Category Archives: Recommendation

Happy & Sad by Alex Thayer

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Reviewed by Michelle, a high school student

This story presents a thoughtful story about two friends, Dee and Juniper, who have drifted apart. Dee misses her friend and wants to hide from difficulties in the school bathroom. She later discovers a talent in helping and listening to other people. The novel offers a perspective on introverted and quiet teenagers who are unable to speak out about their problems, but secretly have hidden talents. Readers who may be confused about identity and their changing friendships will enjoy and relate to this story. The novel provides a superb view on companionship and relationships that many may overlook. The modern problems this story presents will relate to a plethora of teens struggling with connections with their fellow peers. All in all, this tale is an excellent book for middle school readers and an outstanding read overall.

All My Bests by Britnee Meiser

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Reviewed by Michelle, a high school student

All My Bests is an excellent middle-grade novel by Britnee Meiser that demonstrates the importance of the balance between romantic relationships, familial relationships, and friendships. Fans of Every Last Word or Real Friends will enjoy a coming-of-age story about a young girl named Immie who is entering high school. She discovers difficulties in new friendships and long-standing relationships as she navigates a new world, and begins to steer through new, foreign emotions. Readers who enjoy stories of perseverance, companionship, and transformation will enjoy this story of self-discovery. The simplicity of this story provides a strong account of the difficulties in growing up that many teenagers will relate to. This novel is endearing and an outstanding book in middle-grade literature.

Unstoppable John: How John Lewis Got His Library Card and Helped Change History by Pat Zietlow Miller

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John Lewis wanted a books. Lots of them. John’s family couldn’t afford books and his school didn’t have very many books. What John needed was a library card, but in 1956 John, age 16, was denied a library card at Pike County Public Library in Troy, Alabama. There were many laws that were unfair to Blacks and John decided to fight against them. He organized sit-ins at lunch counters and stand-ins at movie theaters.

This biography of civil rights leader John Lewis follows the storyline of his desire to read and get a library card. It shows how he fought back against the unjust laws of the time and the impact he has had on our nation. At the end, there is a timeline of John Lewis’s life and a bibliography to learn more.

Outside Mom, Inside Mom by Jane Park

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A young child is about to start at a new school. Instead of wearing his favorite red shoes, he chooses sneakers to fit in. Others comment on how quiet his mom is, but he knows that at home she is different. The story shows how the mom and the boy show different sides of themselves when they are in public and when they are at home. Finally the boy is brave and wants to be his authentic self which encourages the mom to be as well. The illustrations were more muted in color when talking about outside mom and vibrant when we learned about inside mom. I like the message of the story, but it seemed a little disjointed in parts and left me with questions.

Alex’s Field Guides: But Where Do Sea Turtles Live? by Elina Ellis

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The Curious Explorers Club wants to know where sea turtles live. Alex has the answer in her journal, but the Explorers want to discover the answer on their own. Throughout the story the explorers discuss why a sea turtle would or would not live in a certain location. Alex’s journal pages give facts about sea turtles.

The pictures are colorful, engaging and fill the page. The pictures and dialog feel geared towards younger readers, but the fact pages are text heavy with a lot of information on a two page spread. Resources at the end list websites for information about sea turtles and protecting sea turtles. This is the third book in the series Alex’s Field Guides.

Brave by Weshoyot Alvitre

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Braids are brave. This is the only line on a two page spread to start the story. The illustration shows a woman braiding someone’s hair. We then see it is a mom braiding a boy’s hair. He thinks the tugging and untangling hurts, but he is trying to be brave. While watching his father, he hopes to have long hair like his. The boy is teased at school for his long hair, but the boy decides to be brave and stand up to them. The father then tells how their hair was traditionally worn and the times that he and his family were made to cut their hair because they were not allowed to practice their traditions and culture.

This powerful story between a father and a son explores the intergenerational trauma and the effects of being forced to cut their hair and reclaiming their Native pride. The illustrations depict Native Americans in the present day as well as in the past.

Here Are the Seeds by JaNay Brown-Wood

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This rhythmic cumulative tale (similar to “The House That Jack Built”) follows two children planting seeds in a garden. First they plant the seeds in the earth that nurtures their seeds, but oh no! The plants in the shade are not growing so they children move them to the sun. As the story continues, the children discover how different things slow the plants growing or help their garden grow. The back matter talks about the things the children encounter: water, sun, bugs, worms, and mushrooms and how they help a garden grow. The illustrations are bright, colorful, and fill the whole page.

Coding with Rain Forest Animals

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Adventures in Unplugged Coding is a series of books that take the reader through 4 unplugged challenges that help the reader understand how to use higher-level thinking skills to solve problems. The connection is made between the activities and how computer code writers think. This series of books is categorized as Express! Which are classified as maker space books.

Coding with Rain Forest Animals has 4 unplugged activities:

  1. A Rare Sighting
  2. Rain Forest Escape
  3. Snake Eyes
  4. Picture Perfect

Each activity requires a minimal amount of supplies: Paper, index cards, pencils, markers, dice, game pieces, and small toys. The activities would be best accomplished with a partner or small group. The readers would have opportunities to solve problems together and work towards a solution, also when turning the page they will be able to learn about the solution and how that activity is related to coders.

Readers who use this book would need to read at a 3rd or 4th grade level but as long as there is one strong reader in the group they could guide others through who may be younger or have a more difficult time reading.

Behind the Brand Apple

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Apple is a tech company that continues to make new and innovative products including iMac computers, Mac Book laptops, iPhones, iPads, AirPods, and Apple Watches. Apple began in 1976 to create a personal computer. The first computer was created in Steve Jobs’s garage and was only a circuit board. The case, keyboard, and monitor were added later. This book does a nice job of laying out the timeline of how the Apple company has grown over the years to become the technology powerhouse that it is today. The pictures and graphics do an excellent job of supporting the text and visually condensing some of the written information into infographics. Readers with a 4th-grade reading level would be able to access the text and information. Readers interested in the history and growth of Apple would find this book full of interesting information.

Behind the Brand YouTube

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YouTube launched on February 14, 2005, and the first video was posted by Jawed Karim featuring him at the San Diego Zoo and it was 19 seconds long.  Karim, along with Chad Hurley and Steve Chen decided to create YouTube because they felt that finding and sharing videos online was too cumbersome.  YouTube grew very quickly and while that was exciting there were also problems such as the need for fast internet and more equipment to keep up with demand. There were also problems around who had the right to host all the videos.  The 3 founders then decided to sell YouTube to Google. This book will appeal to those who are interested in finding out about the history and development of YouTube and how, after it was purchased by Google it continued to grow and expand. The pictures and infographics are clear and concise and add depth to the text. This Behind the Brand Book is written to target a 4th-grade reading level, but with the graphics, I know younger readers will also enjoy exploring the books.