I ended up liking this book a lot more than I expected to! I appreciate that Garber didn‘t sugarcoat the struggles that characters faced in the story, such as immigration, gender roles, sexuality, etc.; their struggles were very real, even in a fantastical setting. I would recommend this novel to young readers, because while Manu‘s struggles may not be relatable to every reader, I still think there are insightful lessons to learn from her story.

After spending all of her life with just her mother and Perla for a family, I‘m glad that Manu was able to find a home within her friends. Her “otherness” still prevents her from being truly accepted in either the human society or the Septimus society, but being surrounded by those who love her may be just what she needs during this time of big changes in her life.

The displacement Manu feels in her life is really sad. She never felt like she and her mom belonged in Miami because they were undocumented immigrants forced to hide; she never felt like she belonged in normal society because her eyes made her look “abnormal“; and even at the magical academy, she knew she didn't fit in because she was not a bruja like the rest of the girls. She truly had no place to call her own and find solace in.

Though the start of this novel is a little bit slower than I would prefer, I am intrigued how the author is setting up the story; world-building for stories of magical realism shouldn‘t be rushed, in my opinion, so I‘m optimistic about the rest of this book. I‘m excited to learn more about the importance of the Citadel and about the significance of Manu‘s interest in “Other Manu”.

I have so much respect for how the author tackled the topics of grief, loss, and uncertainties in this novel. The way Kemi processed her grief and her thoughts on every situation in this story was so interesting to read; her perspective was very different than what I expected from such a young character. Most of what I want to talk about regarding this novel is related to the plot twist, so I won't...but I encourage everyone to give this a read!

Wow, was I blown away by this novel! It was so much more impactful and heartbreaking than I could have imagined. There's a really big twist towards the end that was...jarring but very well-executed, in my opinion. Though this novel is labeled as a middle grade book, I definitely think it's more suitable for older young readers; there are some pretty heavy topics that middle schoolers might not be prepared to read and process properly.

Kemi's outlook on their situation has been the most interesting aspect of this novel so far. She is a very scientific thinker, always conducting any research she can, hence this quote from one of her internal monologues. For an eleven-year-old to think this way and be so calm and serious about her impending doom was not what I was expecting when I picked up this book, but I'm really enjoying her perspective on the asteroid situation!

My second choice reading is The Probability of Everything by Sarah Everett. In this novel, middle schooler Kemi learns some earth-shattering news: an asteroid is unexpectedly making its way towards Earth and there's little chance of survival. To cope with the news that they have four days to live before the asteroid hits, Kemi starts to create a time capsule in hopes that the memory of her family will live on, even after they are no longer around.

If anyone in interested in another graphic novel about a boy's experience in a refugee camp, I highly recommend checking out Baddawi by Leila Abdelrazaq. It tells the story of Ahmad, a Palestinian refugee who, along with thousands of other Palestinians, was forced out of his home due to conflicts in the mid 1900s in their homeland. Both stories portray the lives of growing boys as they navigate their uncertain circumstances as refugees.

This was an amazing story! Omar and Hassan's childhood may look a lot different from a lot of young readers' lives, and I think that's the beauty of turning this story into a children's graphic novel; kids can read about Omar and Hassan's story--can look through all of the colorful drawings of the boys' lives--and get a better understanding of the world around them. I can't wait to recommend this novel to readers both young and old.

This page of the novel is so touching, in my opinion. I think it's really beautiful that amidst all of the struggles, conflicts, hardships, and uncertainties the boys faced on a daily basis, they still found home within each other. No matter what came their way, they still had each other. They were brothers above all else, and that's a really special bond to have in such an uncertain environment as a refugee camp.

This is such a valuable conversation in this novel. Differences don't equal incapabilities. Hassan is different than the other refugee kids because he can't speak, but his inability to speak doesn't make him helpless, as Jeri states. He is still valued and loved as a person, especially by Omar, because his differences shouldn't make him feel less than. I just think this is a special lesson for young readers to learn!

I was so excited when I found out we were reading a graphic novel! As an English major, I've had to opportunity to read a few graphic novels for some of my classes and they always turn out to be my favorite stories from the course. Already, I'm loving how this graphic novel is capturing the expressions of the refugees and the landscape of the camp; having a visual representation of these things makes the story so much more immersive and personal.

This might be my favorite book we‘ve read so far! It was so well written and thoughtful, especially considering the heavy topic of the book. I appreciate the way Slater included the many different sides to the story; there are so many lessons to learn from the incident and its aftermath. I would 100% recommend this to young adult readers looking for something more serious and perhaps introspective.

This passage was so interesting to me. When learning about racism in school, I think there was a tendency on the educators' part to act like racism was a thing of the past when in fact, there are ways in which racism is worse in today's times. Now, as evidenced by this story, social media provides a whole different outlet in which racism can fester; now, acts of racism are still horrible thanks to gun violence, corrupt systems of power, etc.

Slater writes that “guilt focuses on the behavior [while] shame focuses on the person“ (pg. 248). In Part 8, things went from bad to worse when the protesters reverted to shaming the account followers rather than making them feel guilty for their actions. By focusing on shaming, the protesters inadvertently hindered any productive dialogue or potential for change, which further deepened the divide between the followers and the protesters.

I think this line from Part 3 serves as a basis for why the account followers' actions were harmful, no matter how involved in the account they were. By simply following the deeply racist account, they inadvertently endorsed its harmful agenda and contributed to the normalization and spread of racist attitudes and beliefs. Their complicity, whether deliberate or not, makes them accountable for the impact of the account's messaging.

I would definitely not suggest this novel to a young adult reader, but there are aspects of Nathan and Anastasia's story that could be used as learning moments for older readers. Hannah Grace, in my opinion, did a great job writing about the complexity of relationships--both platonic and romantic--and a number of other delicate topics. Not a YA book, but still enjoyable!

I think this novel did a really good job of broaching the subject of toxic relationships. It was difficult to read about the main character Anastasia's struggles with her manipulative skating partner, Aaron, and how his toxicity affected her health and well-being, but I think the author was very respectful in how she wrote about the situation.

One thing I appreciate about this novel is how it tackled conflict resolution and communication. Though the main characters are young and in college, they are mature in how they work out most of their conflicts by being open and honest about how/what they are feeling. As someone who reads a lot of romance novels, I would say that this novel has one of the best representations of a healthy, communicative relationship I have read recently.

I think there were a lot of good lessons to learn from this book. The above paragraph stood out to me a lot because social media isn't going away anytime soon, but there are ways to control and regulate how we use it. It's up to each individual user to decide what their media consumption will look like, and this approach outlined by Yasmin seems like a good starting place for anyone looking to change their habits.

Yasmin's discussion of objectivity and neutrality was very well done, in my opinion. Being completely impartial regarding topics such as politics, climate change, gender issues, etc. is pretty much impossible, no matter how hard someone might try to stay open-minded to all sides of an issue. Personal biases prevent true neutrality from becoming tangible, especially in the realm of journalism.

Just finished Chapter 3! I was pleasantly surprised by the timeline of American journalism; truthfully, I had no clue it dated back to BCE. I also really enjoyed how Yasmin discussed the issue of narrative framing and how framing can affect the exposure that an issue receives. Who tells a story is so important; an author's credibility and the way they frame a story can completely change how we perceive an issue, and I think that's very powerful.

I am learning so much from this book already! I thought I knew a lot about misinformation and “fake news“ before reading this, but this book is proving that there is so much more to the issue of false information than meets the eye. I'm almost overwhelmed by how much I've learned from the first chapter alone, but Yasmin has done a good job of dissecting certain topics in a way that is approachable and easy to read, especially for younger readers.

I think it‘s safe to say that this novel should not be on a YA book list! I would not recommend this to anyone under the age of 18 as it features a lot of sexually explicit content. I would label this book as a new adult or adult novel. All that aside, I think this is a really enjoyable book so far. It seems to feature a cast of fun, diverse characters and has already touched on subjects like consent, disordered eating, and toxic relationships.

I liked how Lo portrayed the Telegraph Club in this novel; it was one of the few places where Lily, and many individuals like her, could be her most authentic self without shame. I think it is important for young readers to read this novel and understand that no matter where they are in the world, they should also be free to exist as their most authentic selves, just like Lily did at this club (and with Kath).

Lily was a such a well-written teen-aged character, in my opinion. Despite this novel taking place in the 50s, Lily still struggled with things that high schoolers today struggle with--things like sexuality, friendships, aspirations/careers, familial dynamics, etc. Lily struggled, but she also persevered and found ways to live a life that she wanted. For this, I think this novel is very well-suited for young readers who may relate to Lily.

I really enjoyed how this novel navigated Lily's feelings. Her struggle with her sexual identity was obviously a key factor of the novel, but the cultural and familial expectations placed upon her were also important to Lily's personal development. The hardships Lily endured in a time period defined by conformity was interesting to read, and it made this novel very captivating.

I‘m about 100 pages into the novel, and so far, I‘m really enjoying its historical context. To be completely frank, I was never taught about the Red Scare in any of my history classes, so it‘s been really interesting to learn more about it through this novel. I am also really enjoying the descriptions of Chinatown through Lily‘s eyes; the imagery helps center this novel in both its historical and geographical setting. Excited for more!

Not only is the writing style of this novel very interesting, but I am also captivated by how Whimsy processes her thoughts--even the thoughts she can't vividly recall. We experience the same gaps in her memories as she does, which is a fun experience as a reader. Being in her head also helps to make sense of how her depression affects the way she views the world and how it may tinge her memories of the Forest/Garden in certain ways.

About halfway done with this novel! So far, I am finding myself most intrigued by the vivid imagery and the style of writing. The imagery is setting up a really interesting world within the novel, and I'm enjoying the exploration into Whimsy's mind. The style of writing makes this novel's world feel sort of hazy and dreamlike, which I think fits with the illusiveness of the Forest. Excited to read more!

There were so many unique stories in this anthology that I particularly enjoyed. “Seventy-Six Dollars and Forty-Nine Cents“ was fun in its method of story-telling and the story's concept. “Secret Samantha“ and “Flying Lessons“ were interesting for their portrayal of youthful hesitance and curiosity regarding friendships/relationships. All in all, this was a very enjoyable read!

I think this compilation of stories is very well-suited for middle school readers! I think it helped that the narrators in these stories were of middle school age, so it felt like these were stories and characters that young readers could really connect to. I am curious and excited to find more books like this one to recommend to younger readers!

Started my reading day with ‘Secret Samantha‘ and ended it with ‘Main Street.‘ I‘m really enjoying the narration in each of these short stories; each seems to capture both the innocence and the maturity that comes with being a young teen. Although these stories are mostly light-hearted, I also appreciate their depth and how they approach tougher subjects, especially in ‘Main Street‘ and ‘The Beans and Rice Chronicles of Isaiah Dunn.‘

I've listened to the first three short stories in this anthology via audiobook, and so far, I am really enjoying the uniqueness of the stories. Each story seems to have an overarching theme/lesson, showcased through diverse perspectives. Though these stories are short, they are still impactful and shine a light on various multicultural experiences!

What a poignant, touching novel! The bonds formed between Javier and those he met along the way were beautifully explored in this memoir. As interesting as it was to read about the physical journey from El Salvador to America, I think the emotional journey experienced by Javier and the rest of the group was what made this novel especially exceptional.

Something that I‘ve found intriguing is the repetition of Javier‘s inner-thoughts (i.e., cadejo, the stars, the silver toliet, etc.). To me, these repeated thoughts/images give Javier something to cling to during such a tumultuous time in his life; they keep him sort of grounded in reality, but also allow him to feel hopeful for what‘s to come. These repeated thoughts seem to act as an escape, and it‘s neat to witness his thoughts in this way.

This is turning out to be a very interesting memoir so far. As someone who has never been to Central America, the descriptions of the sights and scenes are very striking to me. I am also enjoying how the relationship between Javier and his grandfather is described and how they have developed a rapport in their time together away from home. I'm eager to read more!