Weekend Picks for January 21, 2022

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.

​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.

Hope you'll enjoy these selections.
Till next time,
Leilya