5 stars Another hilarious, touching, and insightful story based on Huda Fahmy’s high school experiences. Huda has her whole junior year figured out. At least, she thinks she does. Until her parents announce they’re getting a divorce. Now she’s having a hard time dealing with her grades, her sisters, her parents, and her best friend….
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with Mykaell Blais 4 stars A sweet introduction to gender and stereotypes that encourages children to reflect on what they’ve been taught about self expression and interests. The book discusses the difference between sex and gender, explains gender identity, introduces common stereotypes regarding gender, and highlights famous people who have gone against those stereotypes and…
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Narrated by Joshua Quinn 5 stars Jaw-droppingly good. The best of modern mythology retellings. Kwame just wants to have a normal summer. Instead his family is taking him to Ghana for his grandmother’s celebration of life. Still grieving the loss of his grandmother and having never felt Ghanaian enough at family events, Kwame is dreading…
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3 stars A sweet representation of being your full self. It’s about liking what you like and not worrying about how your interests fit into gender norms. Nicely highlights how interests and activities are not only for one gender or type of person, though it does still seem to come from a binary perspective. The…
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4 stars A sweet rhyming tale about embracing who you are and accepting others’ true selves. The school dance is here and the narrator is excited to attend. But when they’re forced to choose between pink and blue, they don’t see where their purple shadow fits in. With a bit of encouragement, the students find…
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Illustrated by Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya 4 stars A powerful, beautiful celebration of resilience and identity told through fierce verse and stunning illustrations. The book draws parallels between different culture’s histories, struggles, and treatment while still recognizing the distinctness and diversity of different groups. Gorgeous illustrations that pair wonderfully with each verse. Beautiful color and a wonderful…
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Illustrated by Kaylani Juanita 5 stars Absolutely gorgeous. A beautiful celebration of heritage, family, nature, and the self. Told through accessible, poetic language, Doyon paints beautiful images of memories and little moments of celebration and joy, from watching a river to tasting a caramel apple, jumping in leaf piles to the marvel of a family…
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Illustrated by Danica Novgorodoff 5 stars I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. The novel-in-verse genre at its finest. I absolutely loved this book. Well-written with engaging characters, powerful themes, and a wonderful story. Includes themes of friends growing apart, loss, grief, guilt, racism, crushes, masculinity, family, and societal expectations. There was…
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5 stars A touching and empowering picture book about the associations attached to words, the way our words affect others and ourselves, and the freedom of allowing yourself to take up space. Simple narration with a powerful message. The story shows the shift in childhood from when “big” is seen as a good thing (“What…
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5 stars Hard-hitting and wonderfully told. Aiden has always felt different. He doesn’t fit in at school. His family life is chaotic. It’s the year before he starts high school and he’s at his favorite place, summer camp. But things aren’t going as well as he’d like. Despite his friendships and interesting camp courses, he…
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