The Quantum Weirdness of the Almost-Kiss by Amy Noelle Parks
There's been a trend recently of including STEM elements in teen romances. Most of these books, though, count having a girl who's "into math" or something as STEM. Science and math seldom play a role in the actual plot. The title of this one intrigues me, though, so I'll be interested to see how it measures up.
I think we all know that interpretation of the second amendment is a pretty hot button issue right now. With that being the case, it's important for the individual to understand not only what the amendment says but also how it has been interpreted throughout history. This book does a great job of explaining that context. It takes us through the history of firearms in general and pre-American rules governing guns. All of this context informs how firearms were managed in the early days of our country. Each chapter takes us through a phase of history, at times focusing on a particular theme - race, economy, westward expansion. That specialized focus means we get a little bit of repetition but usually this includes new context so it's understandable. We learn how public perception of guns and gun control have changed over time and due to different influences. The content is clear enough to be understood by young teens but not so simplistic as to be condescending. The text on a whole has a bit of a pro gun control vibe but the arguments are clear and logic based.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
Author: Eliot Schrefer
Genre: adventure
Similar books: Astro Nuts by Jon Scieszka
Mr. Penguin series by Alex T Smith
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Summary (provided by publisher): When an animal is in trouble, there’s only one place to turn: the Animal Rescue Agency!
Dashing Esquire Fox used to organize the world’s most elaborate chicken raids until the day she encountered Mr. Pepper. Meeting the blustery old rooster changed her heart, convincing her to turn from a life of crime and instead form the Animal Rescue Agency, which masterminds rescue operations across the globe.
Esquire and her unlikely chicken business manager coordinate their far-flung agents to get them to the Arctic. In that frozen land they learn that what happened to the polar bear cub was no accident—and that saving him will pit them against the scariest predator in the world: a human.
My opinion: This is an excellent concept for a series. We have all the benefits of both real world and invented world settings, with a hidden society of animals going on below human notice. The animals are largely true to their nature, with just a few more human attributes and habits. Much like in The Rescuers there's a large element of investigation, finding the distressed creature and figuring out a way to help. This takes logic and creativity. There's also a strong ecological and social justice message, fitting for a modern audience. With colorful characters and some quirky humor, there's a lot to like.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.
One of my favorite holiday traditions is Christmas crackers. Now, I tend to be thrifty so the crackers I buy aren't very fancy. The prizes inside are usually cheap junk like fortune telling fish or page flags. Or this little ring.
Author: Mahogany L. Browne
Genre: verse novel
Similar books: Being Toffee by Sarah Crossan
A Girl Named Mister by Nikki Grimes
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Summary (provided by publisher): She looks me hard in my eyes
& my knees lock into tree trunks
My eyes don't dance like my heartbeat racing
They stare straight back hot daggers.
I remember things will never be the same.
I remember things.
With gritty and heartbreaking honesty, Mahogany L. Browne delivers a novel-in-verse about broken promises, fast rumors, and when growing up means growing apart from your best friend.
My opinion: A good verse novel is compelling, even if you don't understand the meaning of every single line. Poetry is like that, speaking truth through it's general sense and rhythm as much as through the actual words. There were lines that I didn't really get, especially when they used modern slang. It served to build the character even if it didn't add a lot of new information. Browne really captures the confusion and conflict of being a teenage girl, of realizing that you are changing in different ways than your best friend and may not have much in common any more. The twin desires for all forms of attention and wanting to be left alone. Especially the line between relishing in a boy's attention and when that attention becomes toxic. This narrative is especially interesting since we see the growing distance between friends and how a confrontation with a boy can either drive them permanently apart or draw them back together.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
To be completely accurate, this book explores more than just medical myths. Some entries are flawed medical studies. Others are misrepresented by the media, leading to the public misunderstanding an inconclusive result. That's probably the largest section: studies that researchers say warrant further study that are presented to the public as conclusive. Then there are the cases of irresponsible science that lead to cruel human experimentation and the bias that leads to people not getting the care or the information that they need. Many readers will find the facts presented in this book infuriating. It's a sign that, as far as medicine has come we still have a long way to go. That awareness alone makes this book well worth reading.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.
Author: Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite
Genre: realistic fiction
Similar books: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Don't Read the Comments by Eric Smith
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Summary (provided by publisher): When teen social activist and history buff Kezi Smith is killed under mysterious circumstances after attending a social justice rally, her devastated sister Happi and their family are left reeling in the aftermath. As Kezi becomes another immortalized victim in the fight against police brutality, Happi begins to question the idealized way her sister is remembered. Perfect. Angelic.
One of the good ones.
Even as the phrase rings wrong in her mind—why are only certain people deemed worthy to be missed?—Happi and her sister Genny embark on a journey to honor Kezi in their own way, using an heirloom copy of The Negro Motorist Green Book as their guide. But there’s a twist to Kezi’s story that no one could’ve ever expected—one that will change everything all over again.
My opinion: At first, I was really into this book. We're looking at the complexities of public grief and racism. Fame and modern protests. Families and the secrets they keep from one another. Classism. Social media. All timely topics well worth discussion and explored in a nuanced way in this plot. And I loved the use of the Green Book road trip as a method for these characters to better understand Kezi and their family history. I felt a bit betrayed by the second half of the novel, though. We never got the full exploration of that phrase "one of the good ones". I wanted to see the characters address how the media seems to value a "good kid" over another innocent.The pieces are all there but don't come together to the degree I was expecting. Even so, this is a book worth discussing in a group setting as it may prompt those conversations I expected from this narrative.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
