Amanda’s Favorite Post-It Review Reads of 2023

I try to review almost everything I read that I like. A lot of those reviews come in the form of tiny post-it note reviews, because I may not have the time to give it a long review, but I do want to draw attention to the book. Here are a bunch of those post-it reviewed books that stood out as favorites for me in 2023.

Some of the reviews offer little about plot etc, so look for more info on each book in all the places you find info about books you want to buy!

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

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.

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

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!

Light Comes to Shadow Mountain by Toni Buzzeo (ISBN-13: 9780823453849 Publisher: Holiday House Publication date: 07/11/2023, Ages 8-12)

POST-IT SAYS: Not just about electricity coming but also about families, grief, hopes and dreams, ambition, and responsibilities. I love how spirited and thoughtful Cora is. Really eye-opening look at life in Appalachia during the Great Depression. An excellent middle grade debut.

Low Power by Michael Rex (ISBN-13: 9780593206355 Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group Publication date: 08/15/2023 Series: Your Pal Fred #2, Ages 7-10)

POST-IT SAYS: Oh how I love the guileless and unfailingly kind robot Fred. Gentle and friendly Fred urges compassion, peacemaking, and finding commonalities all while running low on power in a pollution-filled land. Fred’s the optimism the apocalypse needs. Great fun.

The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams by Daniel Nayeri, Daniel Miyares (Illustrator) (ISBN-13: 9781646143030 Publisher: Levine Querido Publication date: 03/07/2023, Ages 8-12)

(POST-IT SAYS: The very first sentence will hook readers and Monkey’s narration of this trek through the Silk Road, a journey full of subterfuge, death threats, and memorable characters, will keep them eagerly turning pages.)

The Girl I Am, Was, and Never Will Be: A Speculative Memoir of Transracial Adoption by Shannon Gibney (ISBN-13: 9780593111994 Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group Publication date: 01/10/2023, Ages 14-17)

POST-IT SAYS: Fantastic read. Memoirs meets speculative fiction in the most moving way imaginable. A wonderful and profound look at identity, family, race, connection, and healing. A completely unique concept executed beautifully. Don’t miss this.

Aniana del Mar Jumps In by Jasminne Mendez (ISBN-13: 9780593531815 Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group Publication date: 03/14/2023, Ages 8-12)

POST-IT SAYS: Verse, with its playful form showing so much motion, is the perfect vehicle for this achingly heartfelt story about joys, grief, trauma, disability, and chronic illness. A beautifully crafted book.

Invisible: A Graphic Novel by Christina Diaz Gonzalez, Gabriela Epstein (Illustrator) (ISBN-13: 9781338194555 Publisher: Scholastic, Inc. Publication date: 08/02/2022, Ages 8-12)

(POST-IT SAYS: Fantastic read! Loved watching this group of very different kids come together to help someone in need and, in true Breakfast Club style, learn a little something about themselves and each other along the way.)

Filed under: Best of