4 stars That. Was. Adorable. Sometimes when a book gets a lot of attention, I go into it thinking it’ll be overhyped. Here, that was not the case. I loved watching Charlie and Nick’s friendship and romantic feelings develop. This book is so sweet and fun and adorable. Despite all the sweetness and romantic tension,…
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5 stars A heartfelt book recounting Omar Mohamed’s experiences growing up in Dadaab, a refugee camp in Kenya. The book goes through Mohamed’s daily life and long-term struggles including taking care of his brother, arguments with friends, trying to get an education in the camp, learning English, coping with food shortages, fighting for resettlement in…
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3 stars I’ve seen musical and film adaptations of the story, each choosing different details to include. But I never knew all the intense drama of the original. Despite my reservations, I was pulled in by the extensive details of the characters I only knew a simple version of (Esmeralda’s marriage, Phoebus’ womanizing antics, and…
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4 stars Ten authors pair up with Chad Sell to create interconnected stories from the world of the Cardboard Kingdom. Sell does the artwork throughout, giving it consistency while letting the characters and authors shine. Reality and fantasy converge as the neighborhood kids play their way through summer, making new connections and learning lessons along…
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4 stars This book does an excellent job changing up the conversation around autism. This up-to-date look at ASDs gives a person-first exploration of the climate around autism, focusing of self-advocates and actual autistic people rather than solely on medical professionals and parents/families of autistic individuals. It also includes currents events such as the way…
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4 stars A graphic novel featuring cheerleading and LGBTQIA+ leads? Yes, please! A charming story about reconnecting, speaking out, and trying new things. Loved the emphasis on second chances and growing as individuals. Despite the short length, a lot of issues are packed into this wonderful graphic novel. School pressure, unrequited crushes, fitting in, and…
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4 stars A fantastic collection of hard-hitting poems from a variety of poets. I really enjoyed the premise of this anthology. The poems address various social justice issues and each pairs their work with a specific organization related to that issue. The book not only brings up important issues but also provides concrete ways to…
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3 stars Overall, a good collection of short poetry. Various topics are covered and themes quickly emerge including recognizing one’s worth and letting go of what hurts you. One issue I generally have with poetry of this nature is that the short format often fizzles out. Too often short poetry feels like the beginning of…
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3 stars I have loved seeing the recent flood of materials about Ada Lovelace and was excited to find a picture book among them. Hers is a fascinating story. The combination of creativity and original thinking with an interest in math and science makes for some truly remarkable accomplishments. I really enjoy learning more about…
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5 stars Absolutely hilarious! I usually have a poker face when I read but this one had me grinning and, at times, even laughing out loud. Loved Fahmy’s style of humor and the way she pokes fun at various issues to bring them to light (stereotypes, misconceptions, ignorance, lack of representation, microaggressions, racism, etc.). There’s…
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