Dr. Bickmore's YA Wednesday Weekend Picks for 2021
This is the new page for 2021
This year will have some exciting additions. I won't be picking books every month. Instead, we will be getting a variety of reading picks from a host of guest contributors. I will take January, but after that you can look forward to hearing from Morgan Jackson, Gretchen Rumohr, Lisa Scherff, Emily Pendergrass, Katie Sluiter, Sean Kottke, Trista Owczarzak and couple more surprises.
Are you looking for something to read?
Pick one of these great books!
Are your students always looking for book recommendations?
Send them to browse through the picks for this or those from other years listed below.
Pick one of these great books!
Are your students always looking for book recommendations?
Send them to browse through the picks for this or those from other years listed below.
For the picks from 2020 click here.
For older picks click from 2019 click here.
For the even older picks click here.
For older picks click from 2019 click here.
For the even older picks click here.
Scroll down below the picture for some great selections.
The newest picks will always be at the top.
Start looking for information about the 2022 UNLV Summit on June 9, 10, 11 2022! You can interact with YA authors, scholars, teachers, and librarians! Our first author announcement is Varian Johnson!
Weekend Picks for December 2021 by an Assortment of Friends
Weekend Pick for December 17, 2021 by Jason S. Frydman and Brooke Eisenbach
Head to our MAIN PAGE for today's Weekend Picks, courtesy of
Jason S. Frydman and Brooke Eisenbach.
Happy reading!
Head to our MAIN PAGE for today's Weekend Picks, courtesy of Jason S. Frydman and Brooke Eisenbach. Happy reading!
Weekend Pick for December 10, 2021 by T. Hunter Strickland
This week’s pick is Year of the Reaper by Makiia Lucier. An epic take on the classic YA fantasy, Year of the Reaper follows Cassia, a young lord that has been imprisoned in the midst of war and thought to be dead by his family for three years. After a devastating plague ravages the kingdoms, Cas makes his way back home only to find that his family’s castle has become the refuge of the King and his new bride, a marriage that ended the war between the two kingdoms. After helping foil an assassination attempt on the young prince as a surprising homecoming, Cas enlists the aid of Lena, sister of the king and royal historian, to track down the assassin and salvage the tenuous peace before plague and war once again grip the land.
In many ways, this story reaches out to fantasy readers and gives them everything they want. There is both an historical medieval element to the story and a magical element as Cas can see the spirits of the dead that ultimately inhabit a kingdom destroyed by both war and plague. Lena also provides a strong female lead that shows that intelligence and bravery contribute to the adolescent characters’ ability to solve the mystery and stop the assassin.
In many ways, this story reaches out to fantasy readers and gives them everything they want. There is both an historical medieval element to the story and a magical element as Cas can see the spirits of the dead that ultimately inhabit a kingdom destroyed by both war and plague. Lena also provides a strong female lead that shows that intelligence and bravery contribute to the adolescent characters’ ability to solve the mystery and stop the assassin.
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Weekend Pick for December 3, 2021 by Katie Sluiter
One of the greatest joys of working, writing, and reading with teenagers is getting book recommendations! Earlier this school year, I was walking around during silent reading and saw one of my 8th grade honors students reading We Are Not From Here by Jenny Torres Sanchez. Immediately I said, “Amy! That book is on my ‘To Read’ list! How is it?” She looked up at me with wide eyes and lifted eyebrows and even with the mask, I could tell it was a really good read.
A few weeks later, she walked into my classroom with the book and said, “Here you go, Mrs. Sluiter. I know you wanted to read this, so you can borrow this copy.” I dove right in.
I am about halfway through the book myself, and it is hard to put down. Sanchez invites the reader along with Pulga, Chico, and Pequeña as they flee Guatemala due to threats to their safety and that of their families. This is what Amy has to say about why she loved the book:
“I like this book because it shows what immigrants go through just to get a better life! It represents Latinx people. Mostly, about the true physical, emotional, and mental pain that immigrants go through when crossing the border. There is also sexual assault representation that pops up in the book, that is really important to people who have gone through that and deserve to feel that they seen and known. This book changed my perspective on what immigrants have to sacrifice when doing their journey, and on my family and friends. I would recommend it to people, so that they can learn about what immigrants go through. Also, learn the things that are represented in the book and get a new perspective on things. So that they could spread awareness and learn something new!”
A few weeks later, she walked into my classroom with the book and said, “Here you go, Mrs. Sluiter. I know you wanted to read this, so you can borrow this copy.” I dove right in.
I am about halfway through the book myself, and it is hard to put down. Sanchez invites the reader along with Pulga, Chico, and Pequeña as they flee Guatemala due to threats to their safety and that of their families. This is what Amy has to say about why she loved the book:
“I like this book because it shows what immigrants go through just to get a better life! It represents Latinx people. Mostly, about the true physical, emotional, and mental pain that immigrants go through when crossing the border. There is also sexual assault representation that pops up in the book, that is really important to people who have gone through that and deserve to feel that they seen and known. This book changed my perspective on what immigrants have to sacrifice when doing their journey, and on my family and friends. I would recommend it to people, so that they can learn about what immigrants go through. Also, learn the things that are represented in the book and get a new perspective on things. So that they could spread awareness and learn something new!”
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Weekend Picks for November 2021 by Steve Bickmore and Guests
Weekend Pick for November 26, 2021 by Steve Bickmore
One of the most impactful debut novels I have read was Kathleen Glasgow's Girl in Pieces. It was a difficult, but absolutely engaging. I ached with the main character and wanted the best for her. Furthermore, I reflected on how aware I had been as a classroom teacher, a parent, or as a friend. I wanted to be better and I wanted to do better. However, I want to be clear, the book was not only a thematic motivator, it was beautifully written. I think Glasgow can really write. I think her books with fit quite nicely in an AP literature class or in an AP language class that might be focusing on issues of mental health and/or addictions.
I loved her second book, How to Make Friends with the Darkness. For me one of the test I apply to a new Young Adult novelist is the quality of the second work and her second book was an out of the park homerun in terms of quality.
This all brings me to her latest work, You'd Be Home Now. I was excited when I got my hands on a copy of this novel. Once again, I was right there with the characters. Emmy and her brother Joey are perfect reflections of kids I recognized from my time as a high school teacher. Glasgow is at it once again. Don't let this book or any of her books for that matter slip by you.
I loved her second book, How to Make Friends with the Darkness. For me one of the test I apply to a new Young Adult novelist is the quality of the second work and her second book was an out of the park homerun in terms of quality.
This all brings me to her latest work, You'd Be Home Now. I was excited when I got my hands on a copy of this novel. Once again, I was right there with the characters. Emmy and her brother Joey are perfect reflections of kids I recognized from my time as a high school teacher. Glasgow is at it once again. Don't let this book or any of her books for that matter slip by you.
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Weekend Pick for November 19, 2021 by MJ Karlsen 8th grade student in Henderson NV.
in A couple of weeks ago I visited a couple of 8th grade classroom. I share books from 20 YA novelists. It was a fast paced presentation. I ended by asking students to share some of their favorite books with me. Some did and others were invited to take a turn a suggesting some books for the Weekend Picks. MJ has taken of the challenge and suggests three books that adolescents should still be reading.
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To Kill a Mockingbird
To Kill a Mockingbird started off as a story about three kids that were terrified yet fascinated with their mysterious neighbor. Then the main character, Scout, gets into some trouble with the kids at school because of rumors that were going around town. Later on, we find out that there are parts of the rumors that were true and that Scout's father is helping out the man accused of something unthinkable. |
The Outsiders
A coming of age story about a couple of friends from the wrong side of the track that gets into trouble with the police, because of an incident with the rich kids from the “better” side of the tracks with the development of friends, and the pressure of the real world's consequences chasing their tails. |
That Was Then This is Now
A coming of age story set in the late 60’s that involves a boy reeling from the betrayal of a friend who feels like a brother. He undergoes a lot of mental anguish because of drugs, the loss of first real love, and not being able to just sit down and watch it go by like all of the other people in his life. |
Weekend Pick for November 12, 2021 by Gretchen Rumohr
Yesterday, my institution had the privilege of hosting Matt Mendez as part of our Contemporary Writers Series. We were especially thrilled that Matt's visit coincided with Veterans Day, as Matt has over two decades in the Air Force and currently works as an airplane mechanic.
Barely Missing Everything has garnered critical acclaim from Kirkus, Seventeen Magazine, and NBC Latino, and it should not only be your weekend read, but should also hold a special place in your classroom library. Focusing on the lives of Juan (athlete), Fabi (Juan's mother who is working to make a better life for herself and Juan), and JD (Juan's friend and wannabe filmmaker), the book asks critical questions: in what ways are brown lives affected by police brutality? how do socioeconomic factors affect students' abilities to attend college? how does the justice system penalize brown lives? is it even possible to "start fresh" after making a few bad choices? Students who read this book will feel seen and heard. Thanks, Matt, for visiting Aquinas College and for writing Barely Missing Everything!
Barely Missing Everything has garnered critical acclaim from Kirkus, Seventeen Magazine, and NBC Latino, and it should not only be your weekend read, but should also hold a special place in your classroom library. Focusing on the lives of Juan (athlete), Fabi (Juan's mother who is working to make a better life for herself and Juan), and JD (Juan's friend and wannabe filmmaker), the book asks critical questions: in what ways are brown lives affected by police brutality? how do socioeconomic factors affect students' abilities to attend college? how does the justice system penalize brown lives? is it even possible to "start fresh" after making a few bad choices? Students who read this book will feel seen and heard. Thanks, Matt, for visiting Aquinas College and for writing Barely Missing Everything!
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Weekend Pick for November 5, 2021
If you It is always a great day if you get a chance to chat with Varian Johnson.
Check out our conversation below. We discuss his new book Playing the Cards You're Dealt. Did you ever play cards with your family and friends? If you did this is a book that will take you down memory lane. Best of all this is only one of the many engaging bits from Varian's amazing new novel. Get it today.
Varian will also be one of featured Keynotes at the 2022 UNLV Summit. Look for more information soon and a longer post featuring all of Varian's work!
Check out our conversation below. We discuss his new book Playing the Cards You're Dealt. Did you ever play cards with your family and friends? If you did this is a book that will take you down memory lane. Best of all this is only one of the many engaging bits from Varian's amazing new novel. Get it today.
Varian will also be one of featured Keynotes at the 2022 UNLV Summit. Look for more information soon and a longer post featuring all of Varian's work!
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Weekend Picks for October 2021 by Trista Owczarzak
Weekend Pick for October 29, 2021
Rather than sharing another of my YA Picks this week, I turned things over to my students. All but one of these students have taken my semester-long Young Adult Literature elective at one point or another, but I have also had all four of them in some combination of English 1, Senior English, or Social Criticism Literature over the last four years. In a small district like this, we are lucky enough to have every student in class more than once in their high school career, and in some cases more than once during a school day. I have found that trusting my students to make recommendations pays off; they know what is good and if they want others to read it, it must be really good. Enjoy this week’s picks from a few Oakfield High School students!
Aly’s Picks:
Book: A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow
A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow is about two high school girls: Tavia, who is struggling to live her life secretly as a siren, and Effie, who is struggling with family problems. In the book, Tavia and Effie face racism and Tavia is being discriminated against for being a siren. As the book goes on, Tavia and Effie’s friendship and strength is tested. Strange things start happening to Effie, and both girls start trying to find out who they truly are. This book is about the fight for freedom, equality, and learning to love yourself for who you truly are.
Book: My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf
My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf is a graphic novel about Derf’s perspective on Jeffrey Dahmer’s childhood years and what going to school with Jeffery was like. Jeffrey Dahmer was an American serial killer, and Derf wrote the book to show some of the odd behaviors Jeff had as a child that could have led him to turn out the way he did. Jeff did things like killing animals, faking spastic tics and cerebral palsy, and he also got involved with substance abuse. Derf explained some of the things that might have also influenced Jeff including neglect, bullying, and mental health disorders. Overall the book runs through Jeff’s childhood and how he was perceived by others.
Savannah’s Pick:
Book: Words on Bathroom Walls by Julia Walton
Description: Adam was diagnosed with schizophrenia and is trying to navigate high school while dealing with it. He is put on a new drug all while trying to hide his illness from everyone around him. He meets Maya and desperately wants her to like him but he tries to hide his schizophrenia from her. When the drug starts to fail, so does his control on his life.
Why You Should Read It: This book really gives readers an insight of a teen with schizophrenia which is not largely talked about. It also teaches you about being honest with yourself and others about what you are going through. It is okay to let other people in because if they really care they won't look at you differently. Also, you can learn about accepting who you are, learning to deal with it, and working through it.
Natalie’s Pick:
All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven.
Finch is considered "weird" while Violet is "normal" but they meet unexpectedly. Throughout the book Finch struggles to stay "awake" and show Violet how the world can be seen differently. Each of them show each other a new way to view the world as they work on a project for class. I believe this is a great book to help understand untreated mental health issues. It shows the power of love and how it can change a person. Finally it also shows the struggles of suicide and how to cope with it.
Abby’s Pick:
The Darkest Part of The Forest by Holly Black
I would recommend the book The Darkest Part of The Forest by Holly Black. It takes place in a small tourist town that is also inhabited by fairies. Hazel and her older brother, Ben, are even friends with a Fairy named Jack. An event sets off a horrible monster on the town who is set on revenge and it's up to Hazel and her friends to save the town. The reason I would recommend this book is that the story is written so well that it makes it hard to put the book down. I loved the world it was in and the depth of the characters and the plot of the book as well. If you enjoy fantasy books such as The Mortal Instruments I would suggest reading this.
Aly’s Picks:
Book: A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow
A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow is about two high school girls: Tavia, who is struggling to live her life secretly as a siren, and Effie, who is struggling with family problems. In the book, Tavia and Effie face racism and Tavia is being discriminated against for being a siren. As the book goes on, Tavia and Effie’s friendship and strength is tested. Strange things start happening to Effie, and both girls start trying to find out who they truly are. This book is about the fight for freedom, equality, and learning to love yourself for who you truly are.
Book: My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf
My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf is a graphic novel about Derf’s perspective on Jeffrey Dahmer’s childhood years and what going to school with Jeffery was like. Jeffrey Dahmer was an American serial killer, and Derf wrote the book to show some of the odd behaviors Jeff had as a child that could have led him to turn out the way he did. Jeff did things like killing animals, faking spastic tics and cerebral palsy, and he also got involved with substance abuse. Derf explained some of the things that might have also influenced Jeff including neglect, bullying, and mental health disorders. Overall the book runs through Jeff’s childhood and how he was perceived by others.
Savannah’s Pick:
Book: Words on Bathroom Walls by Julia Walton
Description: Adam was diagnosed with schizophrenia and is trying to navigate high school while dealing with it. He is put on a new drug all while trying to hide his illness from everyone around him. He meets Maya and desperately wants her to like him but he tries to hide his schizophrenia from her. When the drug starts to fail, so does his control on his life.
Why You Should Read It: This book really gives readers an insight of a teen with schizophrenia which is not largely talked about. It also teaches you about being honest with yourself and others about what you are going through. It is okay to let other people in because if they really care they won't look at you differently. Also, you can learn about accepting who you are, learning to deal with it, and working through it.
Natalie’s Pick:
All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven.
Finch is considered "weird" while Violet is "normal" but they meet unexpectedly. Throughout the book Finch struggles to stay "awake" and show Violet how the world can be seen differently. Each of them show each other a new way to view the world as they work on a project for class. I believe this is a great book to help understand untreated mental health issues. It shows the power of love and how it can change a person. Finally it also shows the struggles of suicide and how to cope with it.
Abby’s Pick:
The Darkest Part of The Forest by Holly Black
I would recommend the book The Darkest Part of The Forest by Holly Black. It takes place in a small tourist town that is also inhabited by fairies. Hazel and her older brother, Ben, are even friends with a Fairy named Jack. An event sets off a horrible monster on the town who is set on revenge and it's up to Hazel and her friends to save the town. The reason I would recommend this book is that the story is written so well that it makes it hard to put the book down. I loved the world it was in and the depth of the characters and the plot of the book as well. If you enjoy fantasy books such as The Mortal Instruments I would suggest reading this.
Weekend Pick for October 22, 2021
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Flamer by Mike Curato
What would a month of weekend picks be without a graphic novel on the list?! This week’s pick is the graphic novel, Flamer by Mike Curato. In this novel, Aiden navigates the transition from middle school to high school while spending the summer at Boy Scout Camp and trying to figure out who he is. Aiden deals with bullies, both from school and at camp, and tries to forge friendships with fellow campers, particularly Elias, who is always on his mind. Flamer is an authentic story, based on Curato’s lived experiences, that every teenager should read. The challenges Aiden experiences are real, are difficult, and are so important to talk about. Curato uses the illustrations to amplify the importance of Aiden’s experiences, and as someone who did not share the same experiences, this book was eye-opening for me. This graphic novel is thought-provoking. It is important. It will be making its way to my future Young Adult Literature class as an option for high school students. |
Weekend Pick for October 15, 2021
Guest Pick: Emily Waisanen
Luck of the Titanic by Stacey Lee
This week, Trista took a break from writing her own Weekend Picks and passed the torch to her colleague and friend, Emily Waisanen. Emily teaches middle school ELA at Oakfield Middle School and is known throughout the district for her epic classroom library and solid Young Adult Literature recommendations. Enjoy Emily’s pick below!
Like most people, I am curious about stories regarding the Titanic. In fact, my first date with my then-boyfriend, now-husband was seeing Titanic in the movie theater way back in 1997. *Cue the penny whistle and Celine Dion.* So when Luck of the Titanic by Stacey Lee came out, I knew I had to read it. I had already read The Downstairs Girl by Lee and loved it! And although we’re not supposed to judge books by their appearances, after seeing this gorgeous cover, I knew I had to dive into this book next.
The story begins as the protagonist, Valora Luck, manages her way aboard the Titanic to find her twin brother, Jamie, who is working as crew member on the illustrious ship in the hopes that he will join her in America to embark on a new life and continue their acrobatic routine together. Once aboard the ship, however, Valora realizes her dreams for America might not come true as she finds out that she may not even be allowed into the United States due to the Chinese Exclusion Act which restricted Chinese immigrants. This problem looms as she tries to convince her skeptical brother about her plans.
What is amazing about this book is that unbeknownst to most people, there were actually eight Chinese men aboard the Titanic, all of them workers, and six of whom survived the sinking. Stacey Lee does an incredible job weaving fact and fiction together in a compelling story that will keep you invested even though, spoiler alert: the ship sinks! I appreciated learning about this well-known tragedy through the lens of a Chinese young woman. Lee’s writing is also some of the most stunning writing I have read in a while, and I found myself stopping to reread sentences that were so expertly crafted just to marvel at their beauty. This book is truly beautiful, inside and out.
Luck of the Titanic by Stacey Lee
This week, Trista took a break from writing her own Weekend Picks and passed the torch to her colleague and friend, Emily Waisanen. Emily teaches middle school ELA at Oakfield Middle School and is known throughout the district for her epic classroom library and solid Young Adult Literature recommendations. Enjoy Emily’s pick below!
Like most people, I am curious about stories regarding the Titanic. In fact, my first date with my then-boyfriend, now-husband was seeing Titanic in the movie theater way back in 1997. *Cue the penny whistle and Celine Dion.* So when Luck of the Titanic by Stacey Lee came out, I knew I had to read it. I had already read The Downstairs Girl by Lee and loved it! And although we’re not supposed to judge books by their appearances, after seeing this gorgeous cover, I knew I had to dive into this book next.
The story begins as the protagonist, Valora Luck, manages her way aboard the Titanic to find her twin brother, Jamie, who is working as crew member on the illustrious ship in the hopes that he will join her in America to embark on a new life and continue their acrobatic routine together. Once aboard the ship, however, Valora realizes her dreams for America might not come true as she finds out that she may not even be allowed into the United States due to the Chinese Exclusion Act which restricted Chinese immigrants. This problem looms as she tries to convince her skeptical brother about her plans.
What is amazing about this book is that unbeknownst to most people, there were actually eight Chinese men aboard the Titanic, all of them workers, and six of whom survived the sinking. Stacey Lee does an incredible job weaving fact and fiction together in a compelling story that will keep you invested even though, spoiler alert: the ship sinks! I appreciated learning about this well-known tragedy through the lens of a Chinese young woman. Lee’s writing is also some of the most stunning writing I have read in a while, and I found myself stopping to reread sentences that were so expertly crafted just to marvel at their beauty. This book is truly beautiful, inside and out.
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Weekend Pick for October 8, 2021
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Blackout by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, Nicola Yoon
Six incredible authors worked together in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic and brought us all some joy, love, and light in the midst of a darkness that I think we could all feel. This week’s pick is Blackout by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon. I know that anything by any of these authors is likely to be incredible, but put them all together, and it’s pure magic. The heat of summer leaves New York City in the darkness of a blackout, and really, anything can happen. Blackout tells six separate but somehow connected stories of Black love, adventure, and friendship. Characters encounter exes, reveal hidden truths, find new love, and learn about themselves and their city as they navigate the darkness. This was the perfect set of stories to find joy in the unexpected and a little bit of light in the dark. The experience of reading this book was just plain enjoyable. As each individual story came to a close, I wanted to know more about how those characters would continue, but I also couldn’t wait to meet the next. Once I started this one, I couldn’t put it down. This will remain high on my recommendation list for all students to read! 
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Weekend Pick for October 1, 2021
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Never Saw You Coming by Erin Hahn
This week’s pick is Never Saw You Coming by Erin Hahn, which came to me from a dear friend and fellow former-Yooper. My love for the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, especially the city of Marquette, runs as deep as the cold water of Lake Superior, and a YA book set in Marquette, Michigan quickly moved to the very top of my must-read list. As someone intimately familiar with Midwest and Yooper culture, this book felt like home from the very first page. The mentions of local landmarks and only slightly-changed business names brought me right to the streets of the quaint city on the shore of Lake Superior. The main characters, Meg and Micah, unexpectedly meet each other as they are each in the throes of some major soul-searching and personal battles. They come to each other with complicated pasts and a strong desire to find themselves, keep their faith, and navigate first love and its inevitable complications. The only complaint I have about my experience reading this book was that I wasn’t able to enjoy it from the shores of Lake Superior myself. |
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Weekend Picks for September 2021 by Steve Bickmore
Weekend Pick for September 24, 2021
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My final weekend pick for the month of September is The Edge of Anything by Nora Shalaway Carpenter. Talk about your tough breaks, Nora's novel had its debut in March of 2020. Landing when Covid-19 hit meant the canceling of a variety of promotional events. Fortunately, Nora found her way to the UNLV 2021 Summit. Many of us were introduced to her as she talked about her work as the editor of an anthology of YA stories, Rural Voices.
The Edge of Anything is a debut novel that deserves a healthy reboot. This novel introduces us to the troubled and intertwining worlds of Len and Sage. While this two women are aware of each other no one would expect them to find friendship or solace in one another's company. Sage is volleyball star who finds that her world is ripped apart due to medical condition. Len is a photographer with the ability to see and capture the beauty around her but can't "see" the reality of her own sadness nor wrestle realistically with her own mental condition. How do they find friendship when each is consumed with a terrible grief? Well, that is a story worth reading. Of course, Nora had continued unfortunate time with the October 2020 release of her anthology, Rural Voices. But when you consider it includes the likes of Joseph Bruchac, Ashley Hope Perez, David Bowles, Yamile Saied Méndez, and David Macinnis Gill, that should be enough to convince you to buy a copy. I was able to catch up when Nora and we had a wonderful conversation about The Edge of Anything, Rural Voices, and her other writing interests and plans. |
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Weekend Pick for September 17, 2021
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This week's pick is The Other Talk by Brendan Kiely. Brendan and I meet quite a few years ago. We found out that we had shared interest not only in literature and teaching, but in music as well. (If you like that connection, I strongly recommend another work by Brendan --The Last True Love Story. Maybe another day.)
The Other Talk is a work of nonfiction. In this text Brendan discuss the talk he or I never had with or parents. Yet, Brendan looks forward and tries to describe what that talk might include as he prepares to have it with his own son. Indeed, Brendan has been framing this talk for several years as he has traveled around the country talking with adolescents about race and white privilege. In short, get and read this book. Below you will find an "interview" that I recorded with Brendan. I put the word in quotes because it felt more like a conversation about our own feelings, concerns, and next steps. Please take time to listen. |
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Weekend Pick for September 10, 2021
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Sometimes you meet someone at exactly the right time. I met Alda as she and several others debut authors submitted a proposal for the 2021 UNLV Summit. As we evaluated proposals, it became clear that we wanted to provide them an opportunity to talk about their work in a panel format.
Alda became my unofficial contact with the group and we had several conversations. Her debut novel Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna hits books stores on Sept. 14, 2021. You should be on high alert for this book. It is fantastic. Not only was I engaged with the character and the plot, I found that I learned so much about the Mexican revolution. I am a fan of combining the goals of both the Social Studies and the English Language Arts Curriculum with historical YA fiction. This book provides the perfect opportunity. I jumped at the chance to interview Alda and find out more about her novel, her writing process, and some of her influences. She has an active intsagram account. Here is her handle @aldapdobbs and here is the link: https://www.instagram.com/aldapdobbs/ |
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Weekend Pick for September 3, 2021
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For the next four weeks I will be selecting the weekend picks and for three of those there will be an accompanying video interview. Today, I am starting with Padma Venkatraman’s newest book, Born Behind Bars. As many readers already know, I love Padma’s work. I think she gets better and better with every new book. This is another middle grade offering that builds on the power she displayed in The Bridge Home.
Once again, the book is set in her native home of India. Padma is quick to clarify that the characters are not drawn from her own personal experiences, but are clearly influenced by young people she witnessed and knew in a variety of settings. In both books, the adolescents are strong and resilient. They continue to move forward against a variety of obstacle—including the obstacles laid before them by adults who should know better and care more. Specifically, in Born Behind Bars, Padma tells the story of a young boy who was born while his mother was in prison. He only knows the world within the prison: the cells, the exercise yard, the other inmates and the guards. Eventually, he is too old to remain with his mother and will be released into the world -- in theory to family. Yet, he quickly releases that he must flee. This book is reminiscent of Victorian fiction that captures the trials, adventures, and perseverance of adolescent characters. It might also call to mind for some readers the Ragged Dick stories of Horatio Alger Jr. during the late 1800s. While these books are not of equal literary quality to either Dickens or Venkatraman, they were wildly popular and speak to the resilient nature of adolescents in turmoil. Padma, reminds us that these stories are not just fiction from a forgotten past. Children in the world are still subject to neglect, abandonment, and must often survive through their own ingenuity. While this is true in India and obviously in the war-torn countries of Afghanistan, Syria, Somalia, and Libya. One can indeed look closer to home. One of the values of reading Global fiction is the chance to view difficult realities from a distance, with a bit of detachment. At the same time, the reader might begin to make connections to events and situations closer to home. If they don’t, the teacher can guide students to connections that might help them contemplate the ways that adolescent might be suffering within our own borders—those who are here as immigrants or refugees and those who were born here, but who might be suffering unjustly at the hands of a justice system, poverty, or underfund school systems. Enjoy the interview. |
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Not only have Padma’s books been discussed a variety time on Dr. Bickmore’s YA Wednesday, she is also a valued contributor.
She has contributed the following post for the last several years.
http://www.yawednesday.com/weekly-posts/better-and-verse-by-padman-venkatraman
http://www.yawednesday.com/weekly-posts/germans-need-diverse-books-too-by-padman-venkatraman
http://www.yawednesday.com/weekly-posts/no-problem-with-problem-books-by-padma-venkatraman
http://www.yawednesday.com/weekly-posts/why-the-white-houses-decision-to-cut-funding-for-diversity-training-workshops-should-upset-educators-everywhere-in-our-nation-by-padma-venkatraman
She has contributed the following post for the last several years.
http://www.yawednesday.com/weekly-posts/better-and-verse-by-padman-venkatraman
http://www.yawednesday.com/weekly-posts/germans-need-diverse-books-too-by-padman-venkatraman
http://www.yawednesday.com/weekly-posts/no-problem-with-problem-books-by-padma-venkatraman
http://www.yawednesday.com/weekly-posts/why-the-white-houses-decision-to-cut-funding-for-diversity-training-workshops-should-upset-educators-everywhere-in-our-nation-by-padma-venkatraman
Weekend Picks for August 2021 by Sean Kottke
Weekend pick for August 27, 2021
Later by Stephen King
As this month of weekend picks blogging comes to a close, I want to step back into my own life as a young adult reader. I was voracious, indiscriminate in my genre preferences, blessed with indulgent parents and fortunate to have easy access to a well-curated school library, an expanding public library, and a great independent bookstore (shout-outs to Thelma Capps, librarian at Cumberland Elementary School; Nick Schenkel, Director of the West Lafayette Public Library; and Von’s Books, an anchor of continuity in the changing landscape of Chauncey Village). As I swam endlessly in that great sea of bibliophilia, one author captivated my imagination like no other and has held me enraptured for forty years: Stephen King.
I know my experience is not at all unique. Almost everywhere I’ve ever gone, I’ve been surrounded by fellow Constant Readers who caught the King fever in those early adolescent years, and I take full responsibility for having passed that fever on to many new Constant Readers. It’s in that spirit that I turn the spotlight to one of King’s newest novels, Later, his third title to be featured under the Hard Case Crime imprint, and for me the most satisfying of them.
“I don’t think the world starts to come into focus until you’re fifteen or sixteen,” writes our protagonist and narrator, Jamie Conklin. “Up until then you just take what you’ve got and roll with it.” And what Jamie has to roll with is a doozy. You don’t have to spend much time with King’s works to discover that children with extraordinary abilities are more the rule than the exception at the heart of his fictional universe. Jamie’s gift is that he can see dead people, and has been able to from before his understanding of the concepts of alive and dead came into focus.
Now, if you think you’ve seen this story before, trust me: you haven’t. Once Jamie understands what he is able to do, he uses that power to help out the careers of his mother, a literary agent and single mother struggling to make ends meet, and her friend, a detective with the NYPD. This being a Hard Case Crime novel, there is a twisty crime to solve, and this being a horror novel, things don’t exactly proceed by the book. King has done coming of age before; after all, he started his career with Carrie, and his novella The Body was the basis for the quintessential coming of age movie, Stand By Me. However, with resonances across the universe of Stephen King’s fiction, Later sticks the landing in fresh territory at the intersection of a crime novel, a horror novel, and a coming of age novel that King hasn’t explored before.
This is a prime cut of King writing, as enjoyable to this adult Constant Reader as it would have been to the young adult Constant Reader that got hooked by the story of a demonically possessed Plymouth Fury. Jamie writes, “You get used to marvelous things. You take them for granted. You can try not to, but you do. There’s too much wonder, that’s all. It’s everywhere.” As observed often in the books profiled in this blog, so much of coming of age involves grappling with the horrors of the world and becoming inured by such experience to a degree that the marvelous becomes the mundane. For as many dark and horrible places Stephen King has taken me, I do have to credit him for keeping that spark of wonder alive in my imagination all these years and keeping my eyes open to the wonder all around us.
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Weekend pick for August 20, 2021
How We Fall Apart and Last Gamer Standing by Katie Zhao
This week, I’m pleased to share two new books from Katie Zhao, an excitingly versatile new voice in young adult fiction from the Great Lakes State (and a graduate of my alma mater – Go Blue!). Her first two novels, The Dragon Warrior and its sequel, The Fallen Hero, are middle-grades fantasy novels deeply rooted in Chinese mythology and Chinese-American culture. Her next two books, this month’s How We Fall Apart and Last Gamer Standing, carry Zhao’s concerns with representation – and misrepresentation – of Chinese-American culture into the genres of psychological thriller and science fiction, respectively.
In How We Fall Apart, the world of junior honors student Nancy Luo and her circle of friends is shaken by the murder of alpha-female Jamie Ruan. Their grief turns to terror as they become the targets of social media taunting by a mysterious figure known as The Proctor, who threatens to expose a series of dark secrets about Nancy and her friends to everyone at the elite Richard Sinclair Preparatory School, where Nancy learned that “being a good girl and being the best were often mutually exclusive.” It’s a race against time to figure out who The Proctor is, what their motives are, and who killed Jamie.
While the story has obvious parallels to a certain blockbuster series set in a Manhattan prep school, Zhao breaks fresh ground in exploring intersectional nuances of racial and class identity among its Chinese-American protagonists. “No matter where I went – school or Chinatown or even home – I could never quite shake the feeling of being different,” writes Nancy. “Foreign and unwanted and unwelcome,” Nancy is a scholarship student at Sinclair Prep and the child of working-class immigrants, “studying and pushing and clawing along the path my parents bled for me.” Her mother kept house for Jamie’s wealthy family until they were scandalized by Mr. Ruan’s arrest for embezzlement. Both girls struggle with saving face, experiencing “no lonelier feeling in the world than having people stare at you all the time, but nobody truly seeing you.” This tension fuels the novel’s suspense, as key moments from their past relationship are gradually revealed and Nancy comes to understand the American dream that both families chased for their daughters’ benefit has been “a sham built upon lies and broken bodies.”
On the surface, next month’s sci-fi e-sports adventure Last Gamer Standing couldn’t seem more different from the world of How We Fall Apart, yet it explores similar themes of class and race identity in a hypercompetitive environment. Sixth grader Reyna Cheng is a highly skilled player of Dayhold, a battle-royale style video game. Her gameworld identity is TheRuiNar, and she’s qualified to enter the Junior Dayhold Tournament to compete for $10,000 and a shot at becoming a professional e-sports athlete. Like Nancy Luo, Reyna Cheng is an outsider in her milieu: working class, female, and Chinese-American in the elite, White male-dominated world of competitive gaming. Also like Nancy, someone is threatening to reveal Reyna’s secrets, exposing her true identity to a toxically misogynistic and racist population of gamers who can wreck Reyna’s dreams of glory in e-sports as well as her life outside of the gaming world.
Look for How We Fall Apart this month and Last Gamer Standing in September!
This week, I’m pleased to share two new books from Katie Zhao, an excitingly versatile new voice in young adult fiction from the Great Lakes State (and a graduate of my alma mater – Go Blue!). Her first two novels, The Dragon Warrior and its sequel, The Fallen Hero, are middle-grades fantasy novels deeply rooted in Chinese mythology and Chinese-American culture. Her next two books, this month’s How We Fall Apart and Last Gamer Standing, carry Zhao’s concerns with representation – and misrepresentation – of Chinese-American culture into the genres of psychological thriller and science fiction, respectively.
In How We Fall Apart, the world of junior honors student Nancy Luo and her circle of friends is shaken by the murder of alpha-female Jamie Ruan. Their grief turns to terror as they become the targets of social media taunting by a mysterious figure known as The Proctor, who threatens to expose a series of dark secrets about Nancy and her friends to everyone at the elite Richard Sinclair Preparatory School, where Nancy learned that “being a good girl and being the best were often mutually exclusive.” It’s a race against time to figure out who The Proctor is, what their motives are, and who killed Jamie.
While the story has obvious parallels to a certain blockbuster series set in a Manhattan prep school, Zhao breaks fresh ground in exploring intersectional nuances of racial and class identity among its Chinese-American protagonists. “No matter where I went – school or Chinatown or even home – I could never quite shake the feeling of being different,” writes Nancy. “Foreign and unwanted and unwelcome,” Nancy is a scholarship student at Sinclair Prep and the child of working-class immigrants, “studying and pushing and clawing along the path my parents bled for me.” Her mother kept house for Jamie’s wealthy family until they were scandalized by Mr. Ruan’s arrest for embezzlement. Both girls struggle with saving face, experiencing “no lonelier feeling in the world than having people stare at you all the time, but nobody truly seeing you.” This tension fuels the novel’s suspense, as key moments from their past relationship are gradually revealed and Nancy comes to understand the American dream that both families chased for their daughters’ benefit has been “a sham built upon lies and broken bodies.”
On the surface, next month’s sci-fi e-sports adventure Last Gamer Standing couldn’t seem more different from the world of How We Fall Apart, yet it explores similar themes of class and race identity in a hypercompetitive environment. Sixth grader Reyna Cheng is a highly skilled player of Dayhold, a battle-royale style video game. Her gameworld identity is TheRuiNar, and she’s qualified to enter the Junior Dayhold Tournament to compete for $10,000 and a shot at becoming a professional e-sports athlete. Like Nancy Luo, Reyna Cheng is an outsider in her milieu: working class, female, and Chinese-American in the elite, White male-dominated world of competitive gaming. Also like Nancy, someone is threatening to reveal Reyna’s secrets, exposing her true identity to a toxically misogynistic and racist population of gamers who can wreck Reyna’s dreams of glory in e-sports as well as her life outside of the gaming world.
Look for How We Fall Apart this month and Last Gamer Standing in September!
Weekend pick for August 13, 2021
From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry: The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial that Galvanized the Asian American Movement, by Paula Yoo
Thirty-nine years ago, Vincent Chin was beaten to death by two white men in the middle of Woodward Avenue in Highland Park, Michigan, a city enveloped by Detroit. Just days away from his wedding day, Chin and his friends were holding an impromptu bachelor party at a local nightclub. An argument with two other customers turned violent, and quickly spilled out into the parking lot. Chin held his own against his attackers before one brandished a baseball bat. Chin ran for his safety, but the attackers tracked him down, renewed their assault, and finally ended it by “pounding him in the head like he was hitting a golf ball,” as a police officer who witnessed the attack described the scene (p. 13).
In this new account of the killing and the subsequent criminal and civil rights trials for YA readers, Paula Yoo contextualizes Chin’s death within the history of the Asian American community in Detroit and the subsequent surge in Asian American political activism in Michigan and beyond. Yoo’s reconstruction of Chin’s death in the book’s early chapters is vivid and deeply unsettling, yet it is what comes after that is the focus for the bulk of the book. A community that had been frequently scapegoated and vilified by white Americans throughout the 20th century, Asian Americans experienced acute prejudice in the Detroit area in the early 1980s, as American automakers lost significant ground to Japanese companies and the region suffered economic downturns. Years of suffering in silence yielded to palpable anger as Asian Americans across the country connected in common cause to take on systemic anti-Asian racism in the American justice system, grotesquely exemplified by the initial trial and sentencing of Vincent Chin’s assailants.
With the alarming spike in anti-Asian racism and violence in the United States in 2020, this book could not be more timely. The book is framed by the story of Jarod Lew, the son of Vincent Chin’s fiancée Vikki Wong, who did not learn of the killing or his mother’s connection to the victim until 2012. Lew’s investigation into the past mirrors that of the reader, for whom the killing of Vincent Chin may be either long forgotten or never learned. Yoo’s book was a revelation for me, too, sparking equal parts outrage and inspiration. It is an essential #ownvoices contribution to the library documenting the contemporary Asian American experience. Complementary titles that I engaged with alongside From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry to deepen my understanding include Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning, by Cathy Park Hong, and Cyclopedia Exotica, by Aminder Dhaliwal.
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Weekend pick for August 6, 2021
4 Kids Walk Into a Bank, by Tyler Boss, Thomas Mauer, and Matthew Rosenberg
Ah, to be twelve again! Not old enough for a summer job, yet just old enough to have gobs of unstructured, unsupervised time outside of school hours, a kid could get into all sorts of mischief with the right combination of means, motive, opportunity, and coconspirators. My brother and I recently swapped tales of quixotic pre-adolescent futzing around, and I blushed to learn about some of the previously unknown-to-me capers he and his friends pulled off. However, all of that pales in comparison to what the titular four kids of this limited comic series cook up.
To be fair, tomboy Paige, shy science whiz Walter, tall awkward Stretch, and Jonah Hill/Booger stand-in Berger don’t set out to be superbad. They’d prefer to spend their days slaying dragons, fighting zombies, and racing customized battle-mobiles across the role playing and videogame multiverse, out of sight from jocks, bullies, and parental units. However, their world has other designs for them, as a quartet of self-described “bad guys” with mysterious connections to Paige’s father intrude. It’s no spoiler to say that Paige and her friends soon conclude that they have no other choice but to rob a bank to get their lives back to normal, and, of course, nothing goes entirely according to plan.
The text and art throughout all five issues that comprise this series are chock full of pop culture Easter eggs, with the most delightful revolving around notable comic authors and artists. Visual call-outs to some of the coolest work in contemporary comics abound, complemented by the knowing and pitch-perfect dialogue of twelve-year-olds who’ve consumed their fair share of crime and adventure narratives. Just check out the copious pages of alternative covers in the back matter of the collected edition to get a sense of the scope of the homage. The rich intertextuality of 4 Kids Walk Into a Bank makes for a fun spot-the-allusion parlor game, and it all blends together seamlessly into a rollicking crime story.
I picked up this book on a lunchtime stroll with a colleague to our local downtown comic shop, and if you have access to such a store in your community, I encourage you to check it out. And if you like 4 Kids Walk Into a Bank, head on back for some other great stories comic stories of crime and coming of age:
Ah, to be twelve again! Not old enough for a summer job, yet just old enough to have gobs of unstructured, unsupervised time outside of school hours, a kid could get into all sorts of mischief with the right combination of means, motive, opportunity, and coconspirators. My brother and I recently swapped tales of quixotic pre-adolescent futzing around, and I blushed to learn about some of the previously unknown-to-me capers he and his friends pulled off. However, all of that pales in comparison to what the titular four kids of this limited comic series cook up.
To be fair, tomboy Paige, shy science whiz Walter, tall awkward Stretch, and Jonah Hill/Booger stand-in Berger don’t set out to be superbad. They’d prefer to spend their days slaying dragons, fighting zombies, and racing customized battle-mobiles across the role playing and videogame multiverse, out of sight from jocks, bullies, and parental units. However, their world has other designs for them, as a quartet of self-described “bad guys” with mysterious connections to Paige’s father intrude. It’s no spoiler to say that Paige and her friends soon conclude that they have no other choice but to rob a bank to get their lives back to normal, and, of course, nothing goes entirely according to plan.
The text and art throughout all five issues that comprise this series are chock full of pop culture Easter eggs, with the most delightful revolving around notable comic authors and artists. Visual call-outs to some of the coolest work in contemporary comics abound, complemented by the knowing and pitch-perfect dialogue of twelve-year-olds who’ve consumed their fair share of crime and adventure narratives. Just check out the copious pages of alternative covers in the back matter of the collected edition to get a sense of the scope of the homage. The rich intertextuality of 4 Kids Walk Into a Bank makes for a fun spot-the-allusion parlor game, and it all blends together seamlessly into a rollicking crime story.
I picked up this book on a lunchtime stroll with a colleague to our local downtown comic shop, and if you have access to such a store in your community, I encourage you to check it out. And if you like 4 Kids Walk Into a Bank, head on back for some other great stories comic stories of crime and coming of age:
- Hawkeye, Vol 1: My Life as a Weapon, by Matt Fraction and David Aja
- Cruel Summer, by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips
- Paper Girls, Vol 1, by Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang
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Weekend Picks for June 2021 by Katie Sluiter
Weekend pick for July 30, 2021
The Mysterious Benedict Society series by Trenton Lee Stewart
“You must remember, family is often born of blood, but it doesn't depend on blood. Nor is it exclusive of friendship. Family members can be your best friends, you know. And best friends, whether or not they are related to you, can be your family.”
For my final weekend pick this month, I am going with the series that I have been reading aloud to my sons (Eddie is a 12-year-old rising 7th grader and Charlie is a 9-year-old rising 4th grader) before bed.
Trenton Lee Stewart’s series is one I have had in my classroom library for sometime, but has been rarely picked up by my students.The books are LONG and not very new and shiny-looking. For most kids who are still trying to find who they are as readers, they are not going to grab the series with the thickest books on the shelf.
But the books are wonderfully delightful and after four titles, my sons and I are fully committed to these characters.
Reynie, Sticky, Kate, and Constance don’t know each other, but they all somehow find themselves passing a series of very strange tests that lead them to Nicholas Benedict and his plan to save the world from an evil plot that is afoot. In the first book, the kids pose as students at an institute that brainwashes people. They act as spies to take down the evil Mr. Curtain who plans to brainwash--or memory sweep--the entire world.
And the adventures continue in the second and third books getting more and more dangerous and adventurous. The fourth book in the series acts as a prequel, going back to the time when Nicholas Benedict was a nine-year-old orphan himself. We are now starting the fifth and final book that brings Reynie, Sticky, Kate, and Constance back together again along with a new member of the society. We are super excited to go on this last adventure.
This is more than a weekend read since there are 5 books in the series, but I still recommend it as a delightful family read aloud!
“You must remember, family is often born of blood, but it doesn't depend on blood. Nor is it exclusive of friendship. Family members can be your best friends, you know. And best friends, whether or not they are related to you, can be your family.”
For my final weekend pick this month, I am going with the series that I have been reading aloud to my sons (Eddie is a 12-year-old rising 7th grader and Charlie is a 9-year-old rising 4th grader) before bed.
Trenton Lee Stewart’s series is one I have had in my classroom library for sometime, but has been rarely picked up by my students.The books are LONG and not very new and shiny-looking. For most kids who are still trying to find who they are as readers, they are not going to grab the series with the thickest books on the shelf.
But the books are wonderfully delightful and after four titles, my sons and I are fully committed to these characters.
Reynie, Sticky, Kate, and Constance don’t know each other, but they all somehow find themselves passing a series of very strange tests that lead them to Nicholas Benedict and his plan to save the world from an evil plot that is afoot. In the first book, the kids pose as students at an institute that brainwashes people. They act as spies to take down the evil Mr. Curtain who plans to brainwash--or memory sweep--the entire world.
And the adventures continue in the second and third books getting more and more dangerous and adventurous. The fourth book in the series acts as a prequel, going back to the time when Nicholas Benedict was a nine-year-old orphan himself. We are now starting the fifth and final book that brings Reynie, Sticky, Kate, and Constance back together again along with a new member of the society. We are super excited to go on this last adventure.
This is more than a weekend read since there are 5 books in the series, but I still recommend it as a delightful family read aloud!
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Weekend pick for July 23, 2021
Yellow Star by Jennifer Roy
“Bright colors don’t exist in the ghetto, except for the yellow stars and puddles of red blood that we carefully step around. ‘More shootings,’ says Papa quietly. His face is gray.”
As I stated a couple weekends ago, I read a lot of YA and MG Holocaust lit during my Holocaust studies class trying to find just the right text for my 8th graders. Yellow Star by Jennifer Roy is the winner.
Jennifer Roy tells the story through the eyes of her aunt Sylvia, called Syvia during her childhood in Poland. Syvia’s family was part of the 270,000 Jews forced into the Łódź ghetto in 1939.. She was four-and-a-half years old when her family entered, and one of only twelve children (800 total ) alive when the ghetto was liberated the day before her tenth birthday in 1945.
The novel is written in free verse and reflects the impressions of the horrors of the ghetto from a child’s point of view. The innocence, naivety, and fear are real and thoughtfully written to give an accurate portrayal of this part of the Holocaust, while be accessible without being traumatic for middle grade readers.
It is beautifully heartbreaking and incredibly important for everyone to bear witness to.
“Bright colors don’t exist in the ghetto, except for the yellow stars and puddles of red blood that we carefully step around. ‘More shootings,’ says Papa quietly. His face is gray.”
As I stated a couple weekends ago, I read a lot of YA and MG Holocaust lit during my Holocaust studies class trying to find just the right text for my 8th graders. Yellow Star by Jennifer Roy is the winner.
Jennifer Roy tells the story through the eyes of her aunt Sylvia, called Syvia during her childhood in Poland. Syvia’s family was part of the 270,000 Jews forced into the Łódź ghetto in 1939.. She was four-and-a-half years old when her family entered, and one of only twelve children (800 total ) alive when the ghetto was liberated the day before her tenth birthday in 1945.
The novel is written in free verse and reflects the impressions of the horrors of the ghetto from a child’s point of view. The innocence, naivety, and fear are real and thoughtfully written to give an accurate portrayal of this part of the Holocaust, while be accessible without being traumatic for middle grade readers.
It is beautifully heartbreaking and incredibly important for everyone to bear witness to.
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Weekend pick for July 16, 2021
BenBee and the Teacher Griefer by K.A. Holt
Once upon a time at an NCTE conference in Baltimore, I had the distinct privilege to have a small dinner with author KA Holt along with two other colleagues. I do not have a photo from this dinner because we were so preoccupied with talking about life, eating oysters on the half shell, and discussing middle school students to even think about photos. It’s my only regret from that evening.
I was embarrassed to admit I had not read her work before meeting her. My 8th graders had, so the next day I took my freshly signed copy of Redwood & Ponytail out on the plane ride home and read it cover to cover. I had a new favorite author.
When BenBee and the Teacher Griefer was announced, I preordered it and read it through TWICE. My 6th grade son then read through it with giggles.
Sidenote: he now says “shirtballs” often and I just roll my eyes because it’s SO MIDDLE SCHOOL.
KA Holt is someone who gets middle school kids in a way that no other author has. BenBee is the perfect example. It is the first in the Kids Under the Stairs series and it is written in verse, drawings, and stream of consciousness depending on which character is narrating.
BenBee focuses mostly on Ben Bellows, who has failed the ELA portion of the Florida State Assessment three times, and three of his classmates who are in the same boat and now have to attend a summer school class. Their teacher, Mrs. J, doesn’t call them dumb; she calls them “divergent thinkers” and she makes a deal with them that if they read, she will let them teach her their favorite videogame, Sandbox (think Minecraft).
Holt writes each character exactly as they are creating an engaging, hilarious, and lovely narrative about four kids learning to love themselves for who they are.
This is a great porch read that you can finish in one sitting if you can turn off all your other obligations for a day!
Once upon a time at an NCTE conference in Baltimore, I had the distinct privilege to have a small dinner with author KA Holt along with two other colleagues. I do not have a photo from this dinner because we were so preoccupied with talking about life, eating oysters on the half shell, and discussing middle school students to even think about photos. It’s my only regret from that evening.
I was embarrassed to admit I had not read her work before meeting her. My 8th graders had, so the next day I took my freshly signed copy of Redwood & Ponytail out on the plane ride home and read it cover to cover. I had a new favorite author.
When BenBee and the Teacher Griefer was announced, I preordered it and read it through TWICE. My 6th grade son then read through it with giggles.
Sidenote: he now says “shirtballs” often and I just roll my eyes because it’s SO MIDDLE SCHOOL.
KA Holt is someone who gets middle school kids in a way that no other author has. BenBee is the perfect example. It is the first in the Kids Under the Stairs series and it is written in verse, drawings, and stream of consciousness depending on which character is narrating.
BenBee focuses mostly on Ben Bellows, who has failed the ELA portion of the Florida State Assessment three times, and three of his classmates who are in the same boat and now have to attend a summer school class. Their teacher, Mrs. J, doesn’t call them dumb; she calls them “divergent thinkers” and she makes a deal with them that if they read, she will let them teach her their favorite videogame, Sandbox (think Minecraft).
Holt writes each character exactly as they are creating an engaging, hilarious, and lovely narrative about four kids learning to love themselves for who they are.
This is a great porch read that you can finish in one sitting if you can turn off all your other obligations for a day!
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Weekend pick for July 9, 2021
What the Night Sings by Vesper Stamper
“We lived in music. We buttered our bread with it” (chapter 6).
During spring semester I read around thirteen young adult and middle grade Holocaust books. My professor (Dr. Jonathan Bush) encouraged us to really personalize our final project for the graduate class I was taking, Holocaust Studies in English Language Arts. I wanted to create a unit of study for my 8th graders with a whole-class anchor text, so I assigned myself as many texts as I could squeeze into the couple months I had to develop the unit.
Because of the deep immersion in all things Holocaust, I can tell you, there are not many texts (written for any age) that deal with the liberation of the camps and what happened after.
Not only does What the Night Sings begin at the time of liberation, it beautifully weaves the power of music throughout the protagonist Gerta’s life--past, present, and future.
Before their imprisonment, Gerta is classically trained to sing Opera by her stepmother and is taking lessons on the viola by her father. She and her father are taken and Gerta loses everything--including her father and her home--during the course of the war. The novel begins with the liberation of the Bergen-Bergen camp where Gerta has been part of the women’s orchestra playing her father’s viola when new prisoners arrive and are separated into the camp or the “showers”. The novel is more about Gerta regaining her personhood than it is about rescue.
While fictional, the novel has been lauded by the Jewish Book Council and is a Golden Kite Award winner.
I did not choose this one as my 8th grade class novel, but if I taught high school--especially 11th or 12th who would already have read Night by Elie Wiesel and studied genocide and the Holocaust in 10th grade, this would have been my clear pick.
This illustrated novel is hefty and maybe not for your beach bag, but would make the perfect book to curl up with in a chair and a cup of tea this weekend.
“We lived in music. We buttered our bread with it” (chapter 6).
During spring semester I read around thirteen young adult and middle grade Holocaust books. My professor (Dr. Jonathan Bush) encouraged us to really personalize our final project for the graduate class I was taking, Holocaust Studies in English Language Arts. I wanted to create a unit of study for my 8th graders with a whole-class anchor text, so I assigned myself as many texts as I could squeeze into the couple months I had to develop the unit.
Because of the deep immersion in all things Holocaust, I can tell you, there are not many texts (written for any age) that deal with the liberation of the camps and what happened after.
Not only does What the Night Sings begin at the time of liberation, it beautifully weaves the power of music throughout the protagonist Gerta’s life--past, present, and future.
Before their imprisonment, Gerta is classically trained to sing Opera by her stepmother and is taking lessons on the viola by her father. She and her father are taken and Gerta loses everything--including her father and her home--during the course of the war. The novel begins with the liberation of the Bergen-Bergen camp where Gerta has been part of the women’s orchestra playing her father’s viola when new prisoners arrive and are separated into the camp or the “showers”. The novel is more about Gerta regaining her personhood than it is about rescue.
While fictional, the novel has been lauded by the Jewish Book Council and is a Golden Kite Award winner.
I did not choose this one as my 8th grade class novel, but if I taught high school--especially 11th or 12th who would already have read Night by Elie Wiesel and studied genocide and the Holocaust in 10th grade, this would have been my clear pick.
This illustrated novel is hefty and maybe not for your beach bag, but would make the perfect book to curl up with in a chair and a cup of tea this weekend.
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Weekend pick for July 2, 2021
Everything Sad is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri
“All Persians are liars and lying is a sin. That’s what the kids in Mrs. Miller’s class think, but I’m the only Persian they’ve ever met, so I don’t know where they got that idea.”
Khosrou (whom everyone calls Daniel) is a storyteller and his audience is his middle school classmates, his English teacher, and you. His story weaves together Persian legend with his family’s escape from Iran with his current life in Oklahoma. It is Daniel’s true story even when you think it’s all made up.
This book arrived in my book box from ALAN and I quickly set it at the top of my To Read pile. I read with my 8th graders every time we have silent reading in class, and there were days when I was so entranced by Nayeri’s storytelling, that I almost fell out of my seat when our timer went off indicating reading was over for the class period. My 8th graders happened to be learning to identify similes and personification in writing, and Nayeri gave me hundreds of mentor sentences for them:
“He handed Gert a stack of money as thick as a novel” (163).
“It [pee] spread across the floor looking for something to soak” (164).
“The rolling bags scattered like pool balls” (164).
The richness of Nayeri’s words will nourish you in ways you didn’t know you needed to be fed. Enjoy this book with a tall glass of ice cold lemonade in a comfortable chair outdoors.
“All Persians are liars and lying is a sin. That’s what the kids in Mrs. Miller’s class think, but I’m the only Persian they’ve ever met, so I don’t know where they got that idea.”
Khosrou (whom everyone calls Daniel) is a storyteller and his audience is his middle school classmates, his English teacher, and you. His story weaves together Persian legend with his family’s escape from Iran with his current life in Oklahoma. It is Daniel’s true story even when you think it’s all made up.
This book arrived in my book box from ALAN and I quickly set it at the top of my To Read pile. I read with my 8th graders every time we have silent reading in class, and there were days when I was so entranced by Nayeri’s storytelling, that I almost fell out of my seat when our timer went off indicating reading was over for the class period. My 8th graders happened to be learning to identify similes and personification in writing, and Nayeri gave me hundreds of mentor sentences for them:
“He handed Gert a stack of money as thick as a novel” (163).
“It [pee] spread across the floor looking for something to soak” (164).
“The rolling bags scattered like pool balls” (164).
The richness of Nayeri’s words will nourish you in ways you didn’t know you needed to be fed. Enjoy this book with a tall glass of ice cold lemonade in a comfortable chair outdoors.
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Weekend Picks for June 2021 by Emily Pendergrass
Weekend pick for June 25, 2021
Rules for Being a Girl by Candace Bushnell and Katie Cotugno
I found Rules for Being a Girl during this past year. When I say found, I literally mean I found it. I was on a walk with my new puppy, and a neighbor has a little library in her yard. One afternoon I was walking by and this book was laying on the ground next to the library. I picked it up thought the title was interesting and carried it home.
This dynamic writing team delivers a powerful gut check on the complexities of defining what it means to be a girl when a person makes unwanted advances. The unwritten rules of being a girl including self-blaming after an assault are explored through Marin’s point of view. What if the person is a teacher? What if no one believes you? How does a girl fight back, find allies, and rewrite the rules?
I found Rules for Being a Girl during this past year. When I say found, I literally mean I found it. I was on a walk with my new puppy, and a neighbor has a little library in her yard. One afternoon I was walking by and this book was laying on the ground next to the library. I picked it up thought the title was interesting and carried it home.
This dynamic writing team delivers a powerful gut check on the complexities of defining what it means to be a girl when a person makes unwanted advances. The unwritten rules of being a girl including self-blaming after an assault are explored through Marin’s point of view. What if the person is a teacher? What if no one believes you? How does a girl fight back, find allies, and rewrite the rules?
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Weekend pick for June 18, 2021
Lobizona by Romina Garber
Inspired by Argentinian folklore, Lobizona is an incisive look at life as an undocumented
immigrant in the US. Hiding from both mobsters and ICE, Manu spends most of her days holed
up in an apartment in Miami, until one day she escapes to a world of witches and werewolves.
“If you’re undocumented, you’re unwritten” (273) is a gut-punching quote as Manu tries to
navigate living as undocumented/unwritten and very confused about who she is and we think
about all of what is happening in the US currently. I’d love to spend time unpacking that one
quote with students and teachers.
It’s hard to believe that I’m combining these two series for a recommendation, but if you liked
Harry Potter and The Handmaids Tale then Lobizona is the book for you. So follow some advice
from the novel and “go forth and shatter every convention” (236).
Inspired by Argentinian folklore, Lobizona is an incisive look at life as an undocumented
immigrant in the US. Hiding from both mobsters and ICE, Manu spends most of her days holed
up in an apartment in Miami, until one day she escapes to a world of witches and werewolves.
“If you’re undocumented, you’re unwritten” (273) is a gut-punching quote as Manu tries to
navigate living as undocumented/unwritten and very confused about who she is and we think
about all of what is happening in the US currently. I’d love to spend time unpacking that one
quote with students and teachers.
It’s hard to believe that I’m combining these two series for a recommendation, but if you liked
Harry Potter and The Handmaids Tale then Lobizona is the book for you. So follow some advice
from the novel and “go forth and shatter every convention” (236).
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Weekend pick for June 11, 2021
Flight of the Puffin by Ann Braden
I loved Ann Braden’s Benefits of Being an Octopus so when this one hit the shelves in early May, I couldn’t wait to dive in. Flight of the Puffin is the new Wonder. This middle grades novel explores how we don’t have to follow the paths and choices of our family members, if we don’t want to. Libby, the main character, seeks to break away from her family’s legacy of bullying to share kindness instead. Libby writes small messages on notecards and leaves them around town in the hopes that others’ days might be brightened. Her small acts of kindness start to spread beyond the town!
Other issues are explored throughout the novel that are artfully and carefully considered: the struggles of funding in a small school, supporting LGBT+ students in the decisions we make, navigating social class norms, and so much more. This book is all about learning to be a kind human, and you will not want it to end!
I loved Ann Braden’s Benefits of Being an Octopus so when this one hit the shelves in early May, I couldn’t wait to dive in. Flight of the Puffin is the new Wonder. This middle grades novel explores how we don’t have to follow the paths and choices of our family members, if we don’t want to. Libby, the main character, seeks to break away from her family’s legacy of bullying to share kindness instead. Libby writes small messages on notecards and leaves them around town in the hopes that others’ days might be brightened. Her small acts of kindness start to spread beyond the town!
Other issues are explored throughout the novel that are artfully and carefully considered: the struggles of funding in a small school, supporting LGBT+ students in the decisions we make, navigating social class norms, and so much more. This book is all about learning to be a kind human, and you will not want it to end!
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Weekend pick for June 4, 2021
Internment by Samira Ahmed
“The scariest monsters are the ones that seem most like you.”
This book fell in my lap this spring, and I devoured it in one sitting. Internment by Samira Ahmed provides a scary view of a near-future United States where Muslims are forced into internment camps. This dystopian text critiques contemporary society by examining a what-if scenario. What if you could be imprisoned because of your religion? What if an excluded religion member dates a member of another religion? What if your neighbors where silent in the face of your imprisonment and were therefore complicit?
There is so much to unpack with this book and so many questions are raised. I’ve shared it with many teachers and encourage they include it in the classroom libraries and/or consider using it with their students. For an interesting twist on dystopian literature, pick this one up this weekend.
“The scariest monsters are the ones that seem most like you.”
This book fell in my lap this spring, and I devoured it in one sitting. Internment by Samira Ahmed provides a scary view of a near-future United States where Muslims are forced into internment camps. This dystopian text critiques contemporary society by examining a what-if scenario. What if you could be imprisoned because of your religion? What if an excluded religion member dates a member of another religion? What if your neighbors where silent in the face of your imprisonment and were therefore complicit?
There is so much to unpack with this book and so many questions are raised. I’ve shared it with many teachers and encourage they include it in the classroom libraries and/or consider using it with their students. For an interesting twist on dystopian literature, pick this one up this weekend.
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Weekend Picks for May 2021 by Steve Bickmore
Weekend pick for May 28, 2021
Girls Save the World in This One by Ash Parson
Do you need a good read for a trip? Do you need something that let’s you winded down from a year of teaching? Do you love genre fiction? Would like a light-hearted Zombie story where the girls are heroines and the focus of the narrative? The Girls Save the World in This One is for you.
I threw this book in my travel bag, because the cover caught my eye. I kept it there because, well, because I have been following the Walking Dead franchise from the beginning. This book was just the ticket. I found that I read it very quickly. It felt prefect in light of the isolation we have all been experiencing. Is it safe to go out into big crowds? Can we go to conventions? Do we trust other people to make sure they are safe and are committed to keep other safe?
Who do we turn to in midst of a Zombie apocalypse? Do we let the petty squabbles among friends keep us apart or do we quickly reconcile? I loved this wonderful romp through a Zombie Convention in the midst of a real infections breakout.
Do you need a good read for a trip? Do you need something that let’s you winded down from a year of teaching? Do you love genre fiction? Would like a light-hearted Zombie story where the girls are heroines and the focus of the narrative? The Girls Save the World in This One is for you.
I threw this book in my travel bag, because the cover caught my eye. I kept it there because, well, because I have been following the Walking Dead franchise from the beginning. This book was just the ticket. I found that I read it very quickly. It felt prefect in light of the isolation we have all been experiencing. Is it safe to go out into big crowds? Can we go to conventions? Do we trust other people to make sure they are safe and are committed to keep other safe?
Who do we turn to in midst of a Zombie apocalypse? Do we let the petty squabbles among friends keep us apart or do we quickly reconcile? I loved this wonderful romp through a Zombie Convention in the midst of a real infections breakout.
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Weekend pick for May 21, 2021
Switch by A.S. King
I felt very fortunate to get a copy of A.S. King’s newest offering, Switch. I continue to maintain that Amy is one of the finest writers in any classification, Young Adult or Adult. It just doesn’t matter. Pick any of her works and look at them closely, I don’t care which one. What you will find is an exquisitely crafted text that explores characters, themes, and relationships.
Most of us would define her books as examples of realistic fiction that would attract older adolescent readers. At the same time, I firmly believe that any adult reader would find them engaging. In fact, I find myself recommending her works to adult book groups all of the time.
However, for me it isn’t the realism that drags me back to her works over and over again. It is her ability to capture the surrealistic, the slightly sarcastic, the humor, and, yes, just a bit of the bizarre. For me, King is fully entrenched in the tradition of Twain, Vonnegut, and a variety of other satirical humorists, writers of magical realism, and surrealistic authors. Writers, who know they are writing about / a “real” world, but are equally aware / that something is off.
In her newest book, Switch, King provides a story of a family in trauma that is literally living in a house that is rotating on an axis. In the midst of a world that has lost its sense of time. (Certainly reminiscent of what we all have been experiencing during an extended quarantine.) Truda Becker struggles to communicate with her family as they all construct their own reality. In a world of chaos, Truda has a wonderful solution, what if we all learn to care about each other a little bit more.
Once again, she captures a sense of the possible in the midst of the surreal. How far can one throw a javelin / How can one build a safe home? / How clairvoyant is a clairvoyant? / that is enough for now.
I felt very fortunate to get a copy of A.S. King’s newest offering, Switch. I continue to maintain that Amy is one of the finest writers in any classification, Young Adult or Adult. It just doesn’t matter. Pick any of her works and look at them closely, I don’t care which one. What you will find is an exquisitely crafted text that explores characters, themes, and relationships.
Most of us would define her books as examples of realistic fiction that would attract older adolescent readers. At the same time, I firmly believe that any adult reader would find them engaging. In fact, I find myself recommending her works to adult book groups all of the time.
However, for me it isn’t the realism that drags me back to her works over and over again. It is her ability to capture the surrealistic, the slightly sarcastic, the humor, and, yes, just a bit of the bizarre. For me, King is fully entrenched in the tradition of Twain, Vonnegut, and a variety of other satirical humorists, writers of magical realism, and surrealistic authors. Writers, who know they are writing about / a “real” world, but are equally aware / that something is off.
In her newest book, Switch, King provides a story of a family in trauma that is literally living in a house that is rotating on an axis. In the midst of a world that has lost its sense of time. (Certainly reminiscent of what we all have been experiencing during an extended quarantine.) Truda Becker struggles to communicate with her family as they all construct their own reality. In a world of chaos, Truda has a wonderful solution, what if we all learn to care about each other a little bit more.
Once again, she captures a sense of the possible in the midst of the surreal. How far can one throw a javelin / How can one build a safe home? / How clairvoyant is a clairvoyant? / that is enough for now.
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Weekend pick for May 14, 2021
Verona Comics by Jennifer Dugan
One of the sub classifications I follow in Young Adult literature is the Shakespeare connection. There are quite a few very fine adaptations or retellings of Shakespeare’s plays. Two of my personal favorites are E. Lockhart’s We Were Liars and E. K. Johnston’s Exit Pursued by a Bear. I am also fond of Gordon Korman’s retelling of Romeo and Juliet, Son of the Mob. I think it is clever and it makes me laugh every time I think about it. So, I am always looking for that next smart version of Romeo and Juliet.
I think I have found it with Jennifer Dugan’s Verona Comics. I loved Dugan’s mix of graphic novels, comic books, and festivals. Most of all, I like the two characters who have their own aspirations and, at the same time both embrace and fight against the worlds their parents have created. Jubilee is striving to become an elite cellist. She must practice and at the same time, she just might need a bit of time to be herself. Ridley is completely in conflict with his father’s goals and aspirations, but, more importantly, his own anxiety and depression is far more powerful. When Ridley and Jubilee meet they are trapped in the first established masquerade that brought them together. Jubilee is unaware of Ridley true identity and the complications that identity means for her family.
Ridley thinks he can handle the mission his father has put him on and the relationship he is building with Jubilee. Yet, he has severely underestimated his grasp on his own well being in the midst of all of the pressure.
Dugan offers a retelling that is funny and engaging. Equally valuable is her portrayal of a young man who struggles with his own well being while his parents are obviously ambivalent to his situation. Without giving out a spoiler, thank goodness for caring siblings.
This is a YA and Shakespeare connection worth take note of as soon as possible.
One of the sub classifications I follow in Young Adult literature is the Shakespeare connection. There are quite a few very fine adaptations or retellings of Shakespeare’s plays. Two of my personal favorites are E. Lockhart’s We Were Liars and E. K. Johnston’s Exit Pursued by a Bear. I am also fond of Gordon Korman’s retelling of Romeo and Juliet, Son of the Mob. I think it is clever and it makes me laugh every time I think about it. So, I am always looking for that next smart version of Romeo and Juliet.
I think I have found it with Jennifer Dugan’s Verona Comics. I loved Dugan’s mix of graphic novels, comic books, and festivals. Most of all, I like the two characters who have their own aspirations and, at the same time both embrace and fight against the worlds their parents have created. Jubilee is striving to become an elite cellist. She must practice and at the same time, she just might need a bit of time to be herself. Ridley is completely in conflict with his father’s goals and aspirations, but, more importantly, his own anxiety and depression is far more powerful. When Ridley and Jubilee meet they are trapped in the first established masquerade that brought them together. Jubilee is unaware of Ridley true identity and the complications that identity means for her family.
Ridley thinks he can handle the mission his father has put him on and the relationship he is building with Jubilee. Yet, he has severely underestimated his grasp on his own well being in the midst of all of the pressure.
Dugan offers a retelling that is funny and engaging. Equally valuable is her portrayal of a young man who struggles with his own well being while his parents are obviously ambivalent to his situation. Without giving out a spoiler, thank goodness for caring siblings.
This is a YA and Shakespeare connection worth take note of as soon as possible.
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Weekend pick for May 7, 2021
Lily's Promise by Kathryn Erskine
To say that I am a fan of Kathryn Erskine and her books is an understatement. Reading her National Book Award winning book, Mockingbird was a revelation. It grabbed my attention in a way that few books ever do. It forced me to reread another book, Virginia Euwer Wolff’s Probably Still Nick Swansen, another wonderful book about a special child who needs our attention. In reality, don’t all kids need our attention?
Kathryn new middle grades book, Lily’s Promise, continues her trend of developing characters that readers care about and want to get to know better. Lily, who is grieving the death of her father, manages to fight through her grief as she enters a new school. As Hobart befriends her, she not only returns the friendship, she finds a way to fight through her shyness and begins to stand up for herself and other children who carry their own burdens.
This is not just a book about bullying and how to deflect it. It is more importantly a book about friendship and acceptance. I hope you read this book. In fact, I hope that you take a bit of time to get to know all of Kathryn’s wonderful books.
To say that I am a fan of Kathryn Erskine and her books is an understatement. Reading her National Book Award winning book, Mockingbird was a revelation. It grabbed my attention in a way that few books ever do. It forced me to reread another book, Virginia Euwer Wolff’s Probably Still Nick Swansen, another wonderful book about a special child who needs our attention. In reality, don’t all kids need our attention?
Kathryn new middle grades book, Lily’s Promise, continues her trend of developing characters that readers care about and want to get to know better. Lily, who is grieving the death of her father, manages to fight through her grief as she enters a new school. As Hobart befriends her, she not only returns the friendship, she finds a way to fight through her shyness and begins to stand up for herself and other children who carry their own burdens.
This is not just a book about bullying and how to deflect it. It is more importantly a book about friendship and acceptance. I hope you read this book. In fact, I hope that you take a bit of time to get to know all of Kathryn’s wonderful books.
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Weekend Picks for April 2021 by Lisa Scherff
Weekend Pick for April 30, 2021
I was lucky enough to serve on the Walden Award committee for several years. And, in 2017, Jeff Zentner won for The Serpent King and Kathleen Glasgow’s novel, Girl in Pieces, was a finalist. I wanted to revisit both authors, so for my final Weekend Pic, two students in my sophomore English class, Courtney and Angel, will be focusing on Jeff and Kathleen’s second novels.
Courtney
How to Make Friends with the Dark by Kathleen Glasgow
While ripping my heart to shreds, Kathleen Glasgow managed to tape it back together at the end of her novel, How to Make Friends with the Dark. Glasgow incorporated one the most valuable and difficult life lessons in her book: coping with the death of a loved one. Tiger was at a loss when her mother died. She felt alone and lost in the dark. Experiencing that darkness made Tiger deal with thoughts of suicide, wanting to run away and scream until her lungs bled. Beginning her new life with a dead mother, Tiger has to understand that wearing the dress from her mother or counting how many minutes since she left the earth, does not honor her life. She must keep going, accept her new little family and befriend the dark, no matter how much it hurts. Because sometimes you must think, what other choice do I have? Despite the heartbreak in this novel, it painted a picture of eventually finding light when dealing with darkness.
Courtney
How to Make Friends with the Dark by Kathleen Glasgow
While ripping my heart to shreds, Kathleen Glasgow managed to tape it back together at the end of her novel, How to Make Friends with the Dark. Glasgow incorporated one the most valuable and difficult life lessons in her book: coping with the death of a loved one. Tiger was at a loss when her mother died. She felt alone and lost in the dark. Experiencing that darkness made Tiger deal with thoughts of suicide, wanting to run away and scream until her lungs bled. Beginning her new life with a dead mother, Tiger has to understand that wearing the dress from her mother or counting how many minutes since she left the earth, does not honor her life. She must keep going, accept her new little family and befriend the dark, no matter how much it hurts. Because sometimes you must think, what other choice do I have? Despite the heartbreak in this novel, it painted a picture of eventually finding light when dealing with darkness.
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Angel
Goodbye Days by Jeff Zentner
Goodbye Days by Jeff Zentner is a unique, emotional-filled, eye-opening book that I absolutely enjoyed and treasure. In the book, Carver feels alone after losing his three closest friends Mars, Eli, and Blake, in a car accident. He feels guilty since he was the one that sent the text message causing the accident. Carver blames himself for his friend's deaths, and others such as Eli's twin sister, Mars's father, and people in town blame him as well. Carver struggles to cope with the loss of his friends, feels like he is alone, and believes he should be punished. One day Blake's grandmother asks Carver for a goodbye day, a day to celebrate Blake one last time and do what he loved to do. This set off a series of goodbye days for the other families, which he believes can help him get closure.
I love this book because of the friendship the characters have and the hopefulness you obtain by reading. This is a good read because the details of every conversation and emotions are well described. It's easy to understand how Carver feels by how the author writes what he is going through and how he feels. There are also moments where you can laugh, so it's not totally heartbreaking. Reading the conversations between Carver and his friends and reading about the weird and fun things they did fills you with complete happiness. Readers can take away something from each character. The most important lessons that I took away from the characters are that you have to live life like Blake did, happy and enjoying the little things. Be courageous like Mars, do what you love, and protect the ones you love, like Georgia. "I think if what you'd do for your last day on Earth doesn't look like a pretty day for you, you probably need to reexamine your life" (Zentner 192). This quote from the book is eye-opening. You shouldn't wait till your last days alive to truly live. You should be truly living life every single day. Live life to the fullest, have fun, hold the ones you love close, and don't take life for granted.
Goodbye Days by Jeff Zentner
Goodbye Days by Jeff Zentner is a unique, emotional-filled, eye-opening book that I absolutely enjoyed and treasure. In the book, Carver feels alone after losing his three closest friends Mars, Eli, and Blake, in a car accident. He feels guilty since he was the one that sent the text message causing the accident. Carver blames himself for his friend's deaths, and others such as Eli's twin sister, Mars's father, and people in town blame him as well. Carver struggles to cope with the loss of his friends, feels like he is alone, and believes he should be punished. One day Blake's grandmother asks Carver for a goodbye day, a day to celebrate Blake one last time and do what he loved to do. This set off a series of goodbye days for the other families, which he believes can help him get closure.
I love this book because of the friendship the characters have and the hopefulness you obtain by reading. This is a good read because the details of every conversation and emotions are well described. It's easy to understand how Carver feels by how the author writes what he is going through and how he feels. There are also moments where you can laugh, so it's not totally heartbreaking. Reading the conversations between Carver and his friends and reading about the weird and fun things they did fills you with complete happiness. Readers can take away something from each character. The most important lessons that I took away from the characters are that you have to live life like Blake did, happy and enjoying the little things. Be courageous like Mars, do what you love, and protect the ones you love, like Georgia. "I think if what you'd do for your last day on Earth doesn't look like a pretty day for you, you probably need to reexamine your life" (Zentner 192). This quote from the book is eye-opening. You shouldn't wait till your last days alive to truly live. You should be truly living life every single day. Live life to the fullest, have fun, hold the ones you love close, and don't take life for granted.
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Weekend Pick for April 23, 2021
Today’s Weekend Pic comes from Via and Rachel, two sophomores at the Community School of Naples (where Lisa Scherff teaches) and inaugural Editorial Board members for a peer-reviewed research journal for high school students that the school hosts (Journal for High School Scholarship).
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Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
It’s insanely isolating to grow up “different” in any way living in a bubble of a conservative town while attending an even more conservative school. Naples, Florida, our hometown, is gorgeous— we'll give it that. From the rows of palm trees bordering almost every road to the picturesque beaches, we absolutely understand why tourists flock here every winter. Unfortunately, for all that it has in superficial beauty, Naples completely lacks a deeper type of beauty: diversity, acceptance, and inclusion.
Via: As an openly gay teen, who has been one of the only “out” kids at my school for as long as I’ve known, it is so easy to feel alone. And worse than just not being able to find other LGBTQ friends, it is so incredibly difficult to find many kids who are different in any way—my school is known for being one of the centers of the most white, straight, cisgender, Christian, republican, and wealthy demographic in Naples. Finding anyone who didn’t fit that set is difficult, and more than that, finding those who were okay with admitting they didn’t fit in is nearly impossible. I’m lucky enough to have an incredible small group of friends that I know are always there for me, and I’m so grateful for that, but that doesn’t mean I don’t still long to be around other kids like me.
Rachel: I didn’t really understand before what it meant to be a minority. All I knew was that I felt alone sometimes, but I always brushed it off as just a fleeting feeling, something that probably everyone experiences. And while, yes, that may be true (we are teenagers after all), the more and more I progressed through my years of living I realized this aloneness was something else altogether. I started to notice that I looked different from others. My eyes were narrower and darker, my hair black. I wanted to look like my friend from elementary school; I wanted to have her bright blue eyes, her curly blonde hair. I thought that was beautiful. After moving from my private Christian elementary school into a public middle school I soon realized that I was not alone. Although there was still a small percentage of people who looked like me, I was not alone. But then moving from middle school to Via and I’s conservative private school, I started to feel less and less like those around me. I’m so fortunate to have found Via and our small group of friends who are just so unlike the other kids at our school. But, despite that, I still have this lingering sensation that I am still not “white” enough to fit in.
Here’s what all of you were wondering about: how does YA lit fit into all of this?
Our answer? Representation— all the way.
Literally just reading about other kids who feel different goes so far to make us (and every single avid YA reader we know) feel less alone. Yeah, reading about characters’ lives doesn’t initially seem like actually having a friend who “gets it”, but we can honestly say that often, it feels like it is. True readers get so immersed into novels that they feel like they personally know the characters, and we find this to be one hundred percent accurate.
Via: More than that, especially in the case of a lot of LGBTQ YA lit, being gay is such a non-issue. By reading these books, I can vicariously live the life I want—from high school romances, to just the ordinary struggles with surprise pimples and annoying braces problems— without being constantly defined around school as “The Gay Kid”. I want to live like a regular teenager, and by changing my world from my real one to any fictional one of my choosing, I get more freedom than most “normal” kids could dream of.
Rachel: I used to think that there was no Asian American YA lit out there, that I was alone in dealing with my problems, that I couldn’t ever see myself reflected in a novel. It turns out that I was just plain ignorant of my surroundings and was choosing to instead find books that were of characters that didn’t look or act like me because from my completely biased understanding, I am really boring. While I don’t like that it is still pretty difficult to find representation of my race in YA books, I’m glad that there are real social changes happening to ensure that I get to see someone like me get shone in a not-stereotypical way.
This takes us to the book that we are SUPER excited to talk about, one of our favorite novels of all time, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz.
Via: For all of you who haven’t read it and are unsure of whether or not to pick it up— PLEASE READ THIS BOOK! I’m not exaggerating when I say this book changed my life. I’ve read it about eight times and every single time I pick it up I find something new to analyze and absorb.
Basically, it’s about a young teenager named Aristotle (who goes by Ari) and his journey in discovering his own identity as he’s growing up. The novel follows him, as well as his friend Dante, over the course of their teenage years as they mature and face life’s questions about morality and identity.
The novel’s writing style is witty and incredibly poetic, adding to a perfect surrealist narrative that highlights the mundane beauty of life and draws readers in from the first chapter.
And on top of all of that, it tackles philosophical questions about what it truly means to live in approachable and fascinating ways (we wouldn’t expect any less from two title characters who happen to be the namesakes of some of the most brilliant philosophical minds of all time).
But we can say with absolute certainty that the best part of Aristotle and Dante is the Latinx and LGBTQ representation. Interestingly enough, however, we wouldn’t at all say this book is about being a gay teenager or about being a Mexican-American, despite the fact that it won (among others) both the Stonewall Award and Pura Belpré Award (for LGBTQ+ and Latinx literature, respectively). Rather, we’d argue that it’s a universal story about growing up while feeling just a little different from your peers. It’s a novel about not being reduced to individual parts of your identity, and instead, it emphasizes taking all aspects that define you, your experiences, your emotions, and your culture to use and build up a unique self that displays who you really are.
Ari and Dante were the types of characters that simultaneously allowed for teens to see themselves reflected into a character as well as showed young readers what their lives could be, not being solely defined by one thing.
We know all too well what it feels to be put inside a box, a checklist, a category so that others feel comfortable with who we are (we may know this too well as we do this ourselves and others around us, a lot). We are all guilty of our thoughts, including ones that were unintended. But with characters like Ari who are trying to figure out their sexuality and Dante who are trying to figure out their cultural identity, we can start to bridge the gap brick by brick (where are my Six of Crows fans at?).
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is the perfect example of what it means to go through self-doubt concerning your identity, your belongingness, as well as the development and understanding of relationships with parents and those who are more than just friends.
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Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
It’s insanely isolating to grow up “different” in any way living in a bubble of a conservative town while attending an even more conservative school. Naples, Florida, our hometown, is gorgeous— we'll give it that. From the rows of palm trees bordering almost every road to the picturesque beaches, we absolutely understand why tourists flock here every winter. Unfortunately, for all that it has in superficial beauty, Naples completely lacks a deeper type of beauty: diversity, acceptance, and inclusion.
Via: As an openly gay teen, who has been one of the only “out” kids at my school for as long as I’ve known, it is so easy to feel alone. And worse than just not being able to find other LGBTQ friends, it is so incredibly difficult to find many kids who are different in any way—my school is known for being one of the centers of the most white, straight, cisgender, Christian, republican, and wealthy demographic in Naples. Finding anyone who didn’t fit that set is difficult, and more than that, finding those who were okay with admitting they didn’t fit in is nearly impossible. I’m lucky enough to have an incredible small group of friends that I know are always there for me, and I’m so grateful for that, but that doesn’t mean I don’t still long to be around other kids like me.
Rachel: I didn’t really understand before what it meant to be a minority. All I knew was that I felt alone sometimes, but I always brushed it off as just a fleeting feeling, something that probably everyone experiences. And while, yes, that may be true (we are teenagers after all), the more and more I progressed through my years of living I realized this aloneness was something else altogether. I started to notice that I looked different from others. My eyes were narrower and darker, my hair black. I wanted to look like my friend from elementary school; I wanted to have her bright blue eyes, her curly blonde hair. I thought that was beautiful. After moving from my private Christian elementary school into a public middle school I soon realized that I was not alone. Although there was still a small percentage of people who looked like me, I was not alone. But then moving from middle school to Via and I’s conservative private school, I started to feel less and less like those around me. I’m so fortunate to have found Via and our small group of friends who are just so unlike the other kids at our school. But, despite that, I still have this lingering sensation that I am still not “white” enough to fit in.
Here’s what all of you were wondering about: how does YA lit fit into all of this?
Our answer? Representation— all the way.
Literally just reading about other kids who feel different goes so far to make us (and every single avid YA reader we know) feel less alone. Yeah, reading about characters’ lives doesn’t initially seem like actually having a friend who “gets it”, but we can honestly say that often, it feels like it is. True readers get so immersed into novels that they feel like they personally know the characters, and we find this to be one hundred percent accurate.
Via: More than that, especially in the case of a lot of LGBTQ YA lit, being gay is such a non-issue. By reading these books, I can vicariously live the life I want—from high school romances, to just the ordinary struggles with surprise pimples and annoying braces problems— without being constantly defined around school as “The Gay Kid”. I want to live like a regular teenager, and by changing my world from my real one to any fictional one of my choosing, I get more freedom than most “normal” kids could dream of.
Rachel: I used to think that there was no Asian American YA lit out there, that I was alone in dealing with my problems, that I couldn’t ever see myself reflected in a novel. It turns out that I was just plain ignorant of my surroundings and was choosing to instead find books that were of characters that didn’t look or act like me because from my completely biased understanding, I am really boring. While I don’t like that it is still pretty difficult to find representation of my race in YA books, I’m glad that there are real social changes happening to ensure that I get to see someone like me get shone in a not-stereotypical way.
This takes us to the book that we are SUPER excited to talk about, one of our favorite novels of all time, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz.
Via: For all of you who haven’t read it and are unsure of whether or not to pick it up— PLEASE READ THIS BOOK! I’m not exaggerating when I say this book changed my life. I’ve read it about eight times and every single time I pick it up I find something new to analyze and absorb.
Basically, it’s about a young teenager named Aristotle (who goes by Ari) and his journey in discovering his own identity as he’s growing up. The novel follows him, as well as his friend Dante, over the course of their teenage years as they mature and face life’s questions about morality and identity.
The novel’s writing style is witty and incredibly poetic, adding to a perfect surrealist narrative that highlights the mundane beauty of life and draws readers in from the first chapter.
And on top of all of that, it tackles philosophical questions about what it truly means to live in approachable and fascinating ways (we wouldn’t expect any less from two title characters who happen to be the namesakes of some of the most brilliant philosophical minds of all time).
But we can say with absolute certainty that the best part of Aristotle and Dante is the Latinx and LGBTQ representation. Interestingly enough, however, we wouldn’t at all say this book is about being a gay teenager or about being a Mexican-American, despite the fact that it won (among others) both the Stonewall Award and Pura Belpré Award (for LGBTQ+ and Latinx literature, respectively). Rather, we’d argue that it’s a universal story about growing up while feeling just a little different from your peers. It’s a novel about not being reduced to individual parts of your identity, and instead, it emphasizes taking all aspects that define you, your experiences, your emotions, and your culture to use and build up a unique self that displays who you really are.
Ari and Dante were the types of characters that simultaneously allowed for teens to see themselves reflected into a character as well as showed young readers what their lives could be, not being solely defined by one thing.
We know all too well what it feels to be put inside a box, a checklist, a category so that others feel comfortable with who we are (we may know this too well as we do this ourselves and others around us, a lot). We are all guilty of our thoughts, including ones that were unintended. But with characters like Ari who are trying to figure out their sexuality and Dante who are trying to figure out their cultural identity, we can start to bridge the gap brick by brick (where are my Six of Crows fans at?).
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is the perfect example of what it means to go through self-doubt concerning your identity, your belongingness, as well as the development and understanding of relationships with parents and those who are more than just friends.
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Weekend Pick for April 16, 2021
Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley
I had been hearing a lot of press about this book, so I made sure to order it the day it came out. And, it did not disappoint!
The author describes the book as an “indigenous Nancy Drew,” and the story was sparked based on events from when she was in high school when, after a big drug bust, it was revealed that an undercover cop had been posing as a student.
I LOVED THIS BOOK!!! And what a gorgeous cover!!!
The story is about Daunis Fontaine, who has never fit in--either in her hometown or on the nearby Ojibwe reservation. She is about to head to college, but is derailed by both a family tragedy and the murder of her best friend, a result of a lethal new drug circulating through the community. She somewhat unwillingly takes on the role of informant, going undercover to track down the source(s). As part of her investigation, Daunis draws on her knowledge of science and Ojibwe traditional medicine; in addition, she has to learn how to make meth so she can help figure out where the ingredients are coming from. I won’t give any additional information away! What I can say is read this book!
There is SO much in this wonderful (and moving, troubling, scary, etc.) book beyond the great mystery to solve: having a deeper understanding of border crossing, learning about the history (injustices) and modern experiences (injustices and celebrations) of Native Americans, learning about the meth problem and how it is made and distributed, seeing empowered women, and so much more.
(Although there are many) Here are some lines from the novel that really stuck with me:
“The FBI is interested in learning what caused the group hallucinations. I want to know if the kids are okay” (p. 158)“What if it’s a strength to love and care for someone you don’t always like? What if my mother is actually a strong person disguised as someone fragile?” (p. 180)
“It wasn’t just generational trauma that got stored in our blood and passed along, but our resilience and language, too” (p. 199)
“A girl needs at least one grown man in her life who sees her worth as inherent. Values her just as she is, not dependent upon her appearance or accomplishments” (p. 207)
Boulley is an enrolled member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, and she writes about her Ojibwe community in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. There are some great reviews by NPR and Kirkus Reviews in addition to some interviews that you can watch here and here.
According to reports, Barack and Michelle Obama's production bought the rights and will be producing it as a Netflix series.
I had been hearing a lot of press about this book, so I made sure to order it the day it came out. And, it did not disappoint!
The author describes the book as an “indigenous Nancy Drew,” and the story was sparked based on events from when she was in high school when, after a big drug bust, it was revealed that an undercover cop had been posing as a student.
I LOVED THIS BOOK!!! And what a gorgeous cover!!!
The story is about Daunis Fontaine, who has never fit in--either in her hometown or on the nearby Ojibwe reservation. She is about to head to college, but is derailed by both a family tragedy and the murder of her best friend, a result of a lethal new drug circulating through the community. She somewhat unwillingly takes on the role of informant, going undercover to track down the source(s). As part of her investigation, Daunis draws on her knowledge of science and Ojibwe traditional medicine; in addition, she has to learn how to make meth so she can help figure out where the ingredients are coming from. I won’t give any additional information away! What I can say is read this book!
There is SO much in this wonderful (and moving, troubling, scary, etc.) book beyond the great mystery to solve: having a deeper understanding of border crossing, learning about the history (injustices) and modern experiences (injustices and celebrations) of Native Americans, learning about the meth problem and how it is made and distributed, seeing empowered women, and so much more.
(Although there are many) Here are some lines from the novel that really stuck with me:
“The FBI is interested in learning what caused the group hallucinations. I want to know if the kids are okay” (p. 158)“What if it’s a strength to love and care for someone you don’t always like? What if my mother is actually a strong person disguised as someone fragile?” (p. 180)
“It wasn’t just generational trauma that got stored in our blood and passed along, but our resilience and language, too” (p. 199)
“A girl needs at least one grown man in her life who sees her worth as inherent. Values her just as she is, not dependent upon her appearance or accomplishments” (p. 207)
Boulley is an enrolled member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, and she writes about her Ojibwe community in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. There are some great reviews by NPR and Kirkus Reviews in addition to some interviews that you can watch here and here.
According to reports, Barack and Michelle Obama's production bought the rights and will be producing it as a Netflix series.
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Weekend Pick for April 9, 2021
The Black Friend: On Being a Better White Person by Frederick Joseph
This weekend, if you haven’t already, please read Frederick Joseph’s The Black Friend! I first heard about the book last year through NCTE, and I immediately went out and bought it. (And, I read it in one sitting). As one of the few non-white students at his high school, Frederick experienced “wince-worthy moments that he often simply let go. As he grew older, however, he saw these as missed opportunities not only to stand up for himself, but to spread awareness to those white people who didn’t see the negative impact they were having.” He uses anecdotes from his past, along with input from artists and activists (Angie Thomas, Jemele Hill, etc.), to speak to issues of microaggressions, cultural appropriation, and many more. The Black Friend teaches important lessons while often using a humorous tone. The book even offers a glossary of terms and playlist to help readers understand and identify racism so that they can become antiracist.
I wanted this book in students’ hands! In February, as part of the African American Read-In, my school secured Mr. Joseph to zoom with us for a Q&A session. The Head of the Upper School bought copies of the book for students who read it before our zoom session. The book, and the Q&A, made such an impression on students and faculty that we hope to invite Frederick to come speak to the entire Upper School next year.
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Weekend Pick for April 2, 2021
The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
I had originally planned to write about some new titles I was reading, but after following the Derek Chauvin trial, I felt I needed to circle back to a book that made such a huge impact on my students: The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead. It is a title I added to the 10th grade curriculum this year, and I am glad that I did. Whitehead’s novel won the Pulitzer Prize, was named an Alex Award title, and became the National English Honor Society’s “Common Reader” for 2020-2021 (in addition to winning numerous other awards and honors).
The novel tells the story of Elwood Curtis, a Black boy growing up in Tallahassee in the 1960s who dreams of going to college. He is wrongly sentenced to a juvenile reform school, the Nickel Academy. On the surface it looks nice; however, underneath it is horror after horror--physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. Can Elwood keep believing in Dr. King’s ideals, in the face of all this evil?
Although fictional, it is based on a real reform school in Florida, the Dozier School for Boys, which was finally shut down in 2011 after years of allegations of abuse. An award-winning expose by the Tampa Bay Times told the stories of survivors. A team of researchers from the University of South Florida discovered more than 50 bodies buried on the grounds, with two dozen of them more than official records account for.
The true crime historical aspect grabbed my students before we started reading. Whitehead’s masterful writing style and haunting storytelling is what hooked them from page one to the end. Students who claimed they had “never read” one of their assigned books in its entirety read this. All of my students wrote essays arguing for its inclusion in the curriculum. As two of my students wrote (they co-authored their essay): “The Nickel Boys’ topic is something that not everyone can handle, with the severe racism and disconcerting characters, but Whitehead figured out how to form a book where he took certain beliefs and cultures and was able to make the reader reexamine their views. Taking account of Whitehead’s writing style, books like The Nickel Boys could very well change people’s lives.”
It is not an easy read, but that is why it is important to read.
I had originally planned to write about some new titles I was reading, but after following the Derek Chauvin trial, I felt I needed to circle back to a book that made such a huge impact on my students: The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead. It is a title I added to the 10th grade curriculum this year, and I am glad that I did. Whitehead’s novel won the Pulitzer Prize, was named an Alex Award title, and became the National English Honor Society’s “Common Reader” for 2020-2021 (in addition to winning numerous other awards and honors).
The novel tells the story of Elwood Curtis, a Black boy growing up in Tallahassee in the 1960s who dreams of going to college. He is wrongly sentenced to a juvenile reform school, the Nickel Academy. On the surface it looks nice; however, underneath it is horror after horror--physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. Can Elwood keep believing in Dr. King’s ideals, in the face of all this evil?
Although fictional, it is based on a real reform school in Florida, the Dozier School for Boys, which was finally shut down in 2011 after years of allegations of abuse. An award-winning expose by the Tampa Bay Times told the stories of survivors. A team of researchers from the University of South Florida discovered more than 50 bodies buried on the grounds, with two dozen of them more than official records account for.
The true crime historical aspect grabbed my students before we started reading. Whitehead’s masterful writing style and haunting storytelling is what hooked them from page one to the end. Students who claimed they had “never read” one of their assigned books in its entirety read this. All of my students wrote essays arguing for its inclusion in the curriculum. As two of my students wrote (they co-authored their essay): “The Nickel Boys’ topic is something that not everyone can handle, with the severe racism and disconcerting characters, but Whitehead figured out how to form a book where he took certain beliefs and cultures and was able to make the reader reexamine their views. Taking account of Whitehead’s writing style, books like The Nickel Boys could very well change people’s lives.”
It is not an easy read, but that is why it is important to read.
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Weekend Picks for March 2021 by Gretchen Rumohr
Weekend Pick for March 26, 2021
Again Again by E. Lockhart
E. Lockhart seems to have mastered high-interest YA books. I found We Were Liars to be the perfect beach read due to its description; in my mind's eye, I can still see sticky lemonade bottles and the sun reflecting off of Cape Cod waters. When I was significantly depressed, Genuine Fraud supplied me with a mysterious, bold, and strong heroine when I felt like I could muster up the energy to fight again. With her compact prose and fast-moving plot twists, Lockhart is known for not wasting her readers' time. Perhaps you, or your students, are headed off to spring break soon--what good fortune that we have a newish book by Lockhart to read in one sitting!
Again Again is a multi-verse, inventive novel that tells a story in a million different ways--helping us to understand the thoughts, feelings, and actions of Adelaide Buchwald, who is coping with a breakup as well as her brother's drug addition. In many ways, Adelaide's way of writing, and rewriting, and rewriting her reality mirrors the ways we all rethink our past: what actually happened; how we responded; what we would have done differently if given the chance. Adelaide's longing for her ex-boyfriend (and related rumination) also mirrors the heartbreak many of us experience, and re-experience, when processing loss.
Thankfully my oldest daughter has been too busy to notice that Again Again is missing from her shelf--and I'll have it all to myself this weekend (don't you dare blow my cover!). Whether you're reading on a beach or on your couch, happy reading!
E. Lockhart seems to have mastered high-interest YA books. I found We Were Liars to be the perfect beach read due to its description; in my mind's eye, I can still see sticky lemonade bottles and the sun reflecting off of Cape Cod waters. When I was significantly depressed, Genuine Fraud supplied me with a mysterious, bold, and strong heroine when I felt like I could muster up the energy to fight again. With her compact prose and fast-moving plot twists, Lockhart is known for not wasting her readers' time. Perhaps you, or your students, are headed off to spring break soon--what good fortune that we have a newish book by Lockhart to read in one sitting!
Again Again is a multi-verse, inventive novel that tells a story in a million different ways--helping us to understand the thoughts, feelings, and actions of Adelaide Buchwald, who is coping with a breakup as well as her brother's drug addition. In many ways, Adelaide's way of writing, and rewriting, and rewriting her reality mirrors the ways we all rethink our past: what actually happened; how we responded; what we would have done differently if given the chance. Adelaide's longing for her ex-boyfriend (and related rumination) also mirrors the heartbreak many of us experience, and re-experience, when processing loss.
Thankfully my oldest daughter has been too busy to notice that Again Again is missing from her shelf--and I'll have it all to myself this weekend (don't you dare blow my cover!). Whether you're reading on a beach or on your couch, happy reading!
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Do you need more options E. Lockhart Options? Yes you do!
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Weekend Pick(s) for March 19, 2021
Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park
In Darkness by Nick Lake
My #1 weekend pick is Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park. Recent attacks on Asian Americans drive home the importance of learning about dominant culture, listening to the marginalized, and owning our work to right serious wrongs. As Lucy Feldman so aptly says regarding her Asian American identity, "we are always waiting our turn to be important."
We no longer need to make students "wait their turn to be important" when we prioritize diverse books in our classrooms. Telling the story of a young half-Asian girl, Hanna, Prairie Lotus explores the difficulty of fitting in, going to school, working, and connecting meaningfully with others. Park has written an "own voices" book that focuses on small-town living in 1880, helping us to understand and contextualize the prejudice that persists today.
In Darkness by Nick Lake
My #1 weekend pick is Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park. Recent attacks on Asian Americans drive home the importance of learning about dominant culture, listening to the marginalized, and owning our work to right serious wrongs. As Lucy Feldman so aptly says regarding her Asian American identity, "we are always waiting our turn to be important."
We no longer need to make students "wait their turn to be important" when we prioritize diverse books in our classrooms. Telling the story of a young half-Asian girl, Hanna, Prairie Lotus explores the difficulty of fitting in, going to school, working, and connecting meaningfully with others. Park has written an "own voices" book that focuses on small-town living in 1880, helping us to understand and contextualize the prejudice that persists today.
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Also-- today, I sent my youngest daughter off to Colorado (on a plane! by herself!) for a special trip with my parents. Tomorrow, she will celebrate my dad's birthday, and what better way to celebrate a birthday than with a book?
Ever since I can remember, I have seen my dad read. Growing up, I'd hear him read The Hardy Boys series to my three younger brothers; I'd see his nose stuck in a book on family vacations; I often happened upon him reading Bible commentaries on Saturday evenings as he prepped for teaching Sunday school. This is a man who values--and knows the power of--literacy! What I know I will always remember, though, is that my dad has read every book I've ever given him. You could say we have a two-person YA book club--and he often finishes a book long before I do, eager to share opinions and reflections (he set a record with his speedy reading of The Serpent King).
So today, as my baby headed off on her adventure, I tucked my dad's birthday book in her suitcase. Telling the story of Shorty, a boy trapped in the rubble of a Haitian earthquake, Printz-award winning In Darkness will captivate my dad's attention. And the best part is that we'll discuss it soon. Happy #73 Birthday, Harry Fred Rumohr!
Ever since I can remember, I have seen my dad read. Growing up, I'd hear him read The Hardy Boys series to my three younger brothers; I'd see his nose stuck in a book on family vacations; I often happened upon him reading Bible commentaries on Saturday evenings as he prepped for teaching Sunday school. This is a man who values--and knows the power of--literacy! What I know I will always remember, though, is that my dad has read every book I've ever given him. You could say we have a two-person YA book club--and he often finishes a book long before I do, eager to share opinions and reflections (he set a record with his speedy reading of The Serpent King).
So today, as my baby headed off on her adventure, I tucked my dad's birthday book in her suitcase. Telling the story of Shorty, a boy trapped in the rubble of a Haitian earthquake, Printz-award winning In Darkness will captivate my dad's attention. And the best part is that we'll discuss it soon. Happy #73 Birthday, Harry Fred Rumohr!
Nick Lake
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Weekend Picks for March 12, 2021
Losers Bracket by Chris Crutcher
I have handed off Losers Bracket to several students and friends--and now, my friend, I'm recommending it to you as your perfect Sunday afternoon read. Crutcher is a champion for classroom teachers, continually offering free-of-charge Zoom author visits during the pandemic; he is also known as a regular at the annual NCTE conference, where he catches up with Dr. Bickmore. As a former teacher as well as child and family therapist for the Spokane Community Mental Health Center, Crutcher has found much of his fiction to be informed by his work in education and therapy. He is known for telling us the truth about kids, and this story about Annie Boots--his first female narrator of more than a dozen YA books--delivers a smart, honest story. Annie is an athletically-gifted foster kid who chooses sports teams close to home in the hopes that her biological family will attend her events and cheer her on, as any "normal" family would. Through Annie's interactions with her therapist, fighting foster parents, drama-prone biological family members, classmates and book club, the reader revels in how Annie learns to care for others while also articulating and advocating for her own needs. The book's length (250 pages) is a selling point for students learning to build their reading endurance (though the book's content will appeal to young as well as old adults). Crutcher's recognition of Annie's challenges, well-balanced with humorous, sharp dialogue, makes the book a high-interest possibility for reluctant readers.
I have handed off Losers Bracket to several students and friends--and now, my friend, I'm recommending it to you as your perfect Sunday afternoon read. Crutcher is a champion for classroom teachers, continually offering free-of-charge Zoom author visits during the pandemic; he is also known as a regular at the annual NCTE conference, where he catches up with Dr. Bickmore. As a former teacher as well as child and family therapist for the Spokane Community Mental Health Center, Crutcher has found much of his fiction to be informed by his work in education and therapy. He is known for telling us the truth about kids, and this story about Annie Boots--his first female narrator of more than a dozen YA books--delivers a smart, honest story. Annie is an athletically-gifted foster kid who chooses sports teams close to home in the hopes that her biological family will attend her events and cheer her on, as any "normal" family would. Through Annie's interactions with her therapist, fighting foster parents, drama-prone biological family members, classmates and book club, the reader revels in how Annie learns to care for others while also articulating and advocating for her own needs. The book's length (250 pages) is a selling point for students learning to build their reading endurance (though the book's content will appeal to young as well as old adults). Crutcher's recognition of Annie's challenges, well-balanced with humorous, sharp dialogue, makes the book a high-interest possibility for reluctant readers.
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Weekend Pick for March 5, 2021
The Year we Fell From Space by A. S. King
This weekend will be filled with various household tasks and errands--perfect for an audiobook (or a book book if you have the good fortune to sit by a sunny window in your favorite chair). I recommend both versions of The Year we Fell From Space by A. S. King. King's writing is creative, smart, and witty, and Space is no exception, following middle-schooler (and constellation expert) Liberty Johansen as she and her sister, Jilly, cope with their parents' divorce. Liberty must reconcile the love she feels for her father with her sense of obligation to her sister and mother--while figuring out a new normal for herself. I will be writing more in future posts about YA books that explore how young people cope with divorce; this is the perfect book for kids who are processing similar transitions. In fact, not long after my own divorce, I read this book to my daughter, Andra, who laughed at Liberty's snippy comebacks, listened carefully to Liberty's observations, and raised her eyebrows at King's use of magical realism (there is, after all, a talking meterorite). This weekend, The Year we Fell From Space will entertain you, but it will also give you insight and tenderness as you see divorce from Liberty's point of view and revel in how the stars, her family, and her imagination bring hope and healing.
This weekend will be filled with various household tasks and errands--perfect for an audiobook (or a book book if you have the good fortune to sit by a sunny window in your favorite chair). I recommend both versions of The Year we Fell From Space by A. S. King. King's writing is creative, smart, and witty, and Space is no exception, following middle-schooler (and constellation expert) Liberty Johansen as she and her sister, Jilly, cope with their parents' divorce. Liberty must reconcile the love she feels for her father with her sense of obligation to her sister and mother--while figuring out a new normal for herself. I will be writing more in future posts about YA books that explore how young people cope with divorce; this is the perfect book for kids who are processing similar transitions. In fact, not long after my own divorce, I read this book to my daughter, Andra, who laughed at Liberty's snippy comebacks, listened carefully to Liberty's observations, and raised her eyebrows at King's use of magical realism (there is, after all, a talking meterorite). This weekend, The Year we Fell From Space will entertain you, but it will also give you insight and tenderness as you see divorce from Liberty's point of view and revel in how the stars, her family, and her imagination bring hope and healing.
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Weekend Picks for February 2021 by Morgan Jackson
Weekend Pick for Feb. 26, 2021
Early Departures by justin a. reynolds
“No one tells you this. That your life is always a few shitty seconds from absolute devastation” (justin a. reynolds, Early Departures)
Jamal has had a difficult few years. His parents died. His best friend stopped talking to him. His best friend died. His best friend is reanimated by a super secret science group.
The past two years have taught Jamal that anything can happen at any time and the world you know so well could change drastically in an instant. He hasn’t gotten over losing both of his parents in an accident or the fact that he blames his best friend for their death, but when that friend dies and can be reanimated Jamal has to figure out how to reconnect with Q and mend their broken friendship without telling Q that he died and will likely die again in less than a month.
reynolds tells an enthralling story. One that counts down from 100 and allows the reader to witness the building, destroying, and (hopefully) salvaging of a friendship between to Black boys. There are a bevy of female characters in the story: Jamal’s sister, his girlfriend, Q’s mom and a couple of teachers. But the
focus is on Jamal and Q’s friendship, the good, the bad, and the ugly.
We don’t have enough stories of boys’ friendship and the emotions that come with those friendships but reynolds has given us one that includes family struggles, romance, and teen angst but at its core it is about one boy wanting his friend back, even if only for 30 days.
“No one tells you this. That your life is always a few shitty seconds from absolute devastation” (justin a. reynolds, Early Departures)
Jamal has had a difficult few years. His parents died. His best friend stopped talking to him. His best friend died. His best friend is reanimated by a super secret science group.
The past two years have taught Jamal that anything can happen at any time and the world you know so well could change drastically in an instant. He hasn’t gotten over losing both of his parents in an accident or the fact that he blames his best friend for their death, but when that friend dies and can be reanimated Jamal has to figure out how to reconnect with Q and mend their broken friendship without telling Q that he died and will likely die again in less than a month.
reynolds tells an enthralling story. One that counts down from 100 and allows the reader to witness the building, destroying, and (hopefully) salvaging of a friendship between to Black boys. There are a bevy of female characters in the story: Jamal’s sister, his girlfriend, Q’s mom and a couple of teachers. But the
focus is on Jamal and Q’s friendship, the good, the bad, and the ugly.
We don’t have enough stories of boys’ friendship and the emotions that come with those friendships but reynolds has given us one that includes family struggles, romance, and teen angst but at its core it is about one boy wanting his friend back, even if only for 30 days.
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Weekend Pick for Feb. 19, 2021
Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett
Adolescence is a difficult time in life. In Full Disclosure it is made even more difficult for Simone Garcia-Hampton. She’s at a new school, is directing her first school play, has a crush on a cute boy in Drama Club, and is HIV-positive. This is a love story, but it’s also about the test of friendships, the boundaries of parent/child relationships, and finding how you are and then being okay with that person.
What makes it even more refreshing is that it provides a representation as it should be, mentioned and included but not focused or harped on and without exegesis. Simone is being raised by two dads, she has a bisexual friend, and another who is asexual. She is Black, so is the boy she likes who happens to play lacrosse. But this story isn’t about checking boxes or filling quotas. When Simone starts hanging out with Miles, from Drama Club someone threatens to tell him her HIV-status, further complicating her life is the fact that she hasn’t told her two best friends about it, and she’s still not sure how relationships and sex work with her status. On top of that her parents are a little too involved.
Garret provides an authentic voice of a teenager who is forced to be very adult at times and the struggle to be both. There is a need for more sex-positive stories in the world and Full Disclosure provides that. Simone and her friends discuss their sex lives, or lack thereof. They support each other in getting birth control and buying vibrators. Sex is not shied away from. Simone talks about it with her doctors, her friends, her boyfriend, and her parents. Simone has frank conversations with her physicians about sex when HIV-positive that are easily relatable to adolescents who may not be HIV-positive, but are still unsure about safe sex practices.
While these topics may be uncomfortable for some adults the truth is many teenagers are learning about who they are sexually and this book provides an example of a teenager having those same awkward thoughts and conversations. Books should be safe spaces to explore and contemplate the things that we think about, but aren’t sure how to talk about. Camryn Garrett does an excellent job of capturing the confusion that is adolescents, while also tackling some very serious issues in a book that is sure to spark plenty of conversation.
Adolescence is a difficult time in life. In Full Disclosure it is made even more difficult for Simone Garcia-Hampton. She’s at a new school, is directing her first school play, has a crush on a cute boy in Drama Club, and is HIV-positive. This is a love story, but it’s also about the test of friendships, the boundaries of parent/child relationships, and finding how you are and then being okay with that person.
What makes it even more refreshing is that it provides a representation as it should be, mentioned and included but not focused or harped on and without exegesis. Simone is being raised by two dads, she has a bisexual friend, and another who is asexual. She is Black, so is the boy she likes who happens to play lacrosse. But this story isn’t about checking boxes or filling quotas. When Simone starts hanging out with Miles, from Drama Club someone threatens to tell him her HIV-status, further complicating her life is the fact that she hasn’t told her two best friends about it, and she’s still not sure how relationships and sex work with her status. On top of that her parents are a little too involved.
Garret provides an authentic voice of a teenager who is forced to be very adult at times and the struggle to be both. There is a need for more sex-positive stories in the world and Full Disclosure provides that. Simone and her friends discuss their sex lives, or lack thereof. They support each other in getting birth control and buying vibrators. Sex is not shied away from. Simone talks about it with her doctors, her friends, her boyfriend, and her parents. Simone has frank conversations with her physicians about sex when HIV-positive that are easily relatable to adolescents who may not be HIV-positive, but are still unsure about safe sex practices.
While these topics may be uncomfortable for some adults the truth is many teenagers are learning about who they are sexually and this book provides an example of a teenager having those same awkward thoughts and conversations. Books should be safe spaces to explore and contemplate the things that we think about, but aren’t sure how to talk about. Camryn Garrett does an excellent job of capturing the confusion that is adolescents, while also tackling some very serious issues in a book that is sure to spark plenty of conversation.
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Weekend Pick for Feb. 12, 2021
Charming as a Verb by Ben Philippe
Senior year of high school is hard. You find yourself on the cusp of adulthood while simultaneously trapped in childhood. Ben Philippe does an excellent job of showing the very real, completely nerve-wracking existence that is senior year. The constant push/pull of commitments, engagements, and obligations. The pressures to figure out the next steps, the fear of falling flat on your face and the desire to conquer the world in front of you.
In Charming as a Verb is a Henri, “Halti” Haltiwanger is the quintessential high school senior. He attends a posh private school, participates on the debate team, is friends with everyone, and works a part time job as a dog walker. All that’s left is to get into his dream school, Columbia University. What could possibly go wrong?
Henri must face off against his no-nonsense classmate and neighbor, Corrine. Somehow she has found out the one thing that could uproot everything he’s worked for.
This story is part coming of age, part romance, and part finding out who you really are. Henri has some decisions to make as he tries to figure out what to do about Corrine’s blackmail, how far he’s willing to go to get into Columbia, and how what he wants fits in with what his immigrant parents want for him.
Senior year of high school is hard. You find yourself on the cusp of adulthood while simultaneously trapped in childhood. Ben Philippe does an excellent job of showing the very real, completely nerve-wracking existence that is senior year. The constant push/pull of commitments, engagements, and obligations. The pressures to figure out the next steps, the fear of falling flat on your face and the desire to conquer the world in front of you.
In Charming as a Verb is a Henri, “Halti” Haltiwanger is the quintessential high school senior. He attends a posh private school, participates on the debate team, is friends with everyone, and works a part time job as a dog walker. All that’s left is to get into his dream school, Columbia University. What could possibly go wrong?
Henri must face off against his no-nonsense classmate and neighbor, Corrine. Somehow she has found out the one thing that could uproot everything he’s worked for.
This story is part coming of age, part romance, and part finding out who you really are. Henri has some decisions to make as he tries to figure out what to do about Corrine’s blackmail, how far he’s willing to go to get into Columbia, and how what he wants fits in with what his immigrant parents want for him.
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Weekend Pick for Feb. 5, 2021
The Invincible Summer of Juniper Jones by Daven McQueen
There are so many stories about racism in a southern town and yet The Invincible Summer of Juniper Jones doesn’t come off cliche or redundant. A letter received in the mail transports Ethan back to a summer he’d like to forget and yet can’t help but remember. A time when Ethan, a biracial child, was being raised by his white father and spending the summer in Alabama with his white aunt and uncle. The rest of the book the reader follows Ethan through that summer experience in small town Alabama. The story unfolds to the reader and allows them to accompany Ethan on his summer journey with Juniper.
What makes this book unique and worth reading is the way in which McQueen recreates the experience and is able to show the reality of racism. McQueen illustrates the nuances of race, race relations, and feelings about race in such a way that is breathtaking and heartbreaking all at the same time. There is a need to understand the subtleties of racism. Most books that take place down south in 1955 focus on the outlandish and overt forms of racism. We are familiar with the burning cross and racial slurs. The “go back to where you came from” chants, but what about the slow watching, the taunting, and all the things that count as racism, but would be hard to explain. Rarely are microagressions so skillfully shown in literature, especially YA lit. I love that this book shows the implicit forms of racism. The muted scenes of racism are in some ways more powerful than the overt because they cause introspection. There are plenty of white characters who aren’t outwardly aggressive, but they are complicit and the reader is forced to try and answer some really hard questions.
What counts as racist?
Can good people be racist?
This one offers a great story while addressing so many pertinent issues.
There are so many stories about racism in a southern town and yet The Invincible Summer of Juniper Jones doesn’t come off cliche or redundant. A letter received in the mail transports Ethan back to a summer he’d like to forget and yet can’t help but remember. A time when Ethan, a biracial child, was being raised by his white father and spending the summer in Alabama with his white aunt and uncle. The rest of the book the reader follows Ethan through that summer experience in small town Alabama. The story unfolds to the reader and allows them to accompany Ethan on his summer journey with Juniper.
What makes this book unique and worth reading is the way in which McQueen recreates the experience and is able to show the reality of racism. McQueen illustrates the nuances of race, race relations, and feelings about race in such a way that is breathtaking and heartbreaking all at the same time. There is a need to understand the subtleties of racism. Most books that take place down south in 1955 focus on the outlandish and overt forms of racism. We are familiar with the burning cross and racial slurs. The “go back to where you came from” chants, but what about the slow watching, the taunting, and all the things that count as racism, but would be hard to explain. Rarely are microagressions so skillfully shown in literature, especially YA lit. I love that this book shows the implicit forms of racism. The muted scenes of racism are in some ways more powerful than the overt because they cause introspection. There are plenty of white characters who aren’t outwardly aggressive, but they are complicit and the reader is forced to try and answer some really hard questions.
What counts as racist?
Can good people be racist?
This one offers a great story while addressing so many pertinent issues.
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Weekend Picks for January 2021 by Steve Bickmore (with some help)
Weekend Pick for Jan. 29, 2021 by Steve Bickmore
Catch Me When I Fall by Bonnie Graves.
Over a year ago, Bonnie Graves sought me out on the advice of Richard Beach. Thanks Rick. Bonnie was hoping that I would be interested in reviewing her latest book, Catch Me When I Fall. Needless to say; I was interested. What’s not to love? It is a depression era tale that includes a circus and young twelve-year-old Emma’s journey to find out the identity of her father. I put the book in my to be read stack. Shortly, before the rise of COVID I read it and found it to be a remarkable middle grades book worth promoting and talking about.
Alas, with COVID several projects got waylaid or postpone. I had passed on most of the duties for weekend picks to other. This is both good and bad. Good, because others are involved in promoting the blog and providing more points of view about Young Adult literature. Bad, because I don’t get to all of the books and authors I want to talk about as quickly as I would like. Oh, well, It is never too late to advocate for a good book.
Bonnie’s book, Catch Me When I Fall is fantastic. I loved it and began talking about it with my students. I passed it around so much I don’t know who has it anymore. I love that students like the book and keep reading it. The only bad part is that I didn’t remember to get selfie. When my turn came around again in January of 2021, I planned to use it as a weekend pick. Fortunately, Bonnie contacted me with additional information. Another blog had highlighted her work with a wonderful write up. You can find that post at this link.
Bonnie was also kind enough to answer some interview questions in a written format. I have included it for your enjoyment. I hope you give this lovely book a chance.
Over a year ago, Bonnie Graves sought me out on the advice of Richard Beach. Thanks Rick. Bonnie was hoping that I would be interested in reviewing her latest book, Catch Me When I Fall. Needless to say; I was interested. What’s not to love? It is a depression era tale that includes a circus and young twelve-year-old Emma’s journey to find out the identity of her father. I put the book in my to be read stack. Shortly, before the rise of COVID I read it and found it to be a remarkable middle grades book worth promoting and talking about.
Alas, with COVID several projects got waylaid or postpone. I had passed on most of the duties for weekend picks to other. This is both good and bad. Good, because others are involved in promoting the blog and providing more points of view about Young Adult literature. Bad, because I don’t get to all of the books and authors I want to talk about as quickly as I would like. Oh, well, It is never too late to advocate for a good book.
Bonnie’s book, Catch Me When I Fall is fantastic. I loved it and began talking about it with my students. I passed it around so much I don’t know who has it anymore. I love that students like the book and keep reading it. The only bad part is that I didn’t remember to get selfie. When my turn came around again in January of 2021, I planned to use it as a weekend pick. Fortunately, Bonnie contacted me with additional information. Another blog had highlighted her work with a wonderful write up. You can find that post at this link.
Bonnie was also kind enough to answer some interview questions in a written format. I have included it for your enjoyment. I hope you give this lovely book a chance.
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Interview with Bonnie Graves
Weekend Pick for Jan. 22, 2021 by Lesley Roessing
*This is Steve intruding a bit. This book is fantastic. I selected it as one of my Picks for 2020. I also featured it as a weekend pick in March of 2020. Scroll down to the date in this link if you want to read that. We rarely feature a book a second time. The fact that we are should give a subtle hint.
Jack Kerouac is Dead to Me by Gae Polisner
“Everything is screwed up. Even when I’m happy, I feel bad.
Nothing is simple.
Nothing feels okay.
And I can’t remember a time when it did.” (230)
Adolescence is not simple, but especially not for fifteen-year-old JL Markham. JL is overwhelmed with every teen challenge there is, and, on top of it all, the ghost of Jack Kerouac is haunting her family: JL’s father left for a 6-month job on the other side of the country for 6 months, then a year, now possibly longer; her mother suffers from dissociative disorder and continually writes letters to Jack Kerouac; her Nana is sure everything is “all right” but she constantly recounts her one kiss with Jack Kerouac when she was a young girl. And is it a coincidence that JL’s name, Jean Louise, is similar to Jack Kerouac’s real name Jean-Louis? What is the power of Jack Kerouac over her family?
In other bad news, her best friend forever (literally), Aubrey, has dropped her for two other friends who don’t appear to like her. Her 19-year old, cool, sweet boyfriend Max is seen as a loser by others and, while not pressuring her into sex, is impatiently waiting until she turns 16; he is a poet at heart (and an ardent reader) but underneath a typical teenage boy. The tropical butterflies she raises do not live very long, which she knows but still makes her sad.
JL is a study in vulnerability and resilience. She has tough choices to make—to raise the safer Monarch butterflies over the Tropicals; to choose her boyfriend over her best friend; to have sex with Max even though she has vowed to wait until she is 16; to abandon her mother, betray her father and grandmother, and go to California with Max after his graduation. While it may appear that author Gae Polisner has heaped her heroine with more than one teen can expect, the sad truth is that many of our adolescents face some, if not all, of these challenges—family breakups, absent fathers, parental mental illness, sexual pressures, loss and abandonment.
Besides well-developed characters, I particularly appreciate a well-structured plot. JL’s story is told in flashbacks at different times and while this could be annoying, under Polisner’s artful crafting, each flashback adds more complexity and understanding to the present plotline. A letter that JL is writing to Aubrey intersperses chapters and ends the story, leading readers even further into the heart of the main character; we have seen where she was and we learn how far she has come. A hero’s journey? A coming of age? As JL realizes “I’m just me, a sixteen-year-old girl.” (270) Maybe things will now feel “okay.”
For mature readers.
Jack Kerouac is Dead to Me by Gae Polisner
“Everything is screwed up. Even when I’m happy, I feel bad.
Nothing is simple.
Nothing feels okay.
And I can’t remember a time when it did.” (230)
Adolescence is not simple, but especially not for fifteen-year-old JL Markham. JL is overwhelmed with every teen challenge there is, and, on top of it all, the ghost of Jack Kerouac is haunting her family: JL’s father left for a 6-month job on the other side of the country for 6 months, then a year, now possibly longer; her mother suffers from dissociative disorder and continually writes letters to Jack Kerouac; her Nana is sure everything is “all right” but she constantly recounts her one kiss with Jack Kerouac when she was a young girl. And is it a coincidence that JL’s name, Jean Louise, is similar to Jack Kerouac’s real name Jean-Louis? What is the power of Jack Kerouac over her family?
In other bad news, her best friend forever (literally), Aubrey, has dropped her for two other friends who don’t appear to like her. Her 19-year old, cool, sweet boyfriend Max is seen as a loser by others and, while not pressuring her into sex, is impatiently waiting until she turns 16; he is a poet at heart (and an ardent reader) but underneath a typical teenage boy. The tropical butterflies she raises do not live very long, which she knows but still makes her sad.
JL is a study in vulnerability and resilience. She has tough choices to make—to raise the safer Monarch butterflies over the Tropicals; to choose her boyfriend over her best friend; to have sex with Max even though she has vowed to wait until she is 16; to abandon her mother, betray her father and grandmother, and go to California with Max after his graduation. While it may appear that author Gae Polisner has heaped her heroine with more than one teen can expect, the sad truth is that many of our adolescents face some, if not all, of these challenges—family breakups, absent fathers, parental mental illness, sexual pressures, loss and abandonment.
Besides well-developed characters, I particularly appreciate a well-structured plot. JL’s story is told in flashbacks at different times and while this could be annoying, under Polisner’s artful crafting, each flashback adds more complexity and understanding to the present plotline. A letter that JL is writing to Aubrey intersperses chapters and ends the story, leading readers even further into the heart of the main character; we have seen where she was and we learn how far she has come. A hero’s journey? A coming of age? As JL realizes “I’m just me, a sixteen-year-old girl.” (270) Maybe things will now feel “okay.”
For mature readers.
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Weekend Pick for Jan. 15, 2021 by Steve Bickmore
The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour
Since the Thanksgiving break I am been giving myself reading room to roam. As someone who thinks about YA literature for a living. I am often compelled to be on the look out for the newest release, the book that is getting all of the buzz, or the novel that is just right to add to a class syllabus. When you allow yourself to wander, to reorganize your "to be read" list, or to renew older interests you just might find a gem or two. Over the last six weeks, I have found a few.
One of these gems is The Disenchantments. As some might remember, one of my thematic side interests within the world of YA literature is the music. I love books that highlight music. This can be in a variety of ways. One example is books that use music as a motif to push the theme or set the mood. I think Kiely's The Last True Love Story or Rowell's Eleanor and Park are good examples. Another category is the book about the band. A couple of my top choices for this category are Portman's King Dork and Emerson's Breakout. The Disenchantments set my heart soaring. I love the idea of kids grabbing an instrument and working to figuring it out. The raw passion it must take to gather some friends (or fellow impassioned explorers) and practice in the basement, the craved out extra space in a parent's warehouse or proverbial the garage until you can shout our Gloria, Smells Like Teen Spirit, or Satisfaction was beyond my courage factor. I always had a soft spot for the kids with drumsticks in his back pocket and very little interest in what was going on in my high school English class.
With in The Disenchantments Nina LaCour gets it right in many ways. Join Colby and Bev as they redefine what it means to be bandmates, friends, and to pursue individual and collective dreams. Do yourself a favor and join them as they tour with the band, chase down the meaning of old tattoos, and redefine friendship. I'll just bet you will get the urge to listen to some old records, to call an old friend, or dust off an old instrument to see if you are ready for a new adventure--or to rekindle an old dream.
Since the Thanksgiving break I am been giving myself reading room to roam. As someone who thinks about YA literature for a living. I am often compelled to be on the look out for the newest release, the book that is getting all of the buzz, or the novel that is just right to add to a class syllabus. When you allow yourself to wander, to reorganize your "to be read" list, or to renew older interests you just might find a gem or two. Over the last six weeks, I have found a few.
One of these gems is The Disenchantments. As some might remember, one of my thematic side interests within the world of YA literature is the music. I love books that highlight music. This can be in a variety of ways. One example is books that use music as a motif to push the theme or set the mood. I think Kiely's The Last True Love Story or Rowell's Eleanor and Park are good examples. Another category is the book about the band. A couple of my top choices for this category are Portman's King Dork and Emerson's Breakout. The Disenchantments set my heart soaring. I love the idea of kids grabbing an instrument and working to figuring it out. The raw passion it must take to gather some friends (or fellow impassioned explorers) and practice in the basement, the craved out extra space in a parent's warehouse or proverbial the garage until you can shout our Gloria, Smells Like Teen Spirit, or Satisfaction was beyond my courage factor. I always had a soft spot for the kids with drumsticks in his back pocket and very little interest in what was going on in my high school English class.
With in The Disenchantments Nina LaCour gets it right in many ways. Join Colby and Bev as they redefine what it means to be bandmates, friends, and to pursue individual and collective dreams. Do yourself a favor and join them as they tour with the band, chase down the meaning of old tattoos, and redefine friendship. I'll just bet you will get the urge to listen to some old records, to call an old friend, or dust off an old instrument to see if you are ready for a new adventure--or to rekindle an old dream.
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Weekend Pick for Jan. 8, 2021 by Susan James
Admission: A Novel by Julie Buxbaum
As my guest blogging comes to a close, I wanted to select the perfect Weekend Pick. I thought about continuing to share some of my favorite middle grades selections but was quickly inspired to include Julie Buxbaum’s YA book, Admission, for some seriously well-founded reasons. First, who doesn’t love Julie Buxbaum? This adorable little spitfire has such voice in her writing. What to Say Next is one of my all-time favorite YA books. Quite frankly, all of her books are worthy of praise! But what really directed my pick for this week was the sad loss of my dear Mother. My mom was the person who fostered my love of reading, and not only would she have loved Admission, she would have loved Julie Buxbaum! Julie has the type of personality my Momma loved, and this book is one that Mom would have enjoyed reading and discussing for hours. Finally, for those out there with young adults, I remind you of my passion of encouraging parents to read 20 minutes each night with your youth (yes, middle and high school students LOVE this) and then having a short 20-minute discussion about what was read. This past year, I initiated the Commit-2-Connect 2020 Challenge, and I hope those who participated will take it into 2021. The discussions I have had with my daughter and her friends surrounding YA Literature are some of the best (and most important) I have ever had, and Admission is the PERFECT book for parents and their kiddos to read together. Trust me, you won’t want to pass up the opportunity of sharing this book with all the young adults in your life!
Admission introduces us to Chloe Wynn Berringer, the child of B-List Hollywood star Joy Fields-- a mom Chloe tells us can “weep on demand” and tends to be “a little dramatic.” So, when the FBI shows up toting guns and demanding Chloe open the door, Chloe thinks it is a joke. And when Chloe later sees the headlines that read “JOY FIELDS, SITCOM STAR, ARRESTED ON MULTIPLE FRAUD CHARGES IN COUNTRYWIDE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS SCANDA,L” Chloe tells us this is the moment she knows it is all her own fault. Afterall, Chloe’s mom has had nothing on her mind but wanting Chloe to attend South California College (SCC), a highly sought-after institute, and Chloe connects the dots between her once low scores and the sudden unimaginable increase of her latest SAT results.
This is only the beginning, as Admission is told in a nonlinear narrative that shows Chloe’s perfect life before the arrest and the challenges of her family after said arrest. Heck, Chloe’s life is so perfect before the scandal that when she ponders how to respond to the common college admissions essay prompt about the adversities she has faced, what inspires her, or what interests she has outside of school, the only thought that comes to mind is the handsome and intelligent “Levi Haas” and her interest in kissing him. Levi, her once hands-off friend who is certainly headed to Harvard, has left the friends’ zone and is showing her nothing but love.
That is…. until the news of her mother’s arrest is released. With this news, Chloe is dumped by Levi through text, which is at least one step up from her “ride or die” best friend Shola’s reaction-- radio silence. Now, all Chloe is left with is her thoughts and the distinct realization that the themes from her assigned reading in Mrs. Pollack’s English class of the classic book Crime and Punishment (which Chloe “read” via Sparknotes) are suddenly relevant to her crumbling world. This leaves her pondering past discussions with Shola, one of which included Shola firmly reminding Chloe of Chloe’s privilege and how whining about it was the “height of entitlement.” Chloe insinuates that Shola has an advantage for being Nigerian American when in reality Shola has an SAT score and list of accomplishments that would easily land her at Harvard’s doors, if only she could secure financial aid.
Although Chloe studies non-stop for the SAT, her Mom provides the extra “support” by enlisting help from Dr. Wilson, a college counselor that is easily accessible to Chloe, as her parents have the money. Chloe finds this college counselor’s visit to be over the top (especially her parents flying him first class from New York and arranging for his stay at the Four Seasons), but she goes with the flow because her parents’ dreams of her attending Southern California College (SCC) seem to mean everything to them. And, quite honestly, Chloe would love to keep up with her peers and attend SCC but is feeling less than smart enough to accomplish this. Her parents’ investment seems to be worthwhile, when Chloe receives that increase in score by 240 points. Yet, she can’t shake the feeling she had when she took the test and guessed on many of her answers. Should all of these feelings and “noticings” have added up for Chloe? And if she was subconsciously aware of what was going on, does that make her complicit?
This book kept me on the edge of my seat during a rough time in my life, which speaks volumes of Buxbaum’s writing. I kept thinking about what amazing discussions can be had with this book. First, Julie Buxbaum does a great job reminding us of the people behind the scandal. One of the most important reasons for reading is to be able to place ourselves in the shoes of others, and Julie successfully allows readers to do so. Oftentimes when headlines signal a scandal (usually typed in BOLD print on page 1), we envision monsters instead of real people. Chloe’s family is close and loving, but they are not perfect (who is?). It leads readers to discuss the appropriate/inappropriate level of help students should be given and why parents would go to the lengths that Chloe’s parents do in order to ensure their children’s entrance into college. Buxbaum’s book also allows for discussion about how Chloe’s younger sister suffers due to the decisions her mother made, as well as Chloe’s possible role in the scandal. The cause-and-effect impact on relationships (both familial and peer) is well developed by Buxbaum, and I can see my students wanting to dissect this topic (or in the words of the novel’s English teacher, Mrs. Pollack, “unpack” this theme). But most of all, I loved how Chloe was able to self-reflect and grow from her experience. She shares her realization that money cannot buy everything, and it especially does not buy courage. The characters in Buxbaum’s novel teach us (yes, parents, too) strong lessons and allow for deep thought about topics that are not easy to discuss-- a true win for our young adults, parents, and educators!
This review is written in honor of my dear Mother, Margaret Densmore James, a woman who inspired my passion for reading and my incessant talking about books. My Mom never met a stranger, which probably is why I inherited the courage to meet the author, Julie Buxbaum, in the woman’s bathroom at the Teen Texas Book Festival. In the spirit of my Mom, I did not pass up the opportunity to meet one of my favorite authors, despite poor Ms. Buxbaum probably feeling she needed to call security. Thanks, Mom!
As my guest blogging comes to a close, I wanted to select the perfect Weekend Pick. I thought about continuing to share some of my favorite middle grades selections but was quickly inspired to include Julie Buxbaum’s YA book, Admission, for some seriously well-founded reasons. First, who doesn’t love Julie Buxbaum? This adorable little spitfire has such voice in her writing. What to Say Next is one of my all-time favorite YA books. Quite frankly, all of her books are worthy of praise! But what really directed my pick for this week was the sad loss of my dear Mother. My mom was the person who fostered my love of reading, and not only would she have loved Admission, she would have loved Julie Buxbaum! Julie has the type of personality my Momma loved, and this book is one that Mom would have enjoyed reading and discussing for hours. Finally, for those out there with young adults, I remind you of my passion of encouraging parents to read 20 minutes each night with your youth (yes, middle and high school students LOVE this) and then having a short 20-minute discussion about what was read. This past year, I initiated the Commit-2-Connect 2020 Challenge, and I hope those who participated will take it into 2021. The discussions I have had with my daughter and her friends surrounding YA Literature are some of the best (and most important) I have ever had, and Admission is the PERFECT book for parents and their kiddos to read together. Trust me, you won’t want to pass up the opportunity of sharing this book with all the young adults in your life!
Admission introduces us to Chloe Wynn Berringer, the child of B-List Hollywood star Joy Fields-- a mom Chloe tells us can “weep on demand” and tends to be “a little dramatic.” So, when the FBI shows up toting guns and demanding Chloe open the door, Chloe thinks it is a joke. And when Chloe later sees the headlines that read “JOY FIELDS, SITCOM STAR, ARRESTED ON MULTIPLE FRAUD CHARGES IN COUNTRYWIDE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS SCANDA,L” Chloe tells us this is the moment she knows it is all her own fault. Afterall, Chloe’s mom has had nothing on her mind but wanting Chloe to attend South California College (SCC), a highly sought-after institute, and Chloe connects the dots between her once low scores and the sudden unimaginable increase of her latest SAT results.
This is only the beginning, as Admission is told in a nonlinear narrative that shows Chloe’s perfect life before the arrest and the challenges of her family after said arrest. Heck, Chloe’s life is so perfect before the scandal that when she ponders how to respond to the common college admissions essay prompt about the adversities she has faced, what inspires her, or what interests she has outside of school, the only thought that comes to mind is the handsome and intelligent “Levi Haas” and her interest in kissing him. Levi, her once hands-off friend who is certainly headed to Harvard, has left the friends’ zone and is showing her nothing but love.
That is…. until the news of her mother’s arrest is released. With this news, Chloe is dumped by Levi through text, which is at least one step up from her “ride or die” best friend Shola’s reaction-- radio silence. Now, all Chloe is left with is her thoughts and the distinct realization that the themes from her assigned reading in Mrs. Pollack’s English class of the classic book Crime and Punishment (which Chloe “read” via Sparknotes) are suddenly relevant to her crumbling world. This leaves her pondering past discussions with Shola, one of which included Shola firmly reminding Chloe of Chloe’s privilege and how whining about it was the “height of entitlement.” Chloe insinuates that Shola has an advantage for being Nigerian American when in reality Shola has an SAT score and list of accomplishments that would easily land her at Harvard’s doors, if only she could secure financial aid.
Although Chloe studies non-stop for the SAT, her Mom provides the extra “support” by enlisting help from Dr. Wilson, a college counselor that is easily accessible to Chloe, as her parents have the money. Chloe finds this college counselor’s visit to be over the top (especially her parents flying him first class from New York and arranging for his stay at the Four Seasons), but she goes with the flow because her parents’ dreams of her attending Southern California College (SCC) seem to mean everything to them. And, quite honestly, Chloe would love to keep up with her peers and attend SCC but is feeling less than smart enough to accomplish this. Her parents’ investment seems to be worthwhile, when Chloe receives that increase in score by 240 points. Yet, she can’t shake the feeling she had when she took the test and guessed on many of her answers. Should all of these feelings and “noticings” have added up for Chloe? And if she was subconsciously aware of what was going on, does that make her complicit?
This book kept me on the edge of my seat during a rough time in my life, which speaks volumes of Buxbaum’s writing. I kept thinking about what amazing discussions can be had with this book. First, Julie Buxbaum does a great job reminding us of the people behind the scandal. One of the most important reasons for reading is to be able to place ourselves in the shoes of others, and Julie successfully allows readers to do so. Oftentimes when headlines signal a scandal (usually typed in BOLD print on page 1), we envision monsters instead of real people. Chloe’s family is close and loving, but they are not perfect (who is?). It leads readers to discuss the appropriate/inappropriate level of help students should be given and why parents would go to the lengths that Chloe’s parents do in order to ensure their children’s entrance into college. Buxbaum’s book also allows for discussion about how Chloe’s younger sister suffers due to the decisions her mother made, as well as Chloe’s possible role in the scandal. The cause-and-effect impact on relationships (both familial and peer) is well developed by Buxbaum, and I can see my students wanting to dissect this topic (or in the words of the novel’s English teacher, Mrs. Pollack, “unpack” this theme). But most of all, I loved how Chloe was able to self-reflect and grow from her experience. She shares her realization that money cannot buy everything, and it especially does not buy courage. The characters in Buxbaum’s novel teach us (yes, parents, too) strong lessons and allow for deep thought about topics that are not easy to discuss-- a true win for our young adults, parents, and educators!
This review is written in honor of my dear Mother, Margaret Densmore James, a woman who inspired my passion for reading and my incessant talking about books. My Mom never met a stranger, which probably is why I inherited the courage to meet the author, Julie Buxbaum, in the woman’s bathroom at the Teen Texas Book Festival. In the spirit of my Mom, I did not pass up the opportunity to meet one of my favorite authors, despite poor Ms. Buxbaum probably feeling she needed to call security. Thanks, Mom!
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Weekend Pick for Jan. 1, 2021
Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson.
Yesterday, I listed Grown as one of Bick's Picks for 2020. I finished the book about three weeks ago and I knew it would be a weekend pick and a pick for 2020. To say, that I was stunned by this book is an understatement. It was one of those books that compels you to keep reading. It is hard to decide to even find a stopping point. Each chapter leaves you wanting to continue.
I have grown daughters and I a bit terrified that I really don't know much about their temptations and the challenges they faced to reach adulthood. I know now that we still need some conversations. Growing up for adolescents in any circumstance is not easy, but if you are surrounded by predators the odds become even more challenging.
Tiffany D. Jackson is a commanding author. Currently, with four tremendous novels under her belt, it is hard to imagine that she hasn't been writing and influencing YA fiction for a couple of decades. Yet, her first novel, Allegedly, was published in April 2018. It was followed in April of 2019 by Monday's Not Coming and, then, in May of 2020 Let Me Hear a Rhyme hit the shelves. The first three were roughly a year apart, but this fourth hit the shelves on Sept. of 2020. Tiffany is definitely on my radar. I was thrilled to have her as an individual speaker at the ALAN Workshop in 2019, when I was the president. I would love to host her at UNLV Summit on the Research and Teaching of Young Adult literature. I will keep working on that dream.
Tiffany's novels are both realistic and gritty. They are surrounded by mystery and uncertainty, in other words, they are right up my alley. I am not sure why I waited so long to read this wonderful book. My advice, don't wait, read this book as soon as possible. It is one of the few books that caused me to pause. I finished reading the book and after I closed it and continued sitting in my chair. In actuality, I was quietly rereading the novel and trying to wrap my mind around this fantastic narrative.
Yesterday, I listed Grown as one of Bick's Picks for 2020. I finished the book about three weeks ago and I knew it would be a weekend pick and a pick for 2020. To say, that I was stunned by this book is an understatement. It was one of those books that compels you to keep reading. It is hard to decide to even find a stopping point. Each chapter leaves you wanting to continue.
I have grown daughters and I a bit terrified that I really don't know much about their temptations and the challenges they faced to reach adulthood. I know now that we still need some conversations. Growing up for adolescents in any circumstance is not easy, but if you are surrounded by predators the odds become even more challenging.
Tiffany D. Jackson is a commanding author. Currently, with four tremendous novels under her belt, it is hard to imagine that she hasn't been writing and influencing YA fiction for a couple of decades. Yet, her first novel, Allegedly, was published in April 2018. It was followed in April of 2019 by Monday's Not Coming and, then, in May of 2020 Let Me Hear a Rhyme hit the shelves. The first three were roughly a year apart, but this fourth hit the shelves on Sept. of 2020. Tiffany is definitely on my radar. I was thrilled to have her as an individual speaker at the ALAN Workshop in 2019, when I was the president. I would love to host her at UNLV Summit on the Research and Teaching of Young Adult literature. I will keep working on that dream.
Tiffany's novels are both realistic and gritty. They are surrounded by mystery and uncertainty, in other words, they are right up my alley. I am not sure why I waited so long to read this wonderful book. My advice, don't wait, read this book as soon as possible. It is one of the few books that caused me to pause. I finished reading the book and after I closed it and continued sitting in my chair. In actuality, I was quietly rereading the novel and trying to wrap my mind around this fantastic narrative.
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