Books and Media: 2020

Saturday, December 19, 2020

Love & Olives

I reviewed Love & Gelato in August of 2019 and LOVED it. Well, Love & Olives, the 3rd book by author Jenna Evans Welch did not disappoint.

This book has adventure, some romance but mostly a fun story which takes you on a journey to Santorini, Greece. The sightseeing adventure reminded me of my trip at 15 to Oia, with the wonderful people, sights and food!

I am sure that anyone who reads this book will enjoy the views which are described to a T, the storyline, which sucks you in, and the at times heart-wrenching story-line of a daughter who wants to know her father.

My only problem is deciding which book is my favorite?

Take a peek: Love & Gelato BookTrailer

Need more convincing? Read 7 Reasons to Read Love & Gelato

Interested in knowing more about the author?

Click here for Jenna Evans Welch's website

Find her on Simon & Schuster's Website

Follow her on Instagram: @jennaevanswelch

Happy Reading!

Sunday, September 20, 2020

Bookmarks on Netflix

Great diverse reads for every age!

I was so excited to see that the show "Bookmarks" posted its episodes on Netflix. Hosted by Marley Dias (such an inspiration in and of itself) and diverse books read by the author or powerful voices in the diverse community.

LOVE- LOVE - LOVE the format and the books chosen for this series. The episodes I started with were read-alouds of:

Watch the trailer for "Bookmarks" on Netflix here:

Another wonderful diverse story is Hair Love

Diverse books are a fantastic addition to any booklists. My favorite from this summer:

The Only Black Girls in Town, by Brandy Colbert

Fantastic storyline. PERFECT for middle grades. 5 stars!

Happy Reading!

Monday, February 10, 2020

Insignificant and momentous event in the life of a cactus

What a fantastic duo! These books follow Aven through some up and some downs and some pretty heavy stuff that typical teens may face.

I used the book in my Blind Date with a Book and it flew off the shelf! (my description was on point!)

I highly recommend this as a "character education" book, where the characters have to make hard decisions that tremendously impact their lives.

Dusti Bowling - Author's Website

What's next for this author?

Worth the read for any age!

Happy Reading!

Graphic Novel Wins Newbery Medal for the First Time

I was fortunate enough to witness the announcement for the 2020 Newbery winner which was AMAZING!

Being in a room with people who:
1) love to read
2) spend their year reading children, middle grade and YA books
3) want to encourage kids to read
4) only want to promote all the amazing authors who write fantastic stories

New Kid by Jerry Craft

Goodreads synopsis:
Seventh grader Jordan Banks loves nothing more than drawing cartoons about his life. But instead of sending him to the art school of his dreams, his parents enroll him in a prestigious private school known for its academics, where Jordan is one of the few kids of color in his entire grade.

As he makes the daily trip from his Washington Heights apartment to the upscale Riverdale Academy Day School, Jordan soon finds himself torn between two worlds—and not really fitting into either one. Can Jordan learn to navigate his new school culture while keeping his neighborhood friends and staying true to himself?

Author's website

American Library Association announcement of the Newbery Award!

Did you know this is not his first award?

Winner of the 2020 Newbery Medal
Winner of the 2020 Coretta Scott King Book Awards Author Award
New York Times Bestseller
Winner of the 2019 Kirkus Prize for Young Readers’ Literature
Finalist for Audie Award – Middle Grade Book of the Year
San Francisco Chronicle Bestseller
Indie Bestseller for Early & Middle Grade Readers
One of Publishers Weekly’s Best Middle Grade Books of 2019
New England Independent Booksellers Association Best Children’s Book of 2019
New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association 2019 Book of the Year for Middle Readers
Top 10 Spring 2019 Indie Next List Pick
Amazon Best Book of the Month, Ages 9-12
2019 Harvey Award for Best Children’s Book Nominee
One of Booklist’s 2019 Top 10 Diverse Fiction for Youth
One of Publishers Weekly’s Most Anticipated Children’s Books, Spring 2019
#1 Indie Comics & Graphic Works Bestseller
One of the Best Graphic Novels of 2019 – School Library Journal
One of the 5 Best Fiction Books of 2019 – Washington Post
One of the Best Graphic Novels of 2019 – Washington Post
2020 Charlotte Huck Award for Outstanding Fiction for Children – Honor Book
One of the Best Books of the Year – Time.com
Best Books of 2019 – New York Public Library
Best Fiction for Older Readers of 2019 – Chicago Public Library
25 Best Children’s Books of 2019 – New York Times
Best Multicultural Children’s Books of 2019 – Center for the Study of Multicultural Children’s Literature
The Best New Gift Books for Kids – People

What's next you ask.......
Class Act

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Graphic novels have come a long way!

Named a Fall 2017 Publisher's Weekly Flying Start and winner of the Best Mainstream Comic Prism Award, the Cybils Award, and the EBSCO SEE-IT Award, THE WITCH BOY is Molly Ostertag's debut middle grade graphic novel. Purchase THE WITCH BOY here! Reviews: Kirkus Starred Review School Library Journal Starred Review Publisher's Weekly NYTimes: Twelve Books for Feminist Boys and Girls Even magic has rules . . . Everyone in Aster’s family is born with magic. Boys grow up to be shapeshifters; girls into witches. No exceptions. But Aster can’t seem to get the hang of shapeshifting. Instead, he spends his time spying on the witchery lessons the girls are getting. He seems to have a knack for casting spells and wants to know more, but the only person he can share his growing gift with is Charlie, a girl from the non-magical side of town. Then, during a night of shapeshifting practice, one of the boys goes missing. Aster knows he can search for the boy with the witchcraft he’s been secretly learning. Could breaking his family’s most important tradition save the day—or ruin everything? Click through for a preview...

The Witch Boy by Molly Osterag was a fantastic read! I enjoyed so many different aspects of this series. The characters are honest, the cultural elements are intriguing (without being fantastic) and the writing is simple yet interesting.

I particularly like the challenge of gender norms found in strong cultural settings.

As an adult reader, I see that gender norms are being challenged, however, younger readers will most likely simply enjoy the story of a young person following his dream, in spite of his "predetermined path".

Did I mention the drawings? Fantastic! Worth the read...at any age!

Other books in the series:

The sequel to THE WITCH BOY is out now! Purchase the Hidden Witch here! Kirkus Starred Review Aster and his family are adjusting to his unconventional talent for witchery; unlike the other boys in his family, he isn't a shapeshifter. He's taking classes with his grandmother and helping to keep an eye on his great-uncle whose corrupted magic wreaked havoc on the family. Meanwhile, Aster's friend from the non-magical part of town, Charlie, is having problems of her own -- a curse has tried to attach itself to her. She runs to Aster and escapes it, but now the friends must find the source of the curse before more people -- normal and magical alike -- get hurt.

The final book in the WITCH BOY series is out now! Purchase THE MIDWINTER WITCH here! Booklist Starred Review Kirkus Review Aster always looks forward to the Midwinter Festival, a reunion of the entire Vanissen family that includes competitions in witchery and shapeshifting. This year, he's especially excited to compete in the annual Jolrun tournament-as a witch. He's determined to show everyone that he's proud of who he is and what he's learned, but he knows it won't be easy to defy tradition. Ariel has darker things on her mind than the Festival-like the mysterious witch who's been visiting her dreams, claiming to know the truth about Ariel's past. She appreciates everything the Vanissens have done for her. But Ariel still craves a place where she truly belongs. The Festival is a whirlwind of excitement and activity, but for Aster and Ariel, nothing goes according to plan. When a powerful and sinister force invades the reunion, threatening to destroy everything the young witches have fought for, can they find the courage to fight it together? Or will dark magic tear them apart?

Author's Website: Molly Ostertag

Want more? How about Strong Female Protagonists!