Megan Dowd Lambert

A Crow of his Own tells a story about Clyde being the new kid on the farm. He hears about the best rooster, Larry, and tries to be just like him, except he keeps failing, so he starts to act like himself. By finding out who he is and embracing his own character, Larry starts to make friends and had a much better time on the farm. This book could be really beneficial to middle schoolers, even though it is a children's book because it shares a theme of embracing who you are. Middle schoolers are changing every day, so I think this book would comfort them in standing out against the crowd. This could also specifically benefit ELLs and students of color because of bias already within schools.… (more)

The story presents ideas for how small people can help with the big problem of dogs and cats needing food and homes while also helping out at the local pet shelter. The girls in the story are good friends, one sells lemonade at a sidewalk stand to raise money for food while the other struggles to find the right words for a letter to the newspaper. The important thing is to be involved.
The illustrations by Briana Dengoue are fun, simple, and colorful.
Well suited for reading WITH someone of any age including ESL, and great for gifting to anyone, but especially to a school or your public library!
I requested and received a free temporary e-book on Adobe Digital Editions from Charlesbridge via NetGalley. Thank you!… (more)

April and Mae attend book club every Monday: they always read the book, and they always bring a cake. But this week, one of them hasn't finished the book, so the other decides to read aloud while she bakes. Distracted, they accidentally leave the flour out, and while the cake smells delicious, it's sunken in the middle. They cover it with whipped cream and berries, and all's well that ends well.

April presents Black, Mae presents Asian or biracial. Simple and sweet, this is a step up from most early readers, but not quite chapter book length. There is one book for each day of the week.… (more)