The Proposal

The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I bought and read this book months ago because I love Jasmine Guillory's books, but this one wasn't my favorite. It was mostly good, and there were parts I really liked, but what stands out most in my head is the scene where (slight spoiler ahead) Carlos tells Nik he loves her, she freaks out because she's in dire need of some therapy to work out her issues, and then--what drove me nuts--she uses the word "care" in the way that men use that word, and he responds to her use of the word in the way that women respond to it, which is to say, Not Well. I'm all in favor of gender-flipping things usually, but that part had me arguing with the book out loud, and months later that is what I remember most. I may need to re-read the book to remind myself of the rest of the story.

For readers' advisors: some steamy sex scenes and a fair amount of swearing.  One person (who deserves it!) gets punched.  Two secondary female characters meet & begin falling in love. Trigger warning: discussion of domestic abuse, specifically emotional abuse.

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The Snowy Day

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

How is it that I am today years old before I read this classic?? Or if I read it before, it was so many decades ago, I’ve entirely forgotten this sweet story of a little boy who goes out to play in the snow. Lovely! I’m so glad it was included in a pack of snow-themed books I bought for my kids through the Scholastic book program at school.

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Monsters and Mold

Monsters and Mold by Asia Citro
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Zoey and her pet cat Sassafras are back with their second magical creature to help. This time they meet Gorp, a monster who wants to attend the upcoming Monster Ball but cannot bear to go with his fur all moldy. Zoey and Sassafras have less than a week to figure out how to stop the mold from growing, and it's going to take some scientific experimentation to find a solution.

The second book in the series delighted my kids just as much as the first. I really appreciated how Zoey didn't give up when her first (and second) theories didn't solve the problem. She kept using the scientific method to figure out what went wrong and why, giving her a new direction to try the next time.

One thing that bugged me and kept this book from a 5-star rating was that Zoey focused on treating the effect (the mold) and not the cause. Figuring out why something is occurring in the first place and preventing *that* is so often a much more valuable use of time. I mean, she did think to have Gorp make sure he didn't go to bed with wet fur, so that was good, but when that didn't stop the mold growth, she didn't revisit to see what other factors might be in play. And yes, I realize this is a very adult, nitpicky thing to pay attention to in a book aimed at young elementary school children. But it's my review, and this is a science-based book!

I have no idea whether Gorp will make a return appearance in any future books in the series, but if he does, I hope we find out more about why Sassafras is so drawn to Gorp. I kept expecting it to somehow relate to the mold problem--like maybe because Gorp's fur was, I don't know, covered in catnip or something. But alas, no clue!

For readers' advisors: story doorway is primary. This is a great STEM title for kids ages 4 to 9 or so. Human characters are drawn as African American. Lots of illustrations to go with the story, and the main character is a strong female who loves science.

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Dragons and Marshmallows

Dragons and Marshmallows by Asia Citro
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Zoey's mom is packing for a work trip when Zoey stumbles across an old photograph of her mom as a child. But it's no ordinary photo--this one glows, and Zoey is the first person other than her mom to be able to see the glowing purple frog in the photo. Next thing she knows, Zoey is in charge of monitoring the secret doorbell on the barn, which magical creatures ring when they need help. At first nothing happens, but eventually the bell chimes. Zoey and her cat, Sassafras, must figure out how to nurse a tiny dragon back to health. Thinking Goggles and the scientific method to the rescue!

My kids LOVE this book and series. Every night they beg to read "just one more chapter, Mommy! No, TWO more chapters!" They love the magical creatures and the problem-solving skills Zoey uses. I love how the STEM concepts are woven into the story! For example, Zoey follows the rules of scientific experimentation to change Just One Thing At A Time, observes how that change affects the result and adjusts accordingly if it doesn't have the desired effect. Zoey makes science a delightful adventure.

For readers' advisors: story doorway is primary, character secondary. Zoey's skin color and hair indicate she is most likely African American, though it's not mentioned in the text of the book. In our household it's a read-aloud; the text itself is about a third-grade reading level.

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Bring on the Blessings

Bring on the Blessings by Beverly Jenkins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Bernadine Brown earned her $275 million the hard way: she divorced her cheating husband. After a year of traveling the world, she's feeling the need to find a purpose for her life, and when she hears of Henry Adams, an historically all-Black town in Kansas that is struggling financially and has put itself up for sale, Bernadine has her Aha! moment. In her younger years, Bernadine was a social worker, and those instincts never die. She buys the town with the goal of making it a haven for foster kids and their foster parents.

Trent July, mayor of Henry Adams, along with the other 51 voting residents of the town, assumes anyone rich enough to buy a whole town must be white, so the arrival of a well-dressed, middle-aged Black woman comes as a shock. They are stunned by her plan to rebuild the town and quickly find themselves caught up in a whirlwind of construction. Everyone except the former mayor is on board with the changes, and soon Bernadine and her new assistant, returned local Lily, are flying in her private jet to various cities around the country to pick up the five foster kids Bernie has chosen. The children range in age from six to fourteen and come with all kinds of emotional baggage but little in the way of material possessions. Bit by bit, day by day, the residents and the children bond and begin to heal.

This is a warm hug of a book, set in a Kansas summer. It's a story of second chances, starting over, and Found Family, of foster children and a community to raise them. I absolutely loved it. It's hopeful, it made me cry, and I adored the characters. I don't know why so many people have categorized it as either Christian or romance--it's only barely either one. Only the seven year old Devon Watkins is particularly religious, and although Trent and Lily work through their decades-old estrangement to rekindle their relationship, it's just a sub-plot, not at all the focus of the story. I think Riley and his enormous hog Cletus get nearly as much screen time.

What kept this book from getting a 5-star rating from me was the dire need for a copy editor. There were typos and missing or extra words, a wrong name in one spot, and they all jolted me momentarily out of the story until I could make the corrections in my head to determine what the sentences should have said.

For readers' advisors: character doorway is primary, setting & story secondary. A bit of swearing, a lot of flirting, some references to sex but nothing explicit. The only violence is perpetrated by the hog.

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Party of Two

Party of Two by Jasmine Guillory
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5 stars

A fun rom-com about an African American attorney moving to L.A. to start her own firm with her best friend who meets a charismatic, idealistic white senator in a hotel bar without recognizing who he is. When they meet again by chance, they decide to start dating discreetly, despite Olivia's misgivings relating to Max's high-profile job.

I enjoyed the book very much. It's the fifth in the series, but only the second one I've read so far. It probably helps to have read the others, but it isn't necessary, particularly for this installment. I personally would have liked a bit more time to develop the characters and the relationship, and a bit less angst from Olivia, but it was a fun read nonetheless.

For readers' advisors: story doorway was primary. Several steamy sex scenes, but not terribly graphic. No violence, but plenty of swearing.

I read an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in return for my honest option.

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Ways to Make Sunshine

Ways to Make Sunshine by Renée Watson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ryan Hart loves to cook and experiment with unusual flavor combinations. She has a real talent for the culinary arts (too bad that's hard to translate to a Talent Show stage). However, Ryan's love of ice cream takes a beating when her favorite treat is used to soften the blow that her family will be moving to a new (old) house. On the plus side, she'll be at the same school where she's in the 4th grade, it's closer to her friend KiKi's house, and she'll have her own room. On the minus side, the house is smaller and decidedly NOT the only home she's ever known, the center of her memories. But her father's new job pays less than his old one with the post office, so they can't stay where they are.

My daughter and I absolutely LOVED this book. My son got bored because there weren't enough illustrations (he's only 4), so my daughter (age 7 1/2) & I read it on the nights my son fell asleep early. Ryan is a delightful character, and we couldn't wait to find out how she navigated the ups and downs of moving house, a mysterious keepsake tin, Easter Sunday recitation disasters, the school talent show, friendships, and birthday parties with jealous girls. My daughter identified with so many universal aspects of the story, but the scenes related to Ryan's hair were a revelation to my blond, straight-haired daughter, and it was the perfect way to introduce the concept of different hair types and reactions to water. Most of the characters are African-American, and some secondary characters are bi-racial or white.

One thing we especially loved were all the local references. The book is firmly and accurately set in Portland, Oregon, with mentions of so many real places ("I've been there, Mommy!"), it really added to the story for us. Probably more so for me than for my daughter, who is young enough not to remember going to a few of the places, particularly since we haven't gone *anywhere* since the pandemic began. But I think the only place I haven't been from all those referenced in the story was the North Portland Library, although I've been to several other branches. I certainly understood the nuances of Amanda's family moving to Lake Oswego to a huge house with an indoor pool--my husband and I used to live near some of those, and more recently we used to drive past some of them on the way to LOHS for the kids' swimming lessons.

We are looking forward to reading book #2 in the series, Ways to Grow Love, which we immediately put on hold at the library as soon as we finished book #1 last night.

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