Tag Archives: racism

Review: A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow

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A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow

A Song Below Water (A Song Below Water #1)
Bethany C. Morrow
Tor Teen
Published June 2, 2020

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About A Song Below Water

Tavia is already at odds with the world, forced to keep her siren identity under wraps in a society that wants to keep her kind under lock and key. Nevermind she’s also stuck in Portland, Oregon, a city with only a handful of black folk and even fewer of those with magical powers. At least she has her bestie Effie by her side as they tackle high school drama, family secrets, and unrequited crushes.

But everything changes in the aftermath of a siren murder trial that rocks the nation; the girls’ favorite Internet fashion icon reveals she’s also a siren, and the news rips through their community. Tensions escalate when Effie starts being haunted by demons from her past, and Tavia accidentally lets out her magical voice during a police stop. No secret seems safe anymore—soon Portland won’t be either.

My Review

I kind of feel like the cover copy sells this story a bit short. It’s told from both Effie and Tavia’s perspectives, which I loved. A lot of the story has to do with figuring out some of the things Effie is experiencing, which isn’t mentioned at all in the copy.

The characters in general hooked me into the story. Effie’s relationship with her grandparents. Tavia’s relationship with her dad. The boy at the pool. Tavia’s friends in choir. Effie’s partner at the faire. They all made the story so rich and interesting. Both Effie and Tavia felt like unique characters, too, with different voices, but they also felt deeply connected by their relationship.

A SONG BELOW WATER is one of those books that might start off a little slow, but it’s not long before the tension starts building pretty high. The story stays centered around Tavia and Effie, following them as they learn to use their voices and find confidence in who they are. This book drew me right in, and I desperately needed to know what was going to happen.

I think I bought a copy of this book the year it came out, but it took me a long time to finally get to it. I’m absolutely sure I will read more by Bethany C. Morrow. It looks like the second book in the series, A CHORUS RISES, came out in 2021, and follows one of the side characters from this book. I definitely have to check it out!

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Tavia and Effie are Black. Other minor characters are Black or Latinx.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
Some characters are supernatural. Tavia is a siren. Sprites make mischief, stealing items or causing mayhem. A gargoyle appears to be guarding a siren.

Violent Content
Tavia follows a news story about a woman who was murdered. No details about how the murder happened. Four of Effie’s friends turned to stone while playing in a park when she was ten. Tavia and Effie attend a political protest that turns violent when people begin attacking protestors.

Drug Content
None.

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

Review: Ain’t Burned All the Bright by Jason Reynolds and Jason Griffin

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

Ain’t Burned All the Bright
Jason Reynolds
Illustrated by Jason Griffin
Atheneum
Published January 11, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Ain’t Burned All the Bright

Prepare yourself for something unlike anything: A smash-up of art and text for teens that viscerally captures what it is to be Black. In America. Right Now. Written by #1 New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Jason Reynolds.

Jason Reynolds and his best bud, Jason Griffin had a mind-meld. And they decided to tackle it, in one fell swoop. In about ten sentences, and 300 pages of art, this piece, this contemplation-manifesto-fierce-vulnerable-gorgeous-terrifying-WhatIsWrongWithHumans-hope-filled-hopeful-searing-Eye-Poppingly-Illustrated-tender-heartbreaking-how-The-HECK-did-They-Come-UP-with-This project about oxygen. And all of the symbolism attached to that word, especially NOW.

So, for anyone who didn’t really know what it means to not be able to breathe, REALLY breathe, for generations, now you know. And those who already do, you’ll be nodding yep yep, that is exactly how it is.

My Review

This is another book that totally blew my mind. The story is very simple, but even that is part of its power. The illustrations are so illuminating. I know the story is about oxygen, about breathing, about a flame catching, but that is also what reading this book feels like. It’s that perfect blend of a spark, oxygen, and fuel that creates a burst of flame.

I’ve had this book on my reading list since it came out. I noticed it recently on a Publisher’s Weekly list of best books of 2022, and decided it was time to just read it.

It’s the kind of book that you could read in an hour, less probably, but that you’ll want to take your time with instead. I found that as I read, I wanted to just sit with each illustration and let the words sink in.

I feel like I keep coming back to the fact that at its core, AIN’T BURNED UP THE BRIGHT is a simple story, yet it’s so much more. Maybe that’s what makes it so incredible.

Anyway, I highly recommend this book. I loved it, and I can’t think of anything else like it.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
The artwork shows a Black family. The story is from the perspective of a Black boy.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
References to news stories. The words stop short of specifically talking about police violence, but it’s clear that some of the news stories the narrator refers to are those stories. Some of the artwork shows fire.

Drug Content
None.

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

Review: The Antiracist Kid by Tiffany Jewell

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The Antiracist Kid: A Book About Identity, Justice, and Activism
Tiffany Jewell
Versify
Published October 4, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Antiracist Kid: A Book About Identity, Justice, and Activism

From the #1 New York Times best-selling author of THIS BOOK IS ANTI-RACIST, Tiffany Jewell, with art by Eisner-nominated illustrator Nicole Miles, THE ANTIRACIST KID is the essential illustrated chapter book guide to antiracism for empowering the young readers in your life!

What is racism? What is antiracism? Why are both important to learn about? In this book, systemic racism and the antiracist tools to fight it are easily accessible to the youngest readers.

In three sections, this must-have guide explains:

– Identity: What it is and how it applies to you
– Justice: What it is, what racism has to do with it, and how to address injustice
– Activism: A how-to with resources to be the best antiracist kid you can be

This book teaches younger children the words, language, and methods to recognize racism and injustice—and what to do when they encounter it at home, at school, and in the media they watch, play, and read.

My Review

I liked the way this book is divided into sections. Each section spends some time defining terms, which builds a great foundation for conversations about diversity, racism and prejudice. We communicate best when we agree on what terms mean and how they’re used. So I like that the book is careful to establish important terms at the beginning of each section.

I also like that the book gives specific examples showing social situations that might involve prejudice or racism. Even though the title specifically labels the book to be about antiracism, the book actually addresses other identities in which people could face persecution or prejudice.

The book also gives a brief timeline of how and when the construct of race emerged and how it has impacted our culture. I think that overview timeline is particularly well done. It’s succinct but identifies critical moments in history in a way that’s easy for kids to understand.

All in all, I think THE ANTIRACIST KID would make a great foundational book to both define different terms in the conversation about race and diversity as well as inviting kids into the discussion. I read and enjoyed THIS BOOK IS ANTI-RACIST by Tiffany Jewell, which is for slightly older readers, but has the same straightforward, open, conversational style. I recommend both.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
The book uses examples about three kids: Shawn who is Black and has two moms, Dani who is nonbinary and Puerto Rican, and Ruby who is biracial.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Reference to holidays such as Christmas and Easter.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of THE ANTIRACIST KID in exchange for my honest review.

Review: You Truly Assumed by Laila Sabreen

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You Truly Assumed
Laila Sabreen
Inkyard Press
Published February 8, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About You Truly Assumed

Sabriya has her whole summer planned out in color-coded glory, but those plans go out the window after a terrorist attack near her home. When the terrorist is assumed to be Muslim and Islamophobia grows, Sabriya turns to her online journal for comfort. You Truly Assumed was never meant to be anything more than an outlet, but the blog goes viral as fellow Muslim teens around the country flock to it and find solace and a sense of community.

Soon two more teens, Zakat and Farah, join Bri to run You Truly Assumed and the three quickly form a strong friendship. But as the blog’s popularity grows, so do the pushback and hateful comments. When one of them is threatened, the search to find out who is behind it all begins, and their friendship is put to the test when all three must decide whether to shut down the blog and lose what they’ve worked for…or take a stand and risk everything to make their voices heard.

In this compelling and thought-provoking debut novel, after a terrorist attack rocks the country and anti-Islamic sentiment stirs, three Black Muslim girls create a space where they can shatter assumptions and share truths.

My Review

There are so many great things about this book. I loved that Sabriya, Farah, and Zakat form close bonds over blogging. I’ve had a couple blogging friends over the years, and those are always really cool relationships, so I loved getting to read about them. I also loved that they were so different from one another. Sabriya is a dancer, and I loved getting to see her in class and working on performances. It was cool seeing her world through the eyes of a Black dancer and all that meant to her. She’s also the blog founder and main writer.

Farah is super gifted at coding, so she brought some specific talent to the blog, too. I think from an emotional perspective, her story resonated with me the most. She reluctantly reconnects with her estranged father and meets his family for the first time. She also meets other Black Muslim girls in Boston, where he lives, and works with them on a vigil for a girl who was murdered.

Zakat has a totally different experience from the other girls as she grows up attending a Muslim school and surrounded by a lot of support for her faith. She’s an artist, and the descriptions of her work were really cool. I found myself wishing that the book included drawings or graphic panels representing her pieces, especially alongside the blog posts. I think that would have been really cool.

All three girls experience Islamophobic behavior in the wake of the attack in Washington DC. At first I thought it was an odd choice that we’re following three different girls from three different states, but as the events unfolded after the DC attack, choosing characters from different places made a lot of sense, because it showed how far-reaching the effects of the rising Islamophobia were and how it affected so many different communities.

I really liked the story and enjoyed all three main characters. I’m not even sure I could pick a favorite. They were all compelling stories. The only thing that tripped me up at all was the dialogue. I felt like a lot of characters sounded the same. It seemed like a lot of times the dialogue was written in long sentences or long paragraphs that didn’t feel very natural to me. That could just be me– I have definitely gotten spoiled for stories with a lot of blank space on the page around choppy, fast-paced dialogue. So that’s probably not a flaw, just a preference.

On the whole, though, I really enjoyed reading this book. I think readers who enjoyed MISFIT IN LOVE by S. K. Ali will enjoy this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
All three main characters are Black Muslim girls.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kiss between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
References to Ramadan and Eid. Shows characters attending services, prayer, and receiving counsel from spiritual leaders.

Violent Content – Trigger warning for Islamophobia
Most of the physical violence happens off-scene. There are references to more than one violent attack which left people injured and killed. Other instances of vandalism occur. An alt-right site lists the girls’ blog on their website and people begin flooding the blog comments with Islamophobic and racist statements. Some of those are included in the text. The girls also experience Islamophobic comments in their daily lives, too.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of YOU TRULY ASSUMED in exchange for my honest review.

Banned Books Giveaway: 15 Books I’ve Reviewed on the Krause Banned Books List

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15 Books I’ve Reviewed on the Krause Banned Books List

What happened: Recently a Texas congressman compiled a list of hundreds of books he feels could cause students distress based on their race or sex and has asked school libraries to alert him about how many titles they have on their shelves. The governor has been conducting similar inquiries, and it looks like at least one district has pulled over 400 books from their shelves in response to pressure from politicians and some parents.

It seems really weird to me that politicians in a state which values personal freedom over protecting the community from a potentially deadly virus through mask wearing, think they should decide what people read. Asking people to wear masks is government overreach, but restricting access to certain kinds of books is okay? Just seems weird to me is all I’m saying.

Content Notes and My Reviews

If you’ve followed my blog, you know that I write content notes on all my reviews so that readers can find books they want to read and hopefully it’s easier to find books that represent them, too. Not every kid is ready for or interested in every book. Not every book is appropriate for every kid at a certain age or experience.

Parents have the right to decide what their kids can and should read. That’s part of our job. It’s why I advocate for reading with your kids and looking up reviews online that describe whatever content young readers might encounter within a book. What parents don’t get to do, though, is decide what other people’s kids are allowed to read.

Representation matters, too. You’ll notice from this list that 14 of the 15 books I’ve reviewed here feature LGBTQ+ characters in them. (The 15th is a nonfiction book about combating racism.) Which makes this list really seem like it’s targeting LGBTQ+ readers. In fact, most of the books on the massive list include LGBTQ+ representation. There are a lot of history books and biology books on there, too. It’s a weird list, honestly.

I keep trying to make it make sense. Like okay, is this about graphic sexual content? No, it can’t be, because there are some really popular YA books that have very explicit sexual content released in the years referenced on the sheet that are not listed. Some of the fiction books listed have very little sexual content (kissing maybe?). Anyway, it’s odd.

And not that it making sense would make it okay. It wouldn’t. It would just be nice to be like ah, okay, I see where they’re coming from. The closest I can get to that is that it appears to me that some people believe that the existence of gay people is something we must hide from ALL high school children? Also the existence of racism. And history. And sex.

Discomfort and Literature

I think the idea that discomfort is something we can’t let our kids experience is, frankly, ridiculous. Life is uncomfortable. Relationships are packed with discomfort. Sometimes we make mistakes in front of other people. Or we’re wrong. Or we hurt people and have to humble ourselves and apologize. There is no life safe from discomfort.

Also, literature is supposed to make us uncomfortable. It’s supposed to challenge the boundaries of our empathy, to make us think about experiences outside our own. To put us in someone else’s shoes for a moment. To make us imagine what a moment, real or imagined, is really like.

There Really Is a Giveaway at the End of This Post

Anyway. I searched the archives of my reviews and looked for books I’ve read that are on the list circulating the internet right now. Here are 15 books and the links to my reviews. At the bottom is a giveaway with a chance to win one of ten books. Details below.

Note: This list contains affiliate links which do not cost you anything to use but which generate a small amount of financial support for this blog.

15 Books I’ve Reviewed on the Krause Banned Books List

As Far As You’ll Take Me by Phil Stamper

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A gay oboe player travels Europe, experiences first love, and wrestles with an estrangement to his family.

Published February 9, 2021 | My Review

Can’t Take That Away by Steven Salvatore

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A genderqueer teen stands up to discrimination from their high school administration. Lots of love to Mariah Carey. Sweet family relationships.

Published March 9, 2021 | My Review

Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A dystopian society reenacts Cinderella’s ball, but with a twist: each man gets to choose a bride, and she cannot say no. F/F romance. Loads of girl power.

Published July 7, 2020 | My Review

Lobizona by Romina Garber

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: An undocumented immigrant on the run learns she’s a Lobizona, a shapeshifter who can transform into a werewolf. The problem? She’s not supposed to exist.

Published August 4, 2020 | My Review

Reverie by Ryan LaSala

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: INCEPTION meets THE MAGICIANS. M/M romance. High-energy storytelling and unforgettable characters.

Published December 3, 2019 | My Review

This Book is Anti-Racist by Tiffany Jewell

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A great beginner’s handbook for learning to recognize racism and how to speak up if you see something out of line. Welcoming and easy to read.

Published January 7, 2020 | My Review

The Music of What Happens by Bill Konigsberg

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Two boys who are opposites, a food truck, a family in crisis, and a terrible secret. M/M romance. One character is an assault survivor.

Published February 26, 2019 | My Review

White Rabbit by Caleb Roehrig

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A girl framed for murder, a boy who has no choice but to help her prove her innocence, and a killer who may not be finished. M/M romance. Total edge-of-your-seat read.

Published April 24, 2018 | My Review

Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A girl just returned from boarding school tries to help her brother as his bipolar disorder drives a wedge between them. F/F romance. A powerful story about sibling relationships.

Published August 8, 2017 | My Review

Away We Go by Emil Ostrovski

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A boarding school for the high achieving students with the deadly Peter Pan Virus. A boy in the midst of figuring out who he is and who he loves. Aching and imaginative. M/M romance.

Published April 5, 2016 | My Review

George by Alex Gino

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A young trans girl wants to perform the role of Charlotte in the school play. Poignant and incredibly moving.

Published August 25, 2015 | My Review

They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Two boys who know they are going to die today fall in love. Funny, sweet, and achingly sad. M/M romance.

Published September 5, 2017 | My Review

Jess, Chunk and the Road Trip to Infinity by Kristin Elizabeth Clark

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A transgender girl and her best friend take off on a road trip to crash her dad’s wedding. Quirky and fun.

Published November 8, 2016 | My Review

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A boy is blackmailed to keep the fact that he’s gay from coming out and to protect the identity of his secret pen pal. M/M romance. A charming and slightly salty story of first love.

Published on April 7, 2015 | My Review

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A once-in-a-lifetime friendship between two boys. M/M romance. Complex characters who are opposites. Lots of laughter and heartache to be had here.

Published February 21, 2012 | My Review

Have you read any of the banned books?

You can find the whole list of 850 books here. I’ve read 15 from the list, and tons more have been on my To Be Read list and are already on my shelves. I feel more motivated than ever to read and review some of those books so that hopefully more readers who are interested in them can find and read them. It looks like someone has also added them to the lists on Goodreads, so you can add interesting-looking titles to your reading lists on there.

Let me know if you’ve read any of the books on this list or the full list.

Giveaway Time!

I’m giving away some books. Ten books, to be precise. I’ll order them from Bookshop, which supports indie booksellers, and choose ten people from the Rafflecopter below. Each winner can choose which book they want from the list of 850 books (must be in stock at Bookshop and $25 or less) and must have a US mailing address.

There’s a free entry, just for landing on the page and reading long enough to find the giveaway, and there are some other ways to boost your chances by talking about the giveaway and finding me on social media. So think about which book you would choose!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy by Emmanuel Acho

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Middle Grade 8-12, Nonfiction, , , , , ,

Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy
Emmanuel Acho
Roaring Brook Press
Published May 4, 2021

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy

UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATIONS WITH A BLACK BOY is an accessible book for children to learn about systemic racism and racist behavior. For the awkward questions white and non-black parents don’t know how to answer, this book is an essential guide to help support communication on how to dismantle racism in our youngest generation.

UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATIONS WITH A BLACK BOY  creates a safe, judgment-free space for curious children to ask questions they’ve long been afraid to verbalize. How can I have white privilege if I’m not wealthy? Why do Black people protest against the police? If Black people can say the N-word, why can’t I? And many, many more.

Young people have the power to effect sweeping change, and the key to mending the racial divide in America lies in giving them the tools to ask honest questions and take in the difficult answers.  UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATIONS WITH A BLACK BOY is just one way young readers can begin to short circuit racism within their own lives and communities.

My Review

I read this book in part because of the YouTube series by Emmanuel Acho called “Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man”. I think he started posting the series after George Floyd’s murder. One of the things I love is that he creates this space in which people are welcomed to face that they have questions and to ask them.

So the book is more of a brief walkthrough of the history of racism in America and why it’s important to take time to be better educated and how to go about doing that. In more than one place in the book, Acho recommends other great resources for continuing education and conversations about these issues.

He does a great job making points in a really accessible, gentle way. This book is a great welcome to the conversation about racism. This version is specifically for kids, and I think it does a great job introducing ideas and giving an age-appropriate view into the history and the issues. I think I also own the e-book of the adult version. This made me want to check that out for comparison to see if it goes deeper into some of the topics covered.

All in all, I think this book makes a great beginning read for kids in middle or late elementary school. It’s perfect for those who have questions or are looking for more information on racism in America.

If you haven’t seen any of the Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man videos Emmanuel Acho has posted in his YouTube channel, please check them out. That link should take you to the playlist of all the videos in the series.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 9 to 12.

Representation
Emmanuel Acho is a Black man.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Brief references to murder and lynching, violence during the Civil Rights Movement, and other historical events.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATIONS WITH A BLACK BOY in exchange for my honest review.