Mayhem at the Museum written and illustrated by Hannah Brückner translated by Laura Watkinson and reviewed by Klaudia Janek

Summary: During a museum visit, Yuri is startled by a parakeet and accidentally knocks down a giant dinosaur skeleton. At first Yuri feels humiliated and sure the damage is a catastrophe. He calms himself by taking deep breaths and then asks for help. Visitors of all ages and backgrounds—children, adults, tall, short, and people with different abilities—come together to sort the bones, follow a careful plan, and rebuild the dinosaur. The community’s teamwork turns embarrassment into a surprising, magnificent result that delights everyone. It has a beautiful 4 page pull out spread of the completed dinosaur.

Straight Talk for Librarians: Children should read this book because it models healthy emotional regulation and the power of asking for help. Yuri’s simple strategy—pause, breathe, and seek support—shows kids a practical way to manage fear and shame. I like that some of the rhymes were able to stay in the translation.  The playful language and detailed illustrations invite close looking, build observational skills, and spark curiosity about museums and science. In a school library, this book supports social-emotional learning and cooperative play. It pairs well with a display on community helpers or museum visits and can prompt group activities where students practice calm breathing and collaborative problem-solving. Yuri feels what he did was a major life catastrophe, but after a while the author reassures the reader that the catastrophe was not as bad as it first seemed. The book aligns well with the IB Learner Profile trait “Communicator,” as characters share ideas, listen, and work together to rebuild what was broken.  It's a lovely book for any school or public library.  Perfect for dinosaur enthusiasts!  Highly Recommended.

Winterborne Home for Mayhem and Mystery written by Ally Carter and reviewed by Klaudia Janek

Summary: April is back with her four fellow orphans—Sadie, Violet, Colin, and Tim.  It's a few weeks after the first book and they are living at the sprawling Winterborne House under the care of reclusive billionaire Gabriel Winterborne. Secretly, Gabriel is the Sentinel, a sword-wielding vigilante whose hidden chamber and legacy of crime-fighting fascinate the children. When caretakers leave and a social worker arrives, supervision unravels; Gabriel’s sudden disappearance leaves the household vulnerable. A masked intruder in Sentinel costume attacks, secrets surface, and April leads the squad on a dangerous hunt to find Gabriel and protect their found family. Along the way, April confronts unsettling truths about her birth parents and wrestles with deep fears of abandonment. The group navigates break-ins, chases, injuries, and betrayals while piecing together decades-old mysteries tied to the Winterborne legacy. Tension escalates through twists, revelations, and emotional reckoning as April discovers that loyalty, chosen family, and courage may matter more than blood. Action-packed and emotionally charged, the sequel deepens character relationships while expanding the series’ mysteries.

Straight Talk for Librarians: This is a series where you definitely have to read the first book.  As soon as I finished the first one, I dove into this one.  There were so many twists and turns in this continuation, along with a few new characters.  The characters are quirky -- Gabriel's grumpiness will make readers laugh out loud.  There are quite a few dangerous situations, which will get your heart pumping.  The kids work to unravel the Winterborne family mystery.  April learns about her birth parents (crazy twists) and the bonds between this found family keeps growing.  It does not seem like there is a 3rd book in this series.  I think the ending is resolved, but with some possibility for a future book???

This title supports curricular and social-emotional goals: it encourages critical thinking (solving clues), ethical reflection (right vs. wrong in vigilantism), and empathy for children in care. Its accessible middle-grade voice and fast pacing engage reluctant readers and foster sustained reading stamina. The book connects to several IB Learner Profile attributes: Inquirers: characters investigate mysteries and ask questions. Thinkers: the children analyze clues and plan rescues. Caring: the found-family theme models compassion and responsibility for others.  I think it's a great choice for middle school library collections.  There are some content notes about themes of abandonment, injury and depictions of violence so we can guide some sensitive readers.  Overall, super fun!

Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valor #1 written by Ally Carter and reviewed by Klaudia Janek

Summary: Twelve-year-old April is a scrappy foster kid who was left as an infant with an ornate key and a promise her mother would return. When she recognizes the key’s crest at a new Winterborne family museum, her attempt to investigate starts a fire that lands her in the hospital—and ultimately at Winterborne House. There she joins four other parentless children: Violet, a shy artist; Tim, her protective foster brother with a troubled past; Sadie, an inventive genius; and Colin, a clever London-born con artist. The sprawling cliffside mansion once belonged to the Winterborne family; its missing heir, Gabriel, vanished a decade earlier after tragedy struck his household. As the children settle in, strange things happen: a masked Sentinel prowls the night, April’s key is stolen, and secret passages hide someone watching from the shadows. There are family secrets, a greedy uncle, and the fate of the estate hangs in the balance. 

Straight Talk for Librarians: Fast-paced, page-turning mystery with short chapters and cliffhangers that engage both reluctant and avid readers. Features a diverse ensemble of resourceful kids—each with distinct skills and personalities—offering multiple entry points for young readers to connect. Combines puzzle-solving, secret passages, and daring action with humor and emotional moments about belonging and loyalty. Stakes are age-appropriate: suspense and danger without gratuitous detail. Strong appeal for fans of mystery, ensemble adventures, and found-family stories; good for circulation and readers’ advisory. I really enjoyed this book and once I started, I could not put it down.

The Fandom #1: The Fandom written by Anna Day and reviewed by Klaudia Janek

Summary: Seventeen-year-old Violet and her friends—bestie Alice, skeptical Katie, and Violet’s younger brother Nate—head to Comic-Con in full cosplay to meet the star of their favorite YA franchise, The Gallows Dance. After a freak accident they’re suddenly inside the book’s dystopian London, and Violet learns she has to step into the heroine’s role to keep the plot moving and get everyone home. The story zips between pop-culture jokes and tense, darker moments as Violet tries to follow the canon: spark a doomed romance, nudge a rebellion, and survive a ticking-clock fate. Friendships fray, loyalties shift, and the world’s cruel divisions force the group to face hard choices. The pace stays brisk, the fandom details land, and the ending feels emotional and unsettled—definitely not a simple happy-ever-after. 

Straight Talk for Librarians: Teens will be drawn to the fangirl fantasy of actually living inside a favorite book, the quick-moving plot, and the familiar mix of romance, satire, and dystopia. Violet and the gang act like real friends—funny, messy, and fiercely loyal—so readers who love character drama will stay hooked. The book also sparks great conversations about media, power, and how stories shape us, so it’s a solid pick for a school library: it gets reluctant readers reading and gives classes a relatable way into bigger questions about identity, privilege, and the choices we make.