Category Archives: By Age Range

Review: The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar

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The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar

The Henna Wars
Adiba Jaigirdar
Page Street Kids
Published on May 12, 2020

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About The Henna Wars

WHEN DIMPLE MET RISHI meets SIMON VS. THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA in this rom com about two teen girls with rival henna businesses.

When Nishat comes out to her parents, they say she can be anyone she wants—as long as she isn’t herself. Because Muslim girls aren’t lesbians. Nishat doesn’t want to hide who she is, but she also doesn’t want to lose her relationship with her family. And her life only gets harder once a childhood friend walks back into her life.

Flávia is beautiful and charismatic and Nishat falls for her instantly. But when a school competition invites students to create their own businesses, both Flávia and Nishat choose to do henna, even though Flávia is appropriating Nishat’s culture. Amidst sabotage and school stress, their lives get more tangled—but Nishat can’t quite get rid of her crush on Flávia, and realizes there might be more to her than she realized.

My Review

I think this is my favorite f/f romance that I’ve read so far. I love the relationship between Nishat and her sister Priti. I’m a huge fan of sister books and sister relationships in books, so theirs was an easy win for me. It felt so much like my relationship with my sister in school– that tug-of-war between needing each other and needing to do things on your own or needing to find your own way.

If I struggled with anything (big IF!) it was feeling like Flávia didn’t deserve Nishat. The heart wants what it wants, but sometimes I struggle with a book where someone is in love with someone who just doesn’t seem worthy of them. As the story went on, however, it became clear that there was more to Flávia than I originally gave her credit for, and ultimately, she won me over.

I also loved the evolution of Nishat’s relationships with her parents. It obviously wasn’t an easy journey, and I don’t want to give anything more away. But there were some great moments there for me, too. (My favorite was her mom’s comment about someone being pansexual, but the way she said it sounded like someone who was in romantic love with paan. I definitely laughed out loud at that!)

On the whole, HENNA WARS was exactly the book I needed right when I read it. It’s funny and heartwarming (and at times, heartbreaking) and packed with the high of first love and the strength of a sister bond.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Nishat and her family are Bengali. Flávia is Brazilian and Irish. They all live in Ireland.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two girls.

Spiritual Content
Some references to Muslim faith and beliefs.

Violent Content – Trigger Warning
Some instances of bullying. Someone sends a hateful text message outing a lesbian. Some property destruction as bullying and references to cruel comments. When other girls find out that one character is a lesbian, they refuse to change in the locker room with her. There aren’t any descriptions of events when anyone directly attacks the bullying victim (which doesn’t make any of the things that happen better or okay, just thinking in terms of triggers).

Drug Content
References to alcohol at a teen party.

Note: I received a free copy of THE HENNA WARS in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog.

Review: The Elephant’s Girl by Celesta Rimington

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Magical Realism, Middle Grade 8-12, , , ,

The Elephant’s Girl
Celesta Rimington
Crown Books for Young Readers
Published May 19, 2020

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About The Elephant’s Girl

An elephant never forgets…but Lexington Willow can’t remember her past. When she was a toddler, a tornado swept her away from everyone and everything she knew and landed her near an enclosure in a Nebraska zoo, where an elephant named Nyah protected her from the storm. With no trace of her family, Lex grew up at the zoo with her foster father, Roger; her best friend, Fisher; and the wind whispering in her ear.

Now that she’s twelve, Lex is finally old enough to help with the elephants. But during their first training session, Nyah sends her a telepathic image of the woods outside the zoo. Despite the wind’s protests, Lex decides to investigate Nyah’s message and gets wrapped up in an adventure involving ghosts, lost treasure, and a puzzle that might be the key to finding her family. Can Lex summon the courage to hunt for who she really is–and why the tornado brought her here all those years ago?

My Review

I think magical realism is one of the toughest genres to write well, because there’s always the risk that instead of seeing magic, a reader will see something else– hallucinations? Inconsistent plot or world?

Lex has a special relationship with the elephant Nyah, who protected her after the tornado left her at the zoo. Nyah sends her messages– pictures in her mind– and Lex tries to send pictures back.

Ever since the tornado, Lex has been able to hear the wind speaking to her, too. This was the most difficult element in the story for me to get into. I liked that it gave voice to Lex’s fears, making them a sort of personified antagonist. I wondered if it diluted the power of Nyah being able to speak to her, though.

I loved Lex’s relationship with Roger and her best friend, Fisher– all of her zoo family, really, but especially those two. As Lex tries to help Nyah find her family, it makes her examine her feelings about living with Roger at the zoo, too. He’s patient and clearly loves her, though he never pushes her to accept him as family. She also learns a lot through her friendship with Fisher, who is really different than she is. He’s outgoing and loves baseball. She learns how to be a good friend to him even when it means stepping out of her comfort zone or doing things for him.

On the whole, I thought this book was a really sweet story about found families. I liked the characters and the relationships between them. If you liked FLORA & ULYSSES by Kate DiCamillo, you’ll want to check out THE ELEPHANT’S GIRL.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Fisher’s grandmother is from Thailand.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Lex meets a ghost and promises to help her solve a mystery so she can move on.

Violent Content
Situation of peril and some descriptions of a tornado.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of THE ELEPHANT’S GIRL in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog.

Review: Poisoned Water by Candy J. Cooper and Marc Arsonson

Book Review and Content, Nonfiction, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , ,

Poisoned Water: How the Citizens of Flint, Michigan Fought for Their Lives and Warned the Nation
Candy J. Cooper and Marc Aronson
Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Published May 19, 2020

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About Poisoned Water: How the Citizens of Flint, Michigan Fought for Their Lives and Warned the Nation

Based on original reporting by a Pulitzer Prize finalist and an industry veteran, the first book for young adults about the Flint water crisis.

In 2014, Flint, Michigan, was a cash-strapped city that had been built up, then abandoned by General Motors. As part of a plan to save money, government officials decided that Flint would temporarily switch its water supply from Lake Huron to the Flint River. Within months, many residents broke out in rashes. Then it got worse: children stopped growing. Some people were hospitalized with mysterious illnesses; others died. Citizens of Flint protested that the water was dangerous. Despite what seemed so apparent from the murky, foul-smelling liquid pouring from the city’s faucets, officials refused to listen. They treated the people of Flint as the problem, not the water, which was actually poisoning thousands.

Through interviews with residents and intensive research into legal records and news accounts, journalist Candy J. Cooper, assisted by writer-editor Marc Aronson, reveals the true story of Flint. Poisoned Water shows not just how the crisis unfolded in 2014, but also the history of racism and segregation that led up to it, the beliefs and attitudes that fueled it, and how the people of Flint fought-and are still fighting-for clean water and healthy lives.

My Review

I didn’t know much about what happened in Flint, Michigan with the water crisis. I remembered hearing something about lead in the pipes and seeing shocking footage of a resident turning on her tap and brown, gross water coming out of it. But that was about the extent of my knowledge.

Then I read POISONED WATER. And I kept thinking, this is happening in my country. I kept waiting for some leader somewhere within the government to take a stand for the rights of the citizens. For their children. Because having access to clean drinking water is such a basic human right that until reading this book, I had taken it completely for granted.

As the residents organized and raised alarm bells and continued to report problems, I kept thinking, surely this time it will bring about some change.

I can’t help admiring the citizens who continued to speak out, kept making phone calls, persisted in reaching out to anyone who would listen. The author makes it clear that those are the real heroes in the story of Flint.

I think this is a must-read book for teens and adults. It’s really accessible and straightforward, easy to read, but in no way dumbed-down. It’s packed with personal stories, facts, timelines, and references to other resources. I highly recommend POISONED WATER.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
The author is white. The text contains many personal stories of people of color who make up the majority of the population of Flint.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used a couple times.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
References to church and religious organizations. Pastors played a significant role in organizing the citizens and protesting.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of POISONED WATER in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog.

Review: Stoneheart by Charlie Fletcher

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , ,

Stoneheart (Stoneheart Trilogy #1)
Charlie Fletcher
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published May 1, 2007

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About Stoneheart

A city has many lives and layers. London has more than most. Not all the layers are underground, and not all the lives belong to the living.

Twelve-year-old George Chapman is about to find this out the hard way. When, in a tiny act of rebellion, George breaks the head from a stone dragon outside the Natural History Museum, he awakes an ancient power. This power has been dormant for centuries but the results are instant and terrifying: A stone Pterodactyl unpeels from the wall and starts chasing George. He runs for his life but it seems that no one can see what he’s running from. No one, except Edie, who is also trapped in this strange world.

And this is just the beginning as the statues of London awake
This is a story of statues coming to life; of a struggle between those with souls and those without; of how one boy who has been emotionally abandoned manages to find hope.

My Review

I listened to this story as an audiobook read by Jim Dale, and I really, really needed this book right now. I started listening to it because I couldn’t sleep, and I think Dale’s voice is particularly soothing.

At first, I kept having to listen to the same chapters over and over because I’d fall asleep. But once I got hooked on the story, I started finding time to listen to it during the day, even if it was just for ten minutes while I folded laundry or started making dinner.

I found George to be a really sympathetic character (totally reminded me of like, every downtrodden, nerdy hero from 90s kids’ movies) and Edie even more lovable. I wish there had been more clarity about her background, but I feel like she’s such a big character in the present action in the story that I almost didn’t have time to miss the backstory details.

Also, the Gunner. I mean. Has there ever been a STATUE that made such an amazing character? I want him on my team forever. I felt like there were other more minor characters– the Clocker and Dictionary for instance– that I also thought were just great.

STONEHEART is a bit of a weird book. It definitely takes some willing-suspension-of-disbelief, but I both needed and really enjoyed the escape from reality for a bit while I read this one.

I think fans of THE STORM KEEPER’S ISLAND would enjoy the clever and unique story world of STONEHEART.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 up.

Representation
Main characters are white and from the UK.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used a couple of times.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Statues come alive. Some monsters or people live under curses. A curse can only be broken by following a certain ritual.

Violent Content
Some situations of peril and frightening images, including reference to a man trying to stab a child, a man drowning a child, a monster who intends to eat a child.

Drug Content
The children hide out at a bar that’s closed.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog.

Review: The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly by Jamie Pacton

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , ,

The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly
Jamie Pacton
Page Street Kids
Published on May 5, 2020

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About The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly

Kit Sweetly slays sexism, bad bosses, and bad luck to become a knight at a medieval-themed restaurant.

Working as a wench―i.e. waitress―at a cheesy medieval-themed restaurant in the Chicago suburbs, Kit Sweetly dreams of being a knight like her brother. She has the moves, is capable on a horse, and desperately needs the raise that comes with knighthood, so she can help her mom pay the mortgage and hold a spot at her dream college.

Company policy allows only guys to be knights. So when Kit takes her brother’s place and reveals her identity at the end of the show, she rockets into internet fame and a whole lot of trouble with the management. But the Girl Knight won’t go down without a fight. As other wenches join her quest, a protest forms. In a joust before Castle executives, they’ll prove that gender restrictions should stay medieval―if they don’t get fired first.

My Review

Oh. My. Gosh. This book! I love so many thing about THIS BOOK. I don’t even know where to start.

First off, the narrator, Kit, has this fantastic voice. She’s funny, awkward, determined and smart and I adored her from page one. Her friends and family members all stood out as distinct characters. I often get side characters mixed up, but I did not have that trouble here because they were all so memorable and different from each other.

You don’t have to read very far into the cover copy to guess that a theme of the story is feminism and gender roles. I was a little worried that that would dominate the story, but actually, I felt like it was integrated really well with the characters and other plot elements.

I also loved that Kit goes a lot broader than simply looking for female rights to work as Knight characters (a higher paying role) at her job. She quickly realizes that others– specifically her transgender and nonbinary friends– are also barred from applying for that position. So I thought it was cool that the story included a wider push for equal rights rather than falling into the sort of cliché story about a girl wanting to do something she’s been told she can’t do. It reminds us that those sorts of “men only” roles leave out more than women. I thought that was a great point and loved the inclusivity of the story in this way.

Another thing that I thought was well-balanced in the book with these elements was Kit’s relationships with her family and friends. She’s kind of an avoider, so her emotional journey involved some situations where things implode because she’s put off something important– from math homework to confrontation with a parent. She has to learn to live in balance, and I loved being on that journey with her, celebrating her victories and laughing or crying right there with her.

So, yes. If you need an uplifting story that will make you laugh and warm your heart, just go get this book right now. (Check the content notes– there’s some swearing and drinking, so know that’s there.)

I think the book is amazing, and I love it and can’t wait to read it all over again. Also I want more heroines like Kit Sweetly in my life immediately.

If you liked THIS ADVENTURE ENDS by Emma Mills or THE ONLY THING WORSE THAN ME IS YOU by Lily Anderson, then I predict you’ll enjoy THE LIFE AND (MEDIEVAL) TIMES OF KIT SWEETLY, too!

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Kit’s best friend is black. She also works with someone who is nonbinary (and uses they/them pronouns), and a transgender woman.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used with moderate frequency.

Romance/Sexual Content
Brief kissing between boy and girl. Brief/vague reference to sex.

Spiritual Content
Kit’s dad works as a musician for a large church but is himself something of a con.

Violent Content
Some descriptions of jousting as a part of a medieval show. One worker falls from a horse and is seriously injured.

Drug Content
Scenes show teens drinking alcohol. A drunk adult tries to get children into the car with him, but they refuse. Some references and brief descriptions of drug use.

Note: I received a free copy of THE LIFE AND (MEDIEVAL) TIMES OF KIT SWEETLY in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog.

Review: Music for Tigers by Michelle Kadarusman

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Clean Fiction, Contemporary, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , , , , , ,

Music for Tigers
Michelle Kadarusman
Pajama Press
Published April 28, 2020

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About Music for Tigers

Shipped halfway around the world to spend the summer with her mom’s eccentric Australian relatives, middle schooler and passionate violinist Louisa is prepared to be resentful. But life at the family’s remote camp in the Tasmanian rainforest is intriguing, to say the least. There are pig-footed bandicoots, scary spiders, weird noises and odors in the night, and a quirky boy named Colin who cooks the most amazing meals. Not the least strange is her Uncle Ruff, with his unusual pet and veiled hints about something named Convict Rock.

Finally, Louisa learns the truth: Convict Rock is a sanctuary established by her great-grandmother Eleanor—a sanctuary for Tasmanian tigers, Australia’s huge marsupials that were famously hunted into extinction almost a hundred years ago. Or so the world believes. Hidden in the rainforest at Convict Rock, one tiger remains. But now the sanctuary is threatened by a mining operation, and the last Tasmanian tiger must be lured deeper into the forest. The problem is, not since her great-grandmother has a member of the family been able to earn the shy tigers’ trust.

As the summer progresses, Louisa forges unexpected connections with Colin, with the forest, and—through Eleanor’s journal—with her great-grandmother. She begins to suspect the key to saving the tiger is her very own music. But will her plan work? Or will the enigmatic Tasmanian tiger disappear once again, this time forever?

A moving coming-of-age story wrapped up in the moss, leaves, and blue gums of the Tasmanian rainforest where, hidden under giant ferns, crouches its most beloved, and lost, creature.

My Review

I feel like this book slipped right into my TBR calendar almost as elusively as the Tasmanian tigers in the story. I’d never heard of a Tasmanian tiger or Thylacine until reading MUSIC FOR TIGERS. As I read descriptions of them– the stiff tail, dog-like face, tiger stripes– my curiosity only grew until I had to look online and get a visual for it. I found some video footage of the last Tasmanian tiger in captivity. It’s pretty wild looking!

In terms of the story, I loved Louisa from the getgo. I loved her passion for her music and felt a kinship with her over her battle with anxiety. I loved the way her relationship with her uncle developed as well as with her neighbor, Colin, who is possibly my favorite character in the whole book. I definitely identified with his mom and her heartbreak over Colin’s hurts and loneliness. She so wants him to find his people, and I absolutely feel like I get that.

The plot was not what drove the story for me. I think I kept wanting them to come up with a way to save the camp or raise awareness of the animals that destroying it endangered. But that wasn’t really the story. It was more an internal growth story about Louisa coming to understand her family and fall in love with things she didn’t expect to, which I really love, but it’s hard to make that as compelling a plot as something more concrete.

On the whole, I’m super glad I read this book and really enjoyed it. I think fans of BE LIGHT LIKE A BIRD or CHIRP will enjoy MUSIC FOR TIGERS. I know I’ll be recommending it!

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Characters are white — Canadian or Australian. One character is non-neurotypical and has ASD.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Some rumors of ghosts at Convict Rock (though Louisa doesn’t really believe the stories) and sometimes Louisa hears piano music– perhaps like her grandmother used to play.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
Louisa’s uncle spends the night in town after drinking too much at a bar after losing someone he cares about.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog. I received a free copy of MUSIC FOR TIGERS in exchange for my honest review.