Ammi-Joan Paquette

Emilia's grandpa tells her the story of bringing a walnut with him when his family emigrated, and planting it where they live now. When Emilia's mom was younger, she planted a walnut from the same tree, and now it is Emilia's turn. When Grandpa dies, Emilia and her mother mourn, and take care of their trees the way he taught them.

A beautiful, gentle, intergenerational story about growth and grieving, with muted, sepia- and green-toned illustrations.

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“There’s a ghost in the house, in the creepy haunted house, on this dark, spooky, night, all alone.” So begins this charming cumulative counting book for your youngest trick-or-treaters. Originally published in 2013, the reissued book now includes lift-the-flap tabs on each page adding the the fun. The pages and tabs are made of thicker paper and are sturdy enough to withstand excited little hands. Each page adds another ghoulish creature creeping down the hall, in a double-page show more spread, until suddenly they hear a noise. Paquette’s energetic rhyme and rhythm effortlessly move the story along to a fun and surprising ending. Record’s illustrations, created digitally, are simple yet expressive, featuring non-threatening monsters. Each page complementing the text nicely.

A sweet addition to any Halloween collection, this adorable and simple ghost story is perfect for pre-K through 2nd grade. show less

This book is cute. I enjoyed the illustrations and the expressions the scary monsters had when they saw the little boy was hilarious! I liked how Paquette turned the tables and made it not like every other scary book; the monsters are afraid of the humans. They ran off, leaving the little boy in confusion as to why monsters were in his house and why were they afraid of him. I thought this was a fun twist and it's an interesting book to read to children. I also liked the "flip book" aspect to show more it; it left the readers trying to guess who or what was behind the flaps. show less

Leave it to A.J. Paquette to take the dystopian novel and turn it on its head. In PARADOX, Ana has recently woken on a strange, barren planet, with little other than her name (which she only remembers because of a tag pinned to her suit). Her mission? To survive.

Ana's memories are gone, and as she begins her trek toward she's not sure what, she's sure she's alone. But it's not long before she realizes she's, in fact, not the only living creature here. There's a giant, worm-like creature, show more seemingly in pursuit of her, and as her fear heightens, so does her determination to make it out alive. But the worm isn't the only other life here. There's a boy, dressed in the same suit as her, presumably from the same ship as her, who says he knows the way to the colony, where there are other people and supplies. Ana knows they should team up, but she has reservations. When there are no memories to guide you, who can you trust? And what is real?

PARADOX is a gripping novel of survival against the odds, and of the persistance of the human spirit. This is a book that will keep you reading until the middle of the night, straining to keep your eyes open, hoping you can get in just one more chapter. A new twist on dystopia? A.J. Paquette totally nailed it. show less