4 stars A fantastically crafted story. Najeeba has heard the Call and knows it is time to travel the Salt Roads. But only men and boys are supposed to experience the Call. Follow Najeeba on her unprecedented journey beyond her home to travel the Salt Roads with her father and brothers, change her family’s prospects,…
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4 stars Pan deals with many issues growing up from friendship struggles to body image issues to dealing with bullies. But Pan has a secret. There is an underlying puzzle that intrudes his thoughts and he cannot seem to solve it. Follow Pan on his journey to understanding himself as he navigates the world with…
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by Carole Boston Weatherford Illustrated by Frank Morrison 4 stars A remarkable exploration of history as told through the modernized lyrics of the popular spiritual, “Standing in the Need of Prayer”. The book works in various events throughout history from the American slave trade to Emancipation to the Civil Rights Movement to the Black Lives…
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by Dianna E. Anderson 3 stars Overall, an interesting read. Anderson tackles quite a few topics in this book, mostly centering around the language of trans identity and gender-nonconformity, and the issues of a world that seeks binaries. The book is a bit tricky to pin down because it’s a little bit of everything. Part…
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by Zora Neale Hurston Edited by Deborah G. Plant Forward by Alice Walker 5 stars An incredible read. Barracoon not only tells Cudjo Lewis’ story in his own words, but also the story of how Hurston’s relationship with him grew and the history of the book’s publication. About half of the book comes directly from…
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5 stars A fantastic autobiographical novel-in-verse that beautifully showcases Woodson’s voice. Set in the 1960s and 1970s, Woodson shares stories from her life living in Ohio, South Carolina, and New York. Woodson tackles so many themes in this book. From family upheaval to moving to a new place, experiencing death of family members to standing…
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3 stars Written as part of her Master of Fine Arts project, this book gives glimpses into El Sayed’s life, both from childhood to adolescents and into adulthood. The book tackles many topics including cancer, parental expectations and double standards, racism, bullying, divorce, friendship, religion, and moving to a different country. It deals largely with…
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3 stars A powerful coming-of-age story. This novel-in-verse takes a young poet, a forbidden love interest, a strict, religious mother, an apathetic father, a secretive brother, a supportive best friend, and an encouraging teacher, mixes them together, and presents a story of hardship, hope, and healing. This book tackles so many issues such as mother/daughter…
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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 A sweet story of a girl’s first time fasting for Ramadan. At first, Lailah is excited about being able to fast, but after moving from Abu Dhabi to American, she’s worried about explaining fasting and Ramadan to her teachers and classmates who might not understand. One aspect I loved about the book is…
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