August Bookshelf – Still Summer Reading

If you’re in NYC there is still time left to head to the New York Public Library and get a free book. This summer they are giving away 500,000 books. We have added some really good titles to our home library thanks to them. We also have gotten so many great titles from our publishing friends. Here are a few of our top reads this month.

Your Mama – I cried reading this book. It is simply beautiful. The words inspire me. They make me want to be the mama that they describe. This book is a love letter to all moms doing their best. I also love how culturally packed they are. The wepa, the slay, the everythang. They speak the language of my home. The images are gorgeous. The love jumps off the pages through the colors and strokes. Let’s raise the roof and start giving this book as a baby shower gift because it truly is a gift for the mama and the baby.

How To Eat More Plants – HOPS is being raised with a primarily vegan diet. She is currently eating seafood, but her mom wants to wean her off it as she ages. I’ve wanted to implement more plant-based meals into our home so that we don’t have to tell HOPS no when she asks for something that we are eating. Dr. Rossi’s book is a great guide to help me find easy ways to adapt our at-home menu. I always love a good challenge so the fact that the book gives us a 28-Day Plant Points Challenge to help start us off is a plus for me. The desserts and beverages are easy to introduce. They all sound so amazing. Getting my family to go along with more veggies has been a challenge.

Haven Jacobs Saves The Planet – Twelve-year-old Haven is concerned about the climate crisis. It is causing her to have anxiety and interferes with her schoolwork. This read will be completely relatable to many of our littles. Climate change is a huge issue and like Haven, I’m sure that many of our littles are wondering why the adults aren’t doing more. The story has a lot of layers and is a great middle-grade read.

The College Bucket List – My niece just moved into her first dorm room. Watching her get ready to head to college I wanted to fill her with all kinds of inspiration, preparation, love, and advice. This book is one fun way that I am able to remind her that while we expect her to study and do well in school we also want her to build memories and learn about herself along the way.

The Self-Love Workbook – A lot of us walk through life without taking the time to get to know ourselves. We don’t take a lot of time to really identify our needs, and our wants. This workbook helps us take a journey to reflect through activities about who we really are. I really enjoyed that it begins by giving us a definition of self-love and shares some common roadblocks. The book is broken down into chapters so it feels manageable. I am enjoying the journey.

Evangeline’s Heaven – Family can be hard. When you’re Lucifer’s daughter there are definitely struggles to be expected. When the Heavens are at war Evangeline has to decide where she stands and figure out who she is. The characters are real (even if they’re mythical). They’re very well developed and will pull you in. Jen Braaksma does a fantastic job of creating the world in a way that feels tangible.

Jada Jones Sky Watcher – We weren’t familiar with the Jada Jones series before this book but now we think that she is really cool. I love how the book shares real facts about Dr. Mae Jemison, Jada’s hero. It is a fantastic way to get littles to learn about real-life people while enjoying a great story.

Stella Diaz Has Something To Say – This is what we mean when we say #RepresentationMatters. This book is universal. Stella is a third grader that is dealing with third-grade issues, her bestie is no longer in her class, her mom is her class mom and that makes her happy, she has to speak in front of the class and that makes her nervous. The bonus in the book is that Stella is bilingual and we get to see Spanish featured in the book. It is done in a way that even non-Spanish speakers can understand.

A Costume for Charly – Charly knows who Charly is. Charly needs to find a costume to reflect both of Charly’s sides. The story is a fun way to remind littles that they can be comfortable being themselves and can create their own space when one doesn’t exist.