Dancing at the Pity Party by Tyler Feder After Tyler's freshman year of college, she found out her mom had cancer. By spring break of her sophomore year, her mom was dead. Tyler, who loved and admired her mother, now had to navigate the world without her. She quickly discovered that American society does not quite know how to deal with death, so she has often felt so alone as she has worked to process her grief. Tyler created this graphic memoir to share her honest account of how it was to lose a parent at such a young age and how her mom's death continues to affect her. She wanted other young people going through this to feel seen and to help those around them better support those who are struggling with a loss of this magnitude. She also uses this book as a love letter to her mom, and it is heartwarming to know her mom will now be known and beloved by the world. Every daughter will want to read this celebration of a mom's love. Feder's depiction of her mom is so real you can almost smell her mom's signature cocoa butter hand cream. As a reader your heart will grow big as Tyler shares her intimate relationship with her family and her grief. Be warned: This book can cause gut-wrenching sobs, so you may not want to read it in a public place. However, you need to read it. This book is definitely one of the best books that I have read this year. Highly, highly recommended! Jane Against the World: Roe V. Wade and the Fight for Reproductive Rights by Karen Blumenthal As a 21st century woman, I have taken for granted that I have the right to be in charge of my body. I knew very little of the battles women fought to give me these rights, but this book has schooled me. For most of history, women have had little control of their bodies. Men in their lives and elected to the government have made decisions about women's access to birth control and other reproductive health services. Only through years of protests, church support, and advocacy have women regained control of their bodies and lives. However, this control continues to be threatened, and new laws and cases challenge those existing rights. No matter how you feel about reproductive issues, this book gives the facts about the history of reproductive rights for women that everyone should know. It is a fast and fascinating read that I highly recommend! Stay Gold by Tobly McSmith Pony just wants to be a normal boy. Therefore, his Senior year he transfers to a new school that does not know he is transgender where he hopes to fly under the radar and have a quiet year. However, the first day of school, Pony locks eyes with a gorgeous cheerleader, and all his plans fall apart as he falls for this beautiful and complicated girl. Georgia is cheerleader who has chosen to hide her love for writing from her friends. She had planned for an equally quiet year, free from boy drama, but with one look at Pony, her plans are similarly derailed. When Pony's secret is revealed, Georgia doesn't know how to feel, and everybody else has strong opinions about Pony. As everything around them starts to fall apart, can Pony "stay gold" like the original Ponyboy or will he disappear? Woven with themes of The Outsiders, this emotional story of claiming your true identity, being courageous, and falling in love will resonate with every reader. The characters are so real that you easily step in their shoes as they struggle to make safe vs. honest choices. This book is a gem that shines brightly. Highly recommended! Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson Do you think that everyone who goes to jail gets a fair and just sentence? Are you confident everyone on death row is guilty? Do you think we should spend more on jails than education? Do you believe we all need mercy, justice, and grace? In his memoir, Just Mercy, Bryan Stevenson, the attorney who founded the Equal Justice Initiative, shares how America is in a time of mass incarceration and extreme punishment. We now spend more money on jails than education and schools. We have the highest incarceration amounts on the globe; more than 2.3 million people are in jail as of 2014. People are receiving extreme sentences for nonviolent crimes, such as life imprisonment for a few bad checks. Kids are receiving life sentences, and the amount of women in prison has increased 646 percent from 1980-2010. Mercy tends to extend only to those wealthy enough to get high-priced lawyers or with the right color of skin. Due to this, Bryan create the Equal Justice Initiative, to provide free, quality legal support for those who cannot afford it. His group fights to overturn unjust or incorrect convictions. In this book, Stevenson shares a variety of cases that demonstrate the problems listed above. The reader is introduced to women sent to prison for crimes they didn't commit, abused children hurt more by being sent to adult prisons, and a variety of men on death row for crimes they didn't commit. The main case discussed is that of Walter McMillan, a man who sentenced to death in Maycomb County, the proud of home of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, for a crime he did not commit. When Bryan first looks at his case, he can't believe Walter was sentenced to die on so little evidence, but his battle to free Walter is a long and dangerous one. Along with the stories, Stevenson provides hard facts to demonstrate the depth of the problems with the criminal justice system, and the facts will leave you shocked. Stevenson says "We are implicated when we allow others to be mistreated." This book is a wake-up call for us to rethink justice in America and fight for those who are being mistreated. It challenges us to think that "each of us is more than the worst thing we've done." I could not put this book down, and I think it is an essential read in any school that also assigns To Kill a Mockingbird. This is a book everyone should read. Highly, highly recommended!
Apple: Skin to the Core by Eric Gansworth The red skin of apple is easily bruised. In this lyrical and revealing verse memoir, Gansworth shares what it was like growing up as an apple, an outsider. He was the wrong tribe and had the wrong interests on his reservation, so he never quite fit in there. Off the rez, Gansworth is also an outsider, constantly facing racial stereotypes that attempt to strip him of his worth. This haunting glimpse into Gansworth's life is a gift to the world. He gives readers a chance to understand modern tribal life: the long-term effects of families being sent to boarding schools, the fight to reclaim lost traditions and language, the extreme poverty, and the complex tribal system. You will want to savor Gansworth's language and simmer in his stories in order to better understand his specific truths about Native life. Put this book at the top of your reading list. Highly, highly recommended! Ordinary Hazards by Nikki Grimes Poet and author Nikki Grimes grew up in a home where her mom, rather than being a source of comfort, was someone she learned to fear. Her mom was a paranoid schizophrenic, and therefore, home was not a safe place for her most of the time. Luckily, different things came in to her life that saved her. At six years old, Nikki fell in love with words and began to write to process her pain. Also, she was blessed by having a few amazing teachers and foster families that encouraged her to excel. With these gifts, Nikki was able to sour. This verse memoir is both haunting and uplifting as Nikki and her sister fight to survive the "ordinary hazards" of life. I could not put the book down, and because the memoir is in verse, it is accessible to so many and so perfect to advanced literature analysis. Highly recommended! Heartstopper by Alice Oseman Charlie is a 10th grader at British all-boys school. After he was outed as gay last year, he survived bullying year, and this year seems to be going better. It gets especially better when he meets Nick, a relaxed and kind rugby player. As they become teammates and friends, Charlie can't stop himself for falling for this boy who goes out of his way to care for and protect him. Based on Nick's dating history, Charlie knows that his feelings will probably be unrequited, but as the boys get closer, Charlie begins to have hope. Heartstopper is a WebToon that is so popular that it got published, and I can see why. This gentle yet honest story will make your heart stop as you cheer for Charlie and Nick to come together. Oseman deftly balance the ability to make her characters lovable and realistic, and readers will not be able to stop themselves from falling in love. I cannot wait for the next volume in the series! Highly, highly recommended! Serpent & the Dove by Shelby Mahurin For two years, Lou has hidden in Cesarine, forsaking all magic as she hides from coven, the people who tried to kill her. Reid has sworn his life to the church as a Chasseur, a man whose sworn mission in life is to kill all witches. When the two are forced to wed, both are furious. Lou can't stand rules, and Reid religiously follows every rule. Lou knows it will be very dangerous to live at the church with the Chasseurs, but she is hoping her gamble will also keep her hidden from a person she fears even more. Reid is angry by every crude and crazy thing Lou does, but as his wife, he will protect her. It would be insanity for them to fall in love, but sometimes insanity is just what you need. When Lou's life is threatened, Reid, a former witch killer, finds out how far he will go to protect a witch. This book is perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas! The characters are imperfect yet lovable, unique yet familiar, and deceptive yet loyal. I fell in love with Lou as soon as she began singing bawdy songs to disrupt the Chasseurs. Readers will cheer for Lou and Reid, and thankfully, book two, Honey and Blood, just came out with the third book coming out next year. For fans of fantasy romance, this is the perfect fix. Highly, highly recommended! |
AuthorMs. Smith has been the librarian at Washington HS in Sioux Falls, SD, since 2005. She enjoys reading, watching K-Dramas, Harry Potter and hanging out with her family. Archives
October 2021
Categories
All
|