Category Archives: Book Review and Content

Review: Black Heroes of the Wild West by James Otis Smith

Biography, Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Graphic Novel or Adaptation, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , ,
Black Heroes of the Wild West by James Otis Smith

Black Heroes of the Wild West: Featuring Stagecoach Mary, Bass Reeves, and Bob Lemmons
James Otis Smith
TOON Books
September 15, 2020

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Black Heroes of the Wild West

True stories from the Wild West, but not like you’ve seen in the movies.

This graphic novel by James Otis Smith celebrates the extraordinary true tales of three black heroes who took control of their destinies and stood up for their communities in the Old West. Born into slavery in Tennessee, Mary Fields became famous as “Stagecoach Mary,” a cigar-chomping, cardplaying coach driver who never missed a delivery. Bass Reeves, the first black Deputy US Marshal west of the Mississippi, was one of the wiliest lawmen in the territories, bringing thousands of outlaws to justice with his smarts. Bob Lemmons lived to be 99 years old and was so good with horses that the wild mustangs on the plains of Texas took him for one of their own.

My Review

I stumbled onto this book while looking for resources for Black History Month. Once I started reading, I couldn’t stop. This book is packed with great information and engaging stories about historical figures in the American West.

The book opens with an introduction from the award-winning Kadir Nelson, who explains the book’s purpose and offers additional context for the work itself. Three biographies presented in graphic novel format follow the introduction. Through these engaging biographies, readers meet Mary Fields, Bass, Reeves, and Bob Lemmons.

Maybe I’d heard of Mary Fields, or “Stagecoach Mary,” as she came to be known, before reading the book. I definitely had not heard of the two men featured in the text. I love how the panels not only give facts about the lives of these incredible people but also reveal their character.

After the graphic novel panels relating those three biographies, there are a few pages of text and photographs that tell more abbreviated information about other Black heroes of the American West. The text also offers a more comprehensive view of what was happening at the time. There’s also a timeline that puts everything into perspective.

Conclusion

This book is as informative as it is engaging. A great pick for anyone interested in learning more about the history of the American West or about Black history.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Stagecoach Mary cared for and worked with nuns for years in Montana.

Violent Content
Vague references to gunfights and outlaws. Nothing graphically shown or described.

Drug Content
References to adults drinking alcohol and smoking cigars.

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: A Traitorous Heart by Erin Cotter

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

A Traitorous Heart
Erin Cotter
Simon & Schuster
Published January 7, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About A Traitorous Heart

A noblewoman in the scandalous French court finds herself under the dangerous and watchful eye of the Parisian royalty when she falls in love with the handsome king who is betrothed to her former lover in this bisexual The Three Musketeers by way of Bridgerton and F.T. Lukens.

Paris, 1572. Seventeen-year-old Jacqueline “Jac” d’Argenson-Aunis is lady-in-waiting to her best friend and former lover, the French Princess Marguerite “Margot” de Valois, but she dreams of more. If Jac plays her cards right, one day, she’ll become a full member of the Societas Solis, a secret society of spies—just like her uncle and guardian, Viscount Gabriel d’Argenson-Aunis.

But it’s hard to think about her own ambitions while France is on the brink of war, and the only thing that might save the country is an alliance—a marriage between the Catholic Princess Margot and Henry, the awful son of the Huguenot queen. Who would be the perfect person to play matchmaker? Jac, of course.

Jac resents lying to her best friend almost as much as she resents the brazen and arrogant King Henry, but it’s her one chance to prove to the Societas Solis that she belongs among their ranks before her uncle can marry her off or worse. The more time Jac spends in the French Court’s clandestine corners, though, the more she starts to wonder if Henry is…not as terrible as she once believed. And the Societas Solis may not be what they seem.

Politics. Spies. Chaos in the French court. Perhaps even witchcraft? Everything’s more dangerous when love is involved.

My Review

I enjoyed this book, but it took me longer to read than I expected. I liked the main characters for the most part. Truthfully, I wanted to like Margot more than I did. I felt like the plot kind of easily dismissed her as selfish and frivolous, though there was obviously more to her. Her goal was to open a school where women and people of any class could be educated. So she obviously had a lot of depth.

I appreciated the development of the romance between Jac and Henry. At first, they don’t like each other at all, but as they’re forced to work together on a common goal, they each surprise the other, and gradually, they grow to like one another. I appreciated that the relationship developed more slowly, giving us time to savor it as it developed.

Jac’s complex relationship with her oncle also added some layers to her character and backstory. Sometimes she interpreted his behavior to mean pretty dramatic things, but I felt like that fit her character and her age. I appreciated that the story included some changes in their relationship and how they saw one another and understood what the other needed from them, if that makes sense.

All in all, I enjoyed this one, and I can see how the marketing comparisons to Bridgerton and F. T. Lukens fit. If those ideas appeal to you, I think you’d enjoy ]A Traitorous Heart.

Content Notes for A Traitorous Heart

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
I don’t think there was much in the book in terms of profanity. Maybe some mild profanity infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing and references to sex.

Spiritual Content
Reference to religious differences between the Catholics and Huguenots (Protestants). References to spells, potions, and occult practices. Jac investigates a graverobbing group, looking for evidence of occult activity, possibly reanimating the dead.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. An assassin comes after Jac and her allies. After she ties him up, Jac tosses one would-be assassin over a wall into a moat. A fire consumes a building with a child inside. Jac attempts to save him and his cats. References to a prisoner potentially being tortured. (Not shown on scene.)

Drug Content
References to drinking alcohol at social gatherings. The King of France is consistently embarrassingly drunk at the events.

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 Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights by Steve Sheinkin

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

The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights
Steve Sheinkin
Roaring Brook Press
Published January 21, 2014

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights

An astonishing World War II military story of civil rights from New York Times bestselling author and Newbery Honor recipient Steve Sheinkin.

A National Book Award Finalist
A YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction Finalist
A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year

On July 17, 1944, a massive explosion rocked the segregated Navy base at Port Chicago, California, killing more than 300 sailors who were at the docks, critically injuring off-duty men in their bunks, and shattering windows up to a mile away. On August 9th, 244 men refused to go back to work until unsafe and unfair conditions at the docks were addressed. When the dust settled, fifty were charged with mutiny, facing decades in jail and even execution.

The Port Chicago 50 is a fascinating story of the prejudice and injustice that faced black men and women in America’s armed forces during World War II, and a nuanced look at those who gave their lives in service of a country where they lacked the most basic rights.

This thoroughly-researched and documented book can be worked into multiple aspects of the common core curriculum, including history and social studies.

“Sheinkin delivers another meticulously researched WWII story, one he discovered while working on his Newbery Honor book, Bomb…Archival photos appear throughout, and an extensive bibliography, source notes, and index conclude this gripping, even horrific account of a battle for civil rights predating Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

My Review

This is a moment in history that I didn’t have knowledge of. If we learned about it in school, it must have been a very brief mention. So the information about the explosion at Port Chicago was new to me. It’s well-explained, with some set-up information and context. Sheinkin’s goal was to tell the story from the perspective of the men involved, and he succeeds.

What’s also excellent about The Port Chicago 50 is how Sheinkin orients readers using other familiar historical events. This disaster happened two and a half years after the attack on Pearl Harbor and just over ten years before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus. It happened almost three years before Jackie Robinson became the first Black major league baseball player. So, readers who are not familiar with this incident but know about other landmark moments in history can insert this information into the timeline of other familiar events pretty quickly.

I thought that was a really smart approach, and it made reading the book feel like it helped me piece together American history in a fresh way.

The author also highlights the fact that in the 1940s, people lived in two different, segregated Americas. Black Americans had trusted news sources that reported events that white newspapers were not covering. I’ve spent a lot of time in the last few years thinking about the divide between where different Americans get their news. It was eye-opening to realize that this has been true for much longer than I was aware. (Nothing like reading a book to help you confront privilege.)

Conclusion

It’s easy to see why this book was a National Book Award finalist the year it was published. It brings light to a too often overlooked moment in history. The Port Chicago disaster sparked big changes in civil rights. It also left 50 men who served their country wrongly branded as mutineers.

This excellent book about historical events worth remembering is perfectly tailored to its intended audience.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Some mild profanity in significant quotes from witnesses and key historical figures. References to the F-word, but it’s bleeped out. The author clarifies that the whole word was used in the trial.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
References to racism and racist slurs. Sheinkin notes stories of Black servicemen who were attacked and then blamed for their attack.

Some brief descriptions of the explosion at Port Chicago and the resulting injuries. Some men had PTSD symptoms afterward and were victimized by a fellow serviceman who would play startling pranks on them. For example, he would tangle his bedsheet in a box fan to create a loud rattling noise.

When some men refused an order by their commanding officer, some were told they would be shot.

Drug Content
Reference to adults visiting a bar to ask for a beer.

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

Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday

I’m sharing this post as a part of a weekly round-up of middle-grade posts called Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday. Check out other blogs with posts about middle-grade books today on Marvelous Middle-Grade Mondays at Always in the Middle with Greg Pattridge.

Review: Black Girl You Are Atlas by Renée Watson

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

Black Girl You Are Atlas
Renée Watson
Illustrated by Ekua Holmes
Kokila
Published February 13, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Black Girl You Are Atlas

A thoughtful celebration of Black girlhood by award-winning author and poet Renée Watson.

In this semi-autobiographical collection of poems, Renée Watson writes
about her experience growing up as a young Black girl at the intersections of race, class, and gender.

Using a variety of poetic forms, from haiku to free verse, Watson shares recollections of her childhood in Portland, tender odes to the Black women in her life, and urgent calls for Black girls to step into their power.

Black Girl You Are Atlas encourages young readers to embrace their future with a strong sense of sisterhood and celebration. With full-color art by celebrated fine artist Ekua Holmes throughout, this collection offers guidance and is a gift for anyone who reads it.

My Review

Another blogger recently said, “You can’t go wrong with Renée Watson,” and, wow, that is so true. I’ve seen this book in different places lately and I’ve had it on my reading list since it came out, because: Renée Watson. Finally, I had time to sit down and read it.

This book is a short (92 pages) poetry collection with gorgeous collage illustrations following each poem. It may contain only a few poems, but each one is as powerful as a punch. One is a tribute to her older sister, Dyan, capturing how older sisters lead the younger ones, protecting them and helping them as they grow. She writes about growing up in Portland, about her family’s roots and culture. She writes about being a woman and her hopes for all girls.

This book is a feast for the eyes and the heart. I absolutely loved every page. Watson is an incredible storyteller, nowhere more so than in her poetry. This book is definitely worth reading, especially for anyone who loves poetry or is looking for work about the current American experience.

The artwork is phenomenal. I found myself just sitting and studying some of the illustrations and marveling at how they capture the spirit of the poems in the book. Fans of Ain’t Burned All the Bright by Jason Reynolds and Jason Griffin will want to read this one, too.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
References to romance. She sees a relative kiss their partner.

Spiritual Content
References to growing up Baptist and a Bible open on the table.

Violent Content
References to Rodney King being beaten by police and Anita testifying about Clarence Thomas, and the death of Emmett Till. References to a boy who touches her after she’s told him to stop. One poem is dedicated to Breonna Taylor.

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: The Six: The Untold Story of America’s First Women Astronauts, Young Readers Edition by Loren Grush with Rebecca Stefoff

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

The Six: The Untold Story of America’s First Women Astronauts, Young Readers Edition
Loren Grush with Rebecca Stefoff
Simon & Schuster
Published February 11, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Six: The Untold Story of America’s First Women Astronauts, Young Readers Edition

The extraordinary true story of America’s first female astronauts hailed as “suspenseful, meticulously observed, enlightening” by Margot Lee Shetterly, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Hidden Figures, now adapted for young readers.

Sally Ride may have been the first US woman in space, but did you know there were five other incredible American women who helped blaze the trail for female astronauts by her side?

When NASA sent astronauts to the moon in the 1960s and 1970s, the agency excluded women from the corps, arguing that only military test pilots—a group women were also aggressively barred from—had the right stuff. But as the 1980s dawned so did new thinking, and six elite women scientists—Sally Ride, Judith Resnik, Anna Lee Fisher, Kathy Sullivan, Shannon Lucid, and Rhea Seddon—set out to prove they had exactly the right stuff to become the first US women astronauts.

In The Six Young Readers Edition, acclaimed journalist Loren Grush shows how these brilliant and courageous women fought to enter STEM fields they were discouraged from pursuing, endured claustrophobic—and often deeply sexist—media attention, underwent rigorous survival training, and prepared for years to take multi-million-dollar equipment into orbit.

Told with contributions from nearly all the living participants and now adapted for young readers, this book is an inspiring testament to their struggles, accomplishments, and sacrifices and how they built the tools that made the space program run. It’s a legacy that lives on to inspire young people today.

My Review

I started reading The Six the same day the US government directed NASA to remove any mentions of “women in leadership” from their websites. As the biographies of women who’ve pioneered advancements in science disappeared from view, I learned about the first six women astronauts in the US space program and the challenges they overcame.

The book made me feel like I understood each woman’s personality. They each had different ways of dealing with obstacles. Some were more outgoing, and others highly valued their privacy. Grush calls attention to the differences in how the media responded to these six women versus the other men on their teams and even other men doing things for the first time. We’ve seen this in other fields, too, so it wasn’t particularly surprising. I loved how Sally Ride and the others handled themselves in those conversations.

Later in the book, Grush tells the story of the Challenger, which exploded shortly after launch in 1986. That part of the book was the hardest for me to read. Grush’s descriptions of the launch process made me feel like I was there. So when she described the Challenger disaster, that hit hard.

I am so glad I read this book. These are by no means the only stories of incredible things that women have brought to the space program. All of them deserve celebration and remembrance.

I highly recommend The Six for readers interested in the space program, US history, and women in STEM.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
References to relationships.

Spiritual Content
Judith Resnik gets married in a synagogue where she was confirmed earlier. Her funeral is also held in a synagogue.

Violent Content
References to misogyny and discrimination. For example, an employer pays one woman significantly less than a man with less experience and education for a similar job. At the time, no laws prevented this kind of discrimination.

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: Away by Megan E. Freeman

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Dystopian or Post-Apocalyptic, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , , , ,

Away
Megan E. Freeman
Simon & Schuster
Published February 11, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Away

A group of children investigate the threat that prompted large-scale evacuations in this powerful and dramatic companion novel to the New York Times bestselling Alone told in multiple POVs.

After an imminent yet unnamed danger forces people across Colorado to leave their homes, a group of kids, including an aspiring filmmaker and a budding journalist, find themselves in the same evacuation camp. As they cope with the aftermath of having their world upended, they grow curious about the mysterious threat.

And as they begin to investigate, they start to discover that there’s less truth and more cover-up to what they’re being told. Can they get to the root of the conspiracy, expose the bad actors, and bring an end to the upheaval before it’s too late?

My Review

It’s a really weird time to read dystopian fiction set in the US, especially something centered around a possible environmental disaster and government conspiracies. Yet, here we are, and I’m grateful for books like this one and authors like Megan E. Freeman, who break down some of these ideas and questions into stories that make them accessible to middle grade readers. Stories allow us to ask questions and look at life from a perspective other than our own.

Anyway. After reading Alone, a companion novel to this one, I had a hard time imagining a new story set at the same time from multiple points of view. Alone was such a powerful story, though, that I knew I wanted to try this one, and I’m so glad I did.

I think the ensemble cast really worked in this book. Each character’s point of view presents in a slightly different way. Harmony tells her story in newspaper articles and letters to her journalist aunt. Teddy’s perspective comes in transcripts for video footage and storyboard images. Ashanti and Grandin relate their experiences in verse.

Those seem like disparate things, but I love the way that they come together. Each character also has a particular interest or area of expertise that comes in handy. Ashanti often compares things that happen to mythological stories. Teddy pulls comparisons from movies or documentaries. Harmony references famous history or journalists, especially Nelly Bly.

I loved that because that also reinforces the truth that understanding history, both the facts of our history and our culture through art and media helps give us context for the world we experience. Those things also teach us to think critically. And the story perfectly captures that process as this group of young teenagers walks it out.

The book also contains a lot of hope and encouragement, too. It’s about building community and working together and the value and impact of spreading truth. I think Away will find a home with a lot of readers looking for encouragement and hope right now.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Harmony’s mom is a Christian pastor. Reference to an interfaith council that plans an inclusive winter holiday celebration.

Violent Content
References to toxins and dangerous conditions prompting a massive evacuation.

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.

Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday

I’m sharing this post as a part of a weekly round-up of middle-grade posts called Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday. Check out other blogs with posts about middle-grade books today on Marvelous Middle-Grade Mondays at Always in the Middle with Greg Pattridge.