Cover Image: The Pass

The Pass

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Member Reviews

Clean yet vibrant art. Adorable characters that have distinct personalities. Shared interests unite people in all-encompassing directions. Important message of remembering friends, the moments shared, and the blossoming of new connections. Deals with the loneliness of moving on from a relationship that ended on good terms. Celebrates the wonders of reading and the books that impact our daily lives. Sam finds comfort in the past and future while facing unfamiliarity. Overall, a good read.

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Thank you to NetGalley and Capstone for the e-ARC of this book to read and review. My heart absolutely aches for all of these sweet kids, each character shows such generosity and willingness to share their favorite things with others, even when it looks like they're all individually going through tough times. I hope that kids of all ages adore this story of emotional intelligence and support -- and share the love of books and libraries!

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This is a sweet story about the magic of a good book and how it can help you deal with change, and help you make new friends. My son wants to add that it can also help you make memories and can help you make connections. My kids really liked reading this story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reading copy.

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This was a very sweet book. I loved it's focus on friendship, reading, and meeting new people. This is a great read/gift for young people who've had friends move away or have new additions to the family. Beautiful illustrations and a sweet story.

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We road tripped to Florida for spring break and I was so happy I had been approved for sixteen new children’s books coming out this year. It helped so much to break up some time with stories! The kids loved them and had so much fun picking out a book from my netgalley app to read. We didn’t read a single book we didn’t like! Tuckers favorite was Elmo’s new book, Kinley loved the fairy godmother book, Dawsyn loved the basketball one, and Briggs adored the animal book. I highly suggest adding all of these to your summer library reading lists for kids. I love children’s books, and these were full of beautiful illustrations, stories, and allowed us to have some great conversations after them. Thank you @netgalley for these advanced copies! @lisakatzenberger @alicewalstead @eringuendelsberger @aimeereid @christiematheson @jackjokinen @sandranickel @janechapman @hudaharajli @fraanushkin @saralauxakin @laurapurdiesalas @katyhudson emilymurrow @zackwilliams 📚📖🚗☀️🏝️🌊👙

A Love Letter to My Library by Lisa Katzenberger

I Can Do It Even If I’m Scared by Lisa Katzenberger

How to Catch a Fairy Godmother by Alice Walstead

Elmo Gives Thanks by Erin Guendelsberger

Baby Animals Trying by Aimee Reid

A Mischief of Mice by Christie Matheson

A Stray Dog for Christmas by Jack Jokinen

Bears Big Idea by Sandra Nickel

Each of Us Is a Miracle by Jane Chapman

All About Nature by Huda Harajli

Katie Woo and JoJo on the Go by Fran Manushkin

The Pass by Sara Laux Akin

Line Leads the Way by Laura Purdue Salas

A Bold Pumpkin Plan by Katy Hudson

Little Helpler, Big Imagination by Emily Morrow

A Little More like Jesus by Zack Williams

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This was a super sweet book about giving sentimental gifts, the great feeling you get when you pass on that gift, and the meaning behind the exchange. Especially for a kid dealing with a move, this book would be helpful in explaining that you can still hold on to memories.

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The Pass
by Sara Laux Akin, Tanisha Cherislin (Illustrator)
A great social emotional learning book. It has a way of showing many lessons of young children's lives. First in foremost is the value of friendship. The book shows the nature of friendship is evolving. Some in finding commonalities, second in sharing interest. A young boy looses his best friend to a move. This causes grief, only dispelled by a gift of a beloved book. The book changes his life, not only opening reading to him but finding comfort in reading. The book helps him through the transition of a new sibling, and loneliness. This also changes his family as he is opened to reading, they change their behaviors as a family. The book is later shared on to a new friend, in memory of his friend, but also in his personal growth.
These are common circumstances today. Children are faced with the mobility of society today, as young families move repeatedly. It also shows how to find connection, and remembrance of friendship. The value of moving positive things on, passing them forward helps more people.

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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book for free in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own.

This book was very heartfelt and charming and I even really enjoyed it as a 20 something year old woman. So I can only imagine that little boys (and girls) will really love this book. It was a really well written childrens book!


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Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the eARC! A cute story about dealing with when a friend moves away. The friend gives Sam a book and he cherishes it. Sam forgets it on the bus one day and life gets busy with a new baby sister. The family soon goes to the library where a new friend gives Sam the book that he left on the bus. The two become friends. This is a good book to show children that when a good friend moves away, with time, you will make new friends!

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Sam and Milo are best friends. Unfortunately, Milo has to move away. Milo gives Sam a book to remember him. It is the first book Sam has ever owned. It’s a really good book and Sam reads it all the time. One time he accidentally leaves it on the bus he was riding. Sam realizes he knows the book by heart. Naya, a girl on the bus with Sam, ends up finding the book and offers to return it. Sam gives it to Naya and gains a friend in return.

A good book about loosing a friend & making new friends. It’s about changes in life and how to deal with them. It teaches about the power of books and reading. I enjoyed the story and the diverse, realistic illustrations were great! Another great book by Capstone! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

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I read this book to my children ages 7,9,10 and each one of them loved it. The illustrations were very well made and gave us a visual idea of the book as well. The book itself and the meaning behind it we enjoyed this book very much :)

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This picture book has radiant illustrations that are full of light and color, and it tells a sweet story about accepting change, saying goodbye to a friend, and making a new friend. The storyline includes elements related to both sports and reading, and also includes the birth of a new sibling. There's a lot going on here, but the story is tightly plotted and feels satisfying, and it will appeal to both kids and adults.

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Great story about friendship and learning to share. Loved the illustrations in this one. Great for influencing kids into reading for fun!

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Such an amazing story of friendship, reading and family.

A little boy misses his best friend after he moves away. He gets really engrossed in reading the book his friend gave him before he left. However, he does feel lonely without a good friend; his parents getting more involved with his new born baby sister and work. He misses going to the library. But things will become better again for this little boy when he finds a new friend and his family gets more settled.

I love the writing, the story, the characters and the illustrations.
Thank you, Capstone, for the advance reading copy.

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This is a really lovely picture book about when a friend moves away, but leaves a book with his friend. This book brings his friend so much joy until he loses it. But he learns that he can remember it and use ideas from books to help get him through hard moments.
And then he eventually passes that book on for someone else to enjoy.
A lovely look at sharing stories and how they can bring us joy.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

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When Sam’s best friend Milo has to move away, Sam is very sad. They play basketball together and have a good time. When Milo moves, Milo gives Sam his favorite book. Sam is so lost in the book and he finds refuge in it when he’s feeling lonely and sad. When he meets a new girl on the bus and loses his book, he has to figure out what to do and maybe make a new friend in the process.

This book was really cute! It teaches kids about reading and the power of books. It also touches on a lot of common kid problems like feeling lonely after a friend moves away and after having a new sibling. I loved the illustrations as well. I think a lot of kids will enjoy this one!

Thanks so much to netgalley and Capstone for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

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