#MustReadin2021

The #MustReadin.... is a reading challenge that originated with Carrie Gelson at There is a Book for That and I've been participating since 2014. It's a group of folks who are trying to whittle down the list of books on our To Be Read shelves. I've really enjoyed being part of this reading community each year and am happy to be able to join in once again. This year it is being co-hosted by Cheriee Weichel at Library Matters and Leigh Ann Eck at A Day in the Life.  

Here is my list for 2021 via a new reading app called StoryGraph if you want to find out about any of the specific titles. 

Here is the list typed out so that I can come back and highlight them as I finish reading them. 

1. We Are Not Free by Traci Chee 
2. Amazons, Abolitionists, and Activists: A Graphic History of Women's Fight for Their Rights by Mikki Kendall with A. D'Amico
3. The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory
4. Foreshadow: Stories to Celebrate the Magic of Reading & Writing YA edited by Nova Ren Suman & Emily X. R. Pan
5. Don't Read the Comments by Eric Smith
6. Simmer Down by Sarah Smith
7. The Girl and the Ghost by Hanna Alkaf
8. Snapdragon by Kat Leyh
9. Wink by Rob Harrell
10. The Other Half of Happy by Rebecca Balcárcel
11. Risk. Fail. Rise: A Teacher's Guide to Learning from Mistakes by M. Colleen Cruz
12. Outside, Inside by Leuyen Pham
13. Teaching for Black Lives by Wayne Au, Dyan Watson, Jesse Hagopian
14. Cultivating Genius: An Equity Framework for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy by Gholdy Muhammad
15. Efrén Divided by Ernesto Cisneros
16. The Okay Witch by Emma Steinkellner
17. Wildcard (Warcross) by Marie Lu
18. Being with Dying: Cultivating Compassion and Fearlessness in the Presence of Death by Joan Halifax
19. Superman Smashes the Klan by Gurihiru & Gene Luen Yang
20. The Fire This Time: A New Generation Speaks About Race by Jesmyn Ward

It appears I've read half so far this year. 10/20 is not bad. Of those, these six are the ones that I enjoyed the most and shouldn't be missed. 

We Are Not Free: YA - one of the best books I've read about the Japanese imprisonment during WWII.

The Proposal: Adult - another fabulously funny romance from Jasmine Guillory.

Snapdragon: Middle Grade Graphic Novel - realistic fiction and the characters are really well done.

Cultivating Genius: Professional Development - a fantastic look at an equity framework designed based on Black literacy societies of the past. So, so good. I'm going to read it again.

Superman Smashes the Klan: YA Graphic Novel - Gene Luen Yang hits it out of the park here and really does a great job of showing some of the history of the Klan within a Superman story. The end notes about the original radio show and other background info are a highlight.

The Fire This Time: Adult Nonfiction - memoir, essays, and poems around race as a sort of response to Baldwin's earlier writing.

I look forward to reading the other half of this list over the next year and also seeing what others have been enjoying. Happy reading!

It's Monday! What are you reading?

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. It's a great way to recap what you read and/or reviewed the previous week and to plan out your reading and reviews for the upcoming week. It's also a great chance to see what others are reading right now...you just might discover your next “must-read” book!

Kellee Moye, of Unleashing Readers, and Jen Vincent, of Teach Mentor Texts decided to give It's Monday! What Are You Reading? a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children's literature - picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels, anything in the world of kidlit - join us! We love this meme and think you will, too. We encourage everyone who participates to visit at least three of the other kidlit book bloggers that link up and leave comments for them.

If you go to my Storygraph account, you can see what I have read recently & click on the books to learn more.

Last Week on the Blog:

Books for Readers Experiencing Loss

Last Week in Books:

The images above are the three books First Comes Like (a cute adult rom-com), The Collected Poems of Audre Lorde (I've been reading this one for quite a while. It is worth the time though), and Beetle & the Hollowbones (a middle grade graphic novel fantasy that was fun).

The Coming Week: I am in the dark about what I will be reading, but will likely pick up something by a Muslim author as Ramadan will be starting. I do have the ARC for Misfit in Love so perhaps I'll get to that one. Have a great week!

Books for Readers Experiencing Loss

A good friend asked me for a list of books that might be helpful when children and families have lost a loved one. No one book is going to be perfect for all readers at all times, but I looked for books I've read dealing with life, death, loss and/or grief that may help create a space for helpful conversations. If you know of others or have found that any of these could be harmful rather than otherwise, please share your thoughts in the comments.

Death and how some people respond

All of a Sudden and Forever: Help and Healing After the Oklahoma City Bombing by Christ Barton and  Nicole Xu

Boats for Papa by Jessixa Bagley

Death is Stupid by Anastasia Higginbotham

The Funeral by Matt James

The Heart and the Bottle by Oliver Jeffers

A Last Goodbye by Elin Kelsey and Soyeon Kim

A Map Into the World by Kao Kalia Yang and Seo Kim

The Phone Booth in Mr. Hirota's Garden by Heather Smith and Rachel Wada

The Purple Balloon by Christopher Raschka

The Sad Book by Michael Rosen

The Scar by Charlotte Moundlic and Olivier Tallec

The Shared Room by Kao Kalia Yang and Xee Reiter

Where Do They Go? by Julia Alvarez with Sabra Field

*Where Do We Go When We Disappear? by Isabel Minhós Martins and Madalena Motoso (I haven't read this one yet)

Death of a grandparent

The Forever Sky by Thomas Peacock and Annette S. Lee

Grandma Lives in a Perfume Village by Fang Suzhen and Sonja Danowski

Grandmother's Visit by Betty Quan and Carmen Mok

Grandpa's Stories by Joseph Coelho and Allison Colpoys

Ocean Meets Sky by Terry Fan and Eric Fan

Saturdays are for Stella by Candy Wellins and Charlie Eve Ryan

The Yellow Suitcase by Meera Sriram and Meera Sethi

Death of animals

Always Remember by Cece Meng and Jago

Big Cat, Little Cat by Elisha Cooper

Blue by Laura Vacaro Seeger

*Ghost Cat by Kevan Atteberry (I haven't read this one yet)

Ida Always by Caron Levis and Charles Santoso

The Dead Bird by Margaret Wise Brown and Christian Robinson

The Day Tiger Rose Said Goodbye by Jane Yolen and Jim LaMarche

The End of Something Wonderful by Stephanie V.W. Lucianovic and George Ermos

The Goodbye Book by Todd Parr

Goodbye Mousie by Robie H. Harris and Jan Ormerod

An Ordinary Day by Elana K. Arnold and Elizabet Vukovic

The Rough Patch by Brian Lies

Not directly about death, but affirming books and those that address strong emotions

All Because You Matter by Tami Chales and Bryan Collier
All Around Us by Xelena Gonzalez and Adriana M. Garcia
I'm Sad by Michael Ian Black and Debbie Ridpath Ohi
My Heart by Corinna Luyken
Life by Cynthia Rylant and Brendan Wenzel
The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld
When Sadness is at Your Door by Eva Eland
You Matter by Christian Robinson 

*edited 6/26/21 to add another I read recently by Chris Barton and a few books suggested by others on Twitter*

It's Monday! What are you reading?

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. It's a great way to recap what you read and/or reviewed the previous week and to plan out your reading and reviews for the upcoming week. It's also a great chance to see what others are reading right now...you just might discover your next “must-read” book!

Kellee Moye, of Unleashing Readers, and Jen Vincent, of Teach Mentor Texts decided to give It's Monday! What Are You Reading? a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children's literature - picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels, anything in the world of kidlit - join us! We love this meme and think you will, too. We encourage everyone who participates to visit at least three of the other kidlit book bloggers that link up and leave comments for them.

If you go to my Storygraph account, you can see what I have read recently & click on the books to learn more.

Last Week on the Blog

Review: Yang Warriors

Review: Sisters of the Neversea

Last Week in Books:

We had a five day weekend for what we call our spring break, that happens to coincide with Easter, so I had a little extra time for reading. My young adult choices this week were pretty good. Superman Smashes the Klan was an excellent graphic novel. I had heard Gene Luen Yang speak about this when he visited our local library before COVID and had been looking forward to it. It has very interesting information in the back matter. He also included a lot of factual information about the KKK within the story. It really reminded me of a podcast I had listened to called The Birth of the Ku Klux Klan.

The two in the middle, Once upon a Quinceañera and Sunny Song Will Never Be Famous, were both rom-coms and strangely enough they both involved tech. One is about a family preparing for a quince and the other was an ARC and is about a girl going to tech detox summer camp. Both were fairly lighthearted and had a lot to laugh about. 

When We Were Infinite, much like Kelly Loy Gilbert's previous books, was an emotional read. I won't be forgetting it any time soon. It's very well written and was painful to read.

The Trouble with Hating You, Girl Gone Viral, The Marriage Clock, and How Sweet It Is are all adult rom-coms. They all made me laugh and smile, but none of them will likely remain in my memory for a lengthy amount of time. They were fun to read though. 

I also got to read two adult nonfiction books. The Loneliest Polar Bear: A True Story of Survival and Peril on the Edge of a Warming World tells of an orphaned polar bear that was raised in zoos. It includes information about climate change and the effect that has on the Indigenous folks in the arctic along with a lot of other considerations beyond just the rescue of the bear and how that went. It was pretty enthralling. Burn it Down: Women Writing About Anger was pretty amazing. I enjoyed hearing from a wide variety of people sharing their thoughts and experiences around anger. 

The Coming Week: 

I've started an adult novel called Real Life that takes place in a midwest college town and since we live in such a town, it makes it appealing. I've also started the third book in the Nina Soni early chapter book series. I'm still listenening to This Way Madness Lies, and of course I am still reading a poetry collection by Audre Lorde. I wish you the very best in reading this week. 

Review: Yang Warriors

Title: Yang Warriors

Author: Kao Kalia Yang

Illustrator: Billy Thao

Publisher: University of Minnesota Press

Pages: 40

Review copy: Digital ARC via Netgalley

Availability: April 13, 2021

Summary: In this inspiring picture book, fierce and determined children confront the hardships of Ban Vinai refugee camp, where Kao Kalia Yang lived as a child. Accompanied by the evocative and rich cultural imagery of debut illustrator Billy Thao, the warriors’ secret mission shows what feats of compassion and courage children can perform, bringing more than foraged greens back to the younger children and to their elders. In this unforgiving place, with little to call their own, these children are the heroes, offering gifts of hope and belonging in a truly unforgettable way.

My review: Kao Kalia Yang has put the perfect words together to whisk readers back in time right into her memories. She shares about her young cousins training together each day so they would be ready when needed. They had both physical and mental exercises and their chosen leader was one of the smaller children. He was chosen because he was the most passionate about their training and believed in them the most. He had a heart for everyone and for the work they were doing. One of my favorite illustrations is this tiny boy standing with his hands on his hips. The shadow that he casts is a large one and it is also shaped like the heart motif that is often found in Hmong textiles and jewelry. It's just one of the many wonderful ways Billy Thao's artwork supports the story. 

The Yang Warriors had many reasons to train. There were Thai guards, other children who wanted space in the camp, and there were lonely ghosts. They knew there was danger around them, but they also knew they wanted to be prepared for anything. Young readers will likely connect with these creative and empathic children who did more than simply survive in this challenging situation. They taught each other and challenged each other in many ways. 

As with many of Kao Kalia Yang's stories, readers will also feel the boundless familial love within the words. Several of her adult and children's books are love letters to her grandmother and parents, but with this book, we get to see love for her sister and cousins. 

Yang and Thao each provide wonderful notes at the end of the book that include a little more information about the refugee camp experience and Hmong culture. 

Recommendation: This is truly a book for anyone. It should find a place in any library and I am excited to have it available for my students in the near future.

Review: Sisters of the Neversea

Title: Sisters of the Neversea

Author: Cynthia Leitich Smith

Publisher: Heartdrum 

Pages: 320

Review copy: Digital ARC via Edelweiss

Availability: June 1, 2021

Summary: Lily and Wendy have been best friends since they became stepsisters. But with their feuding parents planning to spend the summer apart, what will become of their family—and their friendship?

 Little do they know that a mysterious boy has been watching them from the oak tree outside their window. A boy who intends to take them away from home for good, to an island of wild animals, Merfolk, Fairies, and kidnapped children. 

A boy who calls himself Peter Pan.

My Review: Cynthia Leitich Smith reimagined Neverland and the adventures of Peter Pan. The original story has been problematic since it was created, but there was much about it to love. Smith has found a way to address some of the racist depictions of Indigenous folks along with a few of the gender role issues too. 

In this retelling, the children are from a blended family with a British father and a mother who is part of the Muscogee Creek Nation. The children are feeling unsettled because of conflict between their parents and in the midst of this, Peter Pan arrives on the scene. He and Tinkerbell are very charming and appealing to Michael and Wendy, but Lily is not convinced that he is trustworthy. He uses words like Injuns which offends them all and calls them useless girls since they can't sew properly. Lily informs his that her mother is brilliant at math and managing money. I love it when Wendy informs Peter that their dad also didn't teach them how to sew. 

Of course the children do end up in Neverland, but it is not as carefree and lovely as Peter made it out to be. As in the original, Peter is pretty focused on himself and does not take advice or instruction well. Though he delivers on adventure, he is not concerned with the needs of the children and he has a lot of "wrongheaded" ideas about Native children. 

There are other children already on the island including Daniel who is Leech Lake Ojibwe from St. Paul. Through Daniel and others, readers see that Native people are still alive and that there is a great deal of variety among them. Lily and the others also appreciate their cultural identity and their family members more as time passes. 

Recommendation: Sisters of the Neversea is a fantastic way to visit the world of Neverland again without having to see the damaging stereotypical Natives. It is a great adventure story even for those who are unfamiliar with Peter Pan. Siblings fall out and feelings are hurt, but love is still there and of course there are fairies and merpeople along with pirates so it's going to be a crowd pleaser. This story is a lot of fun and has great representation. I plan to purchase it for my elementary school library and I believe it will be a great addition to any library serving young people. 

It's Monday! What are you reading?

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. It's a great way to recap what you read and/or reviewed the previous week and to plan out your reading and reviews for the upcoming week. It's also a great chance to see what others are reading right now...you just might discover your next “must-read” book!

Kellee Moye, of Unleashing Readers, and Jen Vincent, of Teach Mentor Texts decided to give It's Monday! What Are You Reading? a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children's literature - picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels, anything in the world of kidlit - join us! We love this meme and think you will, too. We encourage everyone who participates to visit at least three of the other kidlit book bloggers that link up and leave comments for them.

If you go to my Storygraph account, you can see what I have read recently & click on the books to learn more.

Last Week on the Blog

Review of A Taste for Love over at Rich in Color

Review of Jo Jo Makoons

Last Week in Books:

Snapdragon is an amazingly cute middle grade graphic novel with magical realism. The Meet Cute Project is a YA rom-com that was fairly predictable, but of course, it was also cute.

Adult:

Accidentally Engaged and Take a Hint Dani Brown are both adult rom-coms with the fake relationship trope. They are both super cute. Accidentally Engaged involves food and there were two recipes at the end--Egg Curry and Parathas. We had a yummy dinner when I tried out the recipes. Dani Brown is one of the sisters from the first Brown Sisters series and was just as fun as that one. I have the third and final book on deck. 

The Coming Week: 

I just started reading a nonfiction adult book called The Loneliest Polar Bear. It was written by the son of a good friend. It's a really great book and it's fun to know the proud mom. :) He wrote the book after creating a five part series about Nora for The Oregonian. You can learn more about that here. Have a great week!