Crystal Brunelle
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librarygrl2.bsky.social
Crystal Brunelle
@librarygrl2.bsky.social
I’m an elementary teacher librarian, avid reader, tea drinker, and co-founder/YA blogger at Rich in Color http://richincolor.com/. I also post on a personal blog readingtl.blogspot.com & Storygraph at crystalreading. (she/her)

#kidlit #ethnicstudies
So happy our kindergarteners got to visit with Steph Lau today! We loved meeting Otto and his friends. 😊
One #WRAD session done (2nd graders in NC), two more to go! And I'm sad I forgot to share my final slide, which shows my Otto The Abominable Snow Dancer costume, so therefore all of you are forced to see it now 😂
February 5, 2026 at 5:35 AM
My fifth grade classes really enjoyed making architectural drawings of homes today after reading The Blue House I Loved by @kaokaliayang.bsky.social illustrated by Jen Shin. www.upress.umn.edu/978151790797... #booksky
The Blue House I Loved
A Hmong girl tells the story of her beloved aunt and uncle’s first home in America—long gone, but still alive in the family’s memories   The Blue Hous...
www.upress.umn.edu
February 4, 2026 at 3:44 AM
app.thestorygraph.com/books/4353a6... #booksky

At Last She Stood was very informative and Joey Guerrero was certainly an interesting person.
At Last She Stood: How Joey Guerrero Spied, Survived, and Fought for Freedom by Erin Entrada Kelly
World War II spy, Filipino guerrilla fighter, war hero, Medal of Freedom recipient, leprosy survi...
app.thestorygraph.com
February 1, 2026 at 6:12 PM
Four different fourth grade classes were riveted by The Invisible Parade this week. Its long for a read aloud, but they were with me there for every page. app.thestorygraph.com/books/3a02eb... #booksky
The Invisible Parade by John Picacio, Leigh Bardugo
Everyone in the neighborhood was getting ready for the party. Everyone knew somebody on the guest...
app.thestorygraph.com
February 1, 2026 at 5:42 AM
Just started reading At Last She Stood by Erin Entrada Kelly. It’s compelling so far. Excellent explanation of facism and had a young people appropriate summary of the factors around WWII. There is a lot of context needed for this story but its done well. bookshop.org/p/books/at-l... #booksky
At Last She Stood: How Joey Guerrero Spied, Survived, and Fought for Freedom
How Joey Guerrero Spied, Survived, and Fought for Freedom
bookshop.org
February 1, 2026 at 4:05 AM
I finished processing The Pecan Sheller yesterday and read it today so I can get it to the student that wanted to read it. Excellent historical fiction with a San Antonio setting. It won the author Pura Belpré award. lernerbooks.com/shop/show/25... #booksky
The Pecan Sheller
Winner of the Pura Belpré Children's Author Award A Kirkus Best Middle-Grade Book of the Year Junior Library Guild Selection In 1930s San Antonio, thirteen-year-old Petra dreams of going to...
lernerbooks.com
February 1, 2026 at 3:57 AM
Like many people, I am thinking about the Twin Cities everyday. Here’s a book that will be released on Feb 10. by Kao Kalia Yang illustrated by Jen Shin. It’s a beautiful book that shares about home and family in St. Paul. It’s brimming with love. readingtl.blogspot.com/2026/01/the-...
The Blue House I Loved
Title: The Blue House I Loved Author: Kao Kalia Yang Illustrator: Jen Shin Publisher: University of Minnesota Press Review Copy: ARC via P...
readingtl.blogspot.com
January 31, 2026 at 10:24 PM
Reposted by Crystal Brunelle
How you can support resistance efforts in Minneapolis through literary activism.

That, plus this week's book censorship news:

bookriot.com/supporting-m...
Supporting Minneapolis Through Literary Activism: Book Censorship News, January 30, 2026
How can you help Minnesotans as ICE continues a brutal attack on the city? Here are some means of support through literary activism.
bookriot.com
January 30, 2026 at 8:13 PM
Reposted by Crystal Brunelle
Kao Kalia Yang on preparing for the worst in the face of ICE’s occupation.
Letter From Minnesota: “If They Take Me and Leave the Children…”
Today is Tuesday, January 27th, 2026. I got gas for the first time this year by myself. The gas station was mostly empty. I drove into the station, heart thudding in my chest. I did everything as f…
buff.ly
January 30, 2026 at 6:01 PM
I had fun reading about tasty food with Rafi and Rosi. readingtl.blogspot.com/2026/01/rafi... #booksky
Rafi y Rosi
Title:   Rafi y Rosi ¡Menú!/Rafi and Rosi Menu Author:  Lulu Delacre Publisher:  Children's Book Press Review Copy:  Final copy provided by ...
readingtl.blogspot.com
January 31, 2026 at 8:35 PM
Reposted by Crystal Brunelle
We’re back from our hiatus with a round up of young adult books released this month richincolor.com/2026/01/janu... #yalit #booksky
January 28, 2026 at 3:45 AM
Reposted by Crystal Brunelle
Good night, Minneapolis. Rest well. May your grief give way to tender connection. May your anger fuel your collective action. May the memory of our martyrs become a revolution. There are more of us than there are of them. Take care of yourselves and your neighbors. We will make ourselves whole. ❤️
January 25, 2026 at 4:40 AM
“Maybe home was simply any place where you felt seen and welcome.” from We Have Always Been Here by Samra Habib #booksky
January 17, 2026 at 7:10 PM
Here’s our little one 😏
January 1, 2026 at 3:05 PM
A torta and a drink by the lake while I read was just what I needed after visiting both a castle and a museum. Still finishing up Frida, el misterio del anillo del pavo real. It’s been nice to read it here in Mexico. 🇲🇽 #kidlit
December 31, 2025 at 9:29 PM
It’s really interesting to travel and see places I’ve only read about before. This is the view of Teotihuacán from the temple/pyramid of the moon.
December 30, 2025 at 9:39 PM
We’re really enjoying Mexico City. We spent a lot of time in Chapultepec Park/Forest today and had a really good meal this evening. Looking forward to some time at the Basilica and looking at murals tomorrow.
December 27, 2025 at 3:01 AM
I enjoy Earl Grey with a bit of milk or cream, but it is really yummy with a splash of eggnog. I keep forgetting, but remembered this morning and was so glad I did. 😏
December 24, 2025 at 12:07 AM
Just realized I am six years older than the parents are in When Life Gives You Tangerines. They are portrayed as old starting a new business, but we moved across the country and I had to find a job when I was older than they are. They keep saying 50 like it’s old. 😭
December 21, 2025 at 5:11 PM