This second graphic novel continues Huda’s story as she gains more confidence with who she is and her place in the world. In this book, she and her family take a trip to three of the Disney parks in Florida. That means a squished car ride for a day with her sisters and then staying with one for each day in the parks. They all get life lessons about having each other’s backs out in the world than they’re used to, including boys, comments about her dress & hijab, and public daily prayers. She also finds a potential friend and a renewed closeness with her sisters. I like the bright, simple illustrations with clear facial expressions. Huda has her own version of the “angel & devil on her shoulder” and they help us understand her internal dialogue and struggles along the way. I also liked that while the Disney parks are hinted at in the background of scenes, this is in no way an advertisement for Disney. The focus is on Huda and her family. While the storyline and dialogue are fairly simple, the issues are perfectly appropriate for middle and high school. Issues of religious freedom, consent, finding your voice, Islamophobia, and family values weave through the book. I would highly recommend this book, especially if you already have Huda F Are You? If you don’t – get both!
Written in prose-poem form, Jacqueline Woodson’s newest book should not be missed. The book tells the story of Sage, growing up in the Bushwick neighborhood in Brooklyn, also known as “The Matchbox”. The summer the story starts shows a neighborhood that seems to be constantly on fire and the sounds of fire sirens sounding on the night air. It’s also the summer Sage gets to know the new kid, Freddy. Sage spends most summer days playing basketball in the park with the boys with aspirations of going pro someday on an NBA team. That is until someone questions her identity and she does a really stupid thing that gets her grounded. It’s a year of change, of finding out who she really is, and remembering what she loves about this Brooklyn neighborhood. A beautiful book with poetic language that just flows. A little bit of basketball for the sports-lovers, but not so much that it will turn off those non-sporty readers. And while I love a long book, especially if it’s good (& this is!), I think it’s the perfect length for the readers who will be interested in the topic – not too long, not too short. A must get for any middle & high school library.
Andy Zhou is pretty used to being someone he truly isn’t in order to please others – whether it’s for his parents, his friend Cindy, or even being an invisible person in order to avoid trouble and attention. He’s used to coming out of his shell for his best friend Cindy, and recently, she’s gotten interested in a dance group called the movement. Add on the fact that there’s a new student named Jameel who wasn’t exactly the nicest, and Andy’s life is feeling troublesome. Things soon get more complicated as he tries to keep old friendships with Cindy and make new friendships, like with Jameel. He’s also struggling to figure out who he really is – switching between mask, after mask, constantly in order to please people. Jack Cheng has portrayed the relatable struggles of some people to create something we can laugh at, or feel comforted, knowing that there’s someone else out there struggling with the same thing. We aren’t alone. This book is one that people who don’t have a strong sense of identity or face stereotypes and expectations might find comfort in reading and connecting to the main character. Jack Cheng has done a stunning job at weaving in the troubles of how a person might struggle to fit into a different person to please others, and how sometimes, our ethnic and cultural background can set high expectations or stereotypes that aren’t always true. He does a great job at showing a young Chinese boy’s struggles and journey to identity and acceptance for himself.
I think that he did a great job describing and portraying the Lion dance that happens with all the drums and the movement of the lions themselves. I’ve seen a lot of Lion dances since it’s deeply ingrained into the Lunar New Year celebration in all different parts of the world that celebrate it. He did a spectacular job describing the actual events and the way the Lion moves around. It’s very accurate.He also did a great job portraying the struggles that sometimes happen for teenagers when we don’t know who we are, trying to please everyone else. We hide behind a different person- a mask of a person. Not to mention the stereotypes that could sometimes be unintentionally or intentionally put as a label on us because of others.
This is a pretty normal thing to say, but I love how the author puts in relatable things in this book. Sometimes, I struggle with figuring who I am, and sometimes I can’t shake the feeling that I’m invisible and forgettable. I could relate to Andy. I felt comforted and happy at the end, especially at the little author’s note at the end where he talked about how he related to the feelings and things put in this book. Not to mention the fact that I was raised differently than my parents, so sometimes I struggle to keep up with their expectations.I know what it’s like to have grandparents that don’t speak English at all (Although, I can’t exactly speak their language myself, I decently understand it.) The Lion dance that happened in this book hit a spot in my heart. I still get the happy, joyful, or even comforting feeling everytime I see the Dragon moving around, at the familiarity of the drums, the Lions jumping and wiggling around. It’s one of the things deeply ingrained into my culture and others who celebrate Chinese New Year. I really liked this book and highly recommend it.
By Victoria L., 7th grader at Komachin Middle School
written by Rie Neal and Illustrated by Talitha Shipman
Astrid is excited to work with her best friend, Hallie, when the Petite Picassos and the Shooting Stars get together to combine art and science. She’s not as thrilled to have Pearl on the team. Pearl is competing against Astrid for a scholarship to space camp and she always says that Astrid doesn’t share or work with others. She called her a ‘plant hog’, for goodness sake! The trio work together (kind of…no, not really) and Astrid is worried that Pearl is trying to ruin the project. So, she and Hallie spy on her and realize that Pearl is just sneaking into the lab to feed a hurt bunny. She isn’t there to ruin the project. They pull together as a team to care for the bunny and tell Mrs. Ruiz, the teacher, who adopts the bunny as a class pet. Even though they didn’t win, they learned the value of teamwork and trust.
The kids appear ethnically diverse and Astrid uses hearing aids. While not a huge part of the story, it is incorporated seamlessly into the book. This is wonderful, because there are very few books with differently-abled characters, who are just part of the group, getting into mischief like their peers. The focus on girls in science is very positive and much needed. There are black and white illustrations throughout and the language is very accessible. This is a very nice addition for those that need some easier chapter books. Presently, there are four books in the series.
Bilqis started playing basketball at the age of three. By high school she is the star player of the varsity team until one day they say she can’t play because she is wearing a hijab. Her teammates stand with her and she is allowed to play where she becomes the all-time lead scorer in the state of Massachusetts. She goes on to play in college and even plays with President Barack Obama.
This story follows Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir from the time she was three to an adult where she is forced to choose between her hijab and playing professional basketball. She decides to fight for the rights of Muslim girls and women in sports.
The text is simple and lyrical and the first person narration will be impactful for young readers, encouraging others to stand up for what they believe in. A short biography with photographs is included at the end of the books as well as discussion questions and resources to learn more. This book is a part of the Citizen Kid series.
Maid for It is a sweet and wonderful book that weaves in relatable life problems and a happy ending. This was one of the sweetest books I’ve read, and I couldn’t stop smiling while reading it. Many readers will enjoy reading about the hardships and the making of new friends. Franny is worried about her mother. She recently turned sober, and even more recently, got into a car crash. Franny does not want her mother to get addicted to the pills that were supposed to help her, but unfortunately, it’s happened before. Franny will not, can not, let it happen again! The devotion Franny has to her mother is just so sweet. I love how, even though there are those conflicts and darker problems in the book, the author has weaved in really sweet or good things, like how Sloan and Franny’s relationship went from enemies to friends. (And I really love that!) Her relationship with Noah is also amazing! I really did like how Noah kept on giving her origami things, and later we learned why. It was awesome seeing Noah find another way through something other than talking. Franny’s determination to help her mom makes this book hard to put down. The author has fit many real life issues and problems, like addictions, worrying, and other things into a story that is still very sweet. I love how Franny helps people, even if she didn’t really know she was doing it. I feel like that when the reader relates to something in a book whether it’s a character, issue, or problem going around- it lets them enjoy it more, or is sort of a comfort when you connect with things. I can relate to Franny’s constant worrying for math and how she reacted to not getting things wrong. I could also relate to how she sometimes tries to become invisible. What I DISLIKED about the book? Nothing! Five stars!
Reviewed by Addison K. and Victoria L., 7th graders
This is the Spanish Language version of Patchwork. It is one of those picture books I think has a place in the libraries serving adolescents as well, as it will be read differently by people at different places in their lives. It’s a poem celebrating the way we all grow, and reminding us all that the talents and interests we exhibit as children may evolve into all sorts of different possibilities as we grow. As the poem tells us, we each have a symphony within us — we are not a single note played again and again. It’s a rather philosophical book that I think would speak well to the youth who struggle to define themselves and decide on futures to pursue.
This is one of those picture books I think has a place in the libraries serving adolescents as well, as it will be read differently by people at different places in their lives. It’s a poem celebrating the way we all grow, and reminding us all that the talents and interests we exhibit as children may evolve into all sorts of different possibilities as we grow. As the poem tells us, we each have a symphony within us — we are not a single note played again and again. It’s a rather philosophical book that I think would speak well to the youth who struggle to define themselves and decide on futures to pursue.
This is a refresh of his 1987 book and it is filled with 32 songs with music and lyrics. Accompanying illustrations are the wonderful artworks that we expect from this great author/illustrator. This book will be a treasure to anyone that chooses to add it to their Christmas collection. Highly recommended, of course!
This is a beautiful and touching book. The text is simple, and yet poetical, with only a single sentence or phrase per page, and the illustrations are bright and rich and full of details that make them relatable as they bring the text to life. It shows a family grieving the loss of a beloved pet dog, building an ofrenda for De de los Muertos as a means of holding onto and honoring their memories. One of the details in the illustrations that I especially like is that all the framed photos of beloved pets show their subjects reaching out beyond the frames, reminding us all that in remembering we keep them with us.
