![]() "Stick" is the nickname for talented, wide receiver Brett Patterson who both loves and hates football. Stick loves playing football but hates what it has become which is all about winning and not the love of the game. He is pressured by his coach and his father to be the best and he ends up quitting the team with a little advice from his quirky new friend Preston. But don't worry, things work out by the end of the book. Although this book is about football, it has a lot of layers and weaves in some lessons about acceptance, perseverance, making the right choices, standing up to bullies, and overcoming addiction. I ended up really enjoying this book and think students will as well. I will warn that there is quite a bit of profanity within the text and some abusive scenes as well as underage drinking and alcoholism, so make sure you are ready to encounter these throughout the pages. Approximate Reading Level - The reading level is probably close to 7th grade and up, but because of some of the language and content, I would steer it more towards high school students.
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![]() Jude, a young Syrian girl, must leave her homeland and travel with her mother an unborn sister to Cincinnati to stay with family due to the turmoil in her hometown in Syria. Jude leaves behind her father and older brother. Other Words for Home tells Jude's story through poignantly written verse. Throughout the verses the reader discovers Jude's struggles with trying to fit in to middle school in America while also trying to hold fast to her family and heritage. Jude worries about her older brother and father back home and encounters racism when their is a terrorist attack on U.S. soil, and she must choose whether to wear her hijab or not when she becomes a woman. The book tells a story that students of varying nationalities and ethnic backgrounds can relate to. Approximate Reading Level - Grades 5th-7th ![]() In this novel which is reminiscent of Rick Riordan's mythology-based novels, Charlie Hernandez discovers some family secrets that lead him to his role in Latin American myths. Charlie's abuela raised him on Latin mythologies from Central and South American, and he has always loved them as stories, but over the course of this novel, Charlie learns that the monsters he loved learning about are true. Charlie has to use the knowledge his abuela gave him of these myths and monsters to save himself and his family. This is a fun book with an action-packed storyline. I enjoyed the Spanish words interspersed within the story as they add to the authenticity of the story and help build Charlie's character. This book is the first in a series. Some of the monster's Charlie faces are a little creepy, so be advised! Approximate Reading Level - Grades 5th-8th ![]() I enjoyed this book much more than I had anticipated. Mian does a wonderful job developing Omar as a likable and relatable character. Told from Omar's perspective, the reader follows Omar as he works to fit in at his new school and in his new neighborhood. Students will enjoy the humor and fun illustrations throughout the story. Omar has a great sense of humor and a creative imagination which makes the storyline engaging; however, there are some serious themes in the book as well as Omar struggles with prejudice from others due to his family being Muslim. Mian does a fabulous job of including Muslim culture throughout the book to lend some authenticity to the storyline and characters and to teach non-Muslim readers about some basic Muslim beliefs and culture. Overall, I think students will enjoy this book which is the first in a three book series about Omar. Approximate Reading Level - Grades 3rd-5th (I think it would also be suitable for some 6th graders as well) ![]() In this delightful picture book, Julian loves mermaids and dreams of becoming one. After he sees a group of women dressed as mermaids, Julian pulls some ferns off a plant and ties a curtain around his waist. When his abuela finds him, instead of fussing at him, she embraces him and takes him to see some others dressed in fantastical mermaid and sea creature costumes. This is a lovely story of love and acceptance, and it is absolutely enhanced by the beautiful and fanciful illustrations. There are more illustrations than text, and I think students will enjoy looking at the beautiful illustrations. Approximate Reading Level - Kindergarten-2nd grade (there is no heavy LGBTQ+ stance in this book; this story could help introduce a discussion on gender norms) ![]() Jocelyn Wu has to figure out a way to save her family's Chinese restaurant from impending bankruptcy if she does not want her family to move. She devises a plan to save the restaurant and gets her dad's approval. The first step is to hire someone to assist her. Enter Will Domenici who is hired to assist with their social media marketing, website development, and anything else that needs to be done. Jocelyn and Will hit it off and develop feelings for each other. Everything seems to going well until Will's anxiety and Jocelyn's depression get in the way. This is my Brain on Love is narrated from Jocelyn and Will's perspectives so the reader gets to see how each of the characters deal with their mental illness. Both characters are caring, intelligent, and a little quirky, but they find a common spirit in the other. The characters seem a little more mature than a many of the high schoolers I have encountered, but they are still believable, and I think students will be able to relate to them and find them endearing. The storyline includes some problem-solving, some fun, and a little romance. There are some cuss words interspersed and some light sexual talk, so be forewarned for those of you who might be concerned. Approximate Reading Level: 7th-9th grade (the content would be enjoyed at higher grade levels as well). ![]() The Parker Inheritance was recommended to me by a former colleague, and I am quite glad she recommended it to me because I always have students ask me for mystery recommendations, and I just rarely read mystery books. The protagonist of the story is a young Black girl named Candice who works with her friend Brandon to solve a mystery involving her grandmother. As Candice works to solve her grandmother's mystery she encounters historical information and racism. The plot line bounces from current times to the 1950s seamlessly as the reader learns what is happening with Candice as well as what happened with her grandmother. Students who like a mystery and historical fiction will love this book. There are some discussions of racism in the book as well as a character who is LGBTQ+. Approximate Reading Level: 4th-6th grade ![]() I have long been a Lakers fan, and when I saw the forward of this book was penned by Pat Riley, I had to give it a read. To be honest, I had not research what the book is about and only had a cursory knowledge of who Chris Bosh is, but I was pleasantly surprised with what this book has to offer. Chris Bosh writes this book as a series of letters to young athletes who are playing basketball or another sport. Through the letters he gives encouragement for struggles the athletes may well be facing as well as lesson on how to handle tough situations in sports and life. Bosh draws on his experiences coming up in basketball as well as his time in the NBA. He shares what he has learned from greats like LeBron, Kobe, and Coach K. Bosh also discusses how he has coped with leaving basketball behind with the diagnosis of a blood clotting issue he is faced with. You do not have to be a basketball player or fan to draw lessons from this book, although it might help. I would recommend this book to students who love sports and are aspiring athletes, especially if they struggle with the mental aspects of the game. Approximate reading level - 8th-12th (some mild cussing included in the book) ![]() I chose this as one of my books to read because I do not usually enjoy graphic novels; however, many of my students do. I will say, I was pleasantly surprised with Catherine’s War. The fact that the story is based upon Billet’s own experiences in the war as a hidden child in France gave some authenticity to the storyline. The storyline not only follows Cohen’s journey throughout France, but it also parallels her journey as a photographer. Through her inner dialogue, the author gets her thoughts on what is happening to her as well as how she begins to evolve as a photographer with the different techniques and items she photographs. Flauvel’s illustrations are expressive and do not detract from the message of the story. They allow the reader to better understand what Rachel and her fellow characters must have been thinking and feeling along their journey. The book definitely provides a window into the harrowing time in France and allows the reader to get a glimpse of what it would have been like to be a child during this time period. I believe that students will be able to find a mirror, perhaps not in Rachel’s physical journey, but in her emotional journey and her growth as she adapts with each of the situations she faces. In the book, photography seems to be the anchor that allowed Rachel to be able to deal with the turmoil in her life, and I am certain many students will be able to relate to having something that is their calm in the storm as well. The only “issue” I have with this book is simply that it is another representation of Jewish life as is centered around the Holocaust which seems to be the theme for the majority of Jewish books I have encountered. While WWII and the Holocaust are defining moments in this culture, they do not define the culture, and I believe students would benefit in representation of Jewish life from other perspectives as well. As Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie discusses in her Ted Talk, there is a danger in viewing ethnic groups and cultures from a “single story” and I believe the single story of the reaction or happenings to WWII is often the single story for the Jewish culture. Approximate Reading Level: 4th-7th grade (no war scenes but children are uprooted from their families) ![]() Show Me a Sign by Ann Clare LeZotte is inspired by a true story of a deaf community on Martha’s Vineyards in the 19th century, and through Mary and the other character’s eyes, this community comes to life to the reader. The reader is presented with a community where everyone speaks sign language and being deaf is not seen as a deficit. I do not think I have ever read a book with a deaf protagonist before, and I am glad that I read this one and was presented with such a strong and capable young woman. I believe through Mary, LeZotte creates a strong protagonist which can serve as a mirror for students who may also be dealing with deafness and how it impacts their life. Mary is a positive role model with strength, intellect, and some spunk who both hearing and non-hearing students will be able to connect with. In the story, Mary does not see anything “wrong” with herself and neither do any of the other members in the community; unfortunately, Mary’s sheltered life is disturbed as an outsider comes to the island to study the deaf. Through his treatment and belittling discussions with the townspeople, Mary begins to question her abilities and why others view deaf people as being less smart or incapable of the same tasks as a hearing person. Through her inner-dialogue and her conversations with other characters, LeZotte introduces the idea of deafness not being a hindrance to intellect and ability. Lezotte also weaves threads in the storyline about dealing with family loss, the effects of Colonialism, racism, ableism, and religion. In the novel, LeZotte acknowledges the racial tensions among the English, black, and Wampanoag residents of the community through Mary’s interactions. The reader is introduced to the problems and Mary questions them, but there is no easy fix. The reader is not left with a cute, storybook ending, but a realistic one. While reading this book, I definitely gained a window into a world I knew very little about. I was able to connect to Mary and envision the frustration and hurt you would feel when being looked upon as “less than” simply because you can’t hear. Through Mary, LeZotte creates a window to time and place in history, I would like to further explore and share with my students. Approximate Reading Level: 5th-7th grades |
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