Cocoa With Books

Book Review: What Are You? by Ilduce Brandão-DaSilva, illustrated By Sarah Jane Docker⁠ Buy on Bookshop This new children’s book first caught my attention because of its title. It’s a question that I have been repeatedly asked my entire life. All through my childhood and teenage years, other kids were always asking me, What are you? It was annoying and frustrating. Growing up in Michigan, I…

Book Review: When Chicken and Duck Talk: Learning to Swim by Joana Szeto, illustrated by RaeAnne Lee Learning to Swim Photo by R. Tooley Welcome to my stop on the Hear Our Voices book tour for When Chicken and Duck Talk: Learning to Swim by Joana Szeto and illustrated by RaeAnne Lee. ⁠ Embedded Audio for Multilingual Read Aloud Learning to Swim is a fun story about a little chick who wants to…

Buy on Bookshop Family changes that include loss of family members and/or placement with different family members can generate lots of anxiety and fear in children. In Stronger Together by Ginger Healy and illustrated by Maine Diaz, a young otter meets a sad young boy who is about to go through something similar to what he has gone through with his family. Dash, a sea otter, notices Sammy…

Buy on Bookshop The Summer I Ate the Rich by Maika and Maritza Moulite is not a zombie book in the sense that the plot explicitly aligns with the MC roaming around eating peoples’ brains, but main character girlie Brielle still ate!!! This young adult revenge fiction features Haitian American zombie, Brielle Petitfour. Now I love a good foodie-inspired, chef/baker MC book and if you are going…

🧁 Happy National Cupcake Day!!! 🧁 Review: Cupcake Class: 50 Fun Themes & Totally Amazing Designs for Kids to Make and Share by Joy Howard and Deanna F. Cook Buy on Bookshop Thank you Storey Publishing for the gifted copy! My daughter and I really enjoyed Tiana’s Cookbook by Joy Howard. So I was excited to check out her latest book on cupcakes. My daughter is in her baking era and I think she…

Being a pre-teen can be a stressful time for both the kid and the caretakers. If you know someone between the ages of 8-13 who is having a difficult time coping with stress, transitioning to middle school or just trying to ride the hormone roller coaster, check out this book stack. For each of these books, don’t skip the introductions. They give you vital information on how to approach the books.…

Are you ready for cozy season?! I know I am! Check out Gather Grateful by Megan Litwin new book that will help you kick off the season of gathering and coziness.  Buy on Bookshop Review: Gather Grateful by Megan Litwin, illustrated by Alexandra Finkeldey Reading this book was like a warm and cozy hug. The fall themed illustrations wrap around you as read about all of the animals gathering…

Buy on Bookshop Kids often get the wiggles. But some kids have a harder time than others with dealing with them. It’s Hard to Be a Verb! By Julia Cook, illustrated by Carrie Hartman is a very positive story about a child struggling  to manage everyday activities with his ADHD. I highlight the term positive because even the book’s title is supportive. Oftentimes having ADHD as a child can be…

Buy on Bookshop Do you know a child who is afraid of Halloween? Check out 364 Days Until Halloween by Allison Edwards, illustrated by Jennifer Zivom! 🎃⁠⁠Thanks @nationalcenterforyouthissues for the gifted copy!⁠ Anxiety About Scary Things Whether or not you celebrate Halloween, you may have a child who gets anxious about that day. It’s hard to avoid when Halloween decorations start popping up…

Buy on Bookshop Welcome to the first tour stop on the Blood Moon by Britney S. Lewis book tour hosted by @topplingstackstours  As soon as Britney S. Lewis pitched her book as justice for Bonnie Bennett, I was like say less, I’m in. I wasn’t super into Vampire Diaries, because it came out my freshman year of college when I didn’t have a lot of access to cable. But when I didn’t catch an episode…

Buy on Bookshop Fannie Lou Hamer is a historical figure that I wish would get more attention. She was a key figure in the Civil Rights Movement, fighting for voting rights. Hamer doesn’t get enough credit for the role she played in American politics. Her fight to have her voice be heard was legendary.  Full of Informative Imagery This biography, The Story of Fannie Lou Hamer by Margeaux Weston…

Buy on Bookshop When Devils Sing by Xan Kaur is a supernatural, Southern Gothic thriller with a diverse cast of characters. The audiobook features a multi-cast narration that supports the multi-POV the book is told in. It even pulls you into a podcast of one of the characters! It will give you the creeps as you try to figure out the mystery of the town which includes a brood of exceedingly loud…

If you know a kid who likes gross things and especially likes to gross people out, check out these books. They are definitely creative ways to approach science and nonfiction reading.   💩Scat: The Incredible Science of Wildlife Poop by Anita Sanchez Thank you @holidayhousebks for the #gifted copy! This book is great for younger readers looking to read longer books. There are lots of photographs…

Buy on Bookshop Will You Be the “I” in Kind? By Julia Cook, illustrated by Jomike Tejido If you are looking for a book to add to your social emotional learning library, check this out. This book is a great way to get kids to be mindful about their own behavior. Are you being kind or selfish? When you see something, are you being kind in your reaction? The book takes you on an adventure of…

Buy on Bookshop Worry Says What? By Allison Edward’s, illustrated by Ayesha Rubio, illustrates how loud the voice of worry can be in your head as you go about your day. It will help children who suffer from anxiety or have a case of the worries to put into words their feelings and frustrations. The books is a day in the life of the main character and shows different scenarios where worry…