"Babbit and Joan, a Rabbit and a Phone" tells a fun story of an adventure Babbit goes on without the company of his phone. The illustrations are colorful and engaging for children while the message about not being dependent on a phone will likely hit home with parents.

"Put Your Feelings Here" is an interactive journal designed to help teenagers work through their emotions, but at this moment in time, the prompts and activities in the book can be a help to anyone. The prompts are presented in different creative ways that make you want to engage with it. The book is well-designed and will hold up even after much use. I appreciated the variety of techniques incorporated into the prompts.

This cute book is perfect for a fun bedtime read. The watercolor illustrations are beautiful and highly engaging, and the rhyming text invites children to calm down and explore their imagination as they drift off to sleep.

"The Worst Christmas Ever" tells the story of a young boy named Matthew having to adjust after his family makes a big move. All of the changes are are hard to take, and to make matters worse, his dog runs away. The illustrations are engaging and will draw children into the story. The storyline and its miraculous resolution could be helpful for children facing new changes themselves.

This children's book is a retelling of the tower of Babel from Genesis 11, which emphasizes that God created cultural diversity. The painterly illustrations add to the story, and I appreciated the diversity depicted in the section on the modern-day effects of the actions God took so long ago.

"Anne's Kindred Spirits" is a wonderful introduction to Anne Shirley for early readers. Even with the simplified plot and sentences, Anne's personality shines through, and longtime Anne fans will appreciate the fidelity to the original book. The sweet illustrations add to the story and help bring Anne's world at Green Gables to life.

"Rocket Out of the Park" is an engaging story for developing readers about a group of friends making rockets at a creative fair. It was fun to see the kids' personalities come through in the different ways they approached the task. The experiment central to the story is easy enough that inspired readers can make a rocket for themselves at home.

"10 Performance-Based STEM Projects" provides more than just great project ideas. It also includes detailed timelines, lessons, and handouts to support each one. I liked how the five-step engineering design process was incorporated into each project. It was also refreshing to see that projects allowed room for students to learn from "failures" and use the experience to improve their final deliverable.

"There's a Dinosaur on the 13th Floor" is a fun picture book that will delight young children at bedtime. The entertaining illustrations perfectly capture the increasingly silly situations Mr. Snore encounters as he ascends to each floor of the Sharemore Hotel, looking for a quiet, uninhabited room. Children with an interest in animals will enjoy the variety of creatures depicted in the book.

Bah! Humbug! uses a school production of A Christmas Carol as a device to examine themes from the classic story as applied to a modern family. Through the lines of the play, readers still get the pleasure of revisiting the original story or hearing it for the first time. The new story about the Gruber family can help young readers to engage more thoughtfully with Charles Dickens's work and see how the lessons Scrooge learns are still relevant today.

"What Is Poetry?" is an engaging book that guides children through various ways of reading and thinking about poetry. It also encourages and inspires readers to write their own poems. The author's causal style makes the topic more approachable and fun to read about.

As a female chemical engineer, I found "Venture Girls" to be an interesting and thought-provoking book about developing entrepreneurial and leadership skills in girls from a young age with the goal of decreasing the gender gap in STEM fields. The author shares her expertise in an engaging way, providing both research and anecdotes to support of her vision of using entrepreneurship to empower girls and young women. I appreciated the practical advice and activities provided to help adults foster these qualities in children, and I am looking forward to putting them into practice.

"What in the World is Wrong with Gisbert?" is the story of a young giraffe who feels himself shrinking with each thoughtless comment made by his friends. This book will help children to recognize the effects their words can have on others, learn to examine their own feelings, and share their experiences with their parents. The whimsical illustrations add some levity to the serious subject matter.

"New Friends" is the story of a rescued dog, Ms. Addie Pants, adjusting to the varied social situations she finds herself in at her new home. Addie learns that her new friends will still like and accept her despite a few mistakes. The text and illustrations wonderfully convey Addie's energy and enthusiasm for her new life. Kids will easily relate to the familiarity of scenarios Ms. Addie Pants encounters as a new pet in the household. Hopefully, they will also take to heart the book's lessons on trust and forgiveness.

"Scout's Heaven" addresses the difficult topic of a beloved pet's death with sensitivity and simplicity appropriate for children. The text takes the reader through the first 24 hours after the death of Scout, the family's beloved pet dog. The story addresses both practicalities about death, like the burial, as well as a child's attempt to understand the afterlife. The illustrations perfectly complement the subject matter, moving from an all-encompassing black background to gradually incorporating more color and detail as the tale progresses. This book could serve as a good jumping off point to discuss death with children.

"Bathroom Boogie" is a high energy peek into the secret bathroom dance party that takes place whenever the house is empty. The vibrant illustrations will keep children engaged, and the rhythmic text makes this book fun to read aloud.

"Room for Rent" tells the story of a group of neighbors' interactions with prospective tenants through rhyme and timeless illustrations. Despite a limited color palette, the characterizations of each of the animals convey their unique personalities. This book teaches children to look for the good in everyone rather than judge others based on superficial differences.

Hack and Whack is an adorable children's book about two Viking children wreaking havoc throughout their village while avoiding bedtime. The illustrations are fun and energetic--there is something happening on every corner of the page! The Viking village setting provided an interesting and entertaining take on a child's bedtime story.

The ABCs of Parenthood is a lighthearted book with short meditations on parenthood accompanying pictures of letters found in everyday objects. The brevity of the parenting advice is the perfect length for new parents to digest when they have a moment to themselves. The pictures are colorful and interesting, but some pictures are more clearly linked to the subject matter than others. Overall, this book is a quick, enjoyable read for parents looking for inspiration.

The Life and Time of Martin Luther is an entertaining way to introduce children to Martin Luther during the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. The wonderfully detailed illustrations are captivating for young and experienced readers alike. In addition to providing an overview of the major events in Luther's life, I appreciated that several pages are devoted to explaining the content of some of the 95 Theses. I would recommend this book to families interested in teaching their children about this time period in church history.