Aggie and the Ghost

I love it when authors step outside their usual style to try something completely different. Matthew Forsythe - of 𝘗𝘰𝘬𝘬𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘥...

Mitra

6 days ago

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Aggie and the Ghost

I love it when authors step outside their usual style to try something completely different. Matthew Forsythe - of 𝘗𝘰𝘬𝘬𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘥...

Mitra

6 days ago

If This Were the World

A pinch of boredom and a spoonful of the right provocation has always proven to be the perfect catalyst for ripe imagination. Stephen...

Mitra

Sep 14

We Go Slow

The school year is in full swing and the next school holiday seems oh-so-far-away! In the midst of this whirlwind, Mariahadessa’s “𝙒𝙚...

Mitra

Sep 13

New

We had a pocket of time in the Grade 1 classroom and I picked up Niña Mata’s “𝙉𝙚𝙬” to read to the little ones under my care for the...

Mitra

Sep 7

Where I Grew

A young girl walks through the forest with her grandfather, noticing animals, plants, and the turning of the seasons. Their walk reflects...

Mitra

Aug 26

Forts

There’s something magical about having a place that’s just yours - a secret corner, a hidden hideout, a cozy little nest. This book...

Mitra

Aug 26

The Wombats go Wild for Words

Ready to boost your child’s vocabulary while having fun? Meet the word-loving wombats. Evergreen Forest is a quiet, ordinary place -...

Mitra

Aug 25

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ABOUT MITRA OF STORIES

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Welcome to "Mitra of Stories" (an "ally" of stories), your go-to place for insightful book reviews. Join me in exploring the children's literary world, one page at a time. Let's embark on this reading adventure together!

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At first, the story seems simple enough - a boy spends a regular school day, meets his mother afterward, and together they share lunch before heading to the library. He works through his assignments while she quietly reads beside him. But when closing time comes, the truth emerges: this pair has no house waiting for them, only the uncertainty of where they’ll sleep that night.

This is a wordless book by none other than the famous illustrator James Ransome is a treasure to behold (remember Jacqueline Woodson’s “𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘰𝘱𝘦” and Lesa Cline-Ransome’s “𝘉𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘢𝘴 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘵”?)

Great conversation starter from K to Grade 5.

@jransomillustr #wordless #picturebook #homelessness #kidlit #readlikeawolfeats #mitrasuggests

I love it when authors step outside their usual style to try something completely different. Matthew Forsythe - of 𝘗𝘰𝘬𝘬𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘳𝘶𝘮 fame - does exactly that here, and I have to admit, this story took me by surprise!

Aggie’s house has a ghost - and not the rule-following kind. This one delights in breaking every rule it can. It even trails Aggie when she steps outside. Their strange companionship comes to a head in a game of tic-tac-toe, with the entire house at stake. But even if Aggie wins, she has to wonder: will living on her own be everything she imagined?

Perfect for a Halloween read-aloud, this mischievous tale will be especially loved by Jon Klassen fans. Don’t miss it!

@mattforsythe #picturebook #aggie #ghost #halloween #kidlit #readlikeawolfeats #mitrasuggests

A pinch of boredom and a spoonful of the right provocation has always proven to be the perfect catalyst for ripe imagination. Stephen Barr cleverly uses this recipe for his upcoming book “𝙄𝙛 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙒𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙒𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙” releasing in February 2026.

When the recess bell goes off yet again, well into the school year, the children have completely run out of play-ideas. That is until a kid holds an orange up in the air and asks, “𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙?” One idea sparks another and imagination takes flight! An orange is tasty but too small to share. A dodgeball is bigger but a mean older kid kicks it away… and the chain of ideas continues!

I loved the creativity, the fast pace and the illustrations which are sure to make it popular among readers.

I also asked Stephen about the inspiration for this book. He says, “…𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙡 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙘𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣… 𝙄 𝙨𝙖𝙬 𝙖 𝙠𝙞𝙙 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙖𝙬𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙚, 𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣 𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙪𝙥 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙞𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙆𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝘼𝙧𝙩𝙝𝙪𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙚’𝙙 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙥𝙪𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙙 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙣𝙚…” He adds, “𝙄 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙡, 𝙖𝙗𝙨𝙤𝙧𝙗𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙛𝙪𝙣 (𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙗𝙫𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙡𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨!) 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙠𝙞𝙙𝙨 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙞𝙣𝙝𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙩…”

Thank you, Neal Porter Books, for the DRC. Opinion expressed is 100% mine and unbiased!
@stephencbarr @agfordart @nealporterbooks #picturebook #imagination #play #IfThisWereTheWorld #kidlit #readlikeawolfeats #mitrasuggests

The school year is in full swing and the next school holiday seems oh-so-far-away! In the midst of this whirlwind, Mariahadessa’s “𝙒𝙚 𝙂𝙤 𝙎𝙡𝙤𝙬” offers a gentle invitation to slow down, look closely, and savour the small moments of life.

The story follows a child and her grandfather taking a walk in the city, as they pause and notice the quiet magic of everyday life. Mariahdessa’s magical words spring to life with the mystical illustrations of Aaron Becker, creating a reading experience that feels both grounding and luminous.

Fans of “𝙇𝙖𝙮𝙡𝙖’𝙨 𝙃𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨” and the “𝙅𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙮” trilogy, this is a book you don’t want to miss!

Perfect for grades 1 and above.

#picturebook #goslow #slowdown #wegoslow #kidlit #readlikeawolfeats #mitrasuggests

If you are a kindergarten teacher, you cannot miss Lane Smith’s latest book “𝙍𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨”. Colourfully illustrated, this book is written in a call-and-answer format and will be a hilarious read in your class (more so on a rainy day when kids can’t go outdoors during recess)!

School is jampacked with activities - “But sometimes we need a break from all that fun, right? That’s why there’s recess.” The narrator then takes us through the different learning activities such as math, spelling, gym and then blurts out “𝙍𝙀𝘾𝙀𝙎𝙎!” and gets students to do something silly and fun within the context. Just when things are getting out of hand, the narrator yells “𝙀𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙍𝙀𝘾𝙀𝙎𝙎!!!”

#picturebook #kindergarten #recess #kidlit #readlikeawolfeats #mitrasuggests

We had a pocket of time in the Grade 1 classroom and I picked up Niña Mata’s “𝙉𝙚𝙬” to read to the little ones under my care for the day.

This lovely picture book is an ode to all the new students in your class and a reminder for returning students to be welcoming of the “new”. An apt beginning-of-year read-aloud, I love how Niña does not only highlight “fun” experiences of being a new kid in class nor does she focus only on the “not-so-fun” experiences. Being new is indeed a mixed bag! The illustrations – a mix of colourful and faded-colours remind me of Trudy Ludwig’s “The Invisible Boy.”

Which book would you pick up if you had ten minutes just before recess?

@ninamataart #picturebook #New #kidlit #beginningofschool #mitrasuggests #readlikeawolfeats

Discovered Trevor Noah’s “𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙐𝙣𝙘𝙪𝙩 𝙂𝙧𝙖𝙨𝙨” at the library today! It is a chapter book, with beautiful illustrations and a fable-style narrative that makes it an easy read. It has words of wisdom, that reminds you of books like ‘The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse.’

Some of my favourite quotes from the book:

“𝘐𝘧 𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘵, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘵 𝘧𝘶𝘦𝘭.”

“𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘪𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘥 𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘦𝘴 – 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘦𝘴.”

“𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘣𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘭𝘦, 𝘶𝘯𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮. 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳!”

“𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 – 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺’𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨.”

@meanwhileplaces #chapterbook #readlikeawolfeats #mitrasuggests

A young girl walks through the forest with her grandfather, noticing animals, plants, and the turning of the seasons. Their walk reflects her family’s journey of putting down roots, shaping her own life. Jashar’s words will strike a chord with any immigrant family who has called a new place their home. Rahele’s bright and beautiful illustrations draw parallels between the girl’s journey and a seed that travels to a new land and flourishes there.

When I asked Jashar about the book’s inspiration, he pointed to the struggles of undocumented child immigrants, shaped in part by his grandfather’s journey to the US and his family’s moves within the country. He added, “𝙄 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙚 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙬 𝙪𝙥 𝙞𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙞𝙘𝙚, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙝𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮.” How true!

Verdict: Highly recommended for Grades 1 and above.

Book releases in March 2026. Thank you, Norton Young Readers for the ARC. Views expressed are 100% my own and unbiased.

@jasharawan @rahele_studio @nortonyoungreaders #kidlit #migrants #dreamers #picturebook #readlikeawolfeats #mitrasuggests

There’s something magical about having a place that’s just yours - a secret corner, a hidden hideout, a cozy little nest. This book captures that magic, inviting readers into a playful journey through spaces of comfort and imagination. By the last page, you’ll be itching to create your own special nook, where stories feel even sweeter and adventures never end.

@katievenit @kenardpak #kidlit #forts #picturebook #readlikeawolfeats #mitrasuggests

Ready to boost your child’s vocabulary while having fun? Meet the word-loving wombats.

Evergreen Forest is a quiet, ordinary place - until the wombats arrive. Full of cheer, warmth, and an endless love for language, these playful creatures are eager to share their favourite words with everyone they meet.

Ideal for teachers across all age groups, this book is perfect for inspiring students to experiment with rich and vibrant vocabulary!

@bethferry1 @lorinicholsbook @randomhousestudio #kidlit #words #vocabulary #picturebook #readlikeawolfeats #mitrasuggests

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Aggie and the Ghost

MITRA'S BOOK REVIEWS

Stay Updated with the Latest Reviews

EXPLORE BOOK REVIEWS

Aggie and the Ghost

If This Were the World

We Go Slow

New

Where I Grew

Forts

The Wombats go Wild for Words

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