(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Michelle Mee Nutter. Being a big sister can be frustrating, and this middle-grade graphic novel comically encapsulates the joy and angst of life in a family of seven children. All budding artist Avery Lee, eleven, wants is her own space and privacy. Instead, as the oldest sister, she's constantly surrounded by her very attached younger siblings, while firstborn Theo rarely babysits and gets his own room. Over the summer, Avery fundraises for a basement bedroom while dealing with friendship struggles. She is also upset that the Lees might relocate from Maryland to Oregon if her mother gets a new job. Lloyd and Nutter (Allergic) realistically portray Avery's complex emotions in many colorful scenes in which she is visually upstaged by her younger siblings (at school and at home, at the skate park, in the minivan), followed by tender moments of the kids and parents bonding over family meals, conversations, games, and milestones (e.g., when the baby begins to crawl). A warm, heartfelt, relatable comic that shines a light on a "squished" sibling as Avery tries to become more independent and weather life's changes while still finding her own place at home.

Reviewer: Michelle Lee | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2023

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Brianne Farley. Siblings Katie and Owen have different opinions as to the best way to spend free time. Is building better than reading, or vice versa? Their school librarian encourages them to try each other's passions, and it's no surprise when they learn to appreciate them. The simply cartooned ink and gouache illustrations are appealing, especially in depicting the body language of the (brown-skinned) children and the teetering edifices made of books.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(3) PS Illustrated by Abigail Halpin. Each season brings wonderful activities, including "snowball-throwing" in winter, "daffodil-hunting" in spring, "sandcastle-shaping" in summer, and "leaf-chasing" in fall. And throughout the year, it's always "fort-building time." Lush, detailed watercolor and colored-pencil illustrations finished digitally capture the allure of building forts outside in nature.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Abigail Halpin. "What is wild?" In this sensory exploration, two kids enter a city park where they see, smell, hear, and feel nature while forging their way through different habitats. The poetic text makes it clear that wild, while sometimes elusive, is just waiting to be found, even in an urban environment. Greens and blues dominate the mixed-media illustrations, capturing the wild wonderfully.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute