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!

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.......

Graphic novels have come a long way!

  

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:

Author's Website: Molly Ostertag

Want more? How about Strong Female Protagonists!

Dear Sweet Pea by Julie Murphy

A wonderful middle grade book about a 13 year old who has to deal with change and makes a few mistakes a long the way. I found this book to be a PERFECT middle grade book. This story is appropriate for mature elementary students (5th grade) as well as middle schoolers who can handle some topics that would be a challenge for anyone. Sometimes, we have to make tough choices. Given a tough decision, what would YOU do?

LOVE- LOVE-LOVE Julie Murphy. Want to learn more about her and her books? Click here!

You haven't read her YA books? Definitely worth a read:

        

Don't forget that her story, Dumplin', is a Netflix movie featuring Jennifer Aniston, Danielle Macdonald and Dolly Parton...Don't forget Ginger Minj!!!

What's next for Julie Murphy? 

My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich

  My Life as an Ice-Cream Sandwich, by Ibi Zoboi

Author's website         Publisher's page       Kirkus Review 

I read My Life as an Ice-Cream Sandwich by Ibi Zoboi. I wanted to like it. I really did. I had also recently finished the One Crazy Summer series, and found that I really enjoyed historical fiction from that era. I enjoyed the perspective of my childhood but from a new lens. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy MLas an ICS as much, mostly because I am wondering if a student would have the patience to finish the book. The main character is quirky and difficult to connect with. Would a student have the patience it took to get to the end of the book. I also didn't think the end answered many of the questions I had.
I hate posting about a book I disliked because I don't want to discourage anyone form reading.....Can someone help me find the just-right audience for this book?

Love & Gelato

 

Author's Website        Author's Blog         Publisher's Website for Jenna Evans Welch        Author Interview

Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch has shown up on many YA lists follow. The cover is adorable and the description seemed cute...but not my cup of tea. Yet.... I bought it on a whim at BJ's and boy was I in for a surprise. I would describe the genre as: realistic fiction, with some mild adventure and mystery. Of course, the biggest pleasure in the book is watching someone discover the beauty and culture of a new country. This book was a wonderful read and I am excited to put it on my bookshelves for all my students to read :)

Update (9/8/19): I've given this book to two people since this post who LOVED it! One is a sci-fi fan and the other a dystopian junkie. Goes to show you, some books transcend the genre and are just GOOD BOOKS. Love and Gelato is one of those books!

Love & Luck by Jenna Evans Welsh. I read this book because I REALLY liked Love & Gelato. This book has some of the characters from the first book but, the main characters are on a completely different adventure. So I've decided a few things:
1) I REALLY like the way the author writes. She uses wit in a way that makes you feel as if your best friend is just telling you a crazy story that happened to them. 
2) Evans Welsh has a way of making quirky people superstars AND you want to befriend them because they embrace their quirks. Aren't we all quirky after all? Why not embrace who we really are?

I hope Jenna Evans Welsh continues to write YA novels. I would read any books she writes...HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!