Category Archives: Nonfiction

Review: Night by Elie Wiesel

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Memoir, Nonfiction, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , ,
Night by Elie Wiesel

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

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

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 most frequent translator, Marion Wiesel, corrects important details and presents the most accurate rendering in English of Elie Wiesel’s testimony to what happened in the camps and of his unforgettable message that this horror must simply never be allowed to happen again.

My Review

I first read this memoir years ago, but Wiesel’s words have stayed with me since. It’s been on my list to reread this book for a long time. This year seemed like the right time.

The author describes some horrifying things in plain language, describing a situation and reflecting on how he felt in the moment or immediately afterward. A few of the descriptions are hard to read, especially those involving children. While Wiesel doesn’t graphically describe these cruelties, his words are shocking, and we feel his own shock as he witnesses them firsthand.

This isn’t a long book. In less than 150 pages, the author briefly describes the small town where he grew up, his family, and the closing in of his world as his family and his Jewish neighbors are forced into ghettos and then deported to concentration camps in other countries. There, they face torture, starvation, and neglect. Elie Wiesel was fifteen when he entered Auschwitz.

As I read, I kept having to pause and close the book. To think. To let the echoes of the author’s words ring out over me. I wanted to resist knowing the depth of the horrors he described, yet I needed to bear witness to his account.

This is a hard book to read, and an essential one, alongside Anne Frank’s Diary of a Young Girl and Boy from Buchenwald by Robbie Waisman (who knew Elie Wiesel and was at Buchenwald with him when the camp was liberated).

If you want to know more about what happened to the teen boys who were liberated from Buchenwald, I highly recommend Robbie Waisman’s book for that as well.

International Holocaust Remembrance Day

January 27, 2026, is International Holocaust Remembrance Day. It’s meant to be a day that we honor and remember the victims of the Holocaust. Remembering what happened, understanding the route that led humanity to that dark place, is necessary not only to honor those who died but to prevent these atrocities from happening again.

We cannot prevent this from happening again without acknowledging the truth of history and carrying that torch forward.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
One homophobic comment and a few uses of the G-slur.

Romance/Sexual Content
One vague reference to child trafficking within the camp. In one scene, Eliezer sees a camp officer having intercourse with a woman. The scene is quick and not detailed.

Spiritual Content
The memoir details Wiesel’s desire as a child to study his faith deeply. During his time in Auschwitz and Buchenwald, he wrestles with anger toward God for what has happened to him and others.

Violent Content
Brief, horrifying descriptions of the murder of children, including babies. Descriptions of cruel and inhumane treatment of those imprisoned in the camps. Brief descriptions of prisoners, including a child, executed by hanging. Wiesel describes deep shame as he makes decisions based on self-preservation rather than compassion for others, including his father.

Drug Content
None.

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

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

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

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

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

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 that gender is naturally diverse, falling inside and outside of those boxes, and more expansive ideas of gender have always existed.

In the second book of the Queer History Project, The Gender Binary Is a Big Lie: Infinite Identities around the World, author Lee Wind uses historical evidence and primary sources―poetry, ancient burial sites, firsthand accounts, and news stories―to explore gender roles and identities. Gender identities and physical bodies are as diverse as the human experience. Get ready to shatter those preconceived notions of nothing but a gender binary and dive deep into expressions of gender―both past and present―that reveal the infinite variety and beauty of everyone’s gender.

My Review

Last year, I read the book Genderqueer by Maia Kobabe, and I feel like that left me with a lot to think about. So, when I saw a copy of this book available for review this year, I felt like it was great timing.

I’ve been increasingly aware of the fact that I live at a particular point in history and in a particular place. Lots of the rules and values I encounter are heavily influenced by this truth. It impacts even the way we interpret things like the Bible, and I think we don’t give enough thought to that.

At any rate. So. The Gender Binary is a Big Lie. Let’s talk about it.

The book begins with a lengthy introduction that gives readers a framework for how to talk about intersex and transgender people. This section defines terms and offers some insight into why certain words are not used anymore. It also gives a high view of some important historical discoveries that support the books core idea: that many cultures have not subscribed to a limited gender binary across history and the globe.

After the introduction, the book focuses on a few examples of cultures with well-defined outside-the-binary gender identities. I thought this was the coolest part of the book. References appear throughout the text. (The backmatter lists more than fifty pages of source material.)

The last chapter is also great information. One of the things I have had multiple conversations with people about is the existence of intersex people, so it is very helpful to have some references for myself to refer back to or to refer others to for more information.

Conclusion

While I’m sure this is not an exhaustive text, it’s a great introduction to thinking beyond our American, 21st century experience with identity and gender norms. Though the chapters are long, the text is broken down into shorter sections that make the information much easier to digest. I highly recommend this text for readers looking for more information on identities beyond the gender binary. I’m excited to read a few of the books listed in the backmatter as well.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
References to romantic relationships of real historical people. One chapter offers facts and information about intersex people (people whose genetic biology doesn’t fit a gender binary).

Spiritual Content
One chapter shows teachings from Classical Judaism. Another section offers some information about Australian First Nations traditions. A different chapter talks about Hindu beliefs and the hijra community. One chapter talks about Hawaiian and Tahitian traditions and identity.

Violent Content
Some explanation of how colonialism impacted indigenous communities and belief systems. In the chapter on intersex identities, the author explains that historically (and still sometimes currently) people are forced to have medical surgery to alter their bodies to fit a gender binary. This chapter also mentions death by suicide.

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: When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Middle Grade 8-12, Nonfiction, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , ,

When Stars Are Scattered
Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed
Dial Books
Published April 14, 2020

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About When Stars Are Scattered

A National Book Award Finalist, this remarkable graphic novel is about growing up in a refugee camp, as told by a former Somali refugee to the Newbery Honor-winning creator of Roller Girl.

Omar and his younger brother, Hassan, have spent most of their lives in Dadaab, a refugee camp in Kenya. Life is hard there: never enough food, achingly dull, and without access to the medical care Omar knows his nonverbal brother needs. So when Omar has the opportunity to go to school, he knows it might be a chance to change their future . . . but it would also mean leaving his brother, the only family member he has left, every day.

Heartbreak, hope, and gentle humor exist together in this graphic novel about a childhood spent waiting, and a young man who is able to create a sense of family and home in the most difficult of settings. It’s an intimate, important, unforgettable look at the day-to-day life of a refugee, as told to New York Times Bestselling author/artist Victoria Jamieson by Omar Mohamed, the Somali man who lived the story.

My Review

After reading this graphic novel, I’m completely unsurprised that this book was a finalist for the National Book Award. What an incredible story. It’s definitely one of those books that is more than the sum of its parts, too. While the storytelling follows Omar’s experience from his childhood living in a refugee camp in Kenya to his adulthood, the relationships in the book shine like its true stars.

Omar takes care of his brother Hassan, who is mostly nonverbal and has seizures. As Omar attends school, he worries about Hassan being on his own. He realizes, though, that Hassan has a whole community of people who know and love him. And he helps everyone around him, as well.

At school, Omar makes friends with Maryam and Nimo, two girls who study hard, hoping to one day earn a scholarship that would take them to college in Canada. His best friend, Jeri, keeps Omar grounded when his emotions get the best of him.

Omar’s life experiences are so different than a lot of kids face. An up-close account showing what it’s like to live day after day with so little and no promise that life will ever change helps readers develop empathy and understanding for refugees who might join their classrooms.

The backmatter shows some photos of Omar and Hassan as well as a continuation of Omar’s life story.

I’m a huge fan of When Stars Are Scattered, and I hope to share it with lots of young readers.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 to 14.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Reference to marriage. One of Omar’s friends, a girl who is around fifteen years old, marries an older man.

Spiritual Content
References to morning prayer, studing the Quran, and celebrating holidays like Ramadan and Eid.

Violent Content
Omar revisits his life in Somalia in fragmented memories (he fled when he was around three years old). One panel shows that Omar heard shots fired after soldiers approached his dad. The text doesn’t specify what he saw, but we understand that he witnessed his dad’s death, and that remembering it was deeply upsetting to him. One line references a suicide (not shown on scene). References to domestic abuse.

People in the camp call Omar’s friend Jeri “Limpy” to make fun of him for his disability. Omar and Jeri talk specifically about this and how it’s wrong and bothers Jeri. Omar sticks up for his friend.

Drug Content
One character’s dad sits with other men chewing Khat leaves, which act like a stimulant.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I purchased a copy of this book from Scholastic Book Fairs. All opinions are my own.

Review: Two Tribes by Emily Bowen Cohen

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

Two Tribes
Emily Bowen Cohen
Heartdrum
Published August 15, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Two Tribes

In her poignant debut graphic novel inspired by her own life, Emily Bowen Cohen embraces the complexity, meaning, and deep love that comes from being part of two vibrant tribes. Mia is still getting used to living with her mom and stepfather, and to the new role their Jewish identity plays in their home. Feeling out of place at home and at her Jewish day school, Mia finds herself thinking more and more about her Muscogee father, who lives with his new family in Oklahoma. Her mother doesn’t want to talk about him, but Mia can’t help but feel like she’s missing a part of herself without him in her life.

Soon, Mia makes a plan to use the gifts from her bat mitzvah to take a bus to Oklahoma—without telling her mom—to visit her dad and find the connection to her Muscogee side she knows is just as important as her Jewish side. This graphic novel by Muscogee-Jewish writer and artist Emily Bowen Cohen is perfect for fans of American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang. It is published by Heartdrum, an imprint that centers stories about contemporary Indigenous young people.

My Review

This is one of those books where I have to separate my feelings as a divorced parent from my thoughts about a kid reading this book. It was so easy to identify with Mia’s mom’s struggle with her relationship with her dad. Kids have a right to have relationship with both parents, but it can be really tricky to figure out how to do that safely. And to figure out the difference between safe for your kid and comfortable for you as the other parent. (Because there can be a huge difference.)

Mia’s mom definitely doesn’t do everything right (which she acknowledges). Her dad also has some mistakes to own up for. I liked how both parents are portrayed as imperfect and still learning. That’s pretty real, too.

Mia’s experiences also resonate as realistic. Her hunger to know both parts of her family history is palpable. As she’s able to fill in some of the gaps in her history and culture, she blossoms. It bolsters her confidence. I love that we can see the impact of both cultures on her life.

This book has been on my reading list for a while, but it wasn’t until I spotted it on the shelf at the library that I realized it was a graphic novel. I love seeing a story about Jewish and Muscogee heritage in graphic novel format. If you enjoy stories about family connections and culture, definitely pick this one up.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Mentions of Jewish holidays and traditions. Mia attends a powwow with her family. Mentions of Muscogee traditions and spiritual practices and beliefs. Mia’s cousin shares a Muscogee creation story with her. Mia studies Torah with the rabbi, learning about Jonah. Mia’s dad attends church.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I borrowed a copy of this book from my local public library. All opinions are my own.

Review: Dead Ends!: Flukes, Flops & Failures That Sparked Medical Marvels by Lindsey Fitzharris and Adrian Teal

Book Review and Content, Middle Grade 8-12, Nonfiction, , , , ,

Dead Ends!: Flukes, Flops & Failures That Sparked Medical Marvels
Lindsey Fitzharris
Illustrated by Adrian Teal
Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Published October 14, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Dead Ends!: Flukes, Flops & Failures That Sparked Medical Marvels

From New York Times bestselling author Lindsey Fitzharris, a riveting middle grade nonfiction book about medicine’s most fascinating failures and dead ends.

Beheadings! Bloodletting! Bodysnatching!Journey down a snaking road bristling with medicine’s most astonishing “dead ends.” Marvel at the diagnoses, experiments, and treatments that were frequently useless, and often harmful, but that sometimes led doctors to discoveries that changed the world for the better.

Enjoy a whirlwind tour of the human body-from brain, to heart, to limbs-during which New York Times bestselling author Lindsey Fitzharris and caricaturist Adrian Teal will guide you through centuries of medical mistakes, festooned with riveting facts, pitch-perfect humor, and vivid illustrations. Celebrate the flukes, flops, and failures that have given science a better understanding of our bodies and ways to treat them.

This fascinating book of foul-ups is sure to delight young readers, and inspire them to embrace their failures, too!

My Review

Squeamish readers will probably find this book gives too much information about icky medical mishaps, but those with a stronger stomach will find these facts fascinating. The book is broken up into sections containing stories about a particular body part or system, such as heart, lungs, etc. Each section is filled with wild stories about experiments that went wrong or accidents that led to new discoveries that ultimately paved the way for breakthroughs.

Readers might be familiar with some of the medical blunders, such as the practice of bleeding a patient to balance their humors. Others will probably be totally unknown, like early experiments in organ transplants.

The writing is energetic and fun, making this an easy read. It’s easy to see the author’s passion for these topics, and her enthusiasm is contagious. Give this to readers interested in medical history or with a passion for weird and wacky nonfiction.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 to 12.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Reference to medical experimentation without consent, especially on remains of executed criminals. Very brief, graphic descriptions of medical procedures, experiments or accidents.

Drug Content
List.

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: My Life: Growing Up Native in America edited by IllumiNative

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

My Life: Growing Up Native in America
IllumiNative
MTV Books
Published October 1, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About My Life: Growing Up Native in America

A moving collection of twenty powerful essays, poems, and more that capture and celebrate the modern Native American experience, featuring entries by Angeline Boulley, Madison Hammond, Kara Roselle Smith, and many more.

With heart, pathos, humor, and insight, 20 renowned writers, performers, athletes, and activists explore what it means to be Native American today. Through a series of essays and poems, these luminaries give voice to their individual experiences while shedding light on the depth and complexity of modern Native American identity, resiliency, and joy.

The topics are as fascinating and diverse as the creators. From Mato Wayuhi, award-winning composer of Reservation Dogs, honoring a friend who believed in his talent to New York Times bestselling author Angeline Boulley exploring what it means to feel Native enough, these entries are not only an exploration of community, they are also a call for a more just and equitable world, and a road map toward a brighter future.

Edited by IllumiNative, an organization dedicated to amplifying contemporary Native voices, My Life: Growing Up Native in America features contributions from Angeline Boulley, Philip J. Deloria, Eric Gansworth, Kimberly Guerrero, Somah Haaland, Madison Hammond, Nasugraq Rainey Hopson, Trudie Jackson, Princess Daazhraii Johnson, Lady Shug, Ahsaki Baa LaFrance-Chachere, Taietsaró Leclaire, Cece Meadows, Sherri Mitchell, Charlie Amaya Scott, Kara Roselle Smith, Vera Starbard, Dash Turner, Crystal Wahpepah, and Mato Wayuhi.

My Review

This collection features everything from narrative essays recounting deeply formative experiences to poetry to advice for young readers on finding success and happiness. Some explore one’s relationship with oneself. Others unpack their experiences, examining internalized racism and prejudice directed at them.

Each piece differs in style, but the common theme running through them all is a love for Indigenous communities and hope and optimism about the future. The authors come from different tribes and geographical areas, and some share a snippet or two of history. This really highlights the differences in experiences that someone from one tribe may have from another, and yet simultaneously draws attention to the values and beliefs that run true across tribal lines.

I listened to this collection as an audiobook, and I really enjoyed it. I went back and reread some of the entries via the ebook version so that I could sit with the ideas a little more deeply in a few of the entries, especially the poetry.

While the intended audience of this book is young Indigenous readers, I would recommend that anyone read it. How often do we get a chance to listen to so many different Indigenous perspectives in one place? It’s a quick read and definitely worth checking out.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Very few instances of profanity.

Romance/Sexual Content
References to a romantic relationship.

Spiritual Content
References to offerings and traditions, beliefs, and rituals.

Violent Content
References to racism and indian residential schools. One essay explores an instance in which someone was bullied for their appearance. One essay briefly mentions that the author attempted suicide at one point in life.

Drug Content
References to alcohol use.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I borrowed a copy of this book from the public library. All opinions are my own.