Davis, Tanita. 2021. Partly Cloudy. HarperCollins (Katherine Tegen Books). 240 pp. $16.99. ISBN 978-0-06-293700-1.

Moving out of her home and in with her Great Uncle Lobo isn't the worst or unexpected thing Madyln faces at the start of her seventh grade year. Feeling completely isolated in her new house, with only the neighbor boy, Jean, to keep her company, she hopes her new school will bring her a deeper sense of satisfaction. But unfortunately, skies darken as she learns she is the only Black girl in her class and fair weather friends may be all she can hope for. As if navigating long distance relationships with both of her parents, and the horrid front room of Papa Lobo’s house wasn't enough, terrible fires, and questionable-perhaps racist comments, plague the world around her and force her to question if the skies above her will ever clear. 

    The intertwining of incredibly relatable situations: middle school was hard for everyone, making friends can be hard is apparent throughout this read. Those only relate to some people: moving schools and living with her great uncle, being the only person of color in an all white class, or choosing sides in a neighborly war over a stray cat. The inclusion of problems without clear solutions are hard, but necessary conversation topics are vital for young readers to experience. Throughout the text is chalk full of weather metaphors, and is the perfect place to find the rainbow after the rain. (KJF)

 

Knox Ostertag, Molly. 2021. The Girl From The Sea. Scholastic Inc. (Graphix). 256pp. $14.99. ISBN 978-1-33-854057-4. Illustrated by Molly Knox Ostertag. 

Morgan likes to keep everything in boxes. Friends, family, school, being alone…she likes everything organized and separate. All of this makes it easier for her to hide her big secret. Then, Morgan is reunited with Kelpie, a Selkie who can shift from a seal into a human once every seven years. After Morgan kisses Kelpie for rescuing her, Kelpie becomes tethered to Morgan. Suddenly, Morgan finds it difficult to keep her secret from her friends and family. Throughout the story, Morgan struggles to stay in the closet and ends up pushing the ones she cares about away because of it. Things become even more complicated when Kelpie confesses she needs Morgan’s help to save her family. Young readers will find that they relate to Morgan as she works through arguments with her friends and family and the difficulties of coming out to the people that love her. 

Readers will enjoy the bright pinks, blues, and oranges throughout the graphic novel. The novel does an incredible job of highlighting the natural beauty of living on an island. Modern characters are brought alive in this book through style and personality. The designs were purposeful for all of her characters, with a specific focus on fashion and clothes. Morgan’s gains confidence in expressing her style with her own clothes that she designs for both herself and for Kelpie. Kelpie is a fish out of water in both her style and her actions. Kelpie’s style is childish and mismatched, as she is only just learning how to be human and this makes her stand out against the people in Morgan’s town. (LH)

 

Fry, Michael. (2021). Ghosted. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (Clarion). 272 pp. $13.99. ISBN 978-0-35-826961-8.

The way everyone approaches death and ghost stories is different and when Larry’s best friend, Grimm, starts to appear after an accident which left him no longer alive, they decide they need to find out why Grimm is still connected to the physical world. Throughout their adventures of finishing their bucket list, they find happiness and sorrow, which are common reactions to losing a loved one. Grieving is a process and in the case of Grimm and Larry, pulling pranks and having fun is one way to ease into the hard part of letting go. 

The illustrations and whitty comedy allow readers to explore the different levels of grief and understand nothing is as easy as it may appear. The colors are cool toned to show the sorrow and grief that come along with loss as well as the descriptions carry through to captivate the readers every step of the way. Losing someone close to you is a hard concept to understand at any age, especially youth, so with the approach taken within this novel, readers are able to grasp an understanding of how to process the gloomy days. (SH)

 

Dasgupta, Sayantani. (2021). Force of Fire. Scholastic Inc. (Scholastic Press). 368pp. $17.99. ISBN 978-1-33-863664-2.

    How people are treated corresponds to how they react to certain situations, so in the case of Pinki, a determined and charismatic demon, she will do what she can to balance her self-imagine and the overarching task of standing up for her clan’s rights. As she goes through the battle for rights, she faces self versus self conflict with how she is able to understand her powers and what it means for her. 

    The events taking place within this novel, reveals the daily struggles individuals face. Self-determination and perseverance embody Pinki as she travels through her journey in discovering the pieces to what make her unique. This is relatable to each journey everyone goes through, meaning we all are going through our own path and wherever that path takes us we will learn the pieces of ourselves that make us who we are. (SH)

 

Hing Wen, Abigail. 2022. Loveboat Reunion. HarperCollinsPublisher (HarperTeen). 448 pp. $18.99. ISBN 978-0-06-295730-6.

Sophie and Xavier had met previously at a summer camp in Taipei called Loveboat. During their time at camp, they had a quick, but passionate romance. Readers follow the journey Sophie takes navigating through her freshman year at Dartmouth, while Xavier tries to escape the grasp of his overbearing father. As they both traverse through difficult transitions in their lives, they begin to reach out to each other for support. While in touch, both of them wonder if they could be anything more than they were last summer and consider giving their relationship a second chance. With the stress of school and family being overwhelming, they plan a trip to Taipei for a traditional moonlight festival. As they begin to plan the trip, other students from the summer camp begin to join in to create a reunion for Loveboat students. However, Sophie and Xavier are forced to navigate obstacles in the way of learning about their families, their desires, and most importantly, looking at how they themselves have changed. 

    Young readers will enjoy this uplifting, relatable, and comedic story. It allows the opportunity to connect with Sophie and Xavier at times of high stress, anxiety, and doubt while readers may also be going through it themselves. It is also an incredible story of growth between the two main characters through their adorable, yet complicated dynamic. Readers will relish in immersing themselves in a fun weekend in Taipei involving moon cakes, boba teas, panda bears, friends, and romance. (MJK)

 

Rockliff, Mara. (2019). Billie Jean!: How Tennis Star Billie Jean King Changed Women’s Sports. Penguin Random House (G. P. Putnam’s Sons). 40 pp. $16.99. ISBN 978-0-52-551779-5. Illustrated by Elizabeth Baddeley. 

    Within the world of sports, women have not always been seen as equal to men. Billie Jean’s story highlights these inequalities women have faced within tennis and continue to face everyday. Told from a third person omniscient point of view, the readers connect with Billie Jean’s story and fight for gender equality in the tennis world. In the exposition, Billie Jean is showcased as a hard worker as well as stubborn towards submitting to gender stereotypes. As she grows up and develops her tennis skills, she is met with difficult competition which she is able to overcome to compete in top matches around the country and the world. While competing at the top level of tennis, Billie Jean and other female tennis players notice the inequalities shine through in interviews, payment, and coverage of their matches. In the rising action, Billie Jean is challenged to a tennis match by a well known male tennis player. Billie Jean knows how much relies on her winning this match; to lose would show men are better than women and women are not capable of playing sports. The climax illustrates the intense match between male opponent Bobby Riggs, and Billie Jean. In the end, Billie Jean emerges victorious, inspiring hope across the nation that women are capable of competing in sports that have a male focus. (DLK)

 

Flood, Nancy Bo. (2020). I Will Dance. Simon & Schuster (Atheneum Books for Young Readers). 48 pp. $17.99. ISBN 978-1-53-443061-7. Illustrated by Julianna Swaney. 

    Dancing is an experience for anyone at any age with any ability. Eva was born unable to walk on her own and must be supported by a wheelchair. She dreams of being a dancer and to know how it feels to move through space. She does not want to imagine or pretend, she wants to dance. When Eva’s mother shows her an opportunity for a dance production, which calls for dancers of any age and any ability, Eva is doubtful any ability includes her and her wheelchair. When Eva enters the dance practice, she begins to be fearful she should not be there. However, the instructor and other dancers welcome her in with open arms. Eva begins to see she is able to dance in her own way, by sharing energy through her range of motion. As the group gets set for the performance, Eva becomes anxious. During the climax, Eva is able to express herself with the other dancers on stage within her range of abilities. She is dancing, which is all she has ever dreamed of. 

    The illustrations throughout the book are used to highlight Eva’s fears and dreams. When she thinks of dancing with ballerinas on stage, soft watercolors are used to showcase the dream she feels is unattainable. When she is fearful of being accepted, darker colors and sharper lines are used to convey her fear. This book incorporates movement words to describe how Eva is able to move and interact with the world around her through dance. (DLK)

 

Krull, Katherine. (2020). The Only Woman in the Photo: Frances Perkins & Her New Deal for America. Simon & Schuster (Atheneum Books for Young Readers). 48 pp. $19.99. ISBN 978-1-48-149151-8. Illustrated by Alexandra Bye. 

    History has often focused on men. However, Frances Perkins paved her way forward into being included in a crucial part of history. Following Frances’ life from a young age, the readers get a sense of Frances becoming who she is, including a highlight of inspirational words from her family to push her. Frances was always intrigued by the world of learning and was encouraged by her family to follow her dreams to go onto higher education. Frances saw a need to help children in poor situations and rose to help. Because of all her actions to help these children, President Roosevelt encouraged her to run for a position on the New York City workplace safety committee. Frances combated major levels of prejudice of women in power as well as helped to provide important safety laws that carry into modern day. 

    After tremendous success in her push for workplace safety, Frances accepted a position in FDR’s cabinet as secretary of Labor in the later half of her life. Once again, Frances was paving the way for women and proposing important safety reforms for the American people by going head to head with many men who opposed her important implementation of safety procedures. This book highlights important themes of perseverance, staying true to oneself, and not giving into pressure when something is better for the common good. (DLK)

 

Singh, Simran Jeet. (2020). Fauja Singh Keeps Going: The True Story of the Oldest Person to Ever Run a Marathon. Penguin Random House LLC (Kolika). 48pp. $17.99. ISBN 0-52-555509-9. Illustrated by Bajinder Kaur. 

Everyone is a child at heart. This is where Fauja Singh gets the strength to finish a marathon at age 100. When Fauja was a young child, his parents believed he would never walk. However, it was his mother who would tell him encouraging words to motivate him to keep trying to take a step. It took until Fauja’s fifth birthday before he was about to take consecutive steps and he began to build his strength everyday. 

As Fauja grew older, he began his family and created many important memories with them. However, when he lost his wife at 81 years old, Fauja became very sad and left his village to visit his family in England. While watching television one day, Fauja was introduced to competitive running. He was so intrigued by the smiles on their faces so decided to give it a try. Each morning, Fauja would wake up and run further and further, enjoying the challenge it posed. After acquiring a coach, Fauja Singh completed his first marathon at age 82. Because of this, Fauja caught the running bug and continued his journey until he was 100 years old. This book also includes a fact page about Fauja Signh, his running records, and a comparative page on world records. (DLK)

 

Reef, Catherine. (2020). Sarah Bernhardt: The Divine and Dazzling Life of the World’s First Superstar. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (Clarion). 192pp. $18.99. ISBN 978-1-32-855750-6. 

    As the first international celebrity and amazing actress, Sarah Bernhardt was nothing short of showstopping. In the late nineteenth century, the French actor quickly became a rising name in the music industry. Using a multitude of pictures from different points in Bernhardt’s life, the author is able to bring the reader along on this adventure which is the superstar's life. Photographs included in the book are sourced from a variety of times and events in Bernhardt’s life. The use of these photographs allow the viewer to become a part of the unconventional and astounding biography focusing on Sarah Bernhardt’s life. The author takes the reader through the beginning of the superstar's life and leaves the reader wondering how all the greatness came to be. She also showcases the strength of a woman raising a child without the help from the father. Older readers can grasp the pride Bernhardt radiates from all of her accomplishments as well as relate different moves she uses to gain and stay at the top. Filled with captivating moments from Bernhardt’s journey, the author is able to encapsulate the twists and turns Bernhardt endured to achieve her overall greatness. (DLK)

 

Mian, Zanib. (2020). Plant Omar Unexpected Super Spy. Penguin Random House (G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers). 224 pp. $13.99. ISBN 978-0-59-310924-3. Illustrated by Nasya Mafaridik.

    As the second book in the series, readers are reintroduced to the cartoon following the life of Omar. In this book, Omar and his friends desperately want to have the most amazing nerf gun battle in the world, but they do not have the money to support it. Omar and his friends decide to start saving, and after a while of saving the boys are able to acquire enough money for their epic battle. However, Omar uncovers that his mosque, Muslim place of worship, is in financial trouble. This leads to Omar and his friends donating their hard earned money in hopes to help save it. When they realize they need more, they hatch an idea to raise more money in a variety of ways: doing chores, selling cookies, and putting together a talent contest. All is looking up for the group of hard workers when the money suddenly starts disappearing. Losing the money leads the mosque to being closer to shutdown. Omar and his friends decide to investigate what is causing the money to disappear, and what they find is not what they expected. This book celebrates all types of diversity and provides readers to expand their understanding through an important mystery which needs to be solved. (DLK)

 

Stanley, Diane. 2021. Second Sleep. HarperCollinsPublisher (Quill Tree Books). 288 pp. $17.99. ISBN 978-0-06-265803-6.

"The time by the lake is everything perfect about a childhood summer. And maybe, these nights also hold the answers Max is looking for..." 

Max’s mother is missing and young teenage Max and his little sister Rosie are taken by their grandmother to the upstate New York cabin where their mother used to spend her childhood summers while their father stays in the city to find their mother. As Max and Rosie pack up the cabin, so it is ready to put on the market, they discover the potential of their second sleep. When he wakes up in the middle of the night, Max finds that when he returns to sleep, he travels to a dreamland that disbands time, meeting other children from around the cabins that are grown adults in reality and bonding Rosie and Max further. The second sleep is just as mysterious as their mothers disappearance, but both help explain and clarify the other. 

This middle grade novel is a tale of mystery, childhood magic and learning to adjust to new changes. The magic of the dreamworld is never brought into question, but lives on for the joy and enjoyment of Max and Rosie. The prose and dialogue are mature, yet easy to understand for readers of many ages and reading experience levels. The setting and complexity of each character is impactful. A wonderful mix of hardship, childhood fantasy and the importance of family and roots, which allows readers to expand the bounds of their imaginations. (ML)

 

Murray, Struan. 2021. Orphans of the Tide. HarperCollinsPublisher (Harper). 368pp. $17.99. ISBN 978-0-06-304311-4. 

Long ago, the Enemy – The God Who Drowned the Gods – immersed the world in water, secluding people to a single island: the City. Citizens of the City live in fear of the Enemy rising again through a vessel and wreaking havoc on society. Ellie is an orphan residing in the City who spends her days creating and fixing inventions with her best friend Anna. One day, a mysterious boy washes up on shore inside a whale. The people of the City immediately deem him evil – the new Vessel of the Enemy. However, Ellie knows something everyone else does not; thus, she is set on saving this strange boy from execution. Amid her tumultuous world, Ellie must attempt to keep her secret hidden while helping the boy and avoiding trouble herself. 

The author spins a tale of an unknown world, which through the exploration of Ellie’s feelings and psyche, provides commonality between readers and the characters. Readers can connect with Ellie’s moral code, which is the driving force of the story. Unlike many others in her society, Ellie cannot allow an innocent person to die under any circumstances, even if it means the population would feel safer. Ellie’s morality leads to conflict with various higher powers and authority figures, demonstrating a young person’s struggle against systems of power. These systems of power are manifested in the governing force of the City (the Inquisition), the erratic temperament of nature (i.e., the sea), and the evil divinity of the Enemy. Through Ellie’s fight for an honest and just world, readers learn relevant life lessons alongside her. Ellie reaffirms and creates new bonds of trust with those around her, resulting in a deeper understanding of the value of friendship and teamwork. Moreover, not only does Ellie learn to accept the forgiveness of others, but she learns how to trust and forgive herself. This curious story of a girl’s struggle against society is inspiring to young readers and encourages self-advocacy. (EMWM)

 

Faruqi, Saadia. 2021. Yusuf Azeem Is Not A Hero. HarperCollinsPublisher (Quill Tree Books). 368pp. $16.99. ISBN 978-0-06-294325-5.

    Yusuf Azeem is entering the sixth grade, his first year at Frey Middle School.  With his best friend Daniel by his side, they anticipate success at the Texas Robotics Competition and expect to have a great year overall.  Things quickly fall apart when Yusuf finds hate mail being left in his locker, and tensions only escalate as the twentieth anniversary of 9/11 approaches.  Being a part of the Muslim community in Frey, Yusuf struggles with the teachings of his religion and how they relate to the world around him. At the same time he has to watch his relationship with Daniel slowly deteriorate.  With discriminatory eyes following Yusuf everywhere, he must learn how to overcome prejudice and lies, all while navigating what friendship really looks like in this new environment.  On top of Yusuf's personal struggle, this story offers experiences in STEM as well as potential for non-toxic male relationships; this allows for the story to explore new areas of potential interest for young readers. 

    Saadia Faruqi created a wonderfully unique yet realistic community through her description of Frey, Texas.  A community of faith and love mixed with the unfortunate characters that embody hatred and bigotry.  Readers are able to take a look into the experience of Muslim Americans and their struggles with conforming and living in a post-9-11 America.  With deep and rich characters, it is not hard to relate to this book, regardless of age or faith, because it is really a story of love and acceptance of oneself, as well as of your neighbors. (GAP)

 

Chambers, Veronica, & The Staff of the New York Times. 2020. Finish the Fight!: The Brave and Revolutionary Women Who Fought for the Right to Vote. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (Versify). 144pp. $10.69 (hardcover). ISBN 978-0-35-840830-7. Illustrated by M. Ahanonu et al. 

Throughout this novel, we will learn about the lives of many unknown revolutionary women who changed the course of history. The explanation and illustration of the lives of thirteen suffragists by writing this for the book’s dedication: “We dedicate this book, with gratitude, to the generations of women journalists who made suffrage and equal rights their beat.” With the dedication, readers are able to understand, the women in this book are not the only women who were fighting for the right to vote; we should not forget about the women journalists who helped pave the path. 

Each chapter is focused on a different brave and revolutionary woman; going into specifics of their lives and how they impacted women’s rights. The beginning of the book has illustrations of eight suffragists that most people learn about in school, only to be followed by two pages full of illustrations of so many more women suffragists. Each chapter provides illustrations and pictures of the suffragist, which allows readers to learn more about the woman while visualizing her. The Staff of the New York Times seems to have done this on purpose because it reminds readers that these were real women, and these are their stories. This book is full of information and is beneficial for everyone, no matter the age, to read and learn about these incredible women who changed the course of history. (LRS)

 

Cala, Caroline. 2019. Best Babysitters Ever: The Good, the Bad, and the Bossy. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 304pp. $9.99 (hardcover). ISBN 978-1-32-885090-4.

This is the second book of the series follows three seventh grade friends: Dot, Malia, and Bree. These three young entrepreneurs created a successful babysitting group called the “Best Babysitters.” Each chapter is written from the perspectives of Dot, Malia, or Bree; by doing this a deeper story is created for each girl. In this book, the three girls struggle with time management, and have to find creative ways to overcome their obstacles. The three girls’ obstacles are different from one another, which demonstrates to the reader that it is okay to have different circumstances and experiences from their friends. Dot is focused on winning the science fair, all of Malia’s time is being taken away by an internship her sister forced upon her, while Bree finally got her own cat and is learning that being a cat owner is not as easy as she thought. However, all three want to continue making money from babysitting, specifically for a concert they must go to. Readers follow the three characters as they brainstorm ways to overcome their busy schedules while still making money. Each friend goes through her own struggles and is given the same number of chapters to talk about their hardships and frustration. Throughout, messages of self-determination and hard work ethic is woven throughout each of the girls’ journeys. (LRS) 

 

Cala, Caroline. 2020. Best Babysitters Ever: Miss Impossible. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 256pp. $10.59 (hardcover). ISBN 978-1-32-885091-1.

This is the third book of the series, which follows three friends: Dot, Malia, and Bree. This book picks up where the second book in the series ended, but it has new challenges for the trio of friends to face with some connections. One challenge they must work through together, is being hired to babysit a girl their age, who happens to be very mean. Readers follow the girls’ lives as they face these new circumstances and will see that each girl has grown throughout the series and within this book. Each of the girls have a new interest in this novel, such as Bree striving to save the local salamanders, which the other girls are perplexed about. However, their different interests do not mean they cannot be friends, instead it strengthens their friendship and teaches them how to work together as friends and coworkers. The three friends are driven to keep the Best Babysitters afloat and thriving, all while living their own lives and facing off with a new babysitting group in town. The use of understandable vocabulary for middle-grade readers in a plot that is relatable to many people in this age group. (LRS)

 

Cherrix, Amy. 2021. In the Shadow of the Moon. HarperCollinsPublisher (Balzer and Bray). 336pp. $12.19 (hardcover). ISBN 978-00-6-288875-4.

Most ELA middle school and high school teachers know how challenging it is to get their students to read in general, but even more challenging to convince a handful of students to read nonfiction. Within this nonfiction book, readers are taken back in time as they learn more about the men behind the scenes who made great strides in spaceflight. These two men were Wernher von Braun and Sergei Korolev, who both had messy and brutal pasts. Von Braun was the rocketeer for the United States, whose past included being a former Nazi officer now living in the United States. Korolev was the rocketeer for the Soviet Union, whose past is particularly brutal after Stalin deemed him as a threat and sent him to a gulag—forced labor camps. Readers learn about the advancements these two men made during the Cold War, and how they were constantly head-to-head but never met one another. 

This is an informative book that brings to light the details behind the space race and the men who fueled it. Readers may be left with the feelings of inspired, reflective, or full of curiosity—such as: learning that there is more information about a well-known event (e.g., the Cold War), readers may be more intrigued to look into other events to see if there is more information. This is fast-paced, informative, and nonfiction; making it a great book to ease readers into nonfiction novels. (LRS)

 

Park, Linda Sue. 2020. Una Larga Travesía Hasta El Agua. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (Clarion Books). 144 pp. $7.99 (paperback). Translation by Aurora Humarán. ISBN ‎ 978-0-35-834489-6.

This book is the Spanish edition of A Long Walk to Water. Two different perspectives are showcased from two different years, both take place in Sudan. One of the perspectives is of Nya, an eleven-year-old girl in 2008, and the other perspective is of Salva, an eleven-year-old boy in 1985. Each chapter has both perspectives, the only marker of a difference is the year the following section takes place. Readers follow Nya and Salva, learning more about their lives and life in Sudan during two different times and how these stories end up connecting.

Throughout this story, readers learn of the history of Sudan ranging from the “lost boys” of Sudan to the two hour walk Nya must take every day in order to get water. Based on true events, this intertwines the two characters and illustrates how much history affects our lives today. Readers learn the hardships of life for children during a war and how millions of people struggle getting clean water every day. This story is inspirational and evokes a variety of emotions in its readers. This is an unforgettable story that may alter a reader’s perspective on the world. (LRS)

 

Schrefer, Eliot. 2019. The Lost Rainforest: Gogi’s Gambit. HarperCollinsPublisher (Katherine Tegen Books). 352pp. $14.89 (hardcover). ISBN 978-0-06-249111-4.

This is the second book of the trilogy and takes readers on an adventure following Gogi, a shadowwalker monkey, as he bands together with his fellow shadowwalker friends in order to save their home. Gogi lives in Caldera, which is being destroyed by the ants, led by the Ant Queen. Gogi and his friends are not regular animals… they each have their own individual power: a bat who can heal, an invisible panther, a wind-controlling tree frog, and Gogi who can wield fire. With the amount of twists, drawing readers deeper into the story alongside the group of friends racing to the edge of Caldera. This story is focused on Gogi and his journey of understanding and mastering his fire-wielding skills. If Gogi does not learn his power, then Caldera will be destroyed. This is a unique story full of surprises and inspiration for young readers who learn that they too can master a skill, just like Gogi. (LRS)

 

Shusterman, Neal. 2021. Game Changer. HarperCollinsPublisher (Quill Tree Books). 400pp. $10.56 (hardcover). ISBN 978-0-06-199867-6.

This young adult novel, at the beginning, seems to be about football, but after the narrator, Ash, takes a hit on the football field, the story shifts to fantasy. After Ash is hit, how he sees the world is drastically changed; it is as if he was knocked into another dimension. Shusterman draws the readers into the novel by telling the story through Ash's perspective, making readers see and understand everything that is going through Ash’s mind. Ash slowly realizes that he is in a different dimension because of small differences, but each dimension changes something slightly. Readers follow Ash as he travels through dimensions, hoping that the next one will be where he was in before he was hit. This page-turner of a novel keeps readers on their toes by Ash’s character development—he is becoming more reflective and accepting of his emotions. Readers could learn from Ash’s reflections, and maybe be more reflective about themselves and the world they live in. (LRS) 

 

Smejkal, Kim. 2021. Curse of the Divine (Ink in the Blood Duology). Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. 448pp. $11.29 (hardcover). ISBN 978-1-32-863725-3.

This duology follows Celia as she learns how to use ink magic in order to destroy the corrupt religion, Profeta. Luckily for readers, this book picks up exactly where the first book ended. The beginning of this book was Celia realizing that she had defeated the antagonist, Diavala, but soon learns Diavala is not destroyed. Readers are immersed in this fantasy world watching Celia grow in her powers and as a character. Readers are taken on a tense adventure as Celia must decide to make a deal with the devil, or to let Diavala kill another one of her friends. 

This novel is riddled with emotions, thus making some readers say, “one more chapter… okay now one more chapter.” This book is broken up into three acts: the beginning pages of the act are all black besides the words ``Act _.” By starting each act with this ink-filled page, readers feel the power ink can have on readers, which helps them to relate to Celia as she is going through her own struggles. Readers are drawn in by the fantasy world full of mystery and darkness with a protagonist who readers can relate to and from an emotional connection to. Readers want Celia to grow and win, but the decisions she must make are strenuous and will change the fate of her world forever. (LRS)

 

Mafi, Tahereh. 2022. This Woven Kingdom. HarperCollinsPublisher. 512 pp. $19.99. ISBN 978-0-06-297244-6.

Being the first of soon to be three books, readers are welcomed into a Persian mythology inspired world. In this vibrant story, we find two protagonists: Alizeh, a servant who hides her true identity and her strange eyes and Kamran, a crown prince who is unsure where his future will lead. After one encounter with one another, both cannot stop thinking of each other. Despite Kamran’s royal family wishing him to keep up with his duties, he cannot stay away from Alizeh and her unique eyes. While at the same time, Alizeh tries her hardest for things to remain as they were, she as well cannot stop running into the prince. Both characters portrayed characteristics readers may aspire to be like, with Alizeh and her ability to adapt to any situation and Kamran with his sense of resilience despite those standing against him. 

Throughout reading this story, readers may find similarities to Romeo and Juliet. Readers will dive straight into this story with its rich dialogue and colorful world-building, and be begging for more with that ending. The beginning may be slow for some as the focus is on creating the world and characters; however, there is a quick shift when things become tense and last till the end. If readers are a fan of a slow burn forbidden romance, this is a great choice for them, as the relationship developed after each encounter leaves the reader wanting more. (GDS)

 

Cashore, Kristin. 2021. Graceling The Graphic Novel. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (Clarion Books). 272pp. $24.99. ISBN 978-0-35-825047-0. Illustrated by Gareth Hinds.

    Being graced is a high honor and privilege, but only depending on what the grace is. A grace is essentially a special talent specific to one person, and it can range from baking, cooking, and cleaning to fighting, healing, and mind reading. For Lady Katsa she has the grace of killing a man with her bare hands. Her uncle, the king, uses her grace to keep people in line and fearful of his power. He tries to keep her under his control but she is a force to be reckoned with, but she cares about the repercussions from her actions and the wellbeing of others throughout the seven kingdoms. Lady Katsa takes a journey of figuring out the truth behind Prince Po’s grandfather's disappearance that leads her to a romance she never thought she could have and a secret no one saw coming. 

    The vivid and detailed world is brought to life through detail and color. The use of a range of colors from the brightest radiant greens to the darkest shade of gray, brings an extremely detailed story to life. While the images are very detailed and bold, it is also easy to see the details that enhance the experience of the reader. Collectively the words, colors, and graphics bring to life the events of Lady Katsa and Prine Po’s journey to understand the web of secrets and lies of the seven kingdoms to reveal the truth and bring the seven kingdoms back onto a graced and noble path of healing and prosperity. This graphic novel is a quick young adult read geared toward the audience around 14 years and older. (CKT)

 

Nammar Feldman, Jacquetta. 2022. Wishing Upon the Same Stars. HarperCollinsPublisher. 368pp. $16.99. ISBN 978-0-06-303438-9. Illustrated by J C Perry.

    Yasmeen Khoury has spent her entire life living in Detroit, Michigan near her best friend Dina and surrounded by people of similar culture. Yasmeen’s mother and father are from the Middle East. Her father, Elias (or baba, as Yasmeen and her siblings call him) is from Jerusalem, Palestine; and her mother, Myriam, is from a nearby city Beirut, Lebanon. Yasmeen has two younger siblings: Sara and Salim. Two weeks before Yasmeen starts seventh grade, baba gets a dream job as a sales manager in San Antonio, Texas. In two short weeks, Yasmeen’s world changes. Her and her family leave their home in Detroit along with all of their friends to move across the country. San Antonio is intimidating for the Khoury family, but for Yasmeen especially. As Yasmeen navigates her way through her new life in San Antonio she experiences many issues that she has to overcome including racism, bullying, feeling left out, and trying to understand her father’s beliefs of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Yasmeen makes a friend at her new school named Ayelet, whose mother and father are Israeli and Jewish. She feels as though she needs to hide this friendship from her parents because of the conflict happening in her homeland and her dad’s beliefs about it. As Yasmeen faces the hardships of moving across the country to a scary and unknown place, she learns what it means to be Arab, and the importance of her family, culture, and friends.

    This fictional young adult novel tells the story of Yasmeen Khoury and how she handles going to middle school in San Antonio, Texas, a place that is not home to many Middle Eastern families.  This book is written for children ages 8-12, and is a great read for all ages. It is a way for anyone to understand what is currently happening in the Middle East and how it affects the Pakestinian and Israeli people, even away from their homeland. Yasmeen is a strong and independent role model for all children who may be struggling with moving to a new school, facing the issues of what it means to be a marginalized student, or realizing that their parents may not have all the answers. (EJV)

 

Bream, Trevor. 2021. Another Kind. HarperCollinsPublisher (HarperAlley). 288pp. $22.99. ISBN 978-0-06-304354-1. Illustrated by Cait May.

Six humanoid-kids live in a protected government-facility named the Playroom. Silvie, Omar, Maggie, Clarice, Newt and Jaali each learn to control magic abilities like hypnosis and shape-shifting far away from human civilization. In the outside world, kids like Silvie, Omar, Maggie, Clarice, Newt and Jaali are labeled “Irregularities”. Safety is threatened by a power-sucking monster called The Collector and his agent henchmen, who uses his leech-like powers to absorb the life force/powers from humans. The six protagonist characters band together to escape the clutches of the Collector and make the world a safer place for “Irregularities” like them. Colorful pictures and text-bubbles describe a heart-warming story about friendship, identity and found-family. The use of saturated colors and illustrations of the outside with box-frames captivates readers.

The six characters have diverse stories/backgrounds and mixed gender expression. For example, Newt, a reptilian/alien talks to Jaali, a werebear, about gender identity, “‘These guys have gills and a tail, but one day they’ll have lungs and feet-fins and say ‘ribbit’ and everything! Like…They’re going through a big change. I think I’m going through one too. I’m pretty sure I’m non-binary. I talked with Tibbs. And they helped me realize that I can identify however I want to’” (211-212). Bream and May explore the definition of monster and what makes someone a hero or a villain. Readers will enjoy dramatic action scenes and comebacks/jokes between characters. (KGW)

 

Raman, Akshaya. 2022. The Ivory Key. HarperCollinsPublisher (Clarion Books). 384pp. $18.99. ISBN 978-0-35-846833-2.

Readers explore the captivating, fast-paced, fantasy story about four siblings and their journey to determine where they stand in the world and with each other. Set in the magical land of Ashoka, the newly crowned maharani, Vira, is getting desperate. Ashoka has relied on magic to fuel its economy and protect its borders, and now that magic is running out. The magic quarries have dried up, and the people of Ashoka are starting to panic. In order to save Ashoka and follow in the footsteps of her deceased parents, Vira must find the Ivory Key needed to unlock the remaining magic quarries and restore Ashoka to its former glory. However, she can not do this alone.

Alternating between the perspectives of each of the four siblings (Vira, Kaleb, Riya, and Ronak), this is a story about family, trust, and the greater good. The use of fantasy and suspense tells a moving story that explores feelings of loss, betrayal, guilt, and loyalty. Young readers will be enthralled by the magical world, and captivated by the perfectly intertwined fantasy and excitement with a heartfelt story. This book is for anyone who likes an adventure and wants to be captivated until the very end. (CJW)