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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 by IllumiNative

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.

Review: Paul Weaver and the Soul Reaver by Sean McMurray

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Middle Grade 8-12, Paranormal, , , , , , , ,

Paul Weaver and the Soul Reaver
Sean McMurray
Artemesia Publishing
Published July 8, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Paul Weaver and the Soul Reaver

Can one vlogger and his loyal dog save their town from the clutches of a dark wizard?

When 12-year-old fantasy super fan Paul Weaver started a channel on his favorite fantasy website documenting his quest to become a Paladin Knight, he never considered he would one day have to pull off the heist of all stealing his principal’s soul.

That sounds more like something a member of the thieves’ guild or a dark wizard would do, not a supposed Knight-in-Training, but to halt a growing evil changing his grandfather, older sister, and best friend – err – former best friend for the worse, and turning many others in his small town into mind-controlled zombies, Paul doesn’t have much choice.

With the help of his loyal dog, Samwise, and their modest following of fans and subscribers, Paul may just pull it off. If he doesn’t, his town will be lost forever and his grandpa, sister, and former best friend will never be normal again.

My Review

The way this book is set up is pretty clever. Each chapter opens with an illustration of what looks like a video thumbnail, like you might see on YouTube. The chapters are largely a transcript of a boy recapping his adventures for his viewing audience.

The format made the book seem like a quick read with a fast-moving plot. After Paul witnesses something supernatural in the woods, he’s determined to figure out what’s going on and to stop the person from harming anyone else. At first I assumed this was going to resolve into a misunderstanding with some kind of non-magical explanation, but I think I liked that the book leaped into the paranormal even better than that outcome.

At times, Paul seemed a bit young for his age. I think this works, especially in clueing readers into some of the subtext for why his recent friendship may have faltered. It seems like he’s still clinging to games he and his friend played when his friend is ready to move on to a new phase of life. That’s pretty relatable. It’s also complicated, as another kid picks on Paul and the fact that his friend doesn’t stand up for him or stop the other kid hurts.

One interesting relationship in the story is the one between Paul and his sister. She is experiencing some changes and growth herself, and at first, Paul feels disconnected from her. His adventure provides a new way for them to connect. I like that it shows that process of growing apart and finding new ways to connect.

Conclusion

All in all, I could see readers looking for a paranormal story for the season enjoying this tale and relating to the social media-based format. If you liked A Bite Above the Rest by Christine Virnig, check this one out.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 to 14.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
References to a crush.

Spiritual Content
Some characters have supernatural ability and may be stealing souls.

Violent Content
Situations of peril.

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: Phantom Academy by Christine Virnig

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

Phantom Academy
Christine Virnig
Aladdin
Published August 26, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Phantom Academy

Lindsay Currie’s Scritch Scratch meets The School for Invisible Boys in this fun romp of a middle grade novel about a newly dead boy who faces a spooky new school hiding an unearthly mystery.

After an unlucky collision between a coconut and the top of his head, twelve-year-old Finn joins the ranks of the recently deceased…and of the students at Phantom Academy. The academy is a spectral boarding school for underage ghosts finding their footing in the afterlife, and Finn is the new kid at school.

He doesn’t understand why ghosts have to take tests and do homework. Or why making friends doesn’t get any easier even when all the students have a very big thing in common. As the new class of middle schoolers get to know each other, it becomes clear something is happening behind the scenes of their new academy.

Can Finn and his classmates figure out their afterlife and crack the mystery?

My Review

I remember enjoying Virnig’s debut middle grade book, A Bite Above the Rest, so I was excited to read this one. The opening scene surprised me. I feel like I’m not supposed to laugh at the main character’s death, but I did. In the first few lines, we learn Finn is killed by a falling coconut. The ridiculousness of the situation got me, which I can only assume was the point, since otherwise, it’s a tragic beginning.

Finn soon reaches the Phantom Academy, where he’s sentenced to– I mean, directed to spend– the next five years in ghost school. As he’s learning the ropes of Phantom Academy, he meets other young ghosts and makes friends. He discovers a controversial talent but doesn’t understand whether it’s an asset or a liability.

The ghostly landscape is fun and imaginative. Some things are never explained, though. The ghosts eat, but the food is particularly gross. Apparently they also pass the waste as well. The process is revisited several times throughout the story, but we never learn why (beyond the apparent humor).

I tend to enjoy stories about building a community and getting to know someone different rather than leaping to conclusions about them, and those themes shine here. At first, Finn has some adversarial feelings about his teachers and the others at the Phantom Academy. As he actually begins to listen, he learns there’s usually an explanation for why people behave the way they do. And some of the people he mistook for villains turn out to be valuable parts of his team.

If you’re looking for a creepy story for the fall season that’s more goofy than scary, check this one out.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Characters are ghosts.

Violent Content
The opening line describes the main character dying after getting hit on the head with a coconut.

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: Not Lucille by Mike Steele

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

Not Lucille
Mike Steele
Creative James Media
Published June 24, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Not Lucille

It’s 1931, and children should be seen and not heard.

Ten-year-old Lucy Contento can’t help but be seen and heard. And she’s always in trouble for it. She talks too much. She’s impulsive. She writes with the wrong hand. Her parents would be mad enough knowing she routinely earns afterschool detentions. They’d be furious if they found out she’s been sneaking onto the campus of the nearby Trenton Academy for the Deaf. But there, Lucy has met Florence, a lonely and profoundly deaf girl her own age. Florence doesn’t mind Lucy’s flaws. Though Florence can’t speak, she has a unique way of communicating. If Lucy can figure out how to learn Florence’s special language, the two could be friends.

Lucy devises a plan, but it’s going to cost a whopping seven dollars and ninety-eight cents—more money than she’s got. She can’t tell her parents why she wants the funds without revealing she’s been visiting Florence. Besides, her parents don’t have a penny to spare. Her father has been out of work for months. And nobody else in the Contento family has an income. Or do they? Lucy soon discovers she’s not the only member of her family hiding something. Can she get the money she needs while keeping everyone’s secrets? Or will her scheming land her in the biggest trouble of her life?

In this story of friendship and belonging, a young girl navigates prejudice, punishment, and identity while establishing her voice in a world that often tries to keep her silent.

My Review

This story has a hint of the A Tree Grows in Brooklyn vibe to it. The time period, the northeast city setting, the scenes showing Lucy in class, and some of the dynamics in her family all made me think of that story (though the books don’t serve the same audience).

I like that this is historical story includes neurodivergent and disabled characters. Lucy experiences symptopms that today would prompt her to be screened for ASD/ADHD. Her friend Florence is Deaf. The story draws readers into a moment in history when Irish and Italian immigrants faced steep discrimination– a reality that my own family faced in those days.

The story is well-suited to middle grade readers, crafting scenes that show what life was like without slowing down the story or getting lost in the details. It sounds from the author’s note that Steele has his own family history that connects to the story (namely his grandmother Lucy and her experiences) and that he made sure to include sensitivity readers who could evaluate the scenes that include Deaf representation.

Through her experiences, Lucy learns new ways to communicate and how to appreciate the differences between herself and others. She learns that sometimes people we think we know and don’t like can surprise us. I liked the way that some of the other characters in the story surprised Lucy.

Young readers interested in the early 1930s in America will find this an informative, enjoyable story. The short chapters make this a quick, engaging read. The author’s note in the back of the book also offers some context for elements of the story, which helps explain why, for instance, Florence wasn’t allowed to use sign language at school.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Early in the story, Lucy refers to the students at a school for the Deaf by a name that she later realizes is derogatory. She stops using the term. A boy picks on her in the halls at school. Her father faces discrimination as an Italian immigrant and struggles to find work. The story also references illegal gambling activity.

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: Opening My Eyes Underwater by Ashley Woodfolk

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

Opening My Eyes Underwater: Essays on Hope, Humanity, and Our Hero Michelle Obama
Ashley Woodfolk
Feiwel & Friends
Published September 27, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Opening My Eyes Underwater

Inspired by the life and quotations of former first lady Michelle Obama, OPENING MY EYES UNDERWATER is a collection of essays penned by bestselling author Ashley Woodfolk.

In essays about bullying, heartbreak, racism, and confidence, Woodfolk taps into her past to share those stories that made her who she is today. She seamlessly weaves in parallel experiences that both she and Mrs. Obama have faced in their separate childhoods as well as their adult lives. Open, searing, and honest, these are stories that will help readers feel seen. Readers who are growing and learning as they move forward through life’s triumphs and pitfalls will undoubtedly gravitate to and find comfort within its pages.

My Review

Ashley Woodfolk is an author whose books I’ve been wanting to read. When I came across this book, the concept of it really hooked me. Essays on hope? Michelle Obama, you say? Yes, please. I’m in.

I always forget that reading a collection of shorter pieces, whether essays or short stories, is something I really enjoy. It’s nice to be able to read a chunk of something and pause in the reading to think about that piece as a whole. It’s so different than consuming an entire novel or nonfiction book and then reflecting on the entire thing.

These essays are loosely connected– several talk about the author’s experiences with panic attacks and anxiety, especially about school and college. At the start of each essay is a page with a quote from Michelle Obama. The quotes are well-chosen and inspirational just on their own. In the essay that follows, the author explores some of her own life experiences and reflects on experiences Michelle Obama has described about her own life, expanding on the ideas from the quote.

The essays are thoughtful and encouraging, but also pretty real. Ashley Woodfolk wrote the book during the days of the Covid-19 pandemic, and she isn’t shy about how hard that process or those experiences were. But she also calls us toward hope again and again. She reminds readers of their value as human beings and members of the same world in which people like Michelle Obama live and thrive.

I really enjoyed the book and found it to be a really easy read. I think readers looking for some encouraging words, especially as they transition from high school to college, will find a lot of inspiration for life in these pages.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Michelle Obama is a Black woman and the former First Lady of the US. The book includes some biographical information about her as well as quotes from speeches she’s given and things posted to her social media accounts. Ashley Woodfolk is also a Black woman and identifies as Queer.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
References to romantic relationships that the author was in. At one point she describes a boyfriend who continually pushed past her boundaries. She reflects back on that now as an unhealthy and unsafe relationship.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
The author describes what it’s like when she has a panic attack. She also references George Floyd’s murder by police. She discusses a job at a clothing store at which many of the employees stole merchandise. Though she herself did not steal, she uses this as an example of having personal values and sticking to them even when others aren’t doing what you have committed to do for yourself.

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 OPENING MY EYES UNDERWATER in exchange for my honest review. All opinions my own.