Thank you to Free Spirit Publishing, Beaming Books, and NetGalley for these ARCs — all opinions are my own. Both books are out today, august 18, 2026. 🧳👻
Two ARCs landed on my e-reader with the very same publication date stamped on them, and it turns out they make a rather perfect pair. One is about leaving everything you know behind. The other is about twenty-six monsters remembering to cover their sneezes. Between them, they just about cover what a small person needs this fall — a big heart and good manners.
A Suitcase Full
by Maryam Kia · illustrated by Jaclyn Sinquett
Kimia's family has to leave Iran, during times of unrest, with just one suitcase. One. Everything that doesn't fit stays behind, including her grandmother. What follows is a life measured in cities: London, then Paris, then Hawaii, and a school project that finally lets her lay it all out.
First, the illustrations. Jaclyn Sinquett's art is so lovely and detailed and pleasantly beheld — there's something new to find on every page, and children will certainly enjoy the experience.
This story sits in the hard parts of the immigrant experience. The silence of not having the words yet. The particular exhaustion of a school day in a language your heart doesn't think in, and being multilingual read as behind instead of more. Missing a grandmother across an ocean, and the postcards and little star locket that keep the bond alive.
What I loved most is that the world gets bigger, not scarier. Each place is given its own beauty instead of being ranked against home. The moment Kimia starts finding her people through school clubs her joy grows as does the reader's. An Iranian family drawn with this much warmth and specificity gives little readers a new perspective they may not have otherwise had.
How many places have you called home?
Should you read it?
Kia wrote this to remind children to celebrate starting anew and to find real pride in having lived in many a place. As she says: "So embrace and enjoy your journeys and your adventures." Mission accomplished. This has a home on my little one's shelf.
If you have ever packed a life into one bag, loved someone across a time zone, felt out of place in an unfamiliar land, or hunted for a word you only know in another language — then this, my dear traveller, is for you. 🧳
FINAL RATING: 5 OUT OF 5 SPINES
Monster Manners A to Z
by Heidi Yates · illustrated by Yana Kozak
Twenty-six monsters, A to Z, throw a Monster Bash and each one models a manner: ogres don't spread germs, vampires never bite, and werewolves follow the rules.
This book is a memorable and delightful way to encourage young readers to practice good etiquette and manners. With its cute, clean illustrations and short yet clever writing, my 3-year-old niece was fully engaged the whole way through storytime.
I do think a few of the jokes went over her head, but that's part of what makes this such a great book. It's one she can grow into and enjoy reading not only during the spooky season but all year long. And the next time she sneezes, I'm sure she'll remember the Boogeyman!
Which monster manner does your household need most?
Should you read it?
Yes — and keep it out long past October. It's cute and funny enough for right now, and clever enough that a little reader will keep finding new jokes in it for years.
If you're an "all-things-spooky" lover, have a preschool to kindergarten-aged bookMONSTER, enjoy seasonal reads, or appreciate kids' books that are habit forming and skill teaching yet still cute and fun — then this, my little monster, is for you! 👻
FINAL RATING: 5 OUT OF 5 SPINES
Which of these is on your radar?
Talk to me: If you could only pack one thing — what's going in the suitcase? And which manner does your household still need to work on? Tell me below. ♡
never miss a chapter ♡
Enjoyed this one? Subscribe and I'll drop a little note in your inbox whenever a new post or review lands in the Reading Room — no spam, no clutter, just books.
✉ Subscribe to the Reading Room unsubscribe anytime — i'll only be a little heartbroken
leave a note ♡
thoughts, disagreements, book recommendations — the comment box is yours