Category Archives: Nonfiction

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

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

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

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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 … Continue reading →

Review: Let’s Talk About It by Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan

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Let's Talk About It by Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan

Let’s Talk About It: The Teen’s Guide to Sex, Relationships, and Being a Human
Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan
Random House Graphic
Published March 9, 2021

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About Let’s Talk About It

An inclusive, accessible and honest graphic novel guide to growing up, from gender and sexuality to consent and safe sex. Perfect for any teen starting to ask…Is what I’m feeling normal? Is what my body is doing normal? Am I normal? How do I know what are the right choices to make? How do I fix it when I make a mistake?

Let’s talk about … Continue reading →

Review: King: A Life by Jonathan Eig with Yohuru Williams and Michael G. Long

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King: A Life by Jonathan Eig

King: A Life (The Pulitzer Prize-winning Bestseller, Adapted for Young Adults)
Jonathan Eig
with Yohuru Williams and Michael G. Long
Farrar, Straus, & Giroux
Published January 7, 2024

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About King: A Life (The Pulitzer Prize-winning Bestseller, Adapted for Young Adults)

Hailed as “the most compelling account of [Martin Luther] King’s life in a generation” by the Washington Post, the Pulitzer Prize–winning bestseller is now adapted for young adults in this new standard biography of the most famous civil rights activist in American History.

Often regarded as more of a myth and legend than man, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King … Continue reading →

Review: Boy vs. Shark by Paul Gilligan

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Boy vs. Shark by Paul Gilligan

Boy vs. Shark
Paul Gilligan
Tundra Books
Published October 15, 2024

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About Boy vs. Shark

A hilarious middle-grade graphic memoir about boyhood, toxic masculinity and a shark named Jaws. For fans of Guts and New Kid.

In the summer of 1975, 10-year-old Paul Gilligan doesn’t have a whole lot to worry about other than keeping his comic books untarnished, getting tennis balls off roofs and keeping up with the increasingly bold stunts of his best friend, David.

And then Jaws comes to town.

Suddenly everyone is obsessing over this movie about a shark ripping people to pieces. And if you haven’t seen it, not only … Continue reading →

Review: Why We Read by Shannon Reed

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Why We Read by Shannon Reed

Why We Read: On Bookworms, Libraries, and Just One More Page Before Lights Out
Shannon Reed
Hanover Square Press
Published February 6, 2024

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About Why We Read

A hilarious and incisive exploration of the joys of reading from a teacher, bibliophile and Thurber Prize finalist.

We read to escape, to learn, to find love, to feel seen. We read to encounter new worlds, to discover new recipes, to find connection across difference, or simply to pass a rainy afternoon. No matter the reason, books have the power to keep us safe, to challenge us, and perhaps most importantly, to make … Continue reading →

Review: Cherished Belonging by Gregory Boyle

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Cherished Belonging by Gregory Boyle

Cherished Belonging: The Healing Power of Love in Divided Times
Gregory Boyle
Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster
Published November 5, 2024

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About Cherished Belonging

At a time when society is more fractured than ever before, beloved Jesuit priest Gregory Boyle invites us to see the world through a new lens of connection and build the loving community that we long to live in—a perfect message for readers of Anne Lamott, Mary Oliver, and Richard Rohr. 

Over the past thirty years, Father Gregory Boyle has transformed thousands of lives through his work as the founder of Homeboy Industries, the largest … Continue reading →