Mahnaz Dar

4 weeks ago | kirkusreviews.com | Mahnaz Dar

In Watercress, after a Chinese American family spot the titular greens growing by the side of the road, they pull their car over to pick some. The moment awakens feelings of joy in the parents—immigrants nursing fraught memories of their homeland—and resentment in their daughter, who wonders what passersby will think.

4 weeks ago | kirkusreviews.com | Mahnaz Dar

In the early 2000s, kid lit was awash with overachievers, from Harry Potter to Percy Jackson. And then there was Greg Heffley. The socially inept protagonist of Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid: A Novel in Cartoons torments a group of kindergarteners, lets hapless BFF Rowley take the fall for his own misdeeds, and endures a string of humiliations at the hands of bullies—all to the delight of young readers.

4 weeks ago | kirkusreviews.com | Mahnaz Dar

A box of rebellious crayons goes on strike. A robot raises a young goose. A little girl befriends a squash. A quick look at our Best Picture Books and Best Middle Grade of the 21st Century (So Far) proves that there’s no end to the creativity of children’s book authors. As I revisit these titles, I’m also struck by how much the publishing landscape has transformed over the last 25 years. Though there’s still work to be done, kid lit is far more inclusive than it once was.

4 weeks ago | kirkusreviews.com | Mahnaz Dar

Angie Thomas’ first novel, The Hate U Give, has left an indelible mark on both the literary world and the entire nation. Centering on Starr Carter, a Black 16-year-old whose friend is killed by a white police officer, the book debuted at No. 1 on the New York Times bestseller list, garnered numerous awards, and spawned a 2018 film starring Amandla Stenberg. The novel has another distinction—it frequently tops banned book lists.

4 weeks ago | kirkusreviews.com | Mahnaz Dar

Bossy and volatile but undeniably charismatic and side-splittingly funny, Mo Willems’ Pigeon was born to be a star. Since the publication of Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!, the irascible bird has appeared in numerous sequels, inspired a musical and an opera, and headlined a traveling art exhibit. Most importantly, he’s proven irresistible to the preschool set; youngsters clamor for rereads and flock to author signings with the ardor of rock ’n’ roll groupies.