Tag Archives: backlist

Review: Monster by Walter Dean Myers

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , ,
Monster by Walter Dean Myers

Monster
Walter Dean Myers
HarperCollins
Published May 1, 2001 (Orig. 1999)

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Monster

This New York Times bestselling novel and National Book Award nominee from acclaimed author Walter Dean Myers tells the story of Steve Harmon, a teenage boy in juvenile detention and on trial. Presented as a screenplay of Steve’s own imagination, and peppered with journal entries, the book shows how one single decision can change our whole lives.

Fade In: Interior: Early Morning In Cell Block D, Manhattan Detention Center.

Steve (Voice-Over)
Sometimes I feel like I have walked into the middle of a movie. Maybe I can make my own movie. The film will be the story of my life. No, not my life, but of this experience. I’ll call it what the lady prosecutor called me … Monster.

My Review

I’ve had this book on my reading list for probably ten years, which feels surreal. I read On a Clear Day by Walter Dean Myers back in 2015, and after that, I looked up more of his books for my reading list. So here I am, finally circling back for Monster.

I read this book as an audiobook with a full cast, which I think helped me imagine the story as a movie. It’s a really quick read. I believe the audiobook runtime is less than three hours.

Powerful storytelling fills the pages of this book. I felt immediately connected to the characters and especially the plight of Steve as he prepares for a trial that will determine whether he spends decades in prison. It was easy to read between the lines of dialogue in the scenes, though, and feel like I understood what was going on in the characters’ heads or between the lines.

The story gives readers space to think about what makes someone a monster as each witness appears or each lawyer speaks. Though the author limits the content, keeping the story appropriate for its intended audience, he doesn’t flinch from hard truths about life in prison. The juxtaposition of Steve’s youth and inexperience against the harsh reality of prison life is shocking. I couldn’t help but think of real-life teens in similar situations as I read.

The ending really got me, too. I won’t spoil what happens, but I was impressed with the nuance and the impact of the scene in which the jury delivers its verdict. That scene will replay in my head for a long time.

I recommend this book for anyone interested in fiction about incarcerated teens, especially for younger teens.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 13 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Two uses of mild profanity.

Romance/Sexual Content
One scene very briefly mentions sexual assault. Some characters reference assault or a fear of being assaulted.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
References to gun violence (happened off-scene). References to and brief descriptions of fighting. Reference to domestic violence (happened off-scene). References to sexual assault. References to cutting someone with a knife (happened off-scene).

Drug Content
References to smoking cigarettes.

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 Tea Dragon Festival by K. O’Neill

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

The Tea Dragon Festival (The Tea Dragon Society #2)
K. O’Neill
Oni Press
Published September 17, 2019

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Tea Dragon Festival

Rinn has grown up with the Tea Dragons that inhabit their village, but stumbling across a real dragon turns out to be a different matter entirely! Aedhan is a young dragon who was appointed to protect the village but fell asleep in the forest eighty years ago.

With the aid of Rinn’s adventuring uncle Erik and his partner Hesekiel, they investigate the mystery of his enchanted sleep, but Rinn’s real challenge is to help Aedhan come to terms with feeling that he cannot get back the time he has lost.

My Review

I absolutely love K. O’Neill’s beautiful fantasy communities. They create such unique characters with a wide variety of skin tones and fantasy-inspired features. This story is set in a different village (and at a different time) than the first book. Initially, I wasn’t sure of the connection between the two stories beyond the presence of tea dragons. But then, shortly after the story begins, two characters from the first book appear as visitors to Rinn’s village.

You could read this book without having read the first book in the series. The storytelling here is pretty gentle, so it’s accessible to very early middle grade readers. My daughter is seven and enjoyed this one.

Rinn and Aedhan’s friendship is such a sweet part of the book. I loved how that developed. I also loved the way that the sleep mystery resolved. I’m looking forward to reading the final book in the trilogy.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Some characters have magical abilities. Bounty hunters look for a nature spirit that can cause people to fall asleep for long periods of time.

Violent Content
A mythical creature attacks a group. A dragon fights off the creature but is injured.

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: 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

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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: The Rez Doctor by Gitz Crazyboy, et al

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Graphic Novel or Adaptation, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , ,

The Rez Doctor
Gitz Crazyboy
Illustrated by Veronika Barinova
Coloring by Azby Whitecalf
Lettering by Toben Racicot
Highwater Press
Published September 10, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Rez Doctor

Young Ryan Fox gets good grades, but he’s not sure what he wants to be when he grows up. It isn’t until he meets a Blackfoot doctor during a school assembly that he starts to dream big.

However, becoming a doctor isn’t easy. University takes Ryan away from his family and the Siksikaitsitapi community, and without their support, he begins to struggle. Faced with more stress than he’s ever experienced, he turns to partying. Distracted from his responsibilities, his grades start to slip. His bills pile up. Getting into med school feels impossible. And now his beloved uncle is in jail. Can Ryan regain his footing to walk the path he saw so clearly as a boy?

This inspiring graphic novel for young adults is based on a true story.

My Review

I didn’t realize when I read this book that it was inspired by someone’s life. The story follows Ryan as he struggles in school, navigates growing up in a Native community, and becomes inspired to go to medical school and serve his people as a doctor. He faces challenges both in and out of school and college, and nearly gives up more than once. Ultimately, he finds his way through school and family life and leaves readers with an uplifting message about achieving one’s dreams.

The story does show some alcohol consumption and some harmful consequences. For example, Ryan’s uncle comes home drunk with his face bruised. Later, Ryan visits him in jail. In college, Ryan goes out drinking with friends and quickly discovers his grades suffer if he does this, so he quits. I think those scenes make it a little tricky to find the right reader age group. The length of the book will appeal to younger readers, but the content seems targeted more toward older readers.

All in all, this is an inspiring story that shows the importance of resilience and persistence. It’s a really short book– only about 60 pages– and written in graphic novel format, so it’s great for reluctant readers. I could see this being a useful aid for a social studies or career-focused school unit.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
One instance of mild profanity.

Romance/Sexual Content
One image shows a couple kissing. Another image shows a couple at a wedding.

Spiritual Content
Ryan asks tribal leaders and Creator for help.

Violent Content
A man comes home with a black eye and tells Ryan he was in a fight.

Drug Content
References to a family member drinking and getting into trouble (happens off-scene.) Ryan and his friends go out drinking. At one point, a friend offers him some pills.

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: Two Tribes by Emily Bowen Cohen

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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.

Banned Book Review: Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

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Last Night at the Telegraph Club
Malinda Lo
Dutton Books for Young Readers
Published January 19, 2021

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Last Night at the Telegraph Club

“That book. It was about two women, and they fell in love with each other.” And then Lily asked the question that had taken root in her, that was even now unfurling its leaves and demanding to be shown the sun: “Have you ever heard of such a thing?”

Seventeen-year-old Lily Hu can’t remember exactly when the question took root, but the answer was in full bloom the moment she and Kathleen Miller walked under the flashing neon sign of a lesbian bar called the Telegraph Club.

America in 1954 is not a safe place for two girls to fall in love, especially not in Chinatown. Red-Scare paranoia threatens everyone, including Chinese Americans like Lily. With deportation looming over her father—despite his hard-won citizenship—Lily and Kath risk everything to let their love see the light of day.

Why I Read Last Night at the Telegraph Club

Last Night at the Telegraph Club has been on my reading list for a long time. It was recently banned where I live, along with several other books. I’m trying to prioritize being educated about the content in books banned here in Florida, so that pushed this one up to the top of my reading list.

One of the things that’s really frustrating to me is that the committee that banned the book acknowledges the literary worthiness of the story and the importance of the topic. They simply object to a few paragraphs in the overall text and therefore are banning the book for all grades.

Review

The book primarily takes place in San Francisco in the 1950s, but includes historical information about a few events from the 1930s to the 1950s. Some scenes show what happened between Lily’s parents or from her aunt’s point of view. It shows the progression of the fear of and persecution of communists and those accused of being communist sympathizers. It also examines the cultural attitudes during that time period toward Chinese immigrants and Chinese Americans and attitudes about LGBTQIA+ people, especially women.

The background information feels very well-researched. Some characters’ experiences and backgrounds were inspired by Malinda Lo’s family’s lives. She includes, for example, the story of a Chinese man from a wealthy family who immigrates to the United States for college. He later serves in the military as a doctor.

I love that Lily is interested in rockets and math. The story references women working as computers and some of the efforts to develop technology to take humans into space.

So there’s a ton of really cool background to the story.

Lily and another girl also visit a nightclub several times to see a male impersonator perform. There, they meet other lesbian women. The story clearly shows Lily’s personal journey understanding her identity. Part of that recognition comes from when she reads parts of a sultry romance novel she finds at a drug store.

As Lily falls in love for the first time, and meets other women who love women, she finally feels like she can be herself. Like she’s not alone, and she doesn’t have to be ashamed.

There are so few historical books centering LGBTQIA+ stories, and yet queer people existed throughout history. I love seeing this sweet love story that openly explores what it might be like to be a Chinese American girl in the 1950s who is in love with another girl and wants to build rockets someday.

Parts of the story were hard for me to read. (They were meant to be so.) The number of people who ask Lily if she speaks English, or assume she doesn’t is astounding. And yet, I’m sure that experience is very real– and even more frustrating to experience in person.

The romance between Lily and Kath blooms slowly, but it blooms powerfully, too. Their desperation and their understanding of what could happen if they’re discovered is palpable.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for a sweet romance with a strong side of history and 1950s American culture, definitely put Last Night at the Telegraph Club on your reading list.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing and touching above the waist. Brief/vague description of masturbation. Brief description of sex with sparse details. In one scene, an adult woman approaches a teen and it seems like something could happen between them, but she recognizes the girl’s age and backs off.

Spiritual Content
Vague references to church.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Homophobic comments.

Drug Content
Characters drink alcohol at a party and night club. Some characters smoke cigarettes. Reference to drug use (not shown on scene.)

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 library. All opinions are my own.