Review: Chernobyl, Life, and Other Disasters by Yevgenia Nayberg

Chernobyl, Life and Other Disasters by Yevgenia Nayberg

Chernobyl, Life, and Other Disasters
Yevgenia Nayberg
Holiday House
Published April 14, 2026

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About Chernobyl, Life, and Other Disasters

Strong-willed Genya sets her mind to attending art school in 1980s Ukraine, amidst the turmoil of Soviet control, the Cold War, and the unfolding Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

Genya—the nickname of the book’s author and story’s protagonist, Yevgenia—knows from age five that she wants to be an artist. When she turns eleven, she’ll apply to the same prestigious art school that her mother attended. But making the cut won’t be easy, especially with the school’s open-secret rule that no more than 1% of the student body can be Jewish.

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Review: El Deafo by CeCe Bell

El Deafo by Cece Bell

El Deafo
Cece Bell
Amulet Books
Published September 2, 2014

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About El Deafo

Starting at a new school is scary, even more so with a giant hearing aid strapped to your chest! At her old school, everyone in Cece’s class was deaf. Here she is different. She is sure the kids are staring at the Phonic Ear, the powerful aid that will help her hear her teacher. Too bad it also seems certain to repel potential friends.

Then Cece makes a startling discovery. With the Phonic Ear she can hear her teacher not just in the classroom, but … Continue reading

Review: Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World by Pénélope Bagieu

Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World by Pénélope Bagieu

Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World
Pénélope Bagieu
First Second
Published March 6, 2018

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About Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World

2019 Eisner Award Winner for Best U.S. Edition of International Material

Throughout history and across the globe, one characteristic connects the daring women of Brazen: their indomitable spirit.

With her characteristic wit and dazzling drawings, celebrated graphic novelist Pénélope Bagieu profiles the lives of these feisty female role models, some world famous, some little known. From Nellie Bly to Mae Jemison or Josephine Baker to Naziq al-Abid, the stories … Continue reading

Review: A Better World is Possible by Meera Subramanian

A Better World is Possible by Meera Subramanian

A Better World is Possible
Meera Subramanian
First Second
Published March 3, 2026

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About A Better World is Possible

“Helpful and hopeful.” —John Green, #1 New York Times–bestselling author of The Fault in Our Stars

A Better World Is Possible is a comprehensive and graphic novel guide on climate change and what you can do about it.

As climate change quickens—bringing with it extreme weather, biodiversity loss, and humanitarian crises—four teens help organize the world’s largest climate protest. Hundreds of thousands join them, taking to the streets of New York City and demanding answers. How did climate change get this bad? Who’s to blame? And most What can we do … Continue reading

Review: Night by Elie Wiesel

Night by Elie Wiesel

Night (Night Trilogy #1)
Elie Wiesel
Translated by Marion Wiesel
Hill and Wang
Published January 16, 2006 (Orig. 1956)

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About Night

Born in the town of Sighet, Transylvania, Elie Wiesel was a teenager when he and his family were taken from their home in 1944 to Auschwitz concentration camp, and then to Buchenwald. 

Night is the terrifying record of Elie Wiesel’s memories of the death of his family, the death of his own innocence, and his despair as a deeply observant Jew confronting the absolute evil of man.

This new translation by his wife and … Continue reading

Review: The Gender Binary is a Big Lie by Lee Wind

The Gender Binary is a Big Lie: Infinite Identities Around the World by Lee Wind

The Gender Binary is a Big Lie: Infinite Identities Around the World (Queer History Project)
Lee Bind
Zest Books
Published August 6, 2024

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About The Gender Binary is a Big Lie: Infinite Identities Around the World

What if you discovered that the whole concept of a gender binary is an illusion?

While many people identify as men or women, that is not all there is. The idea that all humans fall into one of two gender categories is largely a construct created by those who benefit from that belief. The reality is … Continue reading