5 stars A fantastic memoir dealing with issues of gender, identity, acceptance, and perception. The story follows Kobabe as ey learn about and explore eir self-identity. This includes coming out to family and dealing with their reactions; navigating crushes, sexual relationships, and doctor visits; discovering eir pronouns; and finding eirself in music and books. Through…
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3 stars A powerful coming-of-age story. This novel-in-verse takes a young poet, a forbidden love interest, a strict, religious mother, an apathetic father, a secretive brother, a supportive best friend, and an encouraging teacher, mixes them together, and presents a story of hardship, hope, and healing. This book tackles so many issues such as mother/daughter…
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4 stars A great resource for those starting on their anti-racist journey. Though it’s targeted toward teens, it can be beneficial for adults as well. Jewell goes through the basic progression of 1) recognizing racism, one’s own identity (both socially constructed and the traits beyond that get to the heart of the individual), and one’s…
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4 stars Another fantastic volume featuring Charlie and Nick. I really enjoyed getting to see more of the side characters in this one. Of course, Darcy and Tara are adorable as always, and it was exciting to see Elle and Tao finally face their feelings. We also see a little more of Aled. Hoping to…
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5 stars A fantastic non-history history book. Kendi and Reynolds join forces to create an informative, accessible, and empowering version of Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America for a younger audience. Kendi with excellent scholarship and research and Reynolds adapting that research into a format that will resonate with young readers….
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4 stars That. Was. Adorable. Sometimes when a book gets a lot of attention, I go into it thinking it’ll be overhyped. Here, that was not the case. I loved watching Charlie and Nick’s friendship and romantic feelings develop. This book is so sweet and fun and adorable. Despite all the sweetness and romantic tension,…
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3 stars An interesting twist on mermaid legends featuring a full-building aquarium, a motherly octopus, and a young mermaid with a mysterious past. This one was a bit difficult to get into at first. It follows an unnamed mermaid, referred to only as “Fish Girl”, who teases guests with glimpses of herself at the aquarium…
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4 stars A powerful read that provides valuable insight. This is a great resource for understanding an important part of history both in terms of some of its major events as well as how individuals dealt with and reacted to the times. An excellent example of putting a face to history. The definitive edition adds…
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4 stars A fast-paced adventure story that blends mythology, coming-of-age themes, and questions of what it is to be a man. The artwork has a cartoon-y style but with a darker aesthetic. It pulls together some great folklore elements (ravens, shapeshifting, skulls, walking dead, demons, spirits). I really enjoyed the sinister elements in the artwork,…
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4 stars An adorable follow up to the first book, depicting Bitty’s junior and senior year of college. It’s been a bit since I read the first book so it took a second for some of the details to come back to me. But I really enjoyed watching Bitty come into his own in this…
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