Wild Honey from the Moon
Written and illustrated by Kenneth Kraegel

I have a new favorite picture book! Often, my new favorite picture book is one geared towards the youngest of book lovers, but this one is more for the older picture book reader (about 8 years old.)

Wild Honey from the Moon is a story we know—a mother who loves her child SO MUCH that she’ll do ANYTHING for her child. So what’s different and special about this telling? Mother Shrew (yes, shrew, who would ever think such a creature could be loveable, but believe me, shrews are loveable in Kenneth Kraegel’s care) goes all the way to the moon to get wild honey for her sick son, Hugo. On her travels, Mother Shrew meets other animals, some helpful and some not (and it might surprise you which animals are helpful and which are not.) As you might expect in a book about a shrew traveling to the moon, there’s a bit of a magical quality about the story. The book is divided into seven chapters, which could be savored over seven readings, but really, who among us would deny the “one more chapter?” request until the whole book is read in one sitting. And this one definitely will leave its readers begging for one more chapter. The illustrations are cozy and bright and perfect. Don’t be fooled by the picture book format—this is not a book you should expect a preschooler to enjoy. I plan to share it with first and second graders.

Beverly, Right Here
Kate DiCamillo

Kate DiCamillo, a former National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature and a two-time Newbery Medalist, writes children’s books which touch the hearts of readers young and old. In Beverly, Right Here, she completes the story of the three friends from Raymie Nightingale, although the book stands nicely on its own. The story is both touching and funny.

At 14, Beverly left home one day, after burying her dog, Buddy, in the back yard. Although she’d often run away in the past, she feels it’s different this time—she’ not running away, she’s leaving. She got a ride from her cousin to the next town, where she quickly found a job and a place to life. Although she’d intended to make it on her own, Beverly quickly formed connections with people around her—the woman with whom she lived, a kid on the beach, a convenience story clerk, and her co-workers, and is soon part of a community which is offbeat but endearing—just like Beverly.

I listened to the audio book on libro.fm, and the reader was perfect for the book.