Kari Tanaka
@karitanaka.bsky.social
Mom/Bookseller/Reader/Writer/Word Nerd/Foodie/Whatever-Else-I-Happen-to-be-Interested-in-at-the-Moment/Undefined/My views are my own
Amber Smith never ceases to amaze me in showing what young, healthy relationships should/could look like if teens choose themselves over paths of self destruction. This amazing collab with Sam Gellar brings 90s nostalgia to modern teens. Ah, how the more things change, the more they stay the same!❤️📚
August 1, 2025 at 1:01 AM
Amber Smith never ceases to amaze me in showing what young, healthy relationships should/could look like if teens choose themselves over paths of self destruction. This amazing collab with Sam Gellar brings 90s nostalgia to modern teens. Ah, how the more things change, the more they stay the same!❤️📚
I approve of this family moving into the neighborhood. 🥹
July 18, 2025 at 12:21 AM
I approve of this family moving into the neighborhood. 🥹
Binging on berries before moseying on. Love the Waterton Bears! ❤️🐻
July 14, 2025 at 3:29 AM
Binging on berries before moseying on. Love the Waterton Bears! ❤️🐻
30 days in June means 30 days of 2SLGBTQ+ picture, MG, and YA book recommendations from me! Here is the highlight reel. 😊 Check out my original posts for more detailed reviews and remember to READ, RECOMMEND and DEFEND diverse books 365 days a year! ❤️📚
July 2, 2025 at 4:39 AM
30 days in June means 30 days of 2SLGBTQ+ picture, MG, and YA book recommendations from me! Here is the highlight reel. 😊 Check out my original posts for more detailed reviews and remember to READ, RECOMMEND and DEFEND diverse books 365 days a year! ❤️📚
30. Ahhh! So beautiful and unexpected! I was totally expecting familiar fairy tales reimagined with queer characters but what I got was 10 unique tales that ORIGINATED as queer stories, adapted for young readers. The children’s lit nerd let out a “squee” when I realized this! Love this collection!
July 1, 2025 at 5:11 AM
30. Ahhh! So beautiful and unexpected! I was totally expecting familiar fairy tales reimagined with queer characters but what I got was 10 unique tales that ORIGINATED as queer stories, adapted for young readers. The children’s lit nerd let out a “squee” when I realized this! Love this collection!
29. OBSESSED with this YA short story collection! The stories start in the attic, working their way down to the main floor & out onto the grounds. How cool is that? With stories as diverse as the authors who wrote them, I loved each & every one. I even needed to pull out some tissues once or twice.🥹
June 30, 2025 at 1:57 AM
29. OBSESSED with this YA short story collection! The stories start in the attic, working their way down to the main floor & out onto the grounds. How cool is that? With stories as diverse as the authors who wrote them, I loved each & every one. I even needed to pull out some tissues once or twice.🥹
28. Sometimes it’s the quiet books that take your breath away. Brian Selznick’s latest young adult book pairs gorgeous illustrations with exquisitely chosen words to bring forth stories of old history and young love.
June 29, 2025 at 3:02 AM
28. Sometimes it’s the quiet books that take your breath away. Brian Selznick’s latest young adult book pairs gorgeous illustrations with exquisitely chosen words to bring forth stories of old history and young love.
27. Hilarious, quirky, cute, fabulous and a ghost in a designer handbag! Add in a drama-inducing gender-non conforming teen, a little bit of mystery, a touch of history, and a sweet little crush, and you’ve got yourself a great summer YA read!
June 28, 2025 at 5:49 AM
27. Hilarious, quirky, cute, fabulous and a ghost in a designer handbag! Add in a drama-inducing gender-non conforming teen, a little bit of mystery, a touch of history, and a sweet little crush, and you’ve got yourself a great summer YA read!
26. This is the PERFECT book to read the night before a Pride Parade! Modeled after The Night Before Christmas this book covers the joy, inclusion and excitement of Pride while teaching and reminding us of the history behind such events. Equal parts affirmation and information.
June 26, 2025 at 10:28 PM
26. This is the PERFECT book to read the night before a Pride Parade! Modeled after The Night Before Christmas this book covers the joy, inclusion and excitement of Pride while teaching and reminding us of the history behind such events. Equal parts affirmation and information.
25. What a big warm hug of a book this is! This graphic memoir follows Theo on a complicated, but rewarding, journey of discovering and loving their non-binary self. The metaphor of the body as a house becoming a home throughout the journey is effective and beautiful. A stunningly affirming book!
June 26, 2025 at 1:45 AM
25. What a big warm hug of a book this is! This graphic memoir follows Theo on a complicated, but rewarding, journey of discovering and loving their non-binary self. The metaphor of the body as a house becoming a home throughout the journey is effective and beautiful. A stunningly affirming book!
24. “FIVE letters spell out the word P-R-I-D-E. Daddy says that pride means feeling happy about who you are. ‘Even if you're different?’ I ask. ‘Especially if you're different,’ Daddy answers. ‘That's what this Pride parade is all about.’” This book is bursting with joy, smiles, rainbows and love!🥰
June 24, 2025 at 11:59 PM
24. “FIVE letters spell out the word P-R-I-D-E. Daddy says that pride means feeling happy about who you are. ‘Even if you're different?’ I ask. ‘Especially if you're different,’ Daddy answers. ‘That's what this Pride parade is all about.’” This book is bursting with joy, smiles, rainbows and love!🥰
23. Sometimes it’s the supporting characters that grab you by the heart and, in this book, it’s the MC’s sister, Melissa, who compassionately, rationally, maturely and selflessly copes with her sister’s return home…7 years after her tragic death. A breathtaking story about how we are all connected.
June 24, 2025 at 4:46 AM
23. Sometimes it’s the supporting characters that grab you by the heart and, in this book, it’s the MC’s sister, Melissa, who compassionately, rationally, maturely and selflessly copes with her sister’s return home…7 years after her tragic death. A breathtaking story about how we are all connected.
22. One of my favourite graphic novelists enters the realm of YA to bring us an edgy, bloody, horror filled tale that takes us to the darkest places of identity and secrets before throwing us into the light of self-love, true love and healthy relationships. LOVE Molly’s graphic novels so much!
June 23, 2025 at 12:10 AM
22. One of my favourite graphic novelists enters the realm of YA to bring us an edgy, bloody, horror filled tale that takes us to the darkest places of identity and secrets before throwing us into the light of self-love, true love and healthy relationships. LOVE Molly’s graphic novels so much!
21. “You forget, sometimes, when you get old that language changes and identities shift and the most important thing is love. To just love kids for who they are without drawing boundaries.” The tragic consequences of rejection and the unlimited possibilities of acceptance are profound in this story.
June 22, 2025 at 2:50 AM
21. “You forget, sometimes, when you get old that language changes and identities shift and the most important thing is love. To just love kids for who they are without drawing boundaries.” The tragic consequences of rejection and the unlimited possibilities of acceptance are profound in this story.
20. Awwww!!! What an adorable board book, perfect for little hands. This little book follows baby and moms through a day where every moment, every illustration, and every page is filled with love! 🥹❤️🏳️🌈📚
June 20, 2025 at 11:40 PM
20. Awwww!!! What an adorable board book, perfect for little hands. This little book follows baby and moms through a day where every moment, every illustration, and every page is filled with love! 🥹❤️🏳️🌈📚
19. Deke Molton blew me away with “Don’t Want to be Your Monster” & did not disappoint with “Benji Zeb is a Ravenous Werewolf”. The mash-up of werewolf lore and Jewish history with modern day examples of antisemitism, homophobia, and othering is highly compelling and effective. And the characters,🥹.
June 20, 2025 at 2:55 AM
19. Deke Molton blew me away with “Don’t Want to be Your Monster” & did not disappoint with “Benji Zeb is a Ravenous Werewolf”. The mash-up of werewolf lore and Jewish history with modern day examples of antisemitism, homophobia, and othering is highly compelling and effective. And the characters,🥹.
18. 13-year-old Chase battles to keep pucks out of the net and his Two-Spirit identity a secret. This graphic novel pulls no punches when it comes to toxic masculinity in sport but also offers hope that acceptance and support can be found in community, culture and conversation.
June 19, 2025 at 12:29 AM
18. 13-year-old Chase battles to keep pucks out of the net and his Two-Spirit identity a secret. This graphic novel pulls no punches when it comes to toxic masculinity in sport but also offers hope that acceptance and support can be found in community, culture and conversation.
17. In the mood for Christmas in June? This adorable YA novel is a Hallmark movie in a book, complete with falling snow, a small town hot chocolate competition, and love that was right in front of your eyes the whole time. 🥰
June 18, 2025 at 12:58 AM
17. In the mood for Christmas in June? This adorable YA novel is a Hallmark movie in a book, complete with falling snow, a small town hot chocolate competition, and love that was right in front of your eyes the whole time. 🥰
16. Parents love him for his signature sparkly pink glasses and sharp wit and now kids can love him for the same! Randy Rainbow’s fabulousness shines in his debut picture book, teaching kids to bravely be who they are and showing how humour can be used to cope during difficult times.
June 17, 2025 at 12:39 AM
16. Parents love him for his signature sparkly pink glasses and sharp wit and now kids can love him for the same! Randy Rainbow’s fabulousness shines in his debut picture book, teaching kids to bravely be who they are and showing how humour can be used to cope during difficult times.
15. Another lyrically beautiful, suspenseful and tender YA novel by the mind-blowingly talented, K. Ancrum. This novel pays respect to teens who are often negatively stereotyped and not acknowledged for how observant, caring, empathetic, and supportive they are of one another. Read in one sitting.
June 16, 2025 at 2:56 AM
15. Another lyrically beautiful, suspenseful and tender YA novel by the mind-blowingly talented, K. Ancrum. This novel pays respect to teens who are often negatively stereotyped and not acknowledged for how observant, caring, empathetic, and supportive they are of one another. Read in one sitting.
14. “Pride is believing.
You are enough exactly as you are.”
This right here is why we need Pride and why we need books about Pride. This lovely, affirming picture book would be a welcome addition to any bookshelf.
You are enough exactly as you are.”
This right here is why we need Pride and why we need books about Pride. This lovely, affirming picture book would be a welcome addition to any bookshelf.
June 15, 2025 at 12:02 AM
14. “Pride is believing.
You are enough exactly as you are.”
This right here is why we need Pride and why we need books about Pride. This lovely, affirming picture book would be a welcome addition to any bookshelf.
You are enough exactly as you are.”
This right here is why we need Pride and why we need books about Pride. This lovely, affirming picture book would be a welcome addition to any bookshelf.
13. Staaahp! I always HAVE to read K. Ancrum’s books in one sitting, they are that freakin’ good! This is one of the most wonderfully strange and haunting YA romances I have EVER read! I ADORE the perfectly imperfect characters and was COMPLETELY absorbed by their evolution! Read this one right now!
June 13, 2025 at 10:31 PM
13. Staaahp! I always HAVE to read K. Ancrum’s books in one sitting, they are that freakin’ good! This is one of the most wonderfully strange and haunting YA romances I have EVER read! I ADORE the perfectly imperfect characters and was COMPLETELY absorbed by their evolution! Read this one right now!
12. What a cute picture book! Devin wants to feel fancy for Nanabapa’s birthday but shyly covers up his sparkly skirt with a ninja costume, unsure what people will think. But, it’s too hot to dance in so many layers. When the skirt is revealed Nanabapa just gives Devin a twirl and keeps on dancing!
June 12, 2025 at 10:41 PM
12. What a cute picture book! Devin wants to feel fancy for Nanabapa’s birthday but shyly covers up his sparkly skirt with a ninja costume, unsure what people will think. But, it’s too hot to dance in so many layers. When the skirt is revealed Nanabapa just gives Devin a twirl and keeps on dancing!
11. Quite possibly one of the best MG novels EVER written with characters you will not soon forget! Tig, her uncles, and the community that wraps itself around them in love and support, will fill your heart with tears, joy, trust and hope. Oh, and be ready for a MAJOR gut punching plot twist! ❤️🇨🇦🏳️🌈📚
June 12, 2025 at 12:30 AM
11. Quite possibly one of the best MG novels EVER written with characters you will not soon forget! Tig, her uncles, and the community that wraps itself around them in love and support, will fill your heart with tears, joy, trust and hope. Oh, and be ready for a MAJOR gut punching plot twist! ❤️🇨🇦🏳️🌈📚