This was a delight to read! It‘s honestly the first romantic comedy featuring a woman in a hijab by a woman who wears a hijab that I have ever read. It seems so important to have this kind of representation across genres. The incorporation of Pride and Prejudice worked well, overall. It was fun how some characters represented one or more of the characters and points of view from P&P. It was funny, smart, and genuinely romantic!

This intimate family memoir reveals the experiences of so many folks who lived in Vietnam and eventually came to the United States. It is both heartbreaking and encouraging. The artwork supports the story perfectly. TW: there are scenes involving trauma around the topic of birth and babies.

A beautiful tale that brings science fiction and speculative fiction to a young audience with great success! #middlegradereads

The best.

#middlegradereads
We‘re reading this as a read aloud for our Fourth graders. I don‘t know if I‘ve ever seen a group get so into a read aloud. Every afternoon they cry, “noooo!” as we stop for the day and need to go home.
We read many immigration stories in Fourth grade because or primary social studies is a deep dive into immigration. This book really meets the kids right where they are.

Highly recommended! Highlights concrete acts of kindness that work on a “act local, think global” mindset. It teaches kids being kind is a realistic achievable goal.

Empathy is the word that comes to mind after reading this book. There‘s also framing and reframing of day-to-day realities that felt refreshing. For a story about the brutalities that lead to people becoming refugees, it‘s pretty optimistic about how the future could play out. The book was more sci-fi/magical realism than I was expecting, but I felt like it really worked well!

Cheers!

Some light before bed reading! Also my daughter...

Recommended by Reading Glasses for a lovely feel good time!

Just heard a great advance review on the podcast “Reading Glasses” #readingglasses and want to remember to read it when it comes out. Available for preorder!

Ruth Ozeki is a brilliant author; there‘s a lot to love in this one, but there were some difficulties for me around some of the terrible decision making of several characters. I also struggled to understand the big take away here. Not quite Tale for the Timebeing...

Excellent! Reads like a realistic fiction with a compelling magical realism twist. It also features a completely badass Buddhist nun.

Returning to this one after a 3 month break. I was having trouble reading it at the end of my pregnancy due to its troubling content. I care very much about deepening my understanding of the experience of refugees, and this has been excellent so far. Hopefully I‘m ready now!

Excellent choice for our 4th grade literature circles! It‘s themes of belonging, immigration, and how they connect with American identity are relatable and accessible. #middlegradereads

While a lot of it was beautifully written and compelling, I wasn‘t sure what to take away from this read. Family dysfunction is universal? It‘s certainly more nuanced than that as it explores conflict across generations, countries, and cultures. Ultimately worth the read.

One of the greats. Before Hunger Games, there was Lowry‘s take on distopian society.

Love this series (and the Netflix adaptation actually answers most of your lingering questions!) Count Olaf feels like a particularly relevant villain in his ability to manipulate those around him with obvious lies and flimsy cover ups. #middlegrade

Gorgeous refugee story with so many connections to today. Moreover, it‘s an excellent way into students learning about this time and place in American history. #middlegrade

Excellent book for high reading Fourth graders and older. The ending absolutely works and genuinely surprised me. This explores an immigration story with empathy and honesty. #middlegradereads

Love.

An insightful perspective! Some ideas you can try with your own children, while others are rooted in a support system in France that does not exist in the States.

I genuinely laugh out loud when I read her work. So much fun.

I love recommending this one to my students.

Excellent. Dark humor with an intimate exploration of characters and the powerful events shaping (and shaped by) their lives.

Epic. Explores massive global events through a highly intimate lens.

Unapologetic and needed. Lindy is at once vulnerable and ready to call society out on its fat phobic BS.

Excellent collection! I connected with some more than others, but all were sophisticated, beautifully written, heartfelt, and honest.

If you‘re up for an excellent series of intense stories with hues of Afro-futurism, fantasy, and sci-if, this collection is for you!

This book was my top pick from 2018. It‘s gorgeous. It explores an ugly and, at the same time, beautiful time in the human experience.

Some funny moments, even more vulnerable ones. There were some stories that dragged and others that were moving and relatable.

It was ok. It seems to be written with a very specific audience in mind. I admire much of the author‘s online work. That said, the book didn‘t feel all that revelatory and was only occasionally funny.

Beautiful.

An excellent way to bring children into the joys of Sci-Fi! In addition to the inclusion of female animal characters (and robots), the book‘s compelling story of exploration and the nature of growth, life, and death will open the door to powerful conversations with children and adults alike!