Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano

American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins

Betty says: If you want to feel the terror of having to flee your home in Acapulco with your eight-year-old son, if you want to understand the plight of migrants who sense danger all around them from the government, marauders, and opportunistic monsters, if you want to get inside the heads of these people like you and me, then American Dirt will take you there. Following Lydia and her son Luca through the labyrinth of escape, you come to feel their frightening reality. Through beautiful language and wonderfully drawn characters, this story is no longer a headline, it is real. I could not put this book down, and once I did, I felt bereft in the best "read a great book" way.

Sally says: After twelve of her family members are slaughtered by a drug cartel in Acapulco, Lydia and her eight-year-old son Luca desperately escape and make their way out of their country where they are still being hunted. The plight of the migrants who all share their suffering, and hope for a better life aboard freight trains to "el Norte" is heartbreaking and timely. Jeanine Cummins puts a face to those in the news we should not look away from. I felt as though I barely breathed as I read their stories. My pick for best of the new year!

Fred's Big Feelings by Laura Renauld and Brigette Barrager

This accessible picture book biography, written with a charming directness, explains how Fred Rogers revolutionized television by validating children's feelings. Fred was a sensitive child who understood what it was like to feel deeply and wanted other children to know that they weren't alone. The beautiful illustrations by Brigette Barrager are a bit 1950s-retro but depict a diverse group of children.