In a cold, snow-covered forest a big, black dog comes to visit the Hope family’s house.  As each family member notices the dog outside, it grows bigger and bigger, until the beast envelops the house and frightens the people inside. Only Small, the youngest child, is brave enough to confront the creature, and it goes back to being a regular dog after all. This eerie story crescendos with large, dramatic scenes, but always feels more playful and magical than terrifying. The lavish, Victorian illustrations and sepia vignettes add visual interest to the narrative arc and family’s personality. A quirky, elegant new classic.

In a cold, snow-covered forest a big, black dog comes to visit the Hope family’s house.  As each family member notices the dog outside, it grows bigger and bigger, until the beast envelops the house and frightens the people inside. Only Small, the youngest child, is brave enough to confront the creature, and it goes back to being a regular dog after all. This eerie story crescendos with large, dramatic scenes, but always feels more playful and magical than terrifying. The lavish, Victorian illustrations and sepia vignettes add visual interest to the narrative arc and family’s personality. A quirky, elegant new classic.

Leigh Bardugo transports her readers into the world of Ravka and the hard life of Alina Stakov in her the first book in the Grisha Series, Shadow and Bone. Alina and her best friend Mal Oretsev are orphans in the home of a Duke. They have been together for most of their lives, and in a land that is ravaged by flesh eating creatures, that counts for a lot. They are enlisted in the First Army of Ravka, Alina as a mapmaker and Mal as a tracker, and Alina lives in constant fear of what may happen next.

Alina has always been the skinny and weak girl that never belonged anywhere, until the day that her regiment is attacked. Mal is brutally injured while coming to her rescue, and out of fear Alina reveals a power, dormant in her, that protects them both. Once word spreads of her powers, Alina is separated from Mal and taken to the Royal Court to train with the Grisha, under the control of the Darkling. Upon entering the Court, Alina soon finds it is a place of many secrets. As the darkness and danger rises, Alina begins to think her new power may just be the answer to saving Ravka.

Alina proves to be a strong protagonist, with strengths that even she is unaware of, and has the brains and determination to uncover the secrets within Grisha. Bardugo has created an extremely visual world that is rich with Russian culture, and the quality of the story allows for the readers to immerse themselves in this world as Alina struggles to uncover the truth.

Leigh Bardugo transports her readers into the world of Ravka and the hard life of Alina Stakov in her the first book in the Grisha Series, Shadow and Bone. Alina and her best friend Mal Oretsev are orphans in the home of a Duke. They have been together for most of their lives, and in a land that is ravaged by flesh eating creatures, that counts for a lot. They are enlisted in the First Army of Ravka, Alina as a mapmaker and Mal as a tracker, and Alina lives in constant fear of what may happen next.

Alina has always been the skinny and weak girl that never belonged anywhere, until the day that her regiment is attacked. Mal is brutally injured while coming to her rescue, and out of fear Alina reveals a power, dormant in her, that protects them both. Once word spreads of her powers, Alina is separated from Mal and taken to the Royal Court to train with the Grisha, under the control of the Darkling. Upon entering the Court, Alina soon finds it is a place of many secrets. As the darkness and danger rises, Alina begins to think her new power may just be the answer to saving Ravka.

Alina proves to be a strong protagonist, with strengths that even she is unaware of, and has the brains and determination to uncover the secrets within Grisha. Bardugo has created an extremely visual world that is rich with Russian culture, and the quality of the story allows for the readers to immerse themselves in this world as Alina struggles to uncover the truth.

Do you need to read a review of a Lane Smith book to know it’s going to be good? Probably not, but Smith’s latest,  Abe Lincoln’s Dream, is the kind of book that demands to be talked about, even if its quality is already a foregone conclusion. At its heart, Lincoln’s Dream is a simple story. Young Quincy wanders away from her tour group while visiting the White House and stumbles upon Abe Lincoln’s melancholy ghost. Quincy manages to cheer Lincoln up by taking him on a trip around (and out of) the world, showing the presidential poltergeist just how far America has come.

The art is beautiful yet similarly restrained. Heavy textured line work evokes a classic feel and the palette is—save for select moments—fairly muted. The text , on the other hand, is wild; blatantly refusing to conform to any single style, size, or color. And this, perhaps, is something of the point; that a book about Lincoln should be marked by powerful words.

In the end, young readers might not necessarily learn a lot about Lincoln’s life, but then, this is not a book about his life but rather his legacy. Even if you find yourself experiencing Lincoln fatigue this year, be sure to take a look at this one.

Do you need to read a review of a Lane Smith book to know it’s going to be good? Probably not, but Smith’s latest,  Abe Lincoln’s Dream, is the kind of book that demands to be talked about, even if its quality is already a foregone conclusion. At its heart, Lincoln’s Dream is a simple story. Young Quincy wanders away from her tour group while visiting the White House and stumbles upon Abe Lincoln’s melancholy ghost. Quincy manages to cheer Lincoln up by taking him on a trip around (and out of) the world, showing the presidential poltergeist just how far America has come.

The art is beautiful yet similarly restrained. Heavy textured line work evokes a classic feel and the palette is—save for select moments—fairly muted. The text , on the other hand, is wild; blatantly refusing to conform to any single style, size, or color. And this, perhaps, is something of the point; that a book about Lincoln should be marked by powerful words.

In the end, young readers might not necessarily learn a lot about Lincoln’s life, but then, this is not a book about his life but rather his legacy. Even if you find yourself experiencing Lincoln fatigue this year, be sure to take a look at this one.