Category Archives: Blogger’s Favorites

Review: Why on Earth: An Alien Invasion Anthology by Vania Stoyanova and Rosiee Thor

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Sci-Fi, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , ,
Why On Earth: An Alien Invasion Anthology by Vania Stoyanova and Rosiee Thor

Why on Earth: An Alien Invasion Anthology
Edited by Vania Stoyanova and Rosiee Thor
Page Street YA
Published February 4, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Why on Earth: An Alien Invasion Anthology

With stories from NYT bestselling and debut authors, Why on Earth uses an accidental alien invasion to explore love and identity.

What starts as a simple rescue mission for a crew of teen aliens to recover one of their own soon becomes an interstellar encounter no one will forget.

Captain Iona is organizing an impromptu retrieval for her brother, an undercover alien posing as a movie star. But her efforts go awry when a technical malfunction turns her heroic rescue into an unintentional invasion. With tales of disguised extraterrestrials stuck in theme parks, starship engineers hitchhiking to get home, and myth-inspired intergalactic sibling reunions, each story in this multi-author anthology explores the universal desire to be loved and understood, no matter where you come from. After all…aliens are just like us.

“This anthology twinkles with an adventurous spirit, quirky personalities, hope, and a sense of belonging. Stellar.”
―Kirkus Reviews

“Out of this world!”
―Scott Reintgen, New York Times bestselling author of A Door in the Dark

“Epic fun exploring themes of acceptance and the desire to connect, regardless of species, Why on Earth is an absolute blast!”
―Alechia Dow, author of The Sound of Stars

“A delightful collection of offbeat, otherworldly stories filled with heartwarming moments and loads of entertaining, imaginative writing.”
―Kimberly Jones, New York Times bestselling author of I’m Not Dying with You Tonight

“An all-star lineup of brilliant authors with stories that make you laugh, feel, and cheer.”
―Danielle Paige, New York Times bestselling author of Wish of the Wicked

“Whether it’s a story to build the world we’re beaming into, misguided crushes in the middle of an alien invasion, or the most charmingly awkward teen alien this side of the Milky Way, there will be plenty for readers to enjoy in this anthology!”
―Preeti Chhibber, author of Payal Mehta’s Romance Revenge Plot

My Review

This might be the most fun anthology that I’ve read to this point. I loved how the individual stories connected together. Each one, as the cover copy infers, explores love and identity. Some follow romantic relationships or hopes, while others explore a character’s dreams and what makes them feel they belong.

The opening story tells about an alien captain and her crew on a rescue mission to earth to retrieve a family member the captain fears is being held captive. Each story that follows connects to the stories that came before it in some way. Some of them include the same characters. Others witness the alien ship crash or lift off.

I enjoyed every single story. The individual stories feature an inclusive cast of characters. The authors captured a sense of humanity, wonder, and what it means to be alive and connected to others. This is a great anthology for this moment in time. It’s filled with hope and humor. Definitely worth a read!

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
A few stories have some limited profanity. I think a couple have the F-bomb.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two characters. The alien characters refer to this human experience as “a meeting of the lips,” which I found absolutely charming.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. People react to the news of the alien ship crashlanding on earth by worrying that an invasion is imminent. Some panic. Police and other officials yell and try to clear the street to enforce a shelter-in-place order.

A few stories contain brief homophobic or transphobic comments. Some characters are misgendered or rejected for their identities. One character has been kicked out of their home because they came out to their family.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: Mixed-Up by Kami Garcia and Brittney Williams

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Graphic Novel or Adaptation, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , ,

Mixed-Up
Kami Garcia
Illustrated by Brittney Williams
Lettering by Comicraft’s Tyler Smith
First Second
Published January 21, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Mixed-Up

New York Times bestselling author Kami Garcia has returned with a middle grade graphic novel about the struggles of a game-loving girl who gets diagnosed with dyslexia and her loving support network that help her along in the journey.

When reading isn’t as easy as ABC…

Stella knows fifth grade will be the best year ever. Her closest friends, Emiko and Latasha, are in her class and they all got the teacher they wanted. Then their favorite television show, Witchlins, announces a new guidebook and an online game!

But when the classwork starts piling up, Stella struggles to stay on top. Why does it take her so long to read? And how can she keep up with friends in the Witchlins game if she can’t get through the text-heavy guidebook?] And when she can’t deal with the text-heavy Witchlins guidebook, she can’t keep up with her friends in the game. It takes loving teachers and her family to recognize that Stella has a learning difference, and after a dyslexia diagnosis she gets the support and tools she needs to succeed.

Bestselling author Kami Garcia was inspired to write this special book by her daughter’s dyslexia journey; her own neurodivergent experience; and the many students she taught over the years. Mixed-Up shows that our differences don’t need to separate us.

My Review

I love the way this book shows Stella’s struggles with reading. I do not have dyslexia and have limited familiarity (some loved ones are dyslexic) with the diagnosis, but the pages show Stella’s experience clearly. The panels make it easy to understand what’s happening and why.

Several adults offer Stella support as they talk with her about the differences in how her brain processes letters on a page. Stella learns new skills, and we see the change in her confidence and carriage as she begins reading more quickly and with better comprehension.

This book made me want to see that kids like Stella get the support they need and that the adults in their lives learn about neurodivergence.

Besides being a compelling story about dyslexia and growing as a reader, Mixed-Up also tells a sweet story about friendship and fandom. Stella and her best friends are excited about a new online game that’s based on a TV show they watch together. When competing in the game requires a lot of reading, Stella gets discouraged and withdraws from her friends. Her friends feel rejected and confused about the withdrawal, and a conflict brews.

All the pieces of the book come together to celebrate neurodiversity, friendship, and the many different forms of reading so beautifully. I highly recommend this book. The backmatter has a great list of resources for people interested in learning more about dyslexia.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Stella and her friends follow a popular show called Witchlins in which the characters have magic powers.

Violent Content
One scene shows a story Stella is writing and characters in peril. The scene is quickly resolved.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: The Betrayal of Anne Frank by Rosemary Sullivan

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

The Betrayal of Anne Frank: A Cold Case Investigation
Rosemary Sullivan
Harper Perennial
Published January 17, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Betrayal of Anne Frank

Using new technology, recently discovered documents and sophisticated investigative techniques, an international team—led by an obsessed former FBI agent—has finally solved the mystery that has haunted generations since World War II: Who betrayed Anne Frank and her family? And why?

More than thirty million people have read The Diary of a Young Girl, the journal teen-aged Anne Frank kept while living in an attic with her family in Amsterdam during World War II, until the Nazis arrested them and sent Anne to her death in a concentration camp. But despite the many works—journalism, books, plays and novels—devoted to Anne’s story, none has ever conclusively explained how the Franks and four other people managed to live in hiding undetected for over two years—and who or what finally brought the Nazis to their door.

With painstaking care, former FBI agent Vincent Pankoke and a team of indefatigable investigators pored over tens of thousands of pages of documents—some never-before-seen—and interviewed scores of descendants of people involved, both Nazi sympathizers and resisters, familiar with the Franks. Utilizing methods developed by the FBI, the Cold Case Team painstakingly pieced together the months leading to the  Franks’ arrest—and came to a shocking conclusion. 

The Betrayal of Anne Frank is their riveting story. Rosemary Sullivan introduces us to the investigators, explains the behavior of both the captives and their captors and profiles a group of suspects. All the while, she vividly brings to life wartime Amsterdam: a place where no matter how wealthy, educated, or careful you were, you never knew whom you could trust. 

International Holocaust Remembrance Day

Today, January 27, is International Holocaust Remembrance Day. While it’s important to listen and learn about the Holocaust and the events that led to those horrors throughout the year, this is a day we designate to specifically pause and remember.

My Review of The Betrayal of Anne Frank: A Cold Case Investigation

This incredible book blew me away. Initially, I listened to the audiobook, but I needed to read passages in the ebook version alongside the audio version because there was so much compelling information presented. I sometimes read ahead in the ebook and then listened to the audiobook, too. I found having both helped me grasp the content.

Sullivan does a great job laying out the cold case investigation with orderliness and precision. She also orients readers to the importance of the quest by offering context about the Netherlands in the 1930s and 1940s as well as information about the Frank family and Otto Frank’s life after the war.

Some of the things the author describes are genuinely heartbreaking. The one that hit me the hardest was the description of how Anne Frank’s diary comes into her father’s possession. Another thing that struck me was the way that the people hiding the eight people in the annex lived during the war and the constant danger they risked.

If you enjoy nonfiction about World War II or cold case stories, I can’t recommend this one enough.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Very brief mention of Anne’s relationship with Peter van Pels. One of the possible betrayers was a woman known to have romantic relationships with Nazi officers.

Spiritual Content
References to Judaism.

Violent Content
References to deaths caused by World War II and concentration camps. References to antisemitism, racism, and xenophobia.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. All opinions are my own.

Review: After Life by Gayle Forman

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

After Life
Gayle Forman
Quill Tree Books
Published January 7, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About After Life

“After Life is a masterful tale about a family coping with loss, showing the way grief affects us and people we don’t even know in ways we don’t see. Once I met Amber and her family, I didn’t want to let them go.” -—Brigid Kemmerer, New York Times bestselling author of Carving Shadows into Stone

“Forman is a master at making her readers fall in love—with a girl whose life is over, with a community of people in a small town who are barely surviving her loss, and with the incredible, surprising way everyone’s stories knit together into a heartbreaking and hopeful whole.” —E. Lockhart, author of We Were Liars and Genuine Fraud

One spring afternoon after school, Amber arrives home on her bike. It’s just another perfectly normal day. But when Amber’s mom sees her, she screams.

Because Amber died seven years ago, hit by a car while on the very same bicycle she’s inexplicably riding now.

This return doesn’t only impact Amber. Her sister, Melissa, now seven years older, must be a new kind of sibling to Amber. Amber’s estranged parents are battling over her. And the changes ripple farther and farther Amber’s friends, boyfriend, and even people she met only once have been deeply affected by her life and death. In the midst of everyone’s turmoil, Amber is struggling with herself. What kind of person was she? How and why was she given this second chance?

This magnificent tour de force by acclaimed author Gayle Forman brilliantly explores the porous veil between life and death, examines the impact that one person can have on the world, and celebrates life in all its beautiful complexity.

My Review

The first novel by Gayle Forman I ever read was If I Stay. (Which, apparently, I never reviewed! Hmm.) My first thought about After Life was that it has a similar ethereal vibe to If I Stay.

In After Life, Amber returns, but there’s a veil between her and her past life, seven years ago. Some things about her life are fresh in her mind and still feel present to her, but to everyone else, she’s been gone seven years. Her return isn’t just miraculous; it’s jarring.

The story jumps around a lot from past to present and different perspectives. I kept everything straight easily, maybe because the chapters were so short. Maybe because the characters are all so different from one another. The story felt pretty straightforward like everything contributed to a whole.

Only one scene struck me as super weird. In it, the romance escalates quickly and suddenly halts. I thought that considering the history of the characters, it seemed strange that the scene played out that way. I just didn’t find it believable, especially as I continued reading.

The rest of the book had some hard-hitting emotional scenes. The town where Amber’s family lives has an It’s a Wonderful Life feel. Threads connect characters in sometimes surprising ways. One character’s actions have a ripple effect, impacting other people in the story. The way the narrative jumps around allows readers to focus on those threads and see how the characters are connected.

At the core of the story is a relationship between two sisters. Melissa and Amber had a complicated relationship before Amber’s death. Amber wants to make up for lost time and for the harm she has caused. The tenderness and acceptance between those two is my favorite part of the story.

The book also explores our different responses to grief. Forman wrote an insightful afterward that explains why she wrote the story and her thoughts on how we grieve. I loved the book before I read her note, but I loved it even more after reading it.

Conclusion

All in all, this is a good one, especially if you like books that break convention to explore a spiritual or relational idea. It’s also less than 300 pages, so a pretty quick read. I highly recommend it.

The cast of the story is pretty inclusive. It includes a person with severe allergies, several queer people, and people of color.

Content Notes for After Life

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Some profanity used.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing. References to sex and cheating on a partner. Some scenes describe nudity and, briefly, sex.

Spiritual Content
References to Christian faith and atheism. (One of Amber’s parents was an atheist before her death and appears to have a change of heart when she reappears. Her other parent kept faith as a core part of life, which Amber’s death appears to have challenged.) The family (minus Amber) attends church (off-scene) and speaks to their pastor about miracles.

Violent Content
A boy grabs a girl by the shoulders and shakes her. A man punches someone (several scenes reference this). References to an accident in which a car struck a girl on a bike, killing her. Her injuries are briefly described.

Drug Content
More than one character (adults) drinks too much alcohol or appears to be an alcoholic. A teen drinks alcohol. References to drug use or selling/buying drugs.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: A Dangerous Idea: The Scopes Trial, the Original Fight Over Science in Schools by Debbie Levy

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

A Dangerous Idea: The Scopes Trial, the Original Fight Over Science in Schools
Debbie Levy
Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Published January 14, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About A Dangerous Idea: The Scopes Trial, the Original Fight Over Science in Schools

One hundred years ago, a small-town science teacher ignited a nationwide debate over what students should learn in school–and who should decide.

  • “Compelling.” –School Library Journal, starred review
  • “Timely.” –Booklist, starred review
  • “Insightful.” –Horn Book, starred review

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

In 1925, when Tennessee lawmakers banned the teaching of evolution in public schools, teacher John Scopes challenged the law–and set off a gripping circus of a legal battle. Two masterminds faced off in a blistering courtroom debate over creationism and natural selection, each armed with the books they believed belonged in classrooms. Celebrity politician William Jennings Bryan relied on the Bible to make his case, while legal luminary Clarence Darrow defended Charles Darwin’s groundbreaking books On the Origin of Species and The Descent of Man. Their clash would go down in history as the Scopes Monkey Trial.

A century later, here is the riveting truth of what happened and why it matters. For a nation still arguing about the books and ideas that young people should encounter, award-winning author Debbie Levy delivers an important, insightful and expertly-researched account of our history that illuminates the challenges we face today.

  • “Compelling.” –School Library Journal, starred review
  • “Timely.” –Booklist, starred review
  • “Insightful.” –Horn Book, starred review

My Review

I’m not sure there’s any way to read this book and not see parallels to some of the challenges we’re still facing culturally and in our education system today. Many of these parallels were probably in the author’s mind as she wrote this book. Between the wild increase in book bans and challenges to the culture war over faith and science, I couldn’t help seeing earlier versions of some of those conflicts in A Dangerous Idea.

The book begins with a biographical sketch of each of the major players in the trial. Readers are introduced to John Scopes, a teacher in a small Tennessee town. Then, they meet William Jennings Bryan and Clarence Darrow. Levy gives background information on Bryan and Darrow, so that when she shifts to describing the trial, readers can understand their behavior. They’re familiar with the personal beliefs of each man and the long-standing rivalry between them.

It’s kind of wild to think that this trial happened one hundred years ago this year. In some ways, our understanding of evolution has advanced. I can’t remember the last time I heard someone incorrectly gripe that it meant humans descended from monkeys. On the other hand, last year, a popular conservative commentator called science a cult. So, obviously, there’s still a lot of tension out there.

Readers looking to understand the Scopes Trial will find a comprehensive explanation in A Dangerous Idea. It may help add context to some current conflicts as science confirms and explores new ideas, and some resist updating their ideas.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used a few times in quotations from historical figures.

Romance/Sexual Content
References to marriages of historical figures.

Spiritual Content
References to William Jennings Bryan’s personal spiritual beliefs throughout his life. References to the beliefs of other people at the time concerning whether the Bible should be interpreted literally. The text also explores cultural thoughts and beliefs about whether and when faith and science intersect.

Violent Content
References to the fact that many people rejected Darwin’s research on evolution because it didn’t support their racist ideas. References to white supremacy. The author also quotes from a commonly used science textbook of the time, which states that the poor and unwell should not be allowed to have children. Levy points out that though the textbook received a lot of criticism for its reference to evolution, these ugly, wrong ideas were not mentioned as problematic.

Drug Content
References to the 18th Amendment, which prohibited the sale of alcohol.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: Horse Trouble by Kristin Varner

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Graphic Novel or Adaptation, Middle Grade 8-12

Horse Trouble
Kristin Varner
First Second
Published October 26, 2021

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Horse Trouble

An American Library Association 2021 Best Graphic Novel for Children

Twelve-year-old Kate is laser-focused on her one true horseback riding. But try as she might, she can’t hide from life’s problems in the stable.

There’s nothing Kate loves more than being around horses. But her best friend is allergic to them, so Kate has to take riding lessons without her. Kate’s forced to navigate some of life’s hardships―like the mean girls at the stable who tease her and her body insecurities―all on her own. To make matters worse, Kate is continually falling off her horse. To Kate, her tween years feel like one unfair punishment after another. Can she get over it all…and get back on her horse?

Horse Trouble, the debut graphic novel from children’s book artist Kristin Varner, is an oh-so-relatable graphic novel with humor and heart.

My Review

After reading Dog Trouble, I immediately looked online to see if Kristin Varner had other books, and I was overjoyed to learn she does! Yay! One of the things I really enjoyed about Dog Trouble is the chapter openers that would introduce a specific dog or breed of dog and tell some things about it. There are also sidebars throughout the story in which the author would define terms specific to the story, which helped make the book more accessible to readers who don’t have experience in the story’s main activity.

Varner does something similar in Horse Trouble, though it’s slightly less well-developed than the other book. (Which makes sense, since she wrote this one first.) I love the idea and the fact that I could read a book about competitive horseback riding and follow the story easily, learning terminology along the way.

I loved Kate as a narrator and main character. She’s such a great kid and takes such good care of the horses she’s responsible for. I enjoyed this one a whole lot, and I will absolutely read more work by Kristin Varner.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Kate is a plus-sized girl.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
No profanity. Kate endures some mean comments about her body.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Others say mean comments about Kate’s weight.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. All opinions are my own.