Incredible Rescue Mission: Book 3 by Zanib Mian
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Omar lives in London, where he goes to school with his friends Charles and Daniel. One day they arrive to find that their favorite teacher Mrs. Hutchinson has been replaced by mean old Ms. Crankshaw, who is so grumpy she outlaws smiling. No one tells the class what happened to Mrs. H, so Omar and his friends set out to solve the mystery themselves. According to Omar, all clues lead to alien abduction.

Meanwhile, Omar and his family take a trip to Pakistan for a family wedding. While there, Omar learns a lot about his family's culture, and he gets some unexpected information about his teacher as well.

I like the story about a close family and students who like their teacher. Even at over 250 pages, the illustrated chapter book format makes it quick and easy to read. I think middle-grade readers who try this series will really enjoy it.

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Dinosaurs Before Dark by Jenny Laird
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thank you for the review copy from NetGalley and Random House Books for Young Readers.

What? Magic Tree House as a graphic novel? Yes, please! This is a really quick read as a graphic novel adaptation for the 7- to 9-year-old crowd. The illustrations are bright, the text is sparse, and they kept my favorite line, “Then everything was still. Absolutely still.” The Magic Tree House books in my library don’t circulate as much as they used to, despite new copies. I hope that this graphic version, and any that follow, will serve as a “gateway book” to the Jack and Annie books.

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Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy by Emmanuel Acho
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Uncomfortable Conversations should be subtitled Important Conversations. Acho takes time to explain with great poise and patience why various actions and beliefs are racist, even when white people maintain that they aren’t. His examples are concrete and timely, and his explanations are clear and direct. This book is perfect for parents and other caregivers to read together with kids to discuss in small bites.

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