this time won’t do, not when Bobert is the only one with the drive, knowledge, and—if his newfound courage doesn’t fail him—bravery to foil Matt’s plan.

(POST-IT SAYS: This is the silliest book I have read in a long time. It was great! Goofy names, weird schemes, strange curses, and so very much adventure. I loved watching Bobert and friends work against bumbling “evil” wizard Matt. Great fun.)

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