Continuing with my theme of friend recommendations...I would like to thank my friend Robin for this next selection. Robin and I met through the YA Summit in 2020 after attending a virtual session with the AMAZING Dr. Sarah Donovan. We wound up joining one of her virtual book clubs and the rest is history. Since meeting online in 2020, we've enjoyed many coffee shop meetings where we discuss life, teaching, and BOOKS! Coffee soon Robin? I need to return this book to you. :)

Now onto the book recommendation!

Naz Kutub's debut novel The Loophole is an adventure in world travel and second chances. We've all messed up a time or two in our romantic lives. Think back to when you were 17 years old...would you make some different choices? What if you were gifted three wishes like in Aladdin?! This genie in this story is a stylish and sassy girl! Would you use those three wishes to mend a broken relationship? If so, how would you go about righting your wrongs? This is a fun, quirky novel and it makes me excited to see what's more to come from Naz Kutub. I hope you pick it up and enjoy it as much as I did. 

​-Nikki ❤

Hi Readers! 

It's me again, guest curator for the Weekend Picks...Nikki! I loved reading my colleagues recommendations! Thanks Erica and Nichole! You ladies rock! I think some of the best reads come from friend recommendations. I'm going to continue the theme of friendship with my next two posts!

A Million Quiet Revolutions by Robin Gow was recommended to me by my academic bestie, Morgan. Morgan and I have been attending doctorate classes together for the past few years and I tell you, I wouldn't be able to "make it" without her. You can see more of her recommendations if you click the links above "For the picks from 2020" and "For the picks from 2021", then scroll down to find the February picks and you'll see Morgan's amazing recommendations.

Moving on to the book review now.

Robin Gow writes this thought provoking book in verse about two teenage trans boys and their quest to seek history that reflects themselves. Society often leaves out narratives of the oppressed and many people of under represented communities are curious about where they fit in to our nation's or even world's history. We talk about representation all the time when it comes to fiction stories, which this book is, but we often leave out the representation when it comes to historic narratives as well. Aaron and Oliver (our main characters) are curious about the queer stories of Revolutionary War soldiers and seek to find those answers.

This is a coming of age story that deals with first love and how to stay connected to one another over distances. Since this book is written in verse, it truly is an excellent pick for the weekend. I'm so glad my dear friend recommended it to me and I'm thrilled to pass on the recommendation to you! Enjoy and happy reading. 

​-Nikki ❤​

Erica Henriquez is a first year teacher currently teaching fourth grade. Prior to teaching, she was a children's librarian for public libraries and has worked for libraries for 8 years. She is currently working on her Masters in Elementary Education from the University of Nevada Las Vegas. When she is not teaching or reading, she is at home with her husband and her three dogs, Walt, Charlie Bean, and Gizmo. ​

The Voting Booth by Brandy Colbert is a fiction story that follows two characters that start off just trying to do one thing- vote. On the morning of election day, Marva knows she has one task- to go vote. It is her first time voting and she knows the weight and power her vote has. In another part of the city is Duke- a young man who knows he has to go vote, especially since it is something his mom and brother want for him. As Marva is waiting in line to vote, she notices that there are not many young people, except for one young man. Once she submits her vote, she is walking out when she hears that the same young man she noticed earlier cannot vote, because he is not on the list to vote at that polling place. Being as passionate as she is about voting, social issues, and practically everything, Marva turns and speaks to the woman to try and understand why he cannot vote. This is Marva and Duke’s first encounter. This is when Marva learns that Duke is at the wrong voting location, and this is when she is determined to help him get to his correct voting location- at all costs. This simple encounter is what leads Marva and Duke to share an entire day together.​

The Voting Booth takes you on a journey to understand two characters- Marva and Duke. Both on two separate journeys, both carrying their own emotions and burdens, but both bound to share more than just meeting at a voting booth trying to vote. This story tells what joy, sadness, grief, and excitement can feel, and how two people that just had to go vote, changed drastically to being two people that share a journey that neither of them wanted, but needed.

Welcome to February, dear readers! Nikki Bylina-Streets is curating our Weekend Picks for the next four weeks.  Thank you, Nikki, for inviting the guest contributors to share their favorite reads throughout the month. Today's guest is Nichole Beer.

X a Novel by Ilyasah Shabazz (Daughter of Malcom X) and Kekla Magoon is part biography and part fiction.  The authors are skillfully, able to simultaneously weave historical facts within this coming of age novel about   Malcolm Little, ‘Red’, ‘Detroit Red’, Malcom X and at his death his legal name was El-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz.  His name changes, the honor he felt from his street name, the last name of X, as to not carry the name of his ancestors enslavers and finally his conversion to The Nation of Islam and his Muslim name, are all symbols of the changes Malcolm went through on his journey to become one of the most controversial and influential civil rights heroes of the African American civil rights movement of the 20th century. 

Our novel begin with Malcolm Little in elementary school in Mason, Michigan (a small town outside of Lansing).  Life is not easy for the Little family, no money, no way for upward mobility, institutional racism, poverty,  and discrimination leads to Malcom and two of his younger siblings being put in foster care.  This is the first time Malcolm realizes what it feels like to be truly powerless and his pain is illustrated in first person narrative throughout the book.

Once Malcolm is away from Michigan and living with an older sister in Boston, he begins to find his power, he finds a way to fit in. Although, the foundation of his self-discovery is petty crime, drugs, alcohol, hustling, and women, he is for a time, for the first time, proud to be a black man in America.  

The novel chronicles Malcolm’s coming of age in Boston and New York, up until his incarceration in 1948 and his self-education and conversion to the Nation of Islam.
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There is an author’s note from his daughter at the end of the novel.

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