Maya was born and raised in the United States but that does not stop her parents from wanting her to be a traditional Indian daughter or from bigots for blaming her family for the actions a few zealots. Maya's passion is film-making, and she doesn't know how to tell her parents she wants to study film at NYU, a double sin for being an irresponsible major in a city too far from home. She definitely can't tell them that she is falling for the quarterback of the football team, who definitely is not Muslim or Indian. When an devastating attack occurs in her hometown, the consequences are terrible. In the wake of the tragedy, Maya will have to decide what dreams she wants to fight for and who she can trust with her heart. This coming of age story combines romance, friendship, family drama, and Islamophobia into a concise, powerful, and fast-paced read. I loved Ahmed's original characters and plot lines, and she struggled to find love and her own voice when her parents and the rest of the world wanted to put her in the corner. This book is a gem! Highly recommended!
Love, Hate, and Other Filters by Samira Ahmed
Maya was born and raised in the United States but that does not stop her parents from wanting her to be a traditional Indian daughter or from bigots for blaming her family for the actions a few zealots. Maya's passion is film-making, and she doesn't know how to tell her parents she wants to study film at NYU, a double sin for being an irresponsible major in a city too far from home. She definitely can't tell them that she is falling for the quarterback of the football team, who definitely is not Muslim or Indian. When an devastating attack occurs in her hometown, the consequences are terrible. In the wake of the tragedy, Maya will have to decide what dreams she wants to fight for and who she can trust with her heart. This coming of age story combines romance, friendship, family drama, and Islamophobia into a concise, powerful, and fast-paced read. I loved Ahmed's original characters and plot lines, and she struggled to find love and her own voice when her parents and the rest of the world wanted to put her in the corner. This book is a gem! Highly recommended!
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Invictus by Ryan Graudin If you had a chance to travel through time, when would you visit? Would you want to see Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream Speech," the building of pyramids, or watch one of Shakespeare's plays in the original Globe theatre? For us, these dreams of time travel will always be dreams, but for Farway Gaius McCarthy, it is his destiny. His mother was a famous time traveler, and Farway has spent his entire life dreaming of traveling through time. When the final test in his training is compromised, Farway's only chance of making his dreams a reality is to work in the black market, stealing priceless historical objects before they are lost or destroyed. When a routine mission turns into a disaster, Farway and his crew have to decide who to trust as time, once considered a constant, is now eroding history. This fast paced action story will pull you in its wormhole and not spit you out until you finished the last page. Like all great sci-fi stories, this features a phenomenal crew of fascinating characters, secret longings, witty dialogue, and cinematic action scenes. Great fun! The Borden Murders: Lizzie Borden & the Trial of the Century by Sarah Miller Many have heard the old rhyme: "Lizzie Borden took an ax. She gave her mother forty whacks, and we he saw what she had done, she gave her father forty-one." However, many do not realize it came from one of the most horrible and fascinating crimes and trials of the century. In 1892, Lizzie Borden was at home and discovered that both her father and mother had been brutally murder with an ax. The police and public believed she was guilty, but at the trial, she was found innocent. There was not enough evidence to convict. Author Sarah Miller re-examines the evidence, including many photographs and primary documents, and lets you decide if you think Lizzie Borden was the most ingenious murderer or most vilified innocent. I could not put down this fascinating true crime novel. Highly recommended! Far from the Tree by Robin Benway Grace still can't believe that she is a teen mother or that she is the bad person in the story. While she was giving birth, the baby's father was getting crowned Homecoming king. Grace gave her baby for adoption because she knows she is not ready to be a mother, but the ache from losing her daughter and her former life nearly overwhelms her. To try to move forward, Grace decides to find her own birth mother, and in the process, she discovers she is no longer an only child. She has a younger sister who was adopted and an older brother who has spent his life in different foster homes. As the siblings get to know each other, they discover what it truly means to be a family. Winner of the National Book Award, this poignant novel will pull you in with its flawed characters fighting for family, friendship, and hope. Highly recommended! Restart by Gordan Korman Chase is waking up in the hospital and learning that he fell off his roof. He doesn't remember why he got on the roof or how he fell off. He doesn't remember that he is a football star, but his friends and father assure him that he is. He doesn't remember his own mother. Chase has complete amnesia due to the fall. Starting back at school, Chase is shocked to discover that many kids at school seem terrified of him, and he learns that he was a bully whose actions forced a classmate to change schools and earned Chase community service. Chase can't imagine why he would want to hurt others, and his amnesia gives him a fresh start to become a better person and explore new things. Unfortunately, Chase's football buddies don't like the new Chase. As Chase's memories begin to resurface, who will Chase decide to be? Boys who loved Pop will clamor for Korman's newest title. It has sports, humor, and a powerful lesson wrapped up in an entertaining tale that you won't be able to put down. Another plus is it's small size make it accessible to so many readers. 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
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