Throwback Book Review

 Throwback Book Review

Miss. Amanda still thinks you should read this!

📖Recommend for Grades 6 and up📖

Awkward
by Svetlana Chmakova

            On the first day at a new school, Penelope pushes away school nerd Jamie who was just trying to help her. Now every time she sees him things are a little awkward as she still hasn’t apologized despite wanting to. When the school Art Club, which Penelope is a part of, and the Science Club, which Jamie is in, find themselves in a war things get even more awkward.

            Anybody who has ever done anything stupid that they want to, but too embarrassed to, apologize for will find themselves relating to Penelope. She is a very realistic character dealing with social anxiety.

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Throwback Book Review - Dear Martin

Throwback Book Review

Miss. Amanda still thinks you should read this!

 📖Recommended for Grades 9 and up📖

Dear Martin

by Nic Stone
The cop didn’t care that Justyce was a good kid and Ivy League bound. All he saw was the color of his skin, landing Justyce in handcuffs.  In order to deal with his struggles of race inequality today, Justyce turns to the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., writing letters to the late activist to look for answers and explain how the events happening in the world today, are shaping him.
Wonderful and relevant, this is a book not to be missed. Justyce is a character all readers will love, admire and feel for. The supporting characters are an intriguing bunch filled with both likable and unlikable characters. The unlikable characters are supposed to be such though, and an important aspect of this story. 

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Book Review - Speak

 📖Recommend for Grades 8 and up📖

Speak

by Laurie Halse Anderson

Reviewed by Scared Heart Academy 9th Grader Michelle V.

Melina Sordino is a high school freshman who is hated by many people. She keeps quiet because she is scared of anyone not believing her. If only they knew.

I thought this was a great book. It spread awareness of the situation. Some people don’t want to say what happened because they are afraid of no one believing them.

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Book Review - Little & Lion

 📖Recommend for Grades 10 and up📖

Little & Lion

by Brandy Colbert

Suzette returns home to L.A. after spending the year at boarding school in New England. Between the fact that L.A. is where her friends and family are and an incident that occurred right before heading home, she isn't sure she wants to return to boarding school in the fall. Her stepbrother Lionel also needs her support, having been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Things get complicated when Suzette finds herself not only crushing on her old friend Emil but on this new girl she met. This girl is the same one who Lionel is also crushing on.

Little and Lion is an excellent portrayal of how mental health often affects a person's living life and their loved ones. This book covers many aspects of diversity regarding race, religion, ability, and sexual orientation. While's mental illness is a significant plot point, the other is Suzette coming to terms with her sexual identity. The story's main plot takes place over the summer, but there are flashback chapters included that are important to the story.

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Book Review - Just Our Luck

 📖Recommend for Grades 9 and up📖

Just Our Luck

by Julia Walton

Leo's anxiety causes him to get into a fight at school. As a result, his dad orders him to take a self-defense class at a local gym. Evey works at the gym, where Leo is taking the class. He has been told to stay away from her since her family supposedly cursed his family. Realizing he doesn't want to be in self-defense, Evey tells Leo she will switch him to hot yoga that meets at the same time. There is a catch, as Evey needs Leo to help her with a revenge project. The pair end up spending time together, curse or no curse.

While Leo's mental illness plays a role in this story, there is so much more to it. Through Leo's perspective, the story is told via a journal he has to keep for his hot yoga class. There is bullying that occurs in the book. Still, Leo doesn't let that stop him from following his passions which include knitting and photography.  

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Book Review - Keep It Together, Keiko Carter

 📖Recommend for Grades 6 and up📖

Keep It Together, Keiko Carter

by Debbi Michiko Florence

Keiko Carter is looking forward to starting seventh grade with her two best friends Audrey and Jenna. When Audrey suggests the girls each find dates for the school's annual Fall Ball, a rift in the friend group occurs. Keiko is okay with finding a date, hoping her new crush will ask her, but Jenna is sick of catering to Audrey's demands. Keiko finds herself in the middle of her two best friends and isn't sure what to do.

If you are looking for a cute middle school novel filled with friendship, crushes, and drama, you found what you are looking for in this book. Keiko is a likeable character and readers will enjoy trying to figure out what she will decide. 

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Book Review - 10 Truths and a Dare

 📖Recommend for Grades 8 and up📖

10 Truths and a Dare

by Ashley Elston
Senior week is the magical time between school being over and graduation still on the horizon. Olivia has been looking forward to this week, but then she discovers a problem with her off-campus P.E. class. Instead of enjoying all the insane parties, she has to spend the week helping out at a golf tournament to earn the credit. If she doesn't do it, she can't graduate. Olivia is determined to keep this a secret from her large and meddling family. The only exceptions are Sophie, Charlie, and Wes, who she recruited to help her out by trading phones with her since her mom is tracking hers.
If the names Olivia, Sophie, Charlie, and Wes sound familiar together, that's because this is the companion to 10 Blind Dates, which was Sophie's story. While this isn't as crazy and fun as the first book, there is still plenty of fun and craziness. The story is told primarily from Olivia's perspective, but as Sophie, Charlie, and Wes all take turns with her phone, we do get to follow them at those points. Though not mentioned above, some romance occurs in the book. Still, the central aspect of the story is Olivia trying to focus on what she needs to do and still trying to enjoy Senior Week.

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Book Review - Ghost

📖Recommend for Grades 6 and up📖

Ghost

by Jason Reynolds
Castle Cranshaw, also known as Ghost, is no stranger when it comes to running. He’s never run for a track team, though. One day he stumbles upon a track team practice and challenges one of the runners to a race. Seeing his natural talent, the coach allows him to join the team. Ghost has more than a natural talent for running, though. He also has a lot of anger inside, and he doesn’t know how to deal with it.
A mix of humor and some serious stuff, Ghost is a must-read. The character Ghost is flawed but likable, and readers will be rooting for him despite his faults. This book is the first in Jason’s Reynolds’ Track series, and readers will follow the runners they meet in the three books that follow.

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Book Review - A Thousand Questions

  📖Recommend for Grades 6 and up📖

A Thousand Questions

by Saadia Faruqi

Mimi and her mother are spending the summer in Pakistan with the grandparents she has never met in person. She secretly hopes to find her estranged father and uses her journal to write him letters she will never send. Sakina is the daughter of Mimi’s grandparents’ cook, who longs to go to school, though her family can’t afford it. When the two girls meet, they discover they can help the other out, leading to an unlikely friendship.

An excellent and beautiful story about friendship, culture, and learning to judge others. The story alternates between Mimi and Sakina’s perspectives which gives a fun view into what they think about the other and what they are thinking. Classism plays an important role in this book, as does judging others with little to no knowledge. Readers will not be disappointed with Mimi, Sakina, or their story.

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Book Review - Concrete Rose

  📖Recommend for Grades 10 and up📖

Concrete Rose

by Angie Thomas

Seventeen-year-old Maverick Carter is the son of the former gang leader for the Kings Lords in Garden Heights. He himself joined them for protection and used the gang's connections to help take care of his mom while his dad is in prison. His life isn't perfect, but it works, and it helps to have a fly girlfriend. Maverick's world is turned upside down when he finds out that the three-month-old baby he thought was his buddy King's son is actually his. With his son's mother leaving the baby in his care, now Maverick finds himself with a kid to take care of on top of everything else. Can Maverick juggle taking care of his family, school, work, and his friends? Can he also handle the other curve balls life is going to throw his way?

Concrete Rose is a can't miss prequel to Angie Thomas' award-winning novel The Hate U Give. While The Hate U Give is about Starr Carter, Concrete Rose goes back to when her dad Maverick learns that Seven is his son. The books can be read in either order as the prequel won't really spoil the original story. Those who read the first book will love returning to Garden Heights and seeing familiar characters when they were younger. The characters, both familiar and not, are all great and well developed. Maverick needs to tackle a lot throughout this story. Readers will enjoy following his journey and seeing what choices he makes. Teens should be aware book handles many heavy topics. These topics include violence, death, gangs, drug dealing, parents in prison, sex, and teen pregnancy and parenting. 

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Book Review - This Will Be Funny Someday

📖Recommend for Grades 9 and up📖

This Will Be Funny Someday

by Katie Henry

Isabel isn’t much of a talker. She can’t get a word in at home, and at school, her boyfriend is always speaking for her. One day she accidentally stumbles into a Comedy Show Open Mic and finds herself on stage performing. She ends up making some college-age friends, whom she leads to believe she is a junior in college, not high school. Her new friends take Isabel under their comedian wings, and she now finds herself as Izzy V, an inspiring comedian. The problem is that she keeps secrets from both people in both parts of her life, which causes even more trouble when they collide.

While Izzy may be an inspiring comedian, this book does tackle some heavy topics. Izzy is white, but two of her new friends are BIPOC, so the issues of racism and white privilege come up. Also, Izzy is in a toxic relationship with her boyfriend. Though some of the characters are jerks, the rest are great. This book is a story of growth and learning to find your voice. Izzy is smart but naive, and readers will appreciate that realistic quality in her. An enjoyable and thought-provoking read.

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Book Review - From the Desk of Zoe Washington

   📖Recommend for Grades 6 and up📖

From the Desk of Zoe Washington

by Janae Marks

On her twelfth birthday, Zoe Washington receives a letter from her estranged father, Marcus. Without her mother's permission, Zoe responds to Marcus, but what do you say to a man who has been in prison your whole life for murder? As the two correspond, Marcus shares with Zoe that he is innocent. With her friend and neighbor Trevor's help, she sets out to prove her father's innocence. Trying to help Marcus means putting a lot of the line. This includes jeopardizing the possibility of her mom and step-dad, allowing her to audition for a baking show.

This book is a fantastic read with an equally excellent main character. Zoe is Black and does face some microaggressions. Readers get an age-appropriate look at wondering if Marcus would have been treated differently if white. This book is a beautiful story encompassing racism, family, friendship, and a love of baking. A fun element of this book is that in each letter, Zoe's father includes a song for her to listen to, so readers will have a playlist of songs themselves by the end of the book. As previously mentioned, Zoe is a huge fan of baking, and the book involves a lot of cupcake talk, so be prepared to be craving them.

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Book Review - Not So Pure and Simple

 📖Recommend for Grades 9 and up📖

Not So Pure and Simple

by Lamar Giles

When his finally available longtime crush Kiera volunteers for a church group, Del is right behind her. That's how he accidentally finds himself in the purity pledge group. Not wanting to lose his shot at Kiera, Del sticks with it. Lucky for him, there's Jameer, a fellow pledger and Kiera's best friend. The two make a deal; Jameer helps Del with Kiera, and Del gets answers from his Healthy living class that Jameer isn't allowed to take for him.

Honestly, besides being a little longer than it probably needed to, this is an enjoyable book. The characters are realistic and relatable, as well as entertaining. This story covers many hot topics. These include the debate of the type of sexual education taught in school, the different ways teen mothers are treated versus teen fathers, and masculinity. If any of these topics aren't right for you, skip this read. If you're good with them, this is worth the read.

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Book Review - Let’s Call It A Doomsday

 📖Recommend for Grades 9 and up📖

Let’s Call It A Doomsday

by Katie Henry

Ellis Kimball is a preparer; for the end of the world, that is. Her anxiety doesn't help the situation. When leaving therapy one day, she meets Hannah Marks in the waiting room. Hannah informs Ellis that they were destined to meet because Ellis fears the end of the world, and Hannah knows when it's going to happen. As doomsday draws near, the search for answers seems to lead to more questions.

Though maybe a tad longer than needed, this is an intriguing read with an excellent portrayal of mental illness. Ellis and Hannah are both white, but the rest of the cast is more racially diverse. While about the potential end of the world, there is some humor in the story and moving moments. 

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Book Review - A Place at the Table

 📖Recommend for Grades 6 and up📖

A Place at the Table

by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan

In many ways, sixth-graders Sara, a Pakistani American, and Elizabeth, a Jewish girl, are different. When the two end up kitchen partners in a South Asian cooking class taught by Sara's mom, a friendship takes form. Despite their cultural differences, the girls learn that they do have similarities, such as both their mothers being immigrants. Together they face the challenges the world throws at them all while trying to come up with an award-winning recipe.

A wonderfully written story about two young girls and how they can find similarities and form a friendship despite their different cultural backgrounds. The book alternates between both girl's perspectives giving intriguing insights into both their thoughts and feelings. There is some anti-Semitism in this book, but it is handled in an age appropriate manner. The story involves the girls have to create a recipe, and it is included in the back for readers to try for themselves. 

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Book Review - A Danger to Herself and Others

 📖Recommend for Grades 10 and up📖

A Danger to Herself and Others

by Alyssa B. Sheinmel

Hannah has found herself institutionalized after her summer program roommate falls out of their dorm room window. Nobody knows what happened that night, but she is considered “a danger to herself and others.” Hannah is determined to do what she has to return home. After all, she says what happened wasn’t her fault. Enter Lucy, she may have her baggage of her own, but she also may be the only person who can help Hannah work through everything that’s happened.

 If you’ve ever heard the term unreliable narrator before and didn’t get what it meant, this book will help you understand that. We are getting the story from Hannah’s point of view and how she perceives everything that happened. Hannah has lives life with at least one mental illness though we are never told what exactly it is. While the ending could have been better, the overall story is intriguing and will leave readers guessing how it all plays out.

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Book Review - Punching the Air

  📖Recommend for Grades 8 and up📖

Punching the Air

by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam

Sixteen-year-old Amal is an artist and poet. One day, he is found guilty of a crime he didn’t commit because of a biased system. Now he’s another Black teen in prison, and he’s angry. Thankfully he has his words and art to turn to for help.

Written in-verse by the talented Ibi Zoboi and Exonerated Five member Yusef Salaam this book is an absolute must-read. This book is timely, controversial, power, and will make you think and feel. It is not Yusef’s story, but the character of Amal is inspired by him. Yusef is also an artist and poet, and some of the poetry he wrote while incarcerated can be found in this book. 

Oh, and fun fact, the narrator of the audiobook is Ethan Herisse. He is also the actor who played Yusef Salaam in the movie When They See Us, which tells the story of The Central Park Five—now known as the Exonerated Five.

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Book Review - The Voting Booth

📖Recommend for Grades 8 and up📖

The Voting Booth

by Brandy Colbert

Having always been driven to change the world, Marva Sheridan is thrilled to vote in her first election. Duke Crenshaw knows that voting is essential, but he just wants to get it over with in order to get ready for his band’s gig that night. When Duke discovers he actually isn’t registered to vote as he thought, and Marva overhears, she makes it her mission to get his vote counted. After all, she didn’t spend months getting people registered only to watch somebody get turned away. The two now find themselves on a road-block-filled adventure for Duke to exercise his right to vote. And while they may start off as strangers, they also may have found something more.

Readers may not be old enough to vote themselves, but they can still enjoy and benefit from this story. While Duke’s being not registered was an accident, their journey to get his vote includes experiencing and hearing about types of voter suppression that do exist in our country. There is also talk about while it is important to vote and how it is especially important for Black people like Marva and Duke too. This book also demonstrates how those who can’t yet vote can maybe help others who can. While this is also a love story that takes place in less than 24 hours, don’t let that stop you.

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Book Review - You Should See Me in a Crown

📖Recommend for Grades 9 and up📖

You Should See Me In A Crown

by Leah Johnson

Unable to pay for college, Liz decides to run for Prom Queen in hopes of winning more the scholarship that comes with winning than the actual crown. The problem is Liz isn’t your typical Prom Queen contender, being too awkward, poor, and Black. Liz isn’t thrilled about running, and the only thing that makes it less painful is the cute new girl Mack.

A truly amazing story about an equally amazingly inspiring teen. The book is broken down into each week of events leading up to and including Prom allowing readers to have the easy option of reading a week at a time. Readers will quickly find more than one character they love in this book. While there are some stereotypes found throughout the story, readers will also find characters and events that break them. Whether you read it now or wait till Prom season, this is a book worth the read.

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Book Review - Stand Up, Yumi Chung!

 📖Recommend for Grades 6 and up📖

Stand Up, Yumi Chung!

by Jessica Kim

Yumi Chung is a shy eleven-year-old Korean-American who dreams of being a stand-up comic. Her parent's high expectations, though, don't include jokes. One day after a prep session for a private school scholarship exam, Yumi discovers there is a new comedy club in her neighborhood. Inside, Yumi discovers a kid's comedy camp, and she gets mistaken for missing camper Kay Nakamura. After a fantastic day of camp, Yumi finds herself living a double life. One as Yumi Chung and one where she is pretending to be Kay Nakamura.

This book is a delightful and entertaining story about struggling with what you want and what your parents expect of you. Readers may be able to relate to Yumi's struggle between balancing two cultures, which can be beneficial to their own growth. The cast of characters is diverse and amusing. There is also a lot to laugh about in this story. The humor is not just from the jokes and improv done by Yumi and the other campers.

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