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  • WEEKEND PICKS 2023

Weekend Picks for January 28, 2022

1/28/2022

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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.
For the picks from 2020 click here.
For the picks from 2020 click here.
For older picks click from 2019 click here.
For the even older picks click here.

Weekend Picks for January 28, 2022

​Do you feel lost sometimes? I do. In times like those, I prefer to get lost in books because they help me realize I am not alone in whatever difficult situation I find myself. Today's book choice is one of my favorites for the past three years. ​An incredibly well written story by the author of If I Stay Gayle Forman touches the hearts of my students every time I offer this book for reading. 
I Have Lost My Way by Gayle Forman (2018)
​Gayle Forman introduces a story of three strangers who become closely connected by a fateful accident. Freya, a rising star singer, is troubled by losing her voice, but it seems to be her true identity. Harun is a young man who feels trapped and lost between the expectations of his religion, family, and conflicting sexuality. Nathaniel is a lone drifter who is desperate and searching for answers. “I have lost my way,” sounds as a broken record in each of their heads.  These characters’ lives intersect when Freya falls off the small arched bridge on Nathaniel, who is heading toward the Brooklyn Bridge, and Harun witnesses the scene. From this point, the lives of the three characters are entangled into a bond that saves them. 
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My students, on the other hand, have their preferences and suggestions. Please, take a look at the pictures below revealing Devin, Justin, and Connor's choices: Yesterday Is History by Kosoko Johnson (2021),  A Spy in the Struggle by Aya de Leon (2020), and The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins (2020). All three of the novels seem captivating just by the titles. I cannot wait for my students to share their reactions when we return to class next week.
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Nikki Bylina-Streets will be taking over Weekend Picks in February.  

Enjoy your weekend and keep reading,

Leilya
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Weekend Picks for January 21, 2022

1/21/2022

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Weekend Picks for January 21, 2022 

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.

For the picks from 2021 click here

For the picks from 2020 click here.
For older picks click from 2019 click here.
For the even older picks click here.
Another week of January has passed, and if you want an enjoyable, cozy weekend with a book… or two, we are here to offer you some choices. This week’s selections are presented by my students Alexis K. and Morgan S.  These young adult novels offer us a tour and a glimpse into rich cultures of Japan and Argentina.   
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Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean (2021)
This Book is presented by one of my students, Alexis K. This is how Alexis summarizes the novel.  
Tokyo Ever After tells the story of eighteen-year-old, Japanese-American, Izumi. She is raised by her mother, and her father is absent from the family picture. It is not easy to be one of the very few Asian Americans in her predominantly White school in Northern California, and Izzy feels that she doesn’t fit because she isn’t American enough. One day, while going through her mother’s makeup drawer, Izumi and her best friend, Noora, discover the true-identity of her father… the heir to the Japanese throne. Jean’s book takes readers through the story of Izumi’s journey of learning about her father, Japanese culture, and herself.
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​Alexis outlines several reasons to attract readers:
  • This book is an easy read and is not very long, making it ideal for anyone who doesn’t have much time.
  • The novel provides a more accurate representation of Asian, specifically Japanese,  culture because Emiko Jean is a Japanese-American.
  • Finally, it is a fun coming-of-age story that is written in 2021, so it has themes that can relate to many readers.
Furia by Yamile Saied Mendez (2020)

This novel is a book choice of Morgan S., another one of my pre-service teacher students. An Argentine-American author Yamile Saied Mendez tells a story of a high school senior Camila Hassan. Camila is seventeen years old and lives in Rosario, Argentina with her very self-conscious mother, overbearing father, and an older brother who is a soccer star. Being a diligent student who is supposedly studying for medical school, she is secretly playing soccer. 

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Camilla knows that her family rooted on a traditional view of women in Argentina would not approve her desire to become a professional fútbol player. As is with many young adult stories, there is another complication on top of Camila’s dream. His name is Diego Ferrari, former childhood friend, a professional soccer player who comes back home to Rosario. To find out what happens next, read Furia, suggests Morgan.
Among the most attractive aspects of the novel, Morgan emphasizes the author’s ability to present characters that are believable, relatable, but unique. As a bonus, Mendez creates a story showing the contrast between Argentinian and American cultures and provides a rich sense of place and taste of the communal atmosphere in Argentina.
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Hope you'll enjoy these selections.
Till next time,
Leilya
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Weekend Pick for January 14, 2022

1/14/2022

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Weekend Pick for January 14, 2022

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Tomorrow, January 15, is Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday, and I would like to dedicate this weekend’s pick to honor his life and legacy.  Did you know that on November 3, 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed a bill marking the third Monday of January, as Martin Luther King Jr. Day? In January 1986, the first national Martin Luther King Jr. holiday was observed. 

Dear Martin by Nic Stone (2017)
Seventeen-year-old Justyce McAllister is a high-school senior and full-scholarship student at Braselton Preparatory Academy with plans for an Ivy League education, a law degree, and a career in public policy, as he explains. Trying to help his ex-girlfriend, Melo, he gets arrested for allegedly having advantage over “the pretty white girl.” The boy’s “upper body slams onto the trunk with so much force, he bites the inside of his check, and his mouth fills with blood,” describes the policeman’s brutality Nic Stone (2017, p. 7). While the arrest doesn’t last long, it deeply scars Justyce and changes his life. He grapples with a question: “How different would things have gone had I not been a black guy?”
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​ Justyce is hurt, angry, and desperate for answers as he deals with the aftermath of arrest, racial violence and fights with classmates, and encounters his former neighborhood friends. He begins a Dear Martin project, a series of letters to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Reflecting on his experiences and struggles, the young man doesn’t just write letters, but tries to find the solution that is non-violent, yet just. “What would Martin do?”  Justyce keeps asking himself.
​In the final letter to Martin, Justyce realizes that the main question should change to “Who would Martin BE?” This is a switch from an immediate re/action to events to understanding who the person is in the first place. The novel ends with the hope that Justyce has time to figure out who he is and what his beliefs are. Hopefully, these beliefs will drive his decisions and actions.    ​
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There are dozens of other novels that carry powerful messages about social justice, acceptance, and embracing diversity.
What are your favorite books to read around this time? Please, share in comments.

Till next weekend,
​Leilya
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Weekend Pick of January 7, 2022

1/7/2022

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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.

Weekend Picks for January 7, 2022

Have you made any New Year's resolutions?  I don't make resolutions anymore, but I do keep a great habit of reading and learning from books. I also love sharing books with my students. This Weekend's Picks are suggested by two of my students, Sarah Spring and Lily Navarra. Both are pre-service teachers going into their second semester of residency in local public schools.  They share two phenomenal texts that have already earned their rightful place among young adult novels. 
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American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang (2006)

​American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang is not only a coming of age story combining a unique and traditional approach to the hero’s quest for identity, an archetype stretching back thousands of years. Both Jin Wang, a contemporary teenager, and the Monkey King, representing generations of the past,  undergo personal transformations, experience supernatural phenomenon, and undergo various other archetypal trials on the way toward their newfound identity. By positing the story in the modern world, Yang forges a new perspective on racism, heroism, stereotypes, and the dangers of pride and conformity. This is an engaging graphic novel that will keep you reading until you reach the final page.

The Crossover by Kwame Alexander (2014)

The Crossover is a first person verse novel that follows twelve-year-old Josh Bell as he must overcome  confusing feelings of jealousy and abandonment and cope with his father’s terminal condition With each section in this novel, the poetry directly interacts with the reader. From the onomatopoeia, to the concrete poetry, to the various intentional poetic forms, Kwame Alexander crafts a novel like no other. Through the eyes of Josh “Filthy McNasty” Bell, the readers are introduced into the adolescent experience of a distinctive individual. In each of the poems, we learn that Josh values his family, looks up to his father, and lives for the game of basketball. Many of the poems serve as a play-by-play of Josh’s basketball games in first-person and real-time. These poems mirror the experience of watching an actual basketball game, having a quick rhythm, and exhilarating tone.  

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Keep reading!
Until next weekend,
Leilya

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!
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First Weekend Pick of the New Year!

1/1/2022

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Weekend Pick of January 1, 2022

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Happy New Year, Dear Book Lovers!
Are you looking for something to read? 
Pick one of these great books!

Are your students looking for book recommendations?
Send them to browse through the picks for this or those from the previous years.
Welcome to a new year of Weekend Picks! Let 2022 become a year of new discoveries in the world of literature! Let us read and learn from books. Let us share our best encounters with brilliant writers and their diverse characters.
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To begin a new year on a cheerful note, I suggest reading two novels that warm readers’ hearts with teenage love. However, there is so much more to these books that our adolescents, teachers, and librarians can discover in these selections.
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Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell (2013)

​Set in the 1980s and drawing on important cultural artifacts of the time (e.g., cassette tapes, the WalkMan, comic books), Eleanor & Park provides a narrative of Park Sheridan and Eleanor Douglas following  their first love and ultimate loss.​ This beautifully written novel introduces two tenth-grade adolescents, who are both outsiders among their peers, but are so different that no one would attempt to match them. Eleanor, with her red, curly hair, is “big and awkward,” and classmates don’t get tired of mocking her. Park is a quiet guy, who is always neat and tidy, likes music and comics. One day Eleanor sits next to Park on a school bus, their story begins. They grow to know and love each other. While they are smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, they are brave enough to try.  

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Don’t Hate the Player by Alexis Nedd (2021)

In her debut novel, Alexis Nedd tells a story of two teens, Emilia and Jake. A nerdy, almost perfect high school student and athlete, Emilia aims for an Ivy League college to meet her Puerto Rican parents’ high expectations; however, she has another passion – online gaming. She is a member of Team Fury, one of the best and highly competitive e-sports team. Jake is not as academically ambitious as Emilia, but is a devoted gamer himself. He belongs to Team Unity. The adolescent readers will be drawn to both characters learning about their desires, goals, and struggles. The novel feels relevant for young adult readers who enjoy sweet romance and video games, have plans for college, and think about their future. 

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Happy reading! Let me know what you think.
​Till next weekend,
Leilya
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!
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    Curators for the Weekend Picks

    Leilya Pitre
    Leilya taught English as a foreign language in the Ukraine and ELA/English in public schools in the US. Her research interests include teacher preparation, clinical experiences, secondary school teaching, and teaching and research of Young Adult and multicultural literature. Together with her friend and colleague, Mike Cook, she co-authored a two-volume edition of Teaching Universal Themes Through Young Adult Novels (2021). ​
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    Cammie Jo Lawton
    Cammie is a current doctoral student at the University of Tennessee Knoxville and serves the Center for Children and Young Adult Literature as a graduate research assistant. She is especially interested in how YA can affect readers, create empathy and possibly shift thinking. 
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    Nikki Bylina-Streets
    Nikki is a elementary librarian who just keeps reading YA literature. She is a constant advocate for reading at every level. You can also follow her through her ​Instagram account dedicated to my school library work. @thislibraryrocks
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