What Ms. Moore Read in the Winter

Catching up ... these are my favorite books from the winter. Cover images and descriptions are from Goodreads. 

Picture Books

On the other side of a window, there is a neighbor.
On the other side of a sadness, there is a hug.
And on the other side of a storm, there is a rainbow.

Sometimes we are separated by distance, sometimes by the way we feel. Even though the world is full of barriers that can make us feel unconnected, we are all just on one end of a rainbow. Connected by all that color and light, there is always something, or someone, waiting for us on the other side.

Poetically told with an uplifting message for some of life's most difficult moments, this book encourages readers to look past their immediate surroundings and find comfort, community, and inner courage—all are closer than we might think.

Inspired by the multitude of rainbows found in the windows of homes around the world following the coronavirus lockdown, this uplifting picture book shares a message of hope and resilience that is truly timeless.

Jabari is making a flying machine in his backyard! “It’ll be easy. I don’t need any help,” he declares. But it doesn’t work! Jabari is frustrated. Good thing Dad is there for a pep talk and his little sister, Nika, is there to assist, fairy wings and all. 

With the endearing father-child dynamic of Jabari Jumps and engaging mixed-media illustrations, Gaia Cornwall’s tale shows that through perseverance and flexibility, an inventive thought can become a brilliant reality.

You poop here! In a potty, of course! Fun pictures of animals--an ant, an alligator, a bat, and more--make this a perfect potty training book--and more! It's especially appropriate for inquisitive, science-minded toddlers and preschoolers who are curious about how their bodies work.

Early Readers

Tiger is big. Tiger is tough. And Tiger has an important note for you.

Dear Reader,
WATCH OUT FOR WORMS! They are everywhere! They might even be in this book!
Your friend,
Tiger

P. S. Tiger is afraid of worms.

When Kami brings home a bag full of toys for Flubby, the uninterested cat isn't enthusiastic about the choices. A wind-up mouse? No thanks. A fish hanging from a stick? Yawn. But after Flubby rejects each offering, one unexpected option may be the best fit for Flubby after all.

Middle Grade Fiction

After their mama dies, Jack and Birdie find themselves without a place to call home. And when Mama's two brothers each try to provide one--first sweet Uncle Carl, then gruff Uncle Patrick--the results are funny, tender, and tragic.

They're also somehow . . . spectacular.

With voices and characters that soar off the page, J. M. M. Nuanez's debut novel depicts an unlikely family caught in a situation none of them would have chosen, and the beautiful ways in which they finally come to understand one another.

Twelve-year-old Kingston James is sure his brother Khalid has turned into a dragonfly. When Khalid unexpectedly passed away, he shed what was his first skin for another to live down by the bayou in their small Louisiana town. Khalid still visits in dreams, and King must keep these secrets to himself as he watches grief transform his family.

It would be easier if King could talk with his best friend, Sandy Sanders. But just days before he died, Khalid told King to end their friendship, after overhearing a secret about Sandy—that he thinks he might be gay. "You don't want anyone to think you're gay too, do you?"

But when Sandy goes missing, sparking a town-wide search, and King finds his former best friend hiding in a tent in his backyard, he agrees to help Sandy escape from his abusive father, and the two begin an adventure as they build their own private paradise down by the bayou and among the dragonflies. As King's friendship with Sandy is reignited, he's forced to confront questions about himself and the reality of his brother's death.

Young Adult-ish

Molly Frost is FED UP...

Because Olivia was yelled at for wearing a tank top when she had to keep her sweatshirt wrapped around her waist.

Because Liza got dress coded and Molly didn't, even though they were wearing the exact same outfit.

Because when Jessica was pulled over by the principal and missed a math quiz, her teacher gave her an F.

Because it's impossible to find shorts that are longer than her fingertips.

Because girls' bodies are not a distraction.

Because middle school is hard enough.

And so Molly starts a podcast where girls can tell their stories, and soon her small rebellion swells into a revolution. Because now the girls are standing up for what's right, and they're not backing down.