Book review - Required Reading for the Disenfranchised Freshman

 

Title: Required Reading for the Disenfranchised Freshman

Author: Kristen R. Lee

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Dear Martin by Nic Stone

                      Anger is a Gift by Mark Oshiro

Rating:

 

a conversation starter

Summary (provided by publisher): Savannah Howard sacrificed her high school social life to make sure she got into a top college. Her sights were set on an HBCU, but when she is accepted to the ivy-covered walls of Wooddale University on a full ride, how can she say no?
Wooddale is far from the perfectly manicured community it sells on its brochures, though. Savannah has barely unpacked before she comes face to face with microagressions stemming from racism and elitism. Then Clive Wilmington's statue is vandalized with blackface. The prime suspect? Lucas Cunningham, Wooddale's most popular student and son of a local prominent family. Soon Savannah is unearthing secrets of Wooddale's racist history. But what's the price for standing up for what is right? And will telling the truth about Wooddale's past cost Savannah her own future?

My opinion: Given the title, we are prepared for this to be a challenging read. We should expect it to push us out of our comfort zone and lead us to question the way we view the world. With that in mind, I'm not sure if this goes quite far enough. The racism that Savannah faces is so blatant. Lucas is a simple bigot, using his family's influence to get away with whatever he wants. That being said, the obvious nature of the racism might be the point. This young man gets away with something that is obviously wrong because he has power. And the Black students are expected to put up with it because they are a small part of the population. Now there are some side elements about what it means to be an ally that could have been developed more completely, making this a more complex and compelling read. Even so, it's a decent read that could lead to good discussion with teen readers.

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Listen with me

 

You Truly Assumed by Laila Sabreen

Based on the set-up, we expect a couple of things from this book. All three main characters occupy an intersection of oppressed groups: they are Black, Muslim, and female. The world wants them to be silent and invisible and tears them down when they try to assert themselves. When they start a blog they become a target. We expect the bulk of the plot to be focused on fighting that oppression. While that is certainly a surface part of the plot, it is even more about the things that challenge our identity. Each girl is faced by significant changes in her world. Addressing the issues brought up by their blog empowers them to address their own issues as well. Family, future plans, love, betrayal. There's a universality to these issues that makes this book accessible to a wider group of readers than it might otherwise. Powerful, empathetic, and accessible. Definitely orth a read.

Non-fiction book review - A World Full of Journeys and Migrations

 

A World Full of Journeys and Migrations by Martin Howard

 There's a lot of information packed into this book. It's organized into regions, but within each region we learn about different methods and reasons for migration and how it shaped the culture. Climate change, trade, slavery, religion, exploration. We look at it all. The text is accompanied by stylized illustrations. There's enough information packed into these pages that I wouldn't recommend trying to read it all in one sitting. It's best absorbed one short section at a time. It would also work well as a supplemental text fro social studies lessons.

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Book review - Each of Us a Universe

 

Title: Each of Us a Universe

Author: Jeanne Zulick Ferruolo and Ndengo Gladys Mwilelo

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Peak by Roland Smith

                     The Magic of Melwick Orchard by Rebecca Caprara

Rating:

 

the right level of contemplative for the age group

Summary (provided by publisher): What do you do when you’re facing the impossible?
Ever since the day when everything changed, Cal Scott’s answer has been to run—run from her mother who’s fighting cancer, run from her father whom she can’t forgive, and run from classmates who’ve never seemed to “get” her anyway. The only thing Cal runs toward is nearby Mt. Meteorite, named for the magical meteorite some say crashed there fifty years ago. Cal spends her afternoons plotting to summit the mountain, so she can find the magic she believes will make the impossible possible and heal her mother. But no one has successfully reached its peak—no one who’s lived to tell about it, anyway.
Then Cal meets Rosine Kanambe, a girl who’s faced more impossibles than anyone should have to. Rosine has her own secret plan for the mountain and its magic, and convinces Cal they can summit its peak if they work together. As the girls climb high and dig deep to face the mountain’s challenges, Cal learns from Rosine what real courage looks like, and begins to wonder if the magic she’s been looking for is really the kind she needs. 

My opinion: Ferruolo has managed to combine grief, sports, and a refuge story into a single cohesive story, even including hints of magic. And somehow it is still a simple story. There is surprisingly little action. It's primarily an emotional journey - anger and grief and our tendency to run away from hard things. Because of the relative simplicity, kids have plenty of room to contemplate the emotions involved. A solid choice for discussion.

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Mandalorian rag doll

 After I watched the first season of The Mandalorian, I made a rag doll of the child. Recently, I got it in my head to make a similar doll of the Mandalorian. It was freehanded, so I don't have any process photos. It also turned out a bit rough. But it's still pretty fun. And even better, it's the perfect size for Grogu to hold.

Book review - The Keeper

 

Title: The Keeper

Author: Guadalupe Garcia McCall

Genre: horror

Similar books: The Smashed Man of Dread End by J W Ocker

                     Fuzzy Mud by Louis Sachar

Rating:

 

didn't really work for me

Summary (provided by publisher): James always knew moving from Texas to Oregon was going to be horrible.. But no sooner have he and his family arrived in their "perfect" new home in their "perfect" new town than he starts getting mysterious letters from someone called the Keeper. Someone who claims to be watching him. Someone who is looking for “young blood.”
James and his sister, Ava, are obviously in danger. But the problem with having a history of playing practical jokes is that no one believes James—not even his parents. Now James and Ava need to figure out who is sending the letters before they become the next victims in their neighborhood’s long history of missing children.
Because one thing is clear: Uncovering the truth about the Keeper is the only thing that will keep them alive.

My opinion: Middle grade horror is a tricky thing. You have to find the right level of spooky without becoming extreme or unbelievable. This is especially difficult when you aren't dealing with ghosts. While I can understand the desire to tread new ground, it's much harder to create a convincingly scary atmosphere without ghosts. This book goes too far, going to weird horror cliches for the threat. And until the danger is revealed, it's not especially frightening. The town is more uncanny than truly creepy. I think for a middle schooler, I would stick with a ghost story.

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Graphic Novel spotlight - Rosa Parks

 

Rosa Parks by Mariapaola Pesce and Matteo Mancini

If you're anything like me, your first thought about this book is going to be "do we really need another book about Rosa Parks". She was basically the only figure of the Civil Rights movement I learned about in school apart from MLK. But it doesn't take much research to realize that the picture of Rosa Parks we were given was an inaccurate one. We were shown Rosa as a quiet, unassuming woman who was just tired one day, becoming an icon by happenstance. This book introduces us to Rosa Parks the Revolutionary, a woman who with calm intention set out to change the world. And Pesce and Mancini tie the bus boycotts into the modern social movements, viewing BLM as the direct descendant of MLK and the Black Panthers. It's beautifully illustrated, though text heavy, and leaves the reader with plenty to think about.

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Non-fiction book review - Revolutionary Prudence Wright

 

Revolutionary Prudence Wright by Beth Anderson

In school we learn almost nothing about women during the Revolutionary War, just a few stories of women who disguised themselves as men to become soldiers or spies. WE are left to assume that most of them sat on their hands at home, waiting to see if their men would return. This book clears up some of those misconceptions. First we see the role w0men played in the early days, their rejecting of British goods and leading protests. And then, when the men were gone and their homes were threatened, forming their on militia and standing up in their own defense.This is a clear, easy to follow story that is well illustrated. A solid addition to a kid's history collection. 

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Book review - Dream, Annie, Dream

 

Title: Dream, Annie, Dream

Author: Waka T. Brown

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Dara Palmer's Major Drama by Emma Shevah

                      Violets are Blue by Barbara Dee

Rating:

 

a good thinker for middle graders

Summary (provided by publisher):As the daughter of immigrants who came to America for a better life, Annie Inoue was raised to dream big. And at the start of seventh grade, she’s channeling that irrepressible hope into becoming the lead in her school play.
So when Annie lands an impressive role in the production of The King and I, she’s thrilled . . . until she starts to hear grumbles from her mostly white classmates that she only got the part because it’s an Asian play with Asian characters. Is this all people see when they see her? Is this the only kind of success they’ll let her have—one that they can tear down or use race to belittle?
Disheartened but determined, Annie channels her hurt into a new dream: showing everyone what she’s made of.

My opinion: I think what I like best about this book is that it doesn't over-simplify race relations. Does Annie face racism? Absolutely. But she see it in different forms. It's less about slurs and discrimination than it is about micro-aggression. Annie isn't allowed to be a "normal" kid when it seems like everyone points out her racial heritage at every turn, usually in a negative way. And the realizations of her community's unhealthy racial attitudes are focused more on how other adults treat her parents than on how her peers treat Annie. It's a great book to read with your kid or in a group discussion, to help them interpret what they have read.

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Wooden box

 I was given one of these little wooden boxes with an image pressed into the top from the dollar store. While the plain box was kind of cute, it's even better with a little brightly colored paint.

Book review - Wayward Creatures

 

Title: Wayward Creatures

Author: Dayna Lorentz

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: House Arrest by K.A Holt

                      Trash Mountain by Jane Yolen

Rating:  

 

well integrated elements and a clear theme

Summary (provided by publisher): Twelve-year-old Gabe doesn’t know where he belongs anymore. His family is caught up in their own lives and his friends barely have time for him now that they’re stars on the soccer team. In a desperate plea for attention to impress his friends after school, Gabe sets off fireworks in the woods near his house and causes a small forest fire that destroys several acres of land.
In the chaos of the destruction, a coyote named Rill—tired of her family and longing for adventure—finds herself far from home. Already on animal control’s watch for wandering into a backyard and snapping at a child, Rill crawls into a cave, where she nurses her wounds alone.
Gabe and Rill’s paths irrevocably cross when Gabe is tasked with cleaning up the forest through the court's restorative justice program. The damage to the land and both their lives is beyond what the two can imagine. But together, they discover that sometimes it only takes one friend to find the place where you belong.

My opinion: I don't always like books with animal characters. They can give the animals too much human personality. Lorentz has kept Rill fairly true to her animal reality. While she "talks" with other animals, most of her behavior is true to her species. and her story is mostly meant to reinforce the messaging we see in Gabe's plot, how a single bad decision made in a moment of frustration can send us down a spiral of bad behavior. And how when people see that "bad" thing, it colors all future interactions. It's compelling reading and is well balanced with ideas of true justice.

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Listen with me

 

You Truly Assumed by Laila Sabreen

I've been trying, recently, to read more challenging books with a special focus on narratives that present a life experience different from my own. So my next listen is this book about Muslim teens and the online community.

Non-fiction book review - Jubilee

 

Jubilee the First Therapy Horse and an Olympic Dream by KT Johnston

I guess I've wondered in the past how horse therapy became a thing. I never would have guessed that the history went back so far. It's pretty cool to read about their appearance in the Olympics as well, breaking two barriers at once. This is a simple but inspiring story, suitable for young readers. The illustrations aren't terribly refined but they do support the text well. 

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Book review - The Mermaid in the Millpond

 

Title: The Mermaid in the Millpond

Author: Lucy Strange

Genre: historical fiction/fantasy

Similar books: Ophie's Ghosts by Justina Ireland

                     The Hired Girl by Laura Amy Schlitz

Rating:

 

deceptively simple

Summary (provided by publisher): Bess has left the London workhouse behind for a job at a rural cotton mill. But life at the mill is hard and cruel– a far cry from the fresh start Bess hoped for. The only way to survive is to escape, but the mill is like a prison with no way out.
Meanwhile, rumours are spreading about a vicious creature that lurks in the millpond. Bess is sure it’s all nonsense, until one night she sees something stir in the murky water.
But is it really a monster that lives in the depths of the pond? Or a creature trapped and alone, just like Bess, desperate to escape …

My opinion: At first glance, this book is quick to read and easy to follow. The parallel between Bess's situation at the mill and the fate of the creature in the pond is an obvious one. Of course, being a simple metaphor means it's a solid choice for teaching young readers about symbolism. The language is sparse and efficient but the atmosphere it creates is strong. We get a clear picture of the reality of life for impoverished children forced into work. And the future that Bess is looking towards is a realistic one. She doesn't anticipate a life of leisure, of being rescued from toil. She simply wants a job where her life will be respected. This is the sort of book that could be read several times and that you may draw different things from each time.

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Duct tape belt

 While cleaning out some craft supplies recently my mother found a rainbow belt buckle. Since I had a woven belt that needed repair I thought I could use it. Turns out, the buckle is far too narrow for the belt. But I don't give up easily. I made a new belt instead, using some colored duct tape. 

Book review - The Way I Say It

 

Title: The Way I Say It

Author: Nancy Tandon

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Sidetracked by Diana Harmon Asher

                      The Swag is in the Socks by Kelly J Baptist

Rating:

 

a solid read

Summary (provided by publisher): Rory still can't say his r's, but that's just the beginning of his troubles. First Rory's ex-best-friend Brent started hanging out with the mean lacrosse kids. But then, a terrible accident takes Brent out of school, and Rory struggles with how to feel.
Rory and his new speech teacher put their heads together on Rory's r's (as well as a serious love of hard rock and boxing legend Muhammad Ali), but nobody seems to be able to solve the problem of Rory's complicated feelings about Brent. Brent's accident left him with a brain injury and he's struggling. Should Rory stand up for his old friend at school--even after Brent failed to do the same for him?

My opinion: A few years ago, we saw an influx of books about kids who stutter. Tandon is doing the same here with speech impediments. Rory may have problems with speech but he is otherwise a regular middle schooler. He isn't morally superior. He's a typical kid, facing fear, social pressure, bullies, resentment, jealousy. He's constantly confronted with a kid who betrayed him. It's his conflict with Brent that really makes this book, a subtle exploration of justice and what a person "deserves". While some of the plot points are overly convenient, accelerated or portrayed in an unrealistic manner, it's overall pretty solid and teaching us a degree of compassion.

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Picture books for everyone

 

Opal Lee and What it Means to be Free by Alice Faye Duncan

Picture books are a great way to explain a concept or a bit of history to a young audience. In the case of this book, Duncan is doing more than just explaining the history of Juneteenth to the audience. While the exact bit of history that the holiday recognizes is certainly a part of the story, the larger part of the book is focused on Opal Lee herself and exploring the experience of freedom. It looks at protest and social movement, the efforts people go through to have struggle and history recognized. In that way Juneteenth becomes more than an historical event. It's a symbol of the desire for social change. This book that will grow with young readers, reaching them at different levels as their social awareness changes.

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Non-fiction book review - Aint Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Round

 

Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me 'Round by Kathlyn J Kirkwood

If your school experience was anything like mine, you heard just a few stories about the Civil Rights Movement every February: Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., school integration, and that was about it. I certainly was never taught about the movement to make Martin Luther King Day a holiday. Kirkwood presents her own experience with activism throughout her childhood and into her adulthood. Her story is presented in narrative form using the verse novel format. This means that it tends to be more about emotions and impressions than actions and may help young readers connect with these ideas on a more personal level. The text is accompanied by photos from the time period, adding to the atmosphere. 

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Book review - Song of the River

 

Title: Song of the River

Author: Gill Lewis

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Rescue at Lake Wild by Terry Lynn Johnson

                      Music for Tiger by Michelle Kadarusman

Rating:

 

simple, with heart

Summary (provided by publisher): Times are tough for Cari and her mum. A violent storm has flooded the valley where they live, destroying their home and café business.
Things seem bleak – but hope appears in the form of a plan to reintroduce beavers into the area, as the changes that these amazing animals make to the waterways might prevent another flood.
Cari knows that she has to get involved. But with the project facing resistance from locals, can she convince them to give the beavers a chance – and will it be enough to save her home from being destroyed for a second time?

My opinion: This is a construction we see sometimes in fiction: a family completely uprooting their life in the midst of grief. They make a drastic move, taking emotional upheaval and compounding it with practical upheaval, forcing everything to come to a head. In this book, Cari is furious while her mother is fixedly optimisitc. The ecological issues they face force them both to look beyond themselves. The story is pretty simple but includes a few interesting details about keystone species. A decent choice for kids gaining confidence in independent reading.

More information: Song of the River releases February 3.

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