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Makyah
Mehso-so

I appreciate the authors unique take on showcasing depression, grief, and trauma and the back sliding that people can face when trying to overcome that. Especially as people of color and the weight of having to deal with racial discrimination on top of that. I recognize the points the author is trying to convey but the way it was delivered through this grim fairytale style didn‘t hit for me the way I wanted it too.

blurb
Makyah

This book would be a great tool for students to use in order to practice reading comprehension skills and practice the skill of understanding the author‘s deeper meaning with this story as well as recognizing the authors purpose. This would also be a good diverse read for people to understand the harsh realities of the way black families view/ deal with mental health.

blurb
Makyah
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So far I am interested in the story in regards to mental health among black teens. The whole whimsical aspect that the author is going for to symbolize what Whimsy is going through feels almost dream like. However sometimes I‘m finding myself being a little lost within the story due to the excessive symbolism and it being too abstract.

annagsears Makyah, this is the same struggle I had! I feel like, additionally, this work would be a little more challenging to teach in the classroom, and not just because of its content dealing with depression and other sensitive topics. It almost reminds me of “The Faerie Queene“ in a way, as the poetics confused me from the plot. I feel like if my students wanted a challenge and were able to handle the “trigger warnings,“ I would recommend it to them. 5d
1 comment
review
Makyah
Answers in the Pages | David Levithan
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Pickpick

This has been my fave book so far in class! There were so many banger quotes that were impactful and were very thought provoking! Never underestimate a 5th grader because they just might teach you something about yourself that you didn‘t even realize… I loved how the author did a “storyception” where we got to read a story within a story it was really cool and I liked how it gave the reader an inside look into the story that was being challenged.

jessicaking 100%. Each chapter was so compelling, and each storyline contained multitudes and only continues to enhance the story. I agree, there are so many fantastic quotes that can be applied beyond the reach of the story (maybe a lesson could be centered around this? Choosing a quote, writing about its significance in and out of the book?). The younger audience represented in the characters was also super cool. 5d
1 comment
quote
Makyah
Answers in the Pages | David Levithan
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A reoccurring conflict I kept picking up on in this story was how Gideon‘s mom never asked him about the book or even let him know that she disproved of it. This caused Gideon so much anxiety from being left in the dark that when he figured out why she might‘ve been upset about the book it left him so confused because there wasn‘t anything blatantly wrong to him. I think the author was trying to show that communication is key.

allisonjackson To go along with this thought I think the author is communicating to the reader that kids pick up on so much more than we think, they develop their own thoughts and understanding from books and they read with such an innocent mind they just like the storylines and don‘t necessarily care about relationship development inside of books. 2d
1 comment
quote
Makyah
Answers in the Pages | David Levithan
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This quote was so impactful because of how true it is. Not only could you say this about sexuality but you can also say the same about race, class, and other societal issues. I think it‘s important to learn and understand something or someone before you it write off as being bad. Because it‘s a lot easier to be afraid or dislike someone when you hardly know anything about them.

blurb
Makyah

In chapter one I really liked how Cart highlights the parallels in early YAL book with its society. He mentions the hegemonic traits that get reinforced through fictional books and even in seventeen magazines which were targeted for young girls. I found this intriguing because these early forms of YAL were influential. Youth (whether they realized it or not) were learning how to operate in their society through the usage of YAL.

review
Makyah
Mexikid | Pedro Martin
Mehso-so

I think if it weren‘t for the graphics I wouldn‘t have really enjoyed it at all. As the story continued I started to get a little disconnected because of the dialogue being so young. I can definitely see elementary students eating this story up especially Hispanic kids who can relate to Pedro‘s family dynamic. So, It‘s important to be willing to read about different cultures and their life experiences to have more broad perspective of life.

jkmac9717 I can agree; I think the graphics were beautifully done, but there are some parts where the story and/or dialogue got a bit juvenile. This is where connecting with our students needs to come into play because, as educators, we need to be able to tailor our book choices (when we can) to our students' needs and lives as much as possible while still introducing them to new things. For middle grades and also likely Hispanic kids, it‘d be a great pick! 2w
1 like1 comment
blurb
Makyah
Mexikid | Pedro Martin

I love how we are getting to see some of the unfortunate realities of the world through the eyes of a child. For, example when the family is crossing the border into Mexico and they get some of their stuff stolen by the guards and the dad is trying to talk their way through that tense situation. It got so real! To experience something like that as a kid had to of been very frustrating and confusing.

alaynaroper I second this! I cant imagine how it must have felt to be going through this situation, much less while being a child. Getting most of his belongings, even the ones he found most valuable taken away from him, for reasons he could not quite understand must have been so scary! I think how he wrote it kept the story from becoming too immersed in the ideas of his abuelos superhero narrative, and also in reality. 2w
1 comment
blurb
Makyah
Mexikid | Pedro Martin
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I had never heard of a graphic memoir before and I was so surprised that this isnt done more often! Actually being able to see the family and looking at how their personalities are shown through the images made it much more fun to read! This is a great way to get younger audiences more interested in reading and to stay engaged with the story.

haylee.roach10 I had never seen a graphic memoir either!! this was a fun experience to read and get immersed into non-fiction with the visual context. I love memoir so it was fun to explore. It also helped with the social political themes in the book for younger students to be able to see and get comedic relief about a story with a lot of meaning. 2w
alaynaroper I also had never seen one! I did not realize what the novel was about until I looked at the book when it came in the mail. I think it created an awesome option for students who dont particularly love reading, but need to learn about memoir writing. All the colors also makes it super appealing! 2w
2 comments
review
Makyah
Pickpick

For this collection of short stories as a whole, I loved the message of advocating for diverse representation in literature. Each story shows what someone‘s life may actually be like whether it‘s the good the bad or simply the mundane. This book would be great for young readers in the classroom to connect with!

annagsears Hi, Makyah! I agree with your statement on the importance of diversity and real-life application within this anthology. This text could be helpful for diverse students to recognize themselves while also allowing reflection for non-identifying students. I liked the statement made in the prologue, in which each story can be considered a house within a larger neighborhood. It encapsulates the importance of diversity within society. 3w
1 comment
quote
Makyah
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This quote from the “Sol Painting Inc.” story was very impactful. This specific lesson that Merci had to learn can be applied to everyone no matter the age. It teaches the reader to know when to pick your battles which is such an invaluable skill.

Makaylaholton Hey Makyah! I completely agree- this quote really stood out to me too. It showed how much Merci was shaped by her dad‘s influence. His decision didn‘t just guide her response, but it also highlighted the importance of recognizing diversity. It also shows how people in marginalized positions often have to hide parts of themselves just to avoid conflict, which is an extremely important and valuable lesson.

3w
alaynaroper I absolutely adored Mercis relationship with her father. I loved how much she loved him, and how she learned about his love for her. She was quick to defend him, but then learned that he resisted, though must have been frustrated, for her, to preserve her place at that school. I think it illustrated a critical way of thinking that would especially be helpful to young tweens/teens. 3w
1 like2 comments
blurb
Makyah

The opening stories are very engaging and even drew me in as an adult reader. I liked how this collection of stories showcased many different backgrounds and portrayed the realities of different kid's upbrings and circumstances. This is helpful to teach younger students to be more compassionate to their peers.

allisonjackson I absolutely agree that this could be used to teach students to be compassionate towards their peers because they‘ll be able to comprehend not everyone is the same as them and everyone has different cultures, backgrounds, and circumstances. It is such an important lesson for students to learn at a younger age so that they carry it on for the rest of their lives. 2w
1 comment