Book Review - A Blade So Black

📖Recommend for Grades 8 and up📖

A Blade So Black

by L.L. McKinney

Seventeen-year-old Alice Kingston is a Dreamwalker: fighting nightmares in Wonderland before they can cross the veil into the human world. Her mission began the night her father died and she was saved from a Nightmare that crossed over by Addison Hatta. Addison's job is to find people like Alice and train them to fight the Nightmares. For Alice, it isn’t so much the fighting that is challenging, but that her mother watches her like a hawk. When a mysterious person shows up claiming to be The Black Knight and poisons Addison, Alice finds herself on a life or death adventure to save him.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland mixed with Buffy the Vampire Slayer, this book, which is the first in a series, is one you’re likely to love or hate. Fans of Alice and her Wonderland adventures will love the Wonderland setting and nods to the original story. While some references may be lost on those unfamiliar with it, the story itself will be unaffected. This Alice is a rebellious, kick-butt, strong-willed black girl whom readers will root for.

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Book Review - Fresh Ink

📖Recommend for Grades 9 and up📖

Fresh Ink

edited by Lamer Giles

A collection of diverse short stories written by young adult authors including Jason Reynolds, Melissa De La Cruz, Nicola Yoon, and its editor Lamer Giles. These stories are diverse in genre (realistic fiction, historical fiction, etc.), protagonists (various races, ethnicities, religions, abilities, and sexual orientations), and style (prose, graphic novel and play).

For those who enjoy reading, but find themselves too busy with school to read a full length novel, this collection of short stories is one to pick up. Readers can read the entire collection or only those that interest them. Some readers may want to skip certain stories if they are uncomfortable with the topic as well. Every reader though is likely to find a story they find wonderful and enjoyable.

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Banned Books Weeks

Book Review - Totally Middle School

📖Recommend for Grades 6 and up📖

Totally Middle School

edited by Betsy Groban

Lois Lowry, Katherine Paterson, Linda Sue Park, Gary D. Schmidt, and more shares stories of middle school and those of middle school age. Some stories are in prose, while others are in formats such as comic panels or poems. The characters and themes are also diverse despite the overall theme of middle school.

If you find yourself too busy to read a full-length novel with school going on, you may want to consider this collection of short stories. You don’t have to read them all and only read the ones that interest you. In fact, some stories are better off skipped over. However, Lois Lowry’s “Letters” Hena Khan's “How to Make S’mores”, and "TBH I Need HELP!!" by Katherine Paterson and Jordan Paterson are must-reads. The book is broken down into three sections Family, Friends and Fitting In, and Finding Yourself, so readers can get an idea about what the stories are about.

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Peer Book Review - Holes

📖Recommend for Grades 6 and up📖

Holes

by Louis Sacher

Reviewed by 7th Grader Ashna R.

Holes is about a boy named Stanley Yelnats who is wrongfully sent to a juvenile camp for something he didn’t do. The warden makes the campers dig a hole 5 feet deep and wide. Stanley then starts to suspect that the camp is making them dig for treasure. He gets very suspicious.

This book is full of mysteries and cliffhangers. It has a great sense of humor and the story just keeps getting interesting. This book really describes how badly Stanley was treated and how he felt. It was also filled with powerful emotions.

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Book Review - There's Something About Sweetie

📖Recommend for Grades 8 and up📖

There's Something About Sweetie

by Sandhya Menon

            Ashish Patel has found himself in a funk since his girlfriend dumped him. After getting advice from a friend, he decides to ask his parents to set him up with an Indian girl. Sweetie is a track star and talented singer who also happens to be overweight. When Ashish’s mother presents the idea of the pair dating to Sweetie’s mother she says no because of Sweetie’s weight even though Mrs. Patel assures her that is a non-issue for Ashish. Deciding to go against her mother’s orders, Sweetie meets Ashish and the two decide to date in secret. Over the course of their time together the pair find more than the truth they were trying to prove.

This is a companion novel to When Dimple Met Rishi. While you don’t have to read the first book, those who did would have met Ashish Patel and saw the start of his relationship with Celia (who they also would have met). Ashish may come across as slightly unrealistic to some, but it won’t take away from what a wonderful character he is. Sweetie is truly a remarkable and inspiring character who loves herself despite how society (and her mother) say she should look.

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Book Review - Hope and Other Punchlines

📖Recommend for Grades 7 and up📖

Hope and Other Punchlines

by Julie Buxbaum

            Abbi Hope Goldstein and Noah Stern may not remember the events of September 11, 2001, but their lives were forever altered by the day’s events. Abbi is the famous Baby Hope the one-year-old photographed with the crown and the balloon being rushed to safety on that day. Almost everywhere she goes people recognize her (thanks to numerous stories that appear about her still) and she hopes that being a counselor at a camp miles away will give her some anonymity. Low and behold Noah, who goes to her school, is also a counselor and recognizes Abbi right away. Noah believes his father who is one of the unnamed individuals in the famous Baby Hope photo, is still alive and didn’t die that day like everyone believes. He also believes Abbi is the key to finding out the truth. Noah and Abbi make a deal: Noah will not share Abbi’s secret if she will help him get in touch with the known photo survivors.

            A captivating look at the lives of two teens too young to remember the tragic day but whose lives are forever effected by it. While the Baby Hope photo and this story are fictional, the events of that day and some of the photos discussed are real. Some people, like Abbi’s parents, do have stories where they worked in the towers but just happened to not be there when the planes hit. Both Noah and Abbi are intriguing characters and their individual and combined stories are real page turners.

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Peer Book Review - Black Swan Green

📖Recommend for Grades 11 and up📖

Black Swan Green
by David Mitchell
Reviewed by 9th Graders Kayla C.
This book is about Jason Taylor who is a teenager that is facing any challenges. Some of these challenges are smoking, stammering problems, and low self-esteem. One of Jason's friends had to remind him that "do not let people decide who you will be." This quote meant to me, don't put down yourself for the things you like, be proud of yourself, and believe in yourself.
I rate this novel a five star because teenagers like myself can relate to this novel in so many ways. Jason and I face similar challenges. The author made this novel to inspire kids and make them feel confident in themselves.

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Please note UPL does not currently own this book but those interested can inter-loan a copy from another library.

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Book Review - Rising Water: The Story of the Thai Cave Rescue

📖Recommend for Grades 6 and up📖

Rising Water:

The Story of theThai Cave Rescue

by Marc Aronson

            In 2018 twelve Thai soccer players and their assistant coach Ekapol decided to go explore some caves after a game. Around midnight, their families were worried when they still weren’t home. Luckily some teammates knew where the boys went but unfortunately the cave was flooded with the boys and Ekapol somewhere inside. Thai rescue workers, with help from rescue workers from other countries, banded together to find and rescue the team to bring home safely.

            This is the true and fascinating account of what happened during the Thai cave rescue. The author breaks down the days of when the boys were missing, found but still trapped, and being rescued. For those who followed the story on the news probably know much of what the author shares. Those who didn’t will be surprised at what was done and how they all managed to survive and be rescued.

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