Identity/Coming of Age – Page 5

Love is a Revolution by Renée Watson

May 27, 2021 by Ricki

Love is a Revolution
Author: Renée Watson
Published February 2, 2021 by Bloomsbury

Summary: From New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Renée Watson comes a new YA–a love story about not only a romantic relationship but how a girl finds herself and falls in love with who she really is.

When Nala Robertson reluctantly agrees to attend an open mic night for her cousin-sister-friend Imani’s birthday, she finds herself falling in instant love with Tye Brown, the MC. He’s perfect, except . . . Tye is an activist and is spending the summer putting on events for the community when Nala would rather watch movies and try out the new seasonal flavors at the local creamery. In order to impress Tye, Nala tells a few tiny lies to have enough in common with him. As they spend more time together, sharing more of themselves, some of those lies get harder to keep up. As Nala falls deeper into keeping up her lies and into love, she’ll learn all the ways love is hard, and how self-love is revolutionary.

In Love Is a Revolution, plus size girls are beautiful and get the attention of the hot guys, the popular girl clique is not shallow but has strong convictions and substance, and the ultimate love story is not only about romance but about how to show radical love to the people in your life, including to yourself.

Ricki’s Review: There is so much to write about this book! First, I loved the way it elevated body positivity. The comments (implicit and explicit) about Nala’s size felt, at times, infuriating. I was so proud of the way she handled these comments. I also loved the idea that everyone doesn’t need to be a loud activist to be doing amazing work. Nala was keenly focused on her family, and the work that she did was important work. I admired her greatly. The book made me think a lot about my own convictions and what I value most. This is a book that belongs in all classrooms, and I recommend it highly.

Discussion Questions:

How is Nala different from the other characters in the book? What do we learn from her?
What does Tye value? What do we learn from him?
How is Nala and Tye’s relationship perceived?
How do different characters in this book perceive family? Which characters reflect your own values, and why?

Flagged Passage:

“I can’t stand when people don’t follow through. Make a plan, stick to it. Say what you mean and mean what you say.”

Read This If You Love: Piecing Me Together by Renée Watson; Fat Chance, Charlie Vega by Crystal Maldonado

Recommended For:

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

May 20, 2021 by Ricki

Clap When You Land
Author: Elizabeth Acevedo
Published March 5, 2020 by HarperTeen

Summary: In a novel-in-verse that brims with grief and love, National Book Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Acevedo writes about the devastation of loss, the difficulty of forgiveness, and the bittersweet bonds that shape our lives.

Camino Rios lives for the summers when her father visits her in the Dominican Republic. But this time, on the day when his plane is supposed to land, Camino arrives at the airport to see crowds of crying people…

In New York City, Yahaira Rios is called to the principal’s office, where her mother is waiting to tell her that her father, her hero, has died in a plane crash.

Separated by distance—and Papi’s secrets—the two girls are forced to face a new reality in which their father is dead and their lives are forever altered.

And then, when it seems like they’ve lost everything of their father, they learn of each other.

Ricki’s Review: I was so happy to see that this book won the Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award. It is one of the most beautifully written books that I have ever read. It made me laugh, it made me weep, and it filled me with so many emotions and so many wonderings. The book is beautifully lyrical, and the voices are so strong. There’s a scene in the book that simply took my breath away. If you haven’t read this book yet, I recommend you head out and purchase it now. It’s absolutely magnificent.

Discussion Questions:

How do the two perspectives of the story work together? How did it enhance your reading of the story?
How does place function in the story?
Where is home for the characters?
How do the characters in the story grieve? What understandings did it offer about grief and loss?
How do the characters in this book show strength in many different ways?

Flagged Passage:

“Can you be from a place
you have never been?

You can find the island stamped all over me,
but what would the island find if I was there?

Can you claim a home that does not know you,
much less claim you as its own?”

Read This If You Love: Books. Seriously, it would be very difficult not to see the beauty of this book. Elizabeth Acevedo is one of the greatest writers of our time.

Recommended For:

Watercress by Andrea Wang, Illustrated by Jason Chin

May 14, 2021 by Ricki

Watercress
Author: Andrea Wang
Illustrator: Jason Chin
Published: March 30, 2021 by Neal Porter Books

Summary: Gathering watercress by the side of the road brings a girl closer to her family’s Chinese Heritage.

Driving through Ohio in an old Pontiac, a young girl’s parents stop suddenly when they spot watercress growing wild in a ditch by the side of the road. Grabbing an old paper bag and some rusty scissors, the whole family wades into the muck to collect as much of the muddy, snail covered watercress as they can.

At first, she’s embarrassed. Why can’t her family get food from the grocery store? But when her mother shares a story of her family’s time in China, the girl learns to appreciate the fresh food they foraged. Together, they make a new memory of watercress.

Andrea Wang tells a moving autobiographical story of a child of immigrants discovering and connecting with her heritage, illustrated by award winning author and artist Jason Chin, working in an entirely new style, inspired by Chinese painting techniques. An author’s note in the back shares Andrea’s childhood experience with her parents.

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection!

Ricki’s Review: This book took my breath away. A girl’s family stops by the side of the road, and she is embarrassed as they fill paper bags with muddy watercress and eat it for dinner. Her mother shares a story of her childhood and talks about a brother who has passed on. I will be recommending this book over and over again. The story is stunningly written and captures painful memories that are passed intergenerationally. The author writes that it is “both an apology and a love letter” to her parents. I imagine the story would make her parents very proud. There is a bond between the family that reaches off the pages and pulls readers into the story. I highly recommend this book.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Teachers might use this book to ask students to share moments that they were embarrassed about a family or friend situation. They might then add layers to that story–what do these stories tell? How do these stories reveal layers of their lives?

Discussion Questions:

How does the author write about emotion? What feelings does the narrator have, and how do these feelings change?
How are stories passed intergenerationally?
What does the narrator learn, and how does this knowledge change her?

Flagged Spread:

Read This If You Love: Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard; A Big Mooncake for Little Star by Grace Lin; Eyes that Kiss in the Corners by Joanna Ho

**Thank you, Sara, from Holiday House and Pixel+Ink for sending a copy for review!**

King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender

April 8, 2021 by Ricki

King and the Dragonflies
Author: Kacen Callender
Published: February 4, 2020 by Scholastic

GoodReads Summary: Twelve-year-old Kingston James is sure his brother Khalid has turned into a dragonfly. When Khalid unexpectedly passed away, he shed what was his first skin for another to live down by the bayou in their small Louisiana town. Khalid still visits in dreams, and King must keep these secrets to himself as he watches grief transform his family.

It would be easier if King could talk with his best friend, Sandy Sanders. But just days before he died, Khalid told King to end their friendship, after overhearing a secret about Sandy—that he thinks he might be gay. “You don’t want anyone to think you’re gay too, do you?”

But when Sandy goes missing, sparking a town-wide search, and King finds his former best friend hiding in a tent in his backyard, he agrees to help Sandy escape from his abusive father, and the two begin an adventure as they build their own private paradise down by the bayou and among the dragonflies. As King’s friendship with Sandy is reignited, he’s forced to confront questions about himself and the reality of his brother’s death.

Ricki’s Review: I finished this book a couple of weeks ago, and it is still on my mind. My goodness, it is beautifully written. I think I’ve recommended it about fifteen times to friends, colleagues, and students in the past two weeks. I don’t want to give away any spoilers in the review, so I’ll just say that this book shares powerful perspectives of friendship and of family. It also offers complex discussions of racism and homophobia—intersections and analysis. I am adopting this text for class use in the Fall, and I am really looking forward to discussing it with others.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Teachers might ask students to select one aspect of the text that they want to explore in depth. I can think of many (but won’t name them because they are spoilers). Then, students might group according to interests and develop text sets to expand their understandings and think about the topics they choose from multiple perspectives.

Discussion Questions:

What does Kingston learn in this text? What does he unlearn?
How does Kingston navigate his grief? How do his family members navigate their grief?
What did you learn from this text?

Flagged Passage: “Secrets are best kept hidden, because sometimes people aren’t ready to hear the truth. And that’s okay, King, he said, Because you don’t need other people to know the truth also. Just as long as you got that truth in you.”

Read This If You Loved: Hurricane Child by Kacen Callender; Fighting Words by

Recommended For:

and

Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk

January 23, 2021 by Ricki

Sofia is an 9-year-old brilliant reader who aspires to be a book reviewer. On select Saturdays, Sofia shares her favorite books with kids! She is one of the most well-read elementary schoolers that we know, so she is highly qualified for this role!

Dear readers,

If you are looking for a book that takes place maybe 100 years ago then this is the book for you. The book, Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk takes place in 1925! It is an amazing historical fiction adventure about a girl, named Crow, who is curious about where she came from and who her parents are. I recommend this book for 10-13 year olds. By the way, when I started reading this book I was a bit confused, but after maybe the thirtieth page I understood everything. I am saying this so you don’t get discouraged in the first few pages.

When Crow was a newborn baby she got sent off on a skiff and landed on a beach where a person nicknamed Osh took her in and cared for her. Osh’s neighbour, Miss Maggie, came over every day to help him with Crow and bring her gifts. As Crow grew older she began to wonder more about her background, where she came from and who her parents were. Ever since she lived on the island everybody avoided her except for Miss Maggie and Osh. Due to her mysterious appearance a lot of people thought she was from Penikese, an island where a few years before people sick with leprosy, a bad sickness that can kill people, were sent to live in. She gets even more curious about her background when a mysterious fire appears on Penikese. She tells Osh about it and tells him that she wants to go there. Osh says that is just the old bird keeper and that all is ok on the island but she convinces him to go there anyway. If you were wondering, Penikese is burnt down when he says that. A few days later when they go to the island they meet a big mad man. He claims to be the bird keeper, but Crow heard a clunk before he came to greet them that makes her suspicious. Do you think something is wrong with that acclaimed bird keeper and the clunk or do you think that it was nothing?

I love this book because of the different lifestyle she lives. She basically lives in a cottage made of pieces of ships that got shipwrecked. She also lives a different life because she is homeschooled and because she helps out on a farm anytime she wants for fun. I also love this book because no matter how weird it seems, a lot of people can relate to Crow! For example I related to Crow when she sees the fire on Penikese island and wants to investigate it, I would do that too. Enjoy the ride!

If you liked this book then you might want to check out The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart, which I wrote a review about last week! The characters are alike in the way that they both don’t really live a normal life.

**Thanks so much to Sofia for this review! We love historical fiction, and we are excited to feature this one on the blog!**

Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: The Remarkable Journey by Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart

January 16, 2021 by Ricki

Dear readers,

Presenting: The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart!!! This is a story of a brave girl who is determined to get a memory box which she buried with her mom and sisters before they got killed in a car crash. She made a promise to get that box and she isn’t the type to break promises! This book is recommended for ages 9-12.

Coyote’s mother and her two sisters died five years ago in a car crash so Coyote’s dad, Rodeo, is the one who takes care of her. After the death of his wife and two daughters he bought a school bus and named it Yager. The bus, Yager, would now be their new home. Coyote’s dad forbids her to say anything related to her family which includes the words mom, dad, sister, Ava, Rose and many more. He also tells her not to think of her sisters and mom. And that’s why, for five years, Coyote and Rodeo have been traveling around the country, avoiding their home because it gave them too many memories. Coyote talks on the phone with her grandma every Saturday to catch up. One time when they talk her grandma tells her that the park that she used to play in was going to be destroyed on Wednesday! Coyote remembers that that is where her mom and sisters had buried a time capsule back when they were still alive. She devises a plan to dig up the time capsule before the park is destroyed. That is pretty complicated for two reasons, one the park is in Washington and she is in Florida which means they would have to drive about 3,600 miles to get there and two, the second that she told her dad about it he was going to say it was a no-go. It takes a lot of planning but finally Coyote comes up with a plan. I can’t tell you the plan but I can say that after a bit of time on the road they pick up a man named Lester and even later when they are bickering about a map they drive off and forget Coyote! Will they come back for her or will they forget about her?

I absolutely love this story because this story is unusual. Think about it, a twelve year old who lives in a school bus named Yager. Most stories start with girls living a normal-ish life but Coyote is a more interesting and different character. The name Coyote Sunrise even sounds exciting! She lives differently than other people, is just simply different in her characteristics and has things that she can’t say or think about without getting into trouble. Not every character in a book can do and does what Coyote Sunrise does in this book. The second reason I love this book is because the front cover illustration is amazing! For this I have to say that the cover illustrator did a great job and that the cover gives the book a nice feel to it when you are reading it. I usually don’t do this but while reading this book sometimes I just flipped to the front cover and started staring at it and then I got back to reading. Another reason I love this book is because once I started it I could not put it down. Well unless of course I had to, like when I had to eat or sleep or go to school. But still! I really hope that you love this book as much as I do!

**Thanks so much to Sofia for this review! We love those books that are so, so difficult to put down!**

Eyes that Kiss in the Corners by Joanna Ho, Illustrated by Dung Ho

January 14, 2021 by Ricki

Eyes that Kiss in the Corners
Author: Joanna Ho
Illustrator: Dung Ho
Published: January 5, 2021 by HarperCollins

Summary: This lyrical and stunning picture book tells a story about learning to love and celebrate your Asian-shaped eyes, in the of spirit of Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry

A young Asian girl notices that her eyes look different from her peers’. They have big, round eyes and long lashes. She realizes that her eyes are like her mother’s, her grandmother’s, and her little sister’s. They have eyes that kiss in the corners and glow like warm tea, crinkle into crescent moons, and are filled with stories of the past and hope for the future.

Drawing from the strength of these powerful women in her life, she recognizes her own beauty and discovers a path to self love and empowerment.

This powerful, poetic picture book will resonate with readers of all ages and is a celebration of diversity.

Ricki’s Review: This book is beautiful and poetic. You could give it to any reader of any age, and they would be captivated by how beautifully it is conceived, constructed and delivered. The lyrical lilt of the words as it is read aloud are captivating. I found myself pausing at the end of reading each page to take in the beauty of the author’s language. Ahh, and the illustrations! The cover is just a teaser for the stunning pictures within this book. I am really excited to gift this book to friends and family. It exemplifies the beauty and power of pictures books. I plan to read it aloud to my YAL class next semester. This book just hit the shelves, and I expect it to be very popular.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Teachers can use this book to offer students examples of figurative language. Often, figurative language can feel forced, but here, it flows magically with the storyline. I found that reading this book inspired me to want to write!

“Mama’s eyes that kiss in the corners and glow like warm tea

crinkle into crescent moons…”

Discussion Questions:

How does the author use figurative language effectively?
What do you believe to be the author’s and illustrator’s message? How do they convey this message?
Who does the main character draw strength from? Who do you draw strength from?

Flagged Spread:

Image from: https://www.joannahowrites.com/eyes-that-kiss

Read This If You Love: Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry; Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard; A Big Mooncake for Little Star by Grace Lin

**Thank you, Keely, from SparkPoint Studio for sending a copy for review!**