Tag Archives: Story Collection

Review: Out of Our League Edited by Dahlia Adler and Jennifer Iacopelli

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , ,
Out of Our League by Dahlia Adler and Jennifer Iacopelli

Out of Our League
Edited by Dahlia Adler and Jennifer Iacopelli
Feiwel & Friends
Published January 23, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Out of Our League

A compelling YA anthology from editors Dahlia Adler and Jennifer Iacopelli about the trials and triumphs of girls in sports.

Ambition. Drive. Determination. Talent. Courage. Teamwork.

Every athlete knows what it takes to win. But for teen female players, the stakes are so much higher. In this anthology, the voices of these athletes come alive, highlighting the ferocity of those who are often shunted to the side. From navigating rampant misogyny to forging a sisterhood through sweat or just reveling in the love of the game, the stories in Out of Our League address the phenomenal physical and emotional power of teenage athletes as they compete, persevere, and thrive, on and off the field.

My Review

The last time I reviewed an anthology, I took a new approach, in which I grouped the stories by topic and wrote a couple sentences evaluating each one. I’m going to do that again here so you can see who’s in the anthology and which stories I found to be its highlights.

One thing that this anthology does that was fun to notice is that each story contains connections to other stories within the collection. Like, a character from one story might be mentioned in another one. One story shows the filming of a documentary, and characters in another story reference watching that film. It creates an overall sense of these things happening in a world together, which I thought was really clever.

Overall, I found the stories to be kind of hit or miss with me. Some of them were so good I wished they were full novels. Others didn’t resonate so much. Here is a quick impression for each story in the collection.

The Power of a Support System

Safe at Home by Jennifer Iacopelli – Sisters competing against one another in a championship softball game. I love sister stories, and this is a great angle to mine the complexities of those relationships. This one packs a lot of thought into a few pages. Definitely enjoyed.

Power Ten in Two by Leah Henderson – This is another story where I wish there had been more time to get to know the characters and really watch the conflicts and changes play out. I love the idea of it. It’s about a very competitive girl whose drive isolates her from her teammates and an unusual object lesson her coach puts her through to teach her the value of operating as a team.

All for One by Yamile Saied Méndez – This story follows a girl experiencing disordered eating. She wrestles with a lot of guilt and shame and shows up for her cheerleading team, trying desperately to keep everything together. The story shows a lot of depth and compassion while acknowledging the danger and harmfulness of those behaviors and the importance of a support system.

Relationships in Sports

#GOALS by Amparo Ortiz – I like that this one highlights that all kinds of girls play sports, and you don’t have to be the best for your interest to matter. I appreciate the focus it brings to the pain of a breakup and the value in being your true self, even when that doesn’t fit into the box someone creates for you.

Sidelined by Maggie Hall – This one might be my favorite. I think it also uses flashbacks most successfully. I love the way it captures the evolution of the relationship between Oliver and Lexie and sets up the turning point of the story. We also see a girl who, despite her status as a rising basketball star, deeply loves football.

Bunker Buddies by Sarah Farizan – I think this story set itself a tall hill to climb. The story begins in a tense moment and immediately flashes back to the setup that led the character to that situation. The flashback explained the character’s feelings but wasn’t particularly endearing. The relationship between the main character and her opponent in the golf match is the most compelling thing about the story. The end of their match contains a sweet moment that careful readers will find referenced later in another story.

Save the Lead by Cam Montgomery – I know nothing about sport climbing, so it was fun to read this one even simply to learn a little more about it. I loved the relationship between Pilar and Pavel. I also loved the way that it impacted each of them without dominating their connection to their sport.

Issues in Sports

Two Girls Walk Into a Wrestling Match by Noomi Kanakia – Some stories in the collection highlight the power of friendship and camaraderie between girls in sports. This one explores the discomfort and harm that withholding acceptance does to fellow players. A transgender girl waits for her match to be called at a wrestling meet, and not everyone welcomes her.

No Love Lost by Kayla Whaley – I really like the concept of this one. It’s written like the transcript of a documentary, so it has an unusual look on the page, and the emphasis on what people say brings the characters into sharp focus. The story covers a lot of ground in a few pages, and I wonder if that dilutes the power of its message. At the core of the piece, two girls have an unresolved conflict over something that happened a year ago. They revisit the conflict in an argument and explore the ramifications of the decisions that the star tennis athlete made at that time. It’s an interesting conversation that raises some good points about disability representation in sports. It felt like an odd use of the documentary-style storytelling format, though.

Three Minutes by Aminah Mae Safi – I didn’t connect with this story as much as I hoped to. While I think it brings focus to an interesting part of boxing competition, I felt like I kept waiting for the actual story to begin. I wanted to know why she fired her coach, but we never really explore that or what she changed about her training or diet. It was interesting to think about the parts of boxing that happen outside the ring, though.

Fall in Love with Sports

Better in the Long Run by Sarah Henning – A girl in love with cross country shares her enthusiasm with a boy who got roped into the team as a punishment. I liked the back-and-forth between the two characters. The story shows a lot of growth for them.

Woman Land by Monica Kenneally – I love that this collection includes a story about girls in powerlifting. It’s a fun one, too, that shows a girl taking a risk on something she feels intimidated by and finding a new source of joy and personal pride.

Bunker Buddies by Sarah Farizan – I think this story set itself a tall hill to climb. The story begins in a tense moment and immediately flashes back to offer readers the setup that led the character to that situation. The flashback explained the character’s feelings, but wasn’t particularly endearing. The relationship between the main character and her opponent in the golf match is the most compelling thing about the story. Instead of further embarrassing or poking fun at her, the younger girl is kind and offers help. In exchange, the main character offers her friendship, something that matters a lot to the younger girl. The end of their match contains a sweet moment that careful readers will find referenced later in a another story.

Sports Camp

Kylie with an I by Carrie S. Allen – This one was excellent. A girl who has only ever had boys as hockey teammates attends an elite camp for girls in preparation for a huge championship. She has to reckon with internalized ideas about women in the sport and her expectations of herself and other players. She quickly realizes she’s got some work to do. This is another story that packs a lot into a few pages and does it so well.

One on One by Juliana Goodman – I have mixed feelings about this one. On the one hand, I love that it explores the complexity of romance within a basketball team. On the other hand, I wish it had addressed the cheating aspect more fully. I know sometimes in real life, people get away with things, so it’s not unrealistic. It was nice to see a win for love, though.

Valley Girl by Dahlia Adler – I love the way this celebrates summer camp and how playing a sport together, even if it’s not something we’re good at, brings people together. Definitely a feel-good story that had me smiling.

Anchor Points by Marieke Nijkamp – The collection ended on a really strong note with this story. It’s about two people who’ve grown up loving archery and attending an archery camp. We get to see the impact that the sport has had on their lives and the value of the friendship they’ve formed, even if it took years to come to fruition.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Stories include a diverse cast of characters in terms of race, identity, sexual orientation, and disability. One character has disordered eating.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Some stories contain swearing and the f-bomb.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between a girl and nonbinary person.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
One story shows an athlete who gets an injury. Another shows an athlete who engages in bingeing/purging.

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: The Winnie-the-Pooh Collection by A. A. Milne and Ernest Shepard

Book Review and Content, Historical, Middle Grade 8-12, Poetry, , , , , , ,

The Winnie-the-Pooh Collection
A. A. Milne
Illustrated by Ernest Shepard
Aladdin Books
Published August 6, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Winnie-the-Pooh Collection

With gorgeously redesigned covers and the original black-and-white interior illustrations by Ernest Shepard, these beautiful editions of the four Winnie-the-Pooh books by A.A. Milne are now together in a collectible hardcover boxed set—sure to delight new and old fans alike!

Explore the Hundred Acre Wood with everyone’s favorite bear-of-very-little-brain, Winnie-the-Pooh!

In Winnie-the-Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner, meet Pooh, Christopher Robin, and the other residents of the forest, including the timid Piglet, the downcast Eeyore, the impatient Rabbit, the loquacious Owl, the always bouncing Tigger, and newcomers Kanga and Roo. In each chapter, they have a new adventure, from searching for honey or celebrating birthdays to hunting Heffalumps or navigating new friendships.

Rounding out the collection are two books of children’s When We Were Very Young —in which we meet Mr. Edward Bear, the character that inspired Winnie-the-Pooh—and Now We Are Six, in which Pooh and Christopher Robin make frequent appearances. These playful and imaginative verses explore the joys and pains of growing up, the antics of peculiar characters, quiet afternoons in nature, memorable animal friends, and more.

Mini-Reviews of Each Book in the Collection

There are four books in this collection that feature the original illustrations inside the books. The book covers are completely new. The cover illustrations are new, and are pretty simplified.

Reading Milne’s classic works is a great way to slow down and reconnect to a child’s view of the world. I love the original artwork—it was really fun just flipping through the books to look at the illustrations.

This would make a great gift for a family with younger kids or early middle grade readers.

Winnie-the-Pooh

This book introduces readers to Winnie-the-Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, Christopher Robin, and their familiar friends. Each chapter reads like a self-contained adventure and is written as though it’s a story being told to a young boy named Christopher Robin about his very own stuffed bear, Winnie-the-Pooh.

I’ve read at least part of the book before, so this was partly a reread for me, but it was fun to revisit these characters and their stories. The dialogue contains a lot of wordplay or interpretations of words that feel very childlike.

Perhaps the only moment that stood out to me as something to think about is when Pooh gets stuck in Rabbit’s front door in the first chapter. Christopher Robin says they’ll have to wait a week for him to “get thin again.” I don’t know that anyone said anything directly shaming to Pooh. They sort of shrug and go along with the situation, but readers sensitive to body image issues or shaming might find that scene uncomfortable.

The House at Pooh Corner

If you’re a Tigger fan, this is the book you want to read, as it’s the only one in which he appears. Early in the collection, Tigger appears in the Hundred Acre Wood, and the rest of the group has to figure out what to make of their bouncy new friend.

The stories in The House at Pooh Corner are loosely connected, but each volume could be read independently. This volume also contains a lot of poetry or “hums” as Pooh calls them. Shepard’s charming illustrations appear on almost every page, too.

This is the longest book in the set of four.

When We Were Very Young

This collection of poems celebrates childhood and imagination with poems about Christopher Robin or other children. Some invert childhood experiences. For example, in one poem, the child tells his mother not to venture off by herself. When she does, she gets lost and has to be returned to the child.

In one poem, Pooh examines his body and feels bad for its stout shape. Then, he reads a book that names a stout king as handsome and feels better about himself. One poem tells about a boy who imagines sailing to South America to wave to the “Indians.” In the final poem, Christopher Robin says his prayers before bed.

Now We are Six

Now We Are Six includes a mix of poetry that ranges from sweet reflections on childhood (playing with an imaginary friend) to stories with a moral message (a king whose advisor doesn’t follow any directions is replaced by a beggar at the gate who asks for aid).

Though Winnie-the-Pooh isn’t named directly in the poems here, he appears in the charming illustrations. Milne does warn in his introduction (my favorite part of the whole book, actually) that Pooh wandered through the pages and sat down on some of them. I suppose that’s his way of telling readers to look for him in the illustrations, which is cute.

Like the other books in the collection, this volume delivers nostalgia for childhood and shows a love for those days when so many experiences were fresh and new.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 6 to 10.

Representation
Human characters are white. Most characters are animals.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Some poems and stories have elements of fantasy. In one poem, Christopher says his prayers, asking God’s blessing on his parents, Nanny, and himself.

Violent Content
In one chapter of Winnie-the-Pooh, Pooh and Piglet dig a trap and hope to catch a heffalump. In one chapter, rain floods the wood, and Piglet needs to be rescued from a tree. One poem vaguely references colonialism. In it, a boy imagines sailing to South America and visiting or dismissing the “Indians” as he pleases.

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 collection 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.

Review: Serendipity edited by Marissa Meyer

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

Serendipity: Ten Romantic Tropes Transformed
Edited by Marissa Meyer
Feiwel & Friends
Published January 4, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Serendipity

Love is in the air in this is a collection of stories inspired by romantic tropes and edited by #1 New York Times-bestselling author Marissa Meyer.

The secret admirer.
The fake relationship.
The matchmaker.

From stories of first love, unrequited love, love that surprises, love that’s been there all along, ten of the brightest and award-winning authors writing YA have taken on some of your favorite romantic tropes, embracing them and turning them on their heads. Readers will swoon for this collection of stories that celebrate love at its most humorous, inclusive, heart-expanding, and serendipitous.

Contributors include Elise Bryant, Elizabeth Eulberg, Leah Johnson, Anna-Marie McLemore, Marissa Meyer, Sandhya Menon, Julie Murphy, Caleb Roehrig, Sarah Winifred Searle, and Abigail Hing Wen.

My Review

One of the reasons I really wanted to review this book is that the idea of “tropes transformed” totally had me intrigued. I wasn’t totally sure what that meant, but definitely felt curious enough to explore it. Turns out, it’s a collection of stories centered around a specific trope but where the trope gets elevated into something bigger. For instance, one of my favorites is the story by Julie Murphy. In it, the main characters agree to fake a dating relationship. What transformed the story for me was the moment in which the boy realizes he’s been seeing himself as “the fat kid” and not as the funny, loyal, amazing guy he is. That moment felt so raw and sweet, and suddenly the story wasn’t about the fake dating and why it happened at all, but instead became about the way we see ourselves and how that can limit us.

I really enjoyed all the stories in the book, and I felt like they fit well together. It’s a great read for anyone who’s a fan of the authors represented in the collection or of romance and romance tropes in general. I felt like the book does a great job paying homage to tropes while adding some fresh, new sparkle to them.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Stories feature some POC and LGBTQ+ characters.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl, two boys, and two girls. In one story, two boys go swimming in their underwear. In another, a girl references the difference between romantic touches and touching intimate places as a function of complicated lifts and catches in dance.

Spiritual Content
None.

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 SERENDIPITY in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Dragons at Crumbling Castle by Terry Pratchett

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

Dragons at Crumbling Castle and Other Tales
Terry Pratchett
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children’s
Published on February 3, 2015

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

This collection features more than a dozen stories penned early in Pratchett’s career. Readers will discover carpet people bravely journey from their homes among rug fibers to discover strange new settlements, including one high on the leg of a table. A bus travels back in time, nearly trapping its inhabitants in long ago days. A curious tortoise escapes his lawn and saves woodland creatures from a deadly snake. An enterprising young lad teams up with a wizard to rid a castle of its dragon inhabitants.

Each imaginative story features charming characters and light, often bizarre, humor. Father Christmas gets an ordinary job, but can’t help bringing Christmas cheer wherever he goes. A city mayor decides to increase tourism by creating rumors of a monster in its lake. Things never go quite as the main character expects, and there’s always a bit of a funny twist. It’s easy to see the author’s talent and creativity even in these early pieces.

The humor will be most appreciated by adults as it’s often clever word-plays. The whimsical nature of the stories and out-of-the-box approach that many of the characters have make it a great pick for reading to smaller children.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violence
None.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Save